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2006-12-01 20:50
by Bob Timmermann

In Slate, Bryan Curtis tells the story of receiving a reply to a fan letter he wrote to Don Carman in 1991. Curtis got the reply this year.

I had a somewhat similar experience back in ninth grade when I was at this guy's house. He had a big book of addresses of former players that you could write to for autographs. This was in 1980. I picked one player to write to and for reasons I can't remember it was Joe Cronin. I sent him a polite letter, a 3 X 5 index card and some postage. I never heard back.

Then when I was a senior in college (1986), I got a call from my mom saying that I had received a "letter rejected, addressee moved" stamp on a letter that I had sent. It was the one I had sent to Cronin in 1980.

Rejected from beyond the grave, as Cronin had passed away in 1984.

Comments
2006-12-01 21:22:45
1.   D4P
I take it Cronin is dead to you...
2006-12-01 21:29:26
2.   Ken Arneson
I know his granddaughter, if that's any help to you.
2006-12-01 21:32:04
3.   Bob Timmermann
I actually wasn't upset. I just thought it was weird.

When I sent former Cardinal third baseman Whitey Kurowski a get-well card for my mom to sign, he sent it right back and added a note and a drawing someone made of him.

2006-12-01 21:33:47
4.   D4P
Whitey Kurowski

Him? Was he funny or something?

2006-12-01 21:36:46
5.   Bob Timmermann
No, he was just my mom's favorite player growing up. She liked him because his arms weren't the same length. Neither were my mom's. She always stood to hide her right arm in photographs.

I didn't know my mom's arms weren't the same length until she told me. One was about a foot shorter than the other.

2006-12-01 21:39:32
6.   D4P
She always stood to hide her right arm in photographs

I guess the frumpy clothing might have helped with that as well.

2006-12-01 22:50:33
7.   Ravenscar
A FOOT shorter? Really? That seems difficult to miss.
2006-12-01 23:00:50
8.   Greg Brock
My left brain is actually a foot shorter than my right brain.

Explains a lot.

2006-12-01 23:05:36
9.   Bob Timmermann
7
My mom always wore blouses with long sleeves. So as long as she positioned her clothing right, you really couldn't tell much of a difference.

She was like a pregnant actress on TV wearing coats all the time to hide that.

2006-12-02 03:40:40
10.   Sam DC
When Nick Johnson broke his leg this year, my son sent him a get well card with a real cute drawing.

I don't want to begruge a recovering or be churlish about what was supposed to be a nice gesture on our part, not his, but I am secretly a little disappointed my boy didn't get a picture or note back. Not because it was impolite or anything, just cause it seemed like Nick (and his agent) missed a small opportunity to do a nice thing for a young fan.

OK, disappointment not entirely secret.

2006-12-02 07:40:16
11.   kylepetterson
9 Please, I mean no offense by this, but I just picture your mom constantly standing sideways, short arm away from you.

"Mom, is that arm longer than the other?"
"No dear, it's just perspective. It looks longer because it's closer to you."
"Oh, OK"

2006-12-02 08:57:40
12.   Bob Timmermann
That's exactly what she did!
2006-12-02 10:34:56
13.   Vishal
nobody mentioned this curious detail from the article: don carman now works for scott boras.
2006-12-03 09:38:53
14.   DXMachina
13 I noticed that when I first read the article. Sort of takes the blush off the rose, doesn't it? Here's a nice man who is just as diligent about answering his fan mail as Ringo Starr was in the Simpsons, and yet he works for the devil.

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