Sunday, August 22, 2021

OT: Ty Cobb Giving My Dad Hitting Tips...

(click on image to enlarge)

There was a photo on Twitter today of Ty Cobb giving hitting tips to Mickey Mantle -- see below...

Well, my Dad (Jim Small, Detroit Tigers center fielder) had the same experience with Ty Cobb -- just before my Dad headed to Lakeland, FL for Spring Training in 1957.  Here's the newspaper story from the San Francisco Examiner in February of 1957.

The folks at the San Francisco Examiner set up this interview / feature between Ty Cobb and my Dad, after his second season with the Detroit Tigers in 1956.  My Dad is one of the very few players in Major League Baseball history to jump straight from high school to the big leagues -- which he did in June of 1955 after his high school graduation from Bellarmine Prep (San Jose, CA).  He is 19 years-old in this photo with Cobb.

The photo on bottom left shows Ty splitting my Dad's hands apart on the bat -- which is how Cobb held the bat during his Hall of Fame career...

The coolest moment happened at the end of the day at Cobb's home -- when he went into a closet and pulled out a photo of his first day in a Tiger's uniform in 1905 -- and signed it and gave it to my Dad.

Here is Joe Theismann interviewing my Dad about his baseball career:

Notre Dame's Tommy Rees' Media Session

Notre Dame's Kyren Williams "Mic'd Up!"

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Working On "Finishing Touches" to Golf Car...


I'm told we're getting closer to the arrival of the Notre Dame themed golf car...

The hold up has been "Tropical Storm Fred" which delayed the construction of the seats for the golf car (Lazy Life Seats + Covers -- Grovetown, GA) and the challenges in matching the color GOLD.  

Finding the right gold paint color -- is DIFFICULT!

I did take on the task of creating a few medallions (photo above) that could be used on the front grille and the steering wheel of the golf car.  Matt Leevy and Anthony Van Avermaete at Notre Dame's Idea Center were kind enough to knock out some Notre Dame Monograms out of acrylic for me -- then I took it from there.

Here's hoping we'll have wheels on the ground in South Bend before the Toledo game!

Friday, August 20, 2021

My First Trader Joe's Experience -- EVER!



Just traveled a couple of hundred yards from our home, to the grand opening of the Trader Joe's on the southern end of Eddy Street Commons...

I've been hearing about this store for years -- from my wife -- but, I had never stepped foot inside one, until today. IMPRESSED.

Prediction -- they are going to do very well here at Notre Dame!

Saturday, August 14, 2021

An Interesting Preview of Notre Dame Football

Julian Okwara w/Media After Lions' Game

 

The former Notre Dame defensive end played a number of snaps last night in the Lions' exhibition loss to the Buffalo Bills.  Julian put plenty of pressure on the Bill's QB's throughout the game...

Julian's press session starts at:  22:52 mark of the video above

Friday, August 13, 2021

OT: When Does ND Football Play Here vs. Iowa!

 

If I'm Jack Swarbrick and NBC -- I'm taking a Shamrock Series game to the "Field of Dreams" and playing a football game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in prime time...

Can you imagine seeing that "gold helmet" walking out of the corn rows onto that field at night...

A "made for Peacock" moment like none other -- until we play a game in St. Peter's Square (Vatican)...

Once Again: Domer Advances in U.S. Amateur


Davis Chatfield has advanced to the Sweet 16 of the U.S. Amateur being played at historic Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, PA.  He tees off this morning at 9:50 AM ET -- and you can track his match at the link below.

TV coverage is as follows for today's round:

  • 11 AM ET to NOON ET -- on Peacock
  • NOON ET to 2 PM ET -- on Golf Channel

Davis will be returning to the Fighting Irish this fall for his fifth year -- courtesy of the NCAA's decision to allow student-athletes an additional year of eligibility due to COVID.  

Here is a link to a story Davis wrote for Golf Digest about a great lesson he learned at Notre Dame.  GOLF DIGEST STORY

Go Irish!

LINK:  U.S. OPEN SCORING

Brian Kelly's Latest Press Conference

 

The Dick Corbett Head Football Coach at the University of Notre Dame -- met with the media after Thursday's practice...