Don't think twice, it's alright.......

It ain't no use to sit and wonder why babe... 

64 years ago.......  Philadelphia.  The Phillies versus the New York Giants. (Baseball...).. 

Richie Ashburn, star centerfielder at the plate.  Richie was a thorn in the side to pitchers..  He'd foul off pitch after pitch, often working the count to his favor, for either a walk a base hit on a grooved fastball.

On this day, he was well into his at bat when he fouled anudder down the third baseline.  It so happens to have hit a spectator - Alice Roth, and she was hurt pretty badly.  Smack dab in the nose, blood everywhere - Phillie's personnel attempted to get her broken nose to stop bleeding as the onhand ambulance crew carried a stretcher down the stadium stairs to fetch her.

Twas so intense, the game actually stopped until it was deemed she wasn't going to pass out, and she was strapped in comfortably to the stretcher.  As paramedics toted her upstairs, the ump signaled "Play Ball" and the pitcher winged another toward Ashburn. Richie, doing what Richie do, hit another foul ball, yes, down the third baseline, and yes... as Alice was being carried up the stairs, the ball hit her smack dab in the knee.  Don't think twice it's alright.

Alice had her grandsons with her... Her hubby was a sportswriter - he was up in the booth..  He cared for the grandkids as Alice was taken to the hospital.  The Phillie ballclub felt horrible about this - and, after the game ended - invited the two grandsons into the Phillie locker-room, gave them free tickets to a future game and autographs of any players they so desired.

Ashburn was basically your "really good guy." He felt horrible.  He visited Alice later that night in the Hospital as well as several nights thereafter.  They became fast friends - and every year he'd send her both a Christmas card and a Birthday card until her death 30 years laster.

The evening of the "I got hit by foul balls TWICE"... Alice's hubby brought the grandkids to see her in the Hospital. They were ultra excited about getting to go into the clubhouse, see the players - and they showed Granny Alice the autographs they collected