Heaven's Baseball League's Newest Outfielder

Was caught off guard last night when I learned that my "second favorite Detroit Tiger of all-time" -- Al Kaline -- left for Heaven.  He played the game with such grace and class.

I feel like a just lost a little of my childhood...

The photo above is of Kaline sitting between Harvey Kuehn on the left and my Dad, Jim Small on the right.  It's a photo from Opening Day 1956 in the Tiger's dugout, Kaline was 21 years-old playing right field and my dad was 19, playing center field for the Tigers.  (You can tell who the California kid is in this picture -- all bundled up.)

Both (Kaline and my Dad) were "bonus babies" for the Tigers -- they are among the very few in baseball history who went straight from high school to the big leagues as 18 year-olds. 

Kaline did it in 1953, joining the Tigers immediately after his high school graduation from Southern High School (Baltimore, MD) -- and my Dad did the same thing in 1955, right after his high school graduation from Bellarmine College Preparatory (San Jose, CA).

One of the Greatest Hyped Games of All-Time!

All-Time ND Great: Alan Page's Latest Book

Coach Kelly Joins High School AD in Live Chat

Earlier this week, #NotreDame HC Brian Kelly was the special guest of @Gulliver_AD for a Zoom meeting with hundreds of high school ADs to talk about the recruiting process right now and best ways to handle the current situation (FREE) https://t.co/p4Go7obmIN

— Irish Sports Daily (@ISDUpdate) April 4, 2020

A Custom Notre Dame Mask for COVID-19

Sally Naxera Benson '76 -- a former Notre Dame Cheerleader -- made her own custom mask to protect her from the coronavirus.  I'm told that's Sally at the top of the pyramid in the photo over her right shoulder...

Sally -- you might have a business here!

Special thanks to my former colleague Bob Quakenbush '76 for alerting me to Sally's creation!

The Story of the "Notre Dame Teddy Bear..."

Fr. Bob Simon -- a diocesan priest at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Moscow, PA -- has never been shy about letting his parishioners know that he's a proud Notre Dame alum...

Well, recently one of his parishioners started a business making custom teddy bears with a focus on individuals who are grieving.  A friend of Fr. Bob commissioned this woman to make him a Notre Dame Teddy Bear (photo above) as a surprise gift.  The custom bear is wearing a Notre Dame hat, a priest's cleric collar and has the ND Monogram and Fr. Bob's name on its chest.  You'll also find the Notre Dame Leprechaun on its back...

It was delivered to Fr. Bob the very day that they were ordered to "stay inside" because of the coronavirus -- divine timing.

Fr. Bob recently learned that people around the country -- inspired by the book "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" by Michael Rosen -- were putting teddy bears in their front windows so that families taking a walk could play a game with their children searching for bears in the windows.

So, Fr. Bob shared this story in a recent homily that was livestreamed to the parish.  He's since learned that many parishioners have joined in the fun -- including Fr. Bob, who has placed the Notre Dame Teddy Bear in the front window of the parish rectory.

Now, that's the story of the Notre Dame Teddy Bear!

A Message & Video From Fr. Jenkins, C.S.C.

(Click on message to enlarge.)

A Notre Dame Family Dealing With COVID-19

Please keep the Maichin family of Long Island, especially their son Christoper -- suffering from the effects of COVID-19 -- in your prayers.  We all need to do our part to stop the spread of this virus!

Abby Maichin -- second from left in family photo above from National Signing Day -- will be attending the University of Notre Dame this fall and will play for the Fighting Irish's #2 ranked Women's Lacrosse program

Here's a link below to yesterday's Newsday story about the Maichin's and the challenges posed by the coronavirus...

Special thanks to my friend and Notre Dame Dad, Tommy Ruttura (Long Island, NY) for alerting me to this story.


LINK:  NEWSDAY STORY

Notre Dame's Folk Choir's Virtual Performance

89 Years Ago Today -- Knute Rockne Killed

Here's the South Bend Tribune headline -- telling the story of TWA Flight 599's crash on March 31, 1931...

LINK:  ROCKNE'S LAST FLIGHT

Golf Digest: Domer Talks Coronavirus Impact

Notre Dame alum, and Korn Ferry Tour member -- Mark Baldwin, was just interviewed by Golf Digest about the impact COVID-19 has had on them...

LINK:  GOLF DIGEST

Notre Dame's Fr. Jenkins' Latest Message

Notre Dame Reschedules Commencement

WOW -- you're going to want to read this...

LINK:  COMMENCEMENT RESCHEDULED

2018 Replay: Notre Dame 38 - Stanford 17

2018 Replay: Notre Dame 24 -- Michigan 17

ND Day Vault: Theismann & National Champs!

LOVE THIS -- From the Notre Dame Glee Club

Coach Polian and Coach Rees on ND Minute

Chris Zorich Shares a Story on Facebook Live

ESPN's Scott Van Pelt Interviews Brian Kelly