Abraham's Son, Chapter 22

 EXT. PARK NEAR ABRAHAM'S HOUSE - DAY

ABRAHAM pushes IKE's stroller, accompanied by LIZ.  After reaching playground at park, ABRAHAM removes IKE from STROLLER, hugs and kisses him and then IKE and LIZ go to play.  ABRAHAM sits on same bench as the day before.  He nervously looks for MESSENGER in all directions.  At first he thinks he won't show which relieves ABRAHAM.  Suddenly MESSENGER appears next to him on the bench making ABRAHAM nervous.

MESSENGER:  Did you like the game last night?

ABRAHAM:  Amazing!

MESSENGER:  Well, are you convinced I am a MESSENGER from God?

ABRAHAM hesitates.

ABRAHAM:  Almost...could have been a coincidence.  

MESSENGER:  This is getting ridiculous.  I or I should say God did what you wanted and you still don't believe.

ABRAHAM:  Well, I've been thinking.  I know something that will prove 100% that you are who you say you are.  

MESSENGER:  I'm listening.

ABRAHAM:  HELEN, my...

MESSENGER:  You want to see your wife.  I get it.  Okay.  Good idea.  I...or God can arrange that.  But it is a serious decision on your part.  There will be consequences in order to arrange it.

ABRAHAM:  What consequences?

MESSENGER:  You want to see HELEN or not?  Make up your mind...now.

ABRAHAM:  What exactly are you offering?

MESSENGER:  At 10 PM tonight, you will walk into your bedroom and she will be there.  You will have one hour with her.  She's not flesh and blood, but you will be able to communicate with her.  HELEN will be as she was...the same age as when she died.  That's the deal, take it...with consequences...or leave it.

ABRAHAM:  You are promising I will have one hour with HELEN?  

MESSENGER:  Yes.

ABRAHAM:  I agree.

MESSENGER:  There will be no backing out now.  I will see you tomorrow here again at the same time.  Until then.

MESSENGER gets up and walks away.

Bar Mitzvah

Last Saturday, October 14, 2023, my younger grandson, Leo Gerstein, celebrated his bar mitzvah at a temple in New York City.  So, what is a bar mitzvah?  

A bar mitzvah is a coming-of-age ritual in Judaism. According to Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, their parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age, they are said to "become" b'nai mitzvah, at which point they begin to be held accountable for their own actions. 

Of course, Cristina and I travelled to New York to be at Leo's bar mitzvah along with many members of our family and friends of the family.  Leo's performance was amazing.  We are all very proud of him.  

We left Sao Paulo on Monday the 9th, arriving in New York by plane on Tuesday the 10th.  We had dinner that night at Leo's home on East 86th Street along with my daughter Rachel, her mother Bonita, my son-in-law Mike, my grandson Nate, my niece Lauren and her husband Alex and daughter Adeline.

On Wednesday the 11th, we spent much of the day with my friend Joe.   That included both breakfast and lunch plus a trip to the Apple Store at Grand Central Station.

On Thursday the 12th, I hosted a dinner at Gallagher's Steak House for my children (Rachel and Bret), their spouses (Mike and Pam) and my grandchildren (Nate and Leo).  Cristina and I shared a delicious 14 oz. filet mignon.

On Friday the 13th, we had bagels with smoked salmon, cream cheese and tomato at Tal's on East 86th Street.  We also had dinner at Leo's followed by Friday night services at the temple. 

On Sunday the 15th, we had a brunch again at Leo's followed by veal dinners at the Back Room on East 92nd Street.  We were there last year and wanted very much to return.

On Monday the 16th, we shopped for clothes at Old Navy on East 86th Street and bought a book (Somebody's Fool by Richard Russo) at the new Barnes & Noble location on Third Avenue.

On Tuesday the 17th, the Carmel taxi service took us to JFK airport for our trip home.  We arrived safely in Brazil on Wednesday the 18th.   

Don Larsen

 Don Larsen was born August 7, 1929 (exactly 16 years before me) in Michigan City, Indiana.  However, he grew up in San Diego, California where he excelled playing baseball and basketball.

In 1947, Larsen signed a contract to play professional baseball with a minor league team affiliated with the St. Louis Browns of the American League.  He made his Major League debut in 1953 with the Browns.  In 1954, the Browns relocated to Baltimore to become the Orioles.

At the end of the 1954 season, Larsen was traded to the New York Yankees.  In the first part of the 1955 season, he played for the Yankee minor league affiliate in Denver.  However, Larsen, after returning to New York, pitched well, winning nine of eleven games.

In 1956, Larsen pitched really well, winning eleven out of sixteen games, especially at the end of the regular season.  That included a shutout victory against his former team, the Orioles.

On October 8, 1956 (67 years ago today), Larsen was chosen to be the starting pitcher for the Yankees in game 5 (at Yankee Stadium) of the World Series against the Brooklyn (now the Los Angeles) Dodgers.  The best of seven series was tied 2-2.

Mickey Mantle hit a home run in the fourth inning off Dodger pitcher Sal Maglie (whom I met as a child at a Little League banquet in Oswego, NY).  The Yankees scored a second run in the sixth inning on a single by Hank Bauer.  

One of the beautiful things about baseball is that there is no clock.  You must get the opposition to make 27 outs (3 outs in each of 9 innings).  To get the 27 outs in only 27 batters (the minimum) is a perfect game, a rarity in baseball.  

On that memorable day, 67 years ago, Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in World Series history.  He finished the game striking out Dale Mitchell, the twenty-seventh and final batter.  

Two days later, the Yankees defeated the Dodgers in game 7 and won the 1956 World Series.  Six years later, Larsen pitched for the San Francisco Giants and helped defeat the Yankees in game 4 of the World Series (at that same Yankee Stadium).  

Don Larsen died January 1, 2020 as a result of cancer.  He was ninety years old.

_________

Next post will be Sunday, October 22, 2023.

Cinderella Man

Cinderella Man is a 2005 American biographical sports drama film directed by Ron Howard, titled after the nickname of world heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock (1935-1937) and inspired by his life story.  The film stars Russell Crowe (Braddock) , Renée Zellweger (his wife) and Paul Giamatti (his manager).  

It received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actor for Giamatti (lost to George Clooney for Syriana).  The film was also nominated for Best Film Editing and Best Makeup.

The film's story happens during the height of the Great Depression.  Braddock, a one-time boxing contender, gives up fighting as a result of a hand injury.  He works part-time as a longshoreman.  His family's income suffers.  

His manager offers Braddock an opportunity to get back into boxing.  With a string of victories, he rises to the level of being considered as a contender for the Heavyweight championship held by Max Baer.  One of those victories was over Art Lasky (born Arthur Lakofsky).  Both Baer and Lasky were Jewish boxers, not uncommon for that time.

Braddock was offered a fight against Baer for the championship.  He was a prohibitive underdog.  After all, Baer had killed two men in the ring and Braddock had lost 25 fights.

On June 13, 1935, Braddock became the Heavyweight champion with a unanimous decision victory over Baer in a fight held at the Madison Square Garden Bowl (Queens, New York).  It is considered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

Two years later, Braddock unsuccessfully defended his title in a knockout loss to the great new champion Joe Louis.  However, Braddock earned $250,000 (over $5 million dollars today) for the fight.  The money secured his family's economic future.