Tony devours one book after another, a chain-reader.
Every day he plays team sports -- baseball in spring and
summer, football in fall, basketball year round. He records statistics, from touchdowns to
runs batted in to free throw percentages
and writes game summaries and scouting reports. He is a sportswriter covering first and
foremost his own career….
Every day he does chores around the house and yard.
He dabbles in TV sometime-- dramatic series on weeknights,
Red Sox baseball and pro and college football and basketball on weekends.
He works his weekend job cleaning the offices at
Simsburytown and counts (and meticulously records) his meager pay.
Much of this detail fills the journal day by day and must be
omitted to avoid mind numbing repetition.
At the same time, sweeping and dramatic statements are
sometimes unsupported by any detail at all….
Friday April 20, 1962
One of the year’s ten worst days so far. Good for building character though.
Saturday April 21, 1962
A perfectly bad day.
One of the year’s ten worst.
Shagged flies at Tootin Hills School, making some Willie
Mays catches.
Watched Red Sox down Tigers 4-3 behind big Don Schwall. Kaline and Cash homered for the Bengals and
Frank Lary was losing pitcher.
Art Quirk won for Baltimore.
Saw him in the Cape Cod League a couple of summers ago.
Called 8 kids for baseball and got a grand total of 0.
Dined on steak.
Watched DEFENDERS on TV.
Read FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS.
ED. NOTE: Author spent over an hour one on one with Al Kaline in 1980. Very fine man!
Easter Sunday April 22, 1962
Dawned beautiful and warm.
Church smelled flowery.
Uncle Jim and his family came for Easter dinner.
Played baseball with brothers and cousins. Then watched baseball with same.
Talked to Mike Evans on the phone for over an hour.
Lincoln Dairy for ice cream with fambly and Jay Kerr.
Watched SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL.
A fair day…
Good night.
Monday April 23, 1962
Over to Rotondo’s early for breakfast.
Over to Evanses where met Tommy, Noel Verillo, Bob Blanthin. Mike drove us around. Met Fuzz and Little Fuzz (Hendrickson) and
rode around some more til we split up.
Hit low point of the day, a horrible day. Plotted against society all afternoon.
Hacked around with brothers and Pope brothers.
Rotondo and Evans came over til 10:15pm.
What does it all mean?
Tuesday April 24, 1962
Horrible day.
Read great chunks of FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS.
Worked all day at various irksome tasks.
Shot baskets at Hagans’ with Tommy Reidy.
Went to WEST SIDE STORY in West Hartford. A terrific show.
A truly philosophical day.
Probably one of year’s ten worst.
But movie ended it on a good note.
Wednesday April 25, 1962
Original manuscript:
Thursday April 26, 1962
Drove to Cape with Dad.
Worked on The Deck.
It was very cold and windy.
Dinner in P-town.
Started TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
Friday April 27, 1962
Awoke at 2:30am when bunkmate (Dad) got up to add wood to
the stove.
After breakfast, beachcombed. A glorious morning.
Packed and headed home after lunch.
Followed the whole trip on the map and knew where I was at
all times.
Polished off TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, and
Early to bed.
Saturday April 28, 1962
Off to Simsburytown with no breakfast. Did fair job surviving on stored up body fat.
Lunched at Doyle’s.
Collected donations for Babe Ruth League with Dan
Buettner. First we set up in front of
First National. Then we visited various
merchants in the area. Netted $60.
Watched Sox lose 7-6 to
White Sox.
Cook out at Quorn Hunt.
Bathed.
Figured statistics.
Toiled at homework.
Watched DEFENDERS.
During night lost an hour due to daylight savings time.
Sunday April 29, 1962
Wrote 4 assigned history reports before church.
Church.
Read Sunday paper.
Watched Sox blow another game against Chicago 2-1. Pumpsie Green fanned with 2 on to end the
game.
Talked with Joe Bonczek for awhile, mostly about girls.
Beautiful roast beef dinner.
Really polished up the play I am writing. (???)
Watched TWENTIETH CENTURY and WALT DISNEY.
Vacation is over.
I’m bigger, better, and more mature than when it began.
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