This scares me and pisses me off. Why can't we find cures for cancer and shit like this? I remember all the Goode brothers. They show Kevin Turner, which CCT was obviously close to. I've had 3 people close to me that have succumbed to ALS. Just amazing to see world class athletes deteriorate to nothing in such a short time. Sorry for the downer, but...
Why'd you do this to me? I was all ready to make some flippant anti-Bama comment and this is what I have to deal with?
Dammit.
Back in the early 80s (I think it was 83 or 84) I played on a summer softball tournament team with Kerry, one of his brothers, Vince Sutton, Chester something and a few other guys who were on the Alabama football team.
I hated everything Alabama stood for even then, but Kerry made that really hard. He was a great teammate, very upbeat, very supportive and just a super nice guy. Treated everybody the same. We had a party at one of the apartment complexes and it's one of those things I won't forget.
Also will never forget Vince Sutton's arm. I was catching one game and Vince caught a fly ball over his shoulder and banged off the fence in center field. The runner on third tagged up. I heard Vince's throw before I saw it coming. It was like zzzzzzzzzzzzssssssssssss and the ball looked elongated. Hit me right in the glove about four feet off the ground. The runner was out by at least six steps. I had time to walk up the line and tag. I played ball for a long time and never saw anybody with the raw cannon Sutton had.
Also won't forget our last game together. Playing one of those ASA all-day tournaments in Tuscaloosa -- the kind those super-sponsored teams with the guys who live softball play in -- and we were doing really well and pissing the big boys off in the process. Can't remember if it was the finals or the semis, but as we were coming off the field in the middle of an inning somebody noticed Ray Perkins standing at the fence. He never said a word, just stared out at the field. My team vanished. We didn't have enough bodies to finish the game. Then Perkins just walked away.
Only ran into Goode once or twice after that. Always nice. I'd almost forgotten him after all these years. And then you got to drag it back. I'm old and fat, but I'd love to play ball with the guy again. Shit.
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