RIP

shafnutz05
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Postby shafnutz05 » Wed Jan 20, 2021 7:22 am

Another HoF pitcher
The last year really has been crazy with that

shoeshine boy
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Postby shoeshine boy » Wed Jan 20, 2021 4:14 pm

Another HoF pitcher
should be HoF broadcaster too.

Dickie Dunn
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Postby Dickie Dunn » Fri Jan 22, 2021 8:01 am

I spent much of my childhood taking for granted the fact that I had two grandmothers. Despite the childhood horror stories shared by my mom and her siblings, their mother was an active, kindhearted, and fun-loving grandparent. Didn’t matter if it was board games, backyard whiffle ball, or throwing gumbands onto the window knob, there was always a game to be played with the strong chance that you were going to lose. This youthful enthusiasm continued well into her 90s as there was always a new great-grandchild to love on and cornhole tournaments to win at her birthday party. Though time remains undefeated, she continues to put up a good fight while walking holes into the carpet of her dementia care facility, remaining singularly focused on the two-year and four month journey she has left to hit her goal of triple digits.

My dad’s mother was the polar opposite. Brash, opinionated, and critical; aged by the hard life of a low income single mother of three and the challenges of recovering from alcoholism. As a child, she was the “mean” grandmother. No games to play or toys to be found, instead parked in her chair watching sports or MSNBC, which would inevitably lead to a fight about politics with my dad. Naturally, I was afraid of her. It wasn’t until I was older that I was able to look back on my childhood and recognize the love she had for her grandchildren. Early morning drives on Christmas morning to watch us open gifts, driving the two of us to a Georgia family reunion while my parents benefited from moving without having a five year old in the way, or spending the day at the ice rink taking in another hockey tournament. She was never warm and cuddly, but she was always there when she could be. As I got older, I grew to love and appreciate her sarcasm and sardonic sense of humor; always willing to take as good as she received.

Two years ago my grandmother moved to Charlotte to get the hell out of Pittsburgh winters and be closer to my wealthy aunt who would be able to take better care of her. When my dad and I helped her move out of her Penn Hills home I never thought that would be the last time I saw her. One of the complications of having a long distantce and international family is that there is never enough time to see everyone and the unfortunate realities of the ongoing pandemic dashed any plans to visit in 2020. Though her life was ultimately ended by the terminal lung cancer diagnosis she received less than 12 months ago, my grandmother as I came to know and love her began to quickly deteriorate about 8 years ago. Chronic arthritis in her knee gave way to hip issues that forced a replacement that never completely took. Near crippled and in chronic pain, she spent the last few years of her life in Pittsburgh hobbling from room to room supported by strategically placed canes and fueled by enough opiates to fund a college education.

While we all must grapple with the reality facing our aging loved ones, the cancer diagnosis brought into immediate focus that her time left on earth was short. Never one to wrestle with her own mortality, she refused chemotherapy but acquiesced to alternative treatments that were of no guarantee to extend her life but could help ease her pain. When I first spoke to her after her diagnosis she was optimistic about the time she had left while acknowledging that her near decade of constant pain was likely to end soon.

I last spoke to her on Monday the 11th before her severe turn for the worse over the weekend. Exhausted, exasperated, and ready for the end to come, she was the same woman I was afraid of as a child but grew to love as I aged into adulthood. She was excited about my new job while lamenting that she would never see the house my wife and I built and was unlikely to be around for the birth of our first child in May. Her affection quickly turned to complaining that she couldn’t believe “that bullshit” was the last Steelers game she would ever get to watch, following with if she could do it all over again she would just hope for a little more quality than quantity to the end of her life. As our phone call ended I asked if she had any big plans for the evening. “Hope Alabama loses while falling asleep in this chair, with the daily surprise of if I’ll wake up in the morning.” I’ve always liked dark humor.

It’s a numbing feeling to hope to receive the phone call that a loved one has died, but that’s where I have been for the past few days. Her turn for the worse had been truly brutal, for her and her caretakers, and my only hope was for her pain and suffering to end. The person my grandmother was had been gone for days, it was just a matter of her body catching up to that reality. In her final cantankerous act she held on long enough to finally pass this morning, my dad's birthday. I can think of no better way to put the cap on their loving but contentious and combative relationship. It'll be a long time before January 22nd feels the same. While I am glad her pain has come to an end and she can finally be at peace, I will love and miss her for the rest of my life.
RIP Grandma.

Gaucho
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Postby Gaucho » Fri Jan 22, 2021 8:05 am

sorry, DD

Freddy Rumsen
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Postby Freddy Rumsen » Fri Jan 22, 2021 8:18 am

sorry, DD

Freddy Rumsen
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Postby Freddy Rumsen » Fri Jan 22, 2021 8:32 am


count2infinity
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Postby count2infinity » Fri Jan 22, 2021 8:35 am

Sorry to hear DD.

