It was an ordinary day. Reading about the oldest professional ex-major league baseball player who just turned 100. Guy by the name of Art Schallock who played for the New York Yankees. I often wonder if I will ever come close to being 100 years old, but I'm not sure I really want to be that age and have to put up with all the newspapers wanting an interview and perhaps my local TV station wanting me to appear on a newscast to show the world what someone who is 100 looks like. Hey, I already no longer have hair on my head and struggle with standing up straight most of the time...so why would I want to reach 100 years of age and have to show everyone what I look like? Probably wouldn't be able to brush my teeth by then...but, perhaps that wouldn't matter anyway, since I wouldn't have teeth...at least my own. But, the more I think about it, why couldn't I make it to 100? I no longer hold down a full-time job, but that's not important since I never did being I was a teacher and many people think teachers don't have full-time jobs; you know...3 months off each summer! I'd love to see them try to teach a class of high schools kids!! They'd try and hide in the nearest closet! My wife and I live in a retirement community now where we have a villa. What is nice is that we don't have to mow the lawn, rake the leaves, shovel snow, etc. All we have to do is visit with friends and family, go to the doctor, take care of our two cats, head to the grocery store when necessary, go to the doctor, talk on the phone and open my computer daily to type a story for my blog. Yeah...there are other things that we do such as watch the Phillies win and I play a few games of pool every week, but hey...we don't have to if we don't want to. We did go out to vote recently and my wife actually helped with handouts and telling the retirees which buttons and knobs to pull when they vote. She naturally ushered them in the direction where they had to vote for her favorites. Our choices will definitely win that way! Well, the fellow whose photograph was shown in the daily newspaper recently, since he just turned 100, guy by the name of Art Schallock, happened to be a New York Yankee. The newspaper article began with saying that Art, while still a Yankee ballplayer, would begin each day by taking the elevator down to the lobby in the hotel where the team resided during away games, and collecting the latest comic books for his roommate Yogi Berra. My guess is that Mickey Mantle must have been a part of that group of great people at one time or another. Art said, "That was quite a thrill playing with those guys. I roomed with Yogi Berra when I got up there, and he knew all the hitters. We went over all the hitters on each team. Art, a Bay Area native went to Tmalpais High in Mill Valley, then College of the Marines, before becoming the 10,823rd major league player when he debuted on July 16, 1951. He pitches 2 2/3 innings for the Yankees that day at Detroit, then earned his first career win one month later at Washington. The lefty won three World Series rings from 1951-53, although he only pitched in the '53 Series, retiring Brooklyn's Jackie Robinson during a two-inning outing in Game 4. He went 6-7 with a 4.02 ERA over five seasons in 58 games and 14 starts with the Yankees and Orioles. He still wears one of those World Series rings regularly on his pitching hand. "Here's a game that I loved, I really enjoyed it and loved the game of baseball, and they pay you for it. What more can you ask for?" Schallock shakes his head and smiles about the money that he earned and what they get paid today. He signed with the Dodgers for $5,000 and if he lasted past June 1 he would receive another $5,000 payment. Art still has some years to go to set any kind of age records. Negro League pitcher Si Simmons of the 1926 New York Lincoln Giants lived to 111, while another ex-Yankee pitcher, Red Hoff, reached 107. Schallock has a hard time hearing these days, he relishes every chance to chat about baseball. And he offers no real secrets to his longevity - no strict exercise regimen or special diet. "Stop having a drink, have two," he said, laughing. "That's all I was allowed to drink before dinner, that was it, my wife cut me off. Vodka over the rocks with a little splash of water, vodka and water and a little ice. Only two. I also had a few beers. Of course, there's been some good fortune along the way to make it to 100. Serving for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Ocean during WWII, Schallock narrowly escaped harm when the neighboring aircraft carrier USS Liscome Bay was sunk by a Japanese torpedo in November 1943 and 644 were killed - accounting for the majority of the casualties in the Battle of Makin. Thanks for your service Art and thanks for all the tales about playing the game of baseball. It was another extraordinary day in the life of unordinary guy. The following three photographs show Art Schallock. Recognize him? I didn't, and I'm a big baseball fan!
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