mbanghar
09-19-2009, 07:27 PM
April 1, 1961 (New Orleans, LA)-First day of Pelicans baseball in two years. New Orleans had been the largest city without professional baseball when the minor league Pelicans folded in 1959. I settled in my box seats at City Park Stadium. The veteran Early Winn was about to throw the first pitch in New Orleans Pelicans baseball.
October 3rd, 1960 (Chicago, IL)-I opened my eyes in the darkness. The noise that had woken me up was the sound of my phone ringing. I got up and headed out to he kitchen of my small one bedroom apartment. I answered the phone with a gruff hello reserved for those calling me after midnight.
"Is this Gunther Dabinsky?"
"Yes."
"Gunther Dabinsky, the assintant to the team President of the Chicago Cubs?"
"Again, yes. Whom I am speaking to at this late hour?" I asked getting rather impatient. The season had ended a day ago with a disappointing 4 to 3 loss to the Dodgers that was emblematic of the Cubs 7th place finish that season.
"My name is Nero Sicani. I am the owner of the New Orleans Pelicans. I have won the right to start the second expansion club in the American League." I remembered hearing about the fact that the American League was going to expand westward with a Los Angeles club and the Senators moving to Minnesota. The rumor had been that the junior circuit was going to place a team in Washington to replace the Senators. My thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Sicani again, "I apologize for the late hour of my call, but I would like to talk to you about a job with the Pelicans."
"Well Mr. Sicani I am very happy with the-"
Nero Sicani cut off at that point. "I have made arrangements for you to fly down to New Orleans tomorrow. Would you meet with me to at least discuss the club." The tone was odd because despite the fact that it appeared to be a question it was more like a command. I found it impossible to say no for some reason. So I basically grunted in agreement and hung up the phone. I went back and collapsed in my bed forgetting the strange call.
April 1, 1961 (New Orleans, LA)-Albie Pearson cracked a double down the right field line off the veteran Wynn. Gene Woodling ambushed the next offering by Gus to drive in Pearson. Brooks Robinson singled to move Woodling to third. The Orioles had their new shortstop who was a familar face to me coming up next. The Orioles had traded for Ernie Banks in the offseason, and he was now standing in the batters box with the Orioles up 1-0 on my fledgling Pelicans with no body out. This was going to be a long year in New Orleans I thought to myself.
October 5, 1960 (New Orleans, LA)-I entered the restaurant that was the meeting location that the driver had taken me. Nero Sicani had flown me to New Orleans, and now I walked into to find a blad man appearing to be in his late forties perhaps early fifties at a table in the center of the room. I approached the table, and a now familar voice greeted me.
"Mr. Dabinksy, it was good of you to come. Please sit down we have much to discuss." I sat down and spent the next several hours listening to Mr. Sicani describe what he was hoping for in the next several years. He described the expansion draft that the Pelicans had received the second pick to the Angels, the new Los Angeles club. He stated that he had an agreement to use City Park Stadium, the outdated former home of the minor league Pelicans. He finally got to what he wanted from me.
"Gunther, I want you to run the baseball operations of my team." I was somewhat surprised. I figured that he would be offering a promotion from my job with the Cubs to get me to leave an established team. I didn't think that he would be offering full control to a 30 year old second year assistant to the team president though.
"Mr. Sicani, I will take the job." I was shocked how quickly I answered the question.
"Good, good. My assistant Marie St. Louis will give you some of the details about the upcoming expansion draft, and will get you set up with an office. I know we didn't discuss this, but my last request is that you hire this man for the job of manager. He is a former Pelican and his connection to New Orleans should help to generate interest in the new club. He is also a young man like yourself, and that is the image that this club needs. If a man in his forties can lead this nation, then two men in their thirties can run my baseball club." With that an attractive Miss St. Louis came from the back of the restaurant, and led me to an "office" that had been setup for me. On the table with a phone had a piece of paper with a name and number. This was the guy that Mr. Sicani wanted to manage his team. I hope he knew what he was doing because I never heard of this Earl Weaver guy.
October 3rd, 1960 (Chicago, IL)-I opened my eyes in the darkness. The noise that had woken me up was the sound of my phone ringing. I got up and headed out to he kitchen of my small one bedroom apartment. I answered the phone with a gruff hello reserved for those calling me after midnight.
"Is this Gunther Dabinsky?"
"Yes."
"Gunther Dabinsky, the assintant to the team President of the Chicago Cubs?"
"Again, yes. Whom I am speaking to at this late hour?" I asked getting rather impatient. The season had ended a day ago with a disappointing 4 to 3 loss to the Dodgers that was emblematic of the Cubs 7th place finish that season.
"My name is Nero Sicani. I am the owner of the New Orleans Pelicans. I have won the right to start the second expansion club in the American League." I remembered hearing about the fact that the American League was going to expand westward with a Los Angeles club and the Senators moving to Minnesota. The rumor had been that the junior circuit was going to place a team in Washington to replace the Senators. My thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Sicani again, "I apologize for the late hour of my call, but I would like to talk to you about a job with the Pelicans."
"Well Mr. Sicani I am very happy with the-"
Nero Sicani cut off at that point. "I have made arrangements for you to fly down to New Orleans tomorrow. Would you meet with me to at least discuss the club." The tone was odd because despite the fact that it appeared to be a question it was more like a command. I found it impossible to say no for some reason. So I basically grunted in agreement and hung up the phone. I went back and collapsed in my bed forgetting the strange call.
April 1, 1961 (New Orleans, LA)-Albie Pearson cracked a double down the right field line off the veteran Wynn. Gene Woodling ambushed the next offering by Gus to drive in Pearson. Brooks Robinson singled to move Woodling to third. The Orioles had their new shortstop who was a familar face to me coming up next. The Orioles had traded for Ernie Banks in the offseason, and he was now standing in the batters box with the Orioles up 1-0 on my fledgling Pelicans with no body out. This was going to be a long year in New Orleans I thought to myself.
October 5, 1960 (New Orleans, LA)-I entered the restaurant that was the meeting location that the driver had taken me. Nero Sicani had flown me to New Orleans, and now I walked into to find a blad man appearing to be in his late forties perhaps early fifties at a table in the center of the room. I approached the table, and a now familar voice greeted me.
"Mr. Dabinksy, it was good of you to come. Please sit down we have much to discuss." I sat down and spent the next several hours listening to Mr. Sicani describe what he was hoping for in the next several years. He described the expansion draft that the Pelicans had received the second pick to the Angels, the new Los Angeles club. He stated that he had an agreement to use City Park Stadium, the outdated former home of the minor league Pelicans. He finally got to what he wanted from me.
"Gunther, I want you to run the baseball operations of my team." I was somewhat surprised. I figured that he would be offering a promotion from my job with the Cubs to get me to leave an established team. I didn't think that he would be offering full control to a 30 year old second year assistant to the team president though.
"Mr. Sicani, I will take the job." I was shocked how quickly I answered the question.
"Good, good. My assistant Marie St. Louis will give you some of the details about the upcoming expansion draft, and will get you set up with an office. I know we didn't discuss this, but my last request is that you hire this man for the job of manager. He is a former Pelican and his connection to New Orleans should help to generate interest in the new club. He is also a young man like yourself, and that is the image that this club needs. If a man in his forties can lead this nation, then two men in their thirties can run my baseball club." With that an attractive Miss St. Louis came from the back of the restaurant, and led me to an "office" that had been setup for me. On the table with a phone had a piece of paper with a name and number. This was the guy that Mr. Sicani wanted to manage his team. I hope he knew what he was doing because I never heard of this Earl Weaver guy.