Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A Tribute To Frank Pastore


Frank Pastore pitched 8 seasons in the Major Leagues. His best season was in 1980 when he won 13 games and posted a 3.27 ERA. For his career he won 48 games, lost 58, and his ERA was 4.29. By no means will his name ever grace Cooperstown, but his life was much more than baseball. 

He passed away Tuesday after a motorcycle accident in November left him in a coma.  I didn't see anything on Twitter, or Yahoo, or any major news website. I saw the story on the OC Register website, and immediately knew I'd be talking to my mom about it. She listened to his radio show for the past I don't know how many years, and frequently talked to me about him. I knew she would be upset about his passing, and she asked me to write a blog about him. Unfortunately I don't know much about the man, and I told her that if she wanted to write something, I'd be more than happy to post it. Here are her words. 

"I lost a friend yesterday. I didn't really know him, but I felt like I did. Frank Pastore died yesterday. After a month in a coma following a motorcycle accident, Frank succumbed to his injuries. I don't remember him as a baseball player, although he pitched for the Cincinatti Reds from 1979-1985, then for the Minnesota Twins in 1986. A line drive off the bat of Steve Sax at Dodger Stadium in 1984 shattered his pitching elbow and was the beginning of the end of his baseball career. Some of his teammates invited him to a BBQ after the elbow incident and asked him to stay for a Bible study. As a self proclaimed atheist, he voiced his criticism of Christianity and was challenged to read some books and critique the conclusions. After studying the books, he was unable to do so and knew his life was changed forever. He became the host of the Frank Pastore show in 2004 on KKLA-FM. That's when he became my friend. I learned of his baseball past by listening to his radio show. I learned about his path to Christianity from listening to his show. I grew to respect and admire him by listening to his show. He was open, honest and confident in his beliefs. He wanted the best for everyone, whether you agreed with him or not. This world needs more people like him. I already miss him."

Whether or not you're religious doesn't matter. We all make connections to people we've never met. For my mom, she had a connection with Frank Pastore.  This is why sports are so important to me. He had an effect on her life, just like John Wooden had an effect on mine. I remember exactly where I was the moment I heard Coach had died. I was at work and had to go in the back because I literally had tears running down my face. Even as I'm writing this it's hard not to get emotional. I never met Coach Wooden, but what I know about his life inspires me.  If it weren't for basketball, I'd probably never know about him.  Pastore is the same way. My mom learned from him on his show, a show he got in one way or another because he was a baseball player. There's a line from a song that comes to mind when I think about this that says, you'll always be here with me even when you're gone. I know I'll never forget about Coach Wooden and one day I'll tell my kids about him. Just like I know my mom will tell them about Frank Pastore.

Monday, December 3, 2012

It's Not That Easy


So Bob Costas and Jason Whitlock think handguns shouldn't be legal. During halftime of Sunday night's Cowboys/Eagles game, Costas quoted part of Whitlock's column concerning the tragedy caused by Jovan Belcher. ''In the coming days, Jovan Belcher's actions and their possible connection to football will be analyzed. Who knows? But here, wrote Jason Whitlock, is what I believe. If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today," Costas said while quoting Whitlock. This is incredibly irresponsible and inappropriate. 

First off, why is Costas on a soapbox during halftime of an NFL game? This isn't a news or opinion broadcast, this is a sports broadcast. He is certainly entitled to his opinion, but it was neither the time or the place for him to express it. One of the websites I contribute to has started a discussion forum about this very topic and already someone has brought up a great point; what about Chris Benoit? If you're unfamiliar, Benoit was a very popular professional wrestler who killed his wife, his son (age 7 at the time) and himself, all without the use of a firearm. So to say that Perkins and Belcher would be alive if he didn't have a gun is just wrong. He can't know that. You can't know that. I can't know that. Is it possible they'd both be alive? Absolutely it is. But it's just as possible that they would both still be gone.

I'm not going to hide the fact that I'm pro-gun. I'm a firearms enthusiast, but at the same time I can see the other side of the issue. I know guns are dangerous. They're not toys, they are tools. For that reason, I fully believe that anyone who is legally allowed to own a firearm should be able to if they so choose. It's a cliché, but if you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. People who commit crimes don't care about the law, so outlawing guns won't stop them from owning, carrying, and using them. I'm not saying everyone should be armed to the teeth, but blaming guns isn't the answer. If guns commit crimes, then they also do a lot of good. Guns took out Bin Laden, not the heroes of Seal Team Six. You and I both know that's incorrect. A gun is a useless chunk of metal until it's in someone's hands.

Blaming the legality and availability of firearms isn't right. But it's not right to say that firearms had nothing to do with this either. Clearly Jovan Belcher was an irresponsible gun owner. I am curious as to whether or not he did legally purchase the gun he used, and if had it registered or a permit for it. That's not to suggest Belcher wouldn't have got his hands on a gun otherwise, or that if he didn't have a gun this horrible tragedy would still have happened. But to blame the gun, and not the man, as Costas and Whitlock did just isn't right. I feel bad for Perkins' friends and family, and I do for Belcher's. I feel the worst for the 3-month old baby who will grow up without either parent because of this. But placing the blame on an inanimate object? It's not that easy. There is far more to this horrific event than a gun. It's sad that NBC would allow Costas to make such a point.

I know everyone isn't going to agree with me on this. I realize there are people who are anti-gun, and that's fine. You're entitled to your opinion just as I am mine. If you'd like to discuss this further, I encourage you to comment. But if you're going to do so with a closed mind, save us both the time.


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