Rawlings Roberto Clemente Brooks Robinson World Series Special

On our latest summer vacation, we took the usual assorted play toys: Bocci ball, ladder toss, baseball and gloves, football, Frisbee, RC Rock Crawler, bicycles, etc.  The kayaks were already there.

I decided to join in and throw the baseball around so I went to get my glove only to discover my old glove had been packed.  Ok … it still works.  It's broken in and warn but still a good functioning glove.

It was pretty old so I told my nephew how I acquired the glove.

In 1972 on a family summer vacation, we were visiting relatives in Arthur, Iowa.  The church softball team had a game coming up.  I asked if I could play.  They said I may be too young but said they would make an exception for an inning. 

I didn’t have a glove and I was a lefty … Reese J. played shortstop and had a nice Red, White, and Blue Rawlings glove.  After seeing it I just had to have that same glove.  I remember my parents driving quite a distance to a particular store after persistent begging on my part to buy it for me.

I played an inning at first base.  No errors on my part, can’t remember if we won the game … Fast forward … I used this glove playing in several softball leagues through high school, and in college, and sporadically years after.

Looking at this old glove I noticed a couple things on it that got me thinking so I decided to find out what I could about it.  Below is what I found.

My glove is a Rawlings Roberto Clemente Brooks Robinson World Series Special.  It’s a Rawlings Fastback baseball glove and was sold in stores shortly after the 1971 World Series which featured the Gold Glove winner Roberto Clemente, with the Pittsburgh Pirates playing against fellow Gold Glove winner Brooks Robinson, with the Baltimore Orioles.  The Pirates won four games to three. Unfortunately, the celebration in Pittsburgh would soon turn to mourning as fourteen months later Roberto Clemente was killed in a plane crash.

The WSS Rawlings Fastback Glove was issued in 1971 and came in two models (The World Series Special and the Gold Glove Award). My red, white, and blue glove reads World Series Special on the pinky finger.

Since I used my glove for so many years in all types of weather I have restrung it a couple times.  I mainly played 1^st base as I was pretty good a catching almost everything thrown at me.  In one of the leagues I was called in by the umpire and told I couldn’t use this glove because the outside webbing was white.  The same color as the ball.  If I turned the glove it was hard for the umpire to distinguish between a white ball caught or the white webbing.

I wasn’t about to buy a new glove.  To keep tradition with the Red, White, and Blue I took a Red marker and colored in the white webbing to solve the problem.

Years ago things were different.  This must have been a prized possession of mine.  Why, you ask?  Because there are 2 distinct things I noticed on my glove.  My dad took one of those branding-type pencils and we branded my name on the glove.  I can still read it.  OH … We also branded my SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER on the glove and yes, I can read it also.  I have no idea why we did that!!!

This got me thinking ... Has the world changed?  Are things different now?  Should it be that we all emboss, brand, write, or chisel our social security number on things of importance?

Kennebunkport, ME Vacation - 2015

We had another relaxing vacation week in the yellow house.  It is certainly my favorite of the rentals we have had over the years.  I said this in a past post but our rental was built in 1765.  It is the 2^nd oldest house in the area.  It’s an ideal location being a 5 minute walk to town and 10 minute walk to the beach.  As with last year we had mountain bikes to ride, kayaks, and a canoe we could launch on to Kennebec River.  I have my camera too.

The week was warm being mid 80’s to low 90’s.  We had severe thunderstorms roll through mid week.  I haven’t seen that much lightening and heavy rain in a long time.

Several of the kids wanted to go to the rocks or the beach to watch the lightening, waves, etc.  I thought of going to one of the piers to do the same thinking I would sit in my truck to stay out of the rain.  I could roll down the window just enough to clear my camera lens and take time lapse pictures using the lightening as a flash.  I just couldn’t get past using my metal tripod inside my truck with that much lightening.  It was quite the show.  May be a bit too dangerous and wet so we all stayed in the house.

I headed to Cape Porpoise several times which can be interesting.  The heat can make sky and the water appear to be very similar in color.  I always like the fog as it can make some interesting pictures.

Not to say I’m a big kid but we went to “Funtown Splashtown USA”.  All of us enjoyed the rides.  I must say the old guys ruled on the bumper cars …

We went to the beach quite a bit.  We walked to the jetty, the cove, and the rocks.  Swimming, body surfing, boogie boards, and a ladder toss tournament on the beach.  We had pizza on the beach too.

I played with Kevin’s rock crawler on the rocks by the ocean several times.  It’s technical, fun, and slow.  I think Kevin likes his other RC cars that go much faster.

I was up early to get to Perkins Cove to see the sunrise.  Went to the “Maine Diner” several times with different kids as well.

George HW Bush was in town but had fallen and was in the hospital.  I saw former First Lady Barbara walking on the beach one evening.  Yet another relaxing family vacation.


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