Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Excuses Interfere with Romance in “Alibi Ike,” Starring Baseball Fan Joe E. Brown


One of three baseball movies by this lifelong sports fan was also the debut of a future Hollywood legend.
by Rich Watson

If Joe E. Brown is remembered by modern movie audiences, it’s for his scene-stealing turn in Some Like it Hot, the gender-bending comedy with Marilyn Monroe in which Brown seduces Jack Lemmon in drag. It’s Brown who utters that film’s famous last line, “Well, nobody’s perfect!

Long before that career-redefining role, Brown was a headlining actor in a number of comedies from the thirties, in particular baseball films. One of those was a romantic comedy co-starring a young woman taking the first step on a long journey to superstardom: Olivia de Havilland.

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Small Town Gossip Threatens Baseball Romance in Sherryl Woods’ Sweet Magnolias Book “Stealing Home”


Single mom finds love on the diamond with a little help from her friends.
by Rich Watson

For almost forty years, Sherryl Woods has entertained readers with her Southern blend of romances and mysteries. A former journalist, she has written over a hundred ten books in a variety of series, under her own name and with the names Alexandra Kirk and Suzanne Sherrill.

In 2007, she started a new series called “Sweet Magnolias,” centered around a trio of best friends in a small Southern town, and the first book combined her love of romance stories with another interest: baseball.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Elaine and Tony La Russa Go To Bat for Pets with Animal Rescue Foundation

One of baseball’s greatest managers teams up with his wife to rescue animals in need.
by Rich Watson

Tony La Russa is one of the winningest managers in baseball history; third on the all-time list. He led the Oakland A’s and St. Louis Cardinals to six pennants and three World Series championships. 

After nine years, he has recently come out of retirement to once again manage the White Sox, the first team he led, from 1979-86. He’ll likely move up to number two this summer, passing John McGraw and trailing only Connie Mack.

La Russa’s on-field accomplishments are many, but almost as well-known is his work with his wife Elaine in providing homes for abandoned and injured animals.