Sizemore; An All Fox/Helton World Series This Year

Got to get this Tuesday update in:
Dawk to whom I refer below as having run around Bosox legend Jim Rice reports by email today the Cleveland Indian baseballer Grady Sizemore if the son of our good friend in Gaffney.
The Dad was in the band with me and played on the baseball team. I saw Grady Senior still second when Mars Hill played Furman in a chilly spring game in the Spring of 74 or so as a pinch runner.
I thought of the Gaffney Sizemore's often while watching the playoffs but wrote it off as a coincidence.
Unless Dawk is pulling my leg, All the Kudos in the world to our friend from Gaffney.
One day in band Practice in Gafney 69,as the football team was coming out for practice but their coaches hadn't gotten on the field yet, Grady outran the whole backfield.
I thought it was hilarious, best effort by a high school trombone player I ever saw.
And if Dawk says he could outrun Sizemore, son or father, he's lyin.

I'm not the baseball fan my Rome, Georgia textile League fan Dad, Billy D Fox was, but I get interested usually around playoff time.
Shame my Dad couldn't lived to see this one cause it's a family affair.
For me it's kinda like Barbara Bush's joke about the vet who moonlighted as a taxidermist: Either way you get your dog back.
In the Indian/Boson playoffs this year I had two horses. My alma mater Furman had a relief pitcher for the Indians Tom Matzny who was outstanding in Game Three.
And then the Bosox had a great fan in my Dad and the legend of Leon Culberson who almost married Dad's sister Aunt Virginia. Culberson was key player in one of the most pivotal plays in World Series History in the 20th Century, when Enos Country Slaughter stole home after Leon went in for Joe Dimaggio's brother Dominic in about the 7th inning of the 6th game against the St. Louis Cards in St. Louis.
See the great David Halberstam's short Book, the Teammates for the particulars.

Todd Helton, the first baseman for the Colorado Rockies is a distant cousin, no lying.
I never met him but was at the same family Reunion with his Mother back about 2001 on Walden's Creek outside DollyWood and Pigeon Forge Tennessee.
That is where my Grandmother Mary Alice Helton is from, a Helton till she married my Grandfather WD Fox.
She had nine brothers all good baseball players and gospel singers.
I wudn't no good at baseball, but carry on a lesser tradition of gospel singing on occasion; not saying gospel singing is lesser than baseball; cause my Daddy said the Gospel was the greatest business in all The World.
I'm just saying like my baseball ain't no good, my singin isn't as good as the original Helton boys but I do better singing than I do swingin, the Bat as it were; throwin and catchin, though I did bat 500 in the Pony league in the late 60's. Four at bats, two hits.

Best I can figure, my Great Great grandfather and Todd Helton's ggg is the same man.
Since the Bosox let Johnny Damon go, and Yasztrenski is no longer in the organization I got to go with the Family on this one and Rockies.
Helton was a QB at UT same time as Payton Manning so he didn't see much game time.

So, Dad, this blog was for you; and Nanny Too. I'm sorry I wasn't a better first baseman with the Lions there in Gaffney when you coached Little League. It just wasn't in me.
It's a glorious game and here is hopin the series goes at least Five.

PS: I think Gaffney beat Anderson when Bosox Legend Jim Rice played football in High School in 1969. I think Johnny Dawkins ran around Rice, and Charles Foster was little late gettin up when he hit him.

SI article on Grady Sizemore, now living of Seattle, but ancesty in Gaffney
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/tom_verducci/05/08/sizemore0514/5.html