“I’ve tried a lot of things in the off-season, but the only thing I really know is baseball.” ~ Hank Aaron
On this date, sixty years ago President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in an open car motorcade. I was five years old, and my dad was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Now, I cannot pretend to say that I knew what was going on, or what it all meant, but I do remember being outside playing and then all sorts of men and women coming out of the housing crying and gathering in groups. Over the years, I have come to understand the magnitude of this event and how it changed our county’s course and history. It was and is a terribly sad day. Please take a few moments to reflect. Also, if you choose, check out “JFK: One Day In America”, it is an extremely well done documentary from National Geographic with interviews with the surviving witnesses.
So, John Kennedy’s autograph, I have one. No, it’s not the deceased president’s autograph, but the baseball player who shared the president’s name and birthday date.
John Kennedy (May 29, 1041 – August 9, 2018) was a “journeyman” infielder. He made his MLB debut on September 5, 1962, and his final appearance was on June 16, 1974. He played for the Washington Senators (1962 - 1964), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1965 – 1966), the New York Yankees (1967), the Seattle Pilots / Milwaukee Brewers (1969 – 1970), and the Boston Red Sox (1970 – 1974).
(Front and Back of the Topps Company John Kennedy 1970 Baseball Card #53. From the Author’s private collection. Excuse the shadow on the card, it occurred when I photographed it.)
Kennedy was a 6 foot, 185lbs 3rd baseman, shortstop, and 2nd baseman who threw and batted right-handed. He was born in Chicago, Illinois and played ball while attending William Rainey Harper High School, Class of 1959, at 6520 S. Wood Street (which closed in June of 2021) in the West Englewood neighborhood. He was nicknamed “SuperSub” in the majors as he could fill in at three of the four infield positions. He had a career batting average of .225, hit 32 home runs and drove in 185 runs over his 12 seasons in the majors. He hit a home run in his first at-bat against Dick Stigman of the Minnesota Twins. He played the 8th and 9th innings of Sandy Koufax’s perfect game on September 9, 1965, at third base subbing for Jim Gilliam, but did not have a fielding chance, nor did he come to bat. He won his only World Series Championship with the Dodgers in 1965.
After he retired as a player, he scouted, coached, and managed in several organizations. He died in Peabody, Massachusetts at the age of 77 and was cremated.
As a kid, I had a hernia repaired at Bethesda Naval Hospital (now Walter Reed National Military Medical Center) where my dad was stationed at the time. I don’t remember much of my stay there except that my parents bought me an Etch a Sketch to pass the recovery time and dad gave me an autographed “postcard” of John Kennedy. I do not know the story of how he obtained it. I always assumed dad ran into Kennedy and told him about me. Dad had a knack for those types of things. But it’s a cool piece of memorabilia that I’ll always keep.
(John Kennedy Autographed Postcard. From the Author’s private collection. Excuse the shadow on the card, it occurred when I photographed it.)
I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving filled with loved ones and abundant blessings. Let me know if you need help with your leftovers from dinner or pies. I’m here for you!
Thanks for your continued support.
~ Coach Mike
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Dealy Plaza will be extra crowded today. It amazes me the number of people who still, 60 years later, come stand there where the President was killed. I've stood in the window where Oswald is said to have killed JFK from. I too was a sharpshooter in the Corps. I highly doubt he made that shot at a moving target.
Another nice and folksy post! I love how you incorporate personal and fact in your posts! It does a lot to show you are real! Happy Thanksgiving to ALL!