I just lost a cousin of my dad's this week. My dad's side of the family always had big summer get togethers as a kid. I'd always have fun playing with my other cousins, but often times I didn't always make the connection of what kids went with what parents. Looking back now, it was kind of odd that I compartmentalized it into "these are the kids, these are the adults, there's no connection between them".

Anyways, I felt a little bad as I was FB friends with his kids, and I recently removed all of them from my friends list. Super Trumpers, big anti maskers, anti closing, anti everything really except Trump. After the 6th, my wall was just full of stuff from them about it being all Antifa and BLM. Rather than argue, I just purged them. Any guess as to what he died from? Yup... COVID. Apparently he went really fast. Luckily his wife and all the kids are fine (they had milder cases).

DigitalGypsy66
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Postby DigitalGypsy66 » Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:23 am

Sorry to hear that DD. I was telling my kids to enjoy every minute with their grandparents, even though they roll their eyes when we visit (pre-COVID) and Facetime. My "good" grandparents had both passed away by the time I was 11, and don't really have a lot of memories with them.

Dickie Dunn
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Postby Dickie Dunn » Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:27 am

Hank Aaron stealing the thunder from my grandmother.

Also, thanks to yinz people.

Freddy Rumsen
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Postby Freddy Rumsen » Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:27 am

This year has been awful for MLB


blackjack68
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Postby blackjack68 » Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:35 am

RIP Hammerin Hank

AuthorTony
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Postby AuthorTony » Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:38 am

Sorry for your loss, DD.

Willie Kool
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Postby Willie Kool » Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:56 am

Sorry for your loss, DD.

tifosi77
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Postby tifosi77 » Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:59 am

RIP Grandma, DD

Orlando Penguin
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Postby Orlando Penguin » Fri Jan 22, 2021 11:21 am

This year has been awful for MLB

WSB story said he got the covid vaccine on Jan 5. That was a strong downhill slide. So many amazing stats that he holds. One that was fascinating to me is that if you took away his HRs, he’d still have 3000 hits. He just wasn’t about the long ball. A lot of today’s players could take lessons from that.

Someone hide Willie Mays.

tifosi77
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Postby tifosi77 » Fri Jan 22, 2021 11:24 am

That's like if you didn't bother counting Gretzky's goals, he's still the all-time leading scorer in NHL history.

MalkinIsMyHomeboy
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Postby MalkinIsMyHomeboy » Fri Jan 22, 2021 11:24 am

with all the other HoFer deaths, Aaron stands out the most. He's THE best player to ever play right field?

sucks man

also sorry DD about your grandma

edit: hm apparently Ruth played in right field more than any other position (I always thought he played left field) so it'd be damn close between Ruth and Aaron.

Dickie Dunn
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Postby Dickie Dunn » Fri Jan 22, 2021 11:39 am

Thanks again everyone.

Dickie Dunn
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Postby Dickie Dunn » Fri Jan 22, 2021 11:48 am

with all the other HoFer deaths, Aaron stands out the most. He's THE best player to ever play right field?

sucks man

also sorry DD about your grandma

edit: hm apparently Ruth played in right field more than any other position (I always thought he played left field) so it'd be damn close between Ruth and Aaron.
Aaron had 2,134 starts in RF vs. 843 starts elsewhere. Ruth had 1,118 in RF and 1,040 in LF. Aaron is fourth all time in games played in RF behind Clemente, Waner, and Hooper. I'd say that gives Aaron more weight for positional dominance over Ruth.

shafnutz05
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Postby shafnutz05 » Fri Jan 22, 2021 12:12 pm

So sorry to hear about your loss DD.

shafnutz05
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Postby shafnutz05 » Fri Jan 22, 2021 12:15 pm

Who else but Vin Scully?


Beveridge
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Postby Beveridge » Fri Jan 22, 2021 12:32 pm

I'm coming for you Shad if Vin dies this year.

shoeshine boy
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Postby shoeshine boy » Fri Jan 22, 2021 1:18 pm

as a lifelong Braves fan and child of the 70s, Hank Aaron will ALWAYS be the Home Run King. Barry Bonds is nothing but a cheater.
in light of this sad news, there's only one outfit for me to wear today:
Image

Ad@m
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Postby Ad@m » Fri Jan 22, 2021 2:25 pm

Til
Aaron was a long time fan of the Cleveland Browns, having attended many games in disguise in their "Dawg Pound" seating section.

nocera
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Postby nocera » Fri Jan 22, 2021 2:36 pm

Sorry for your loss, DD

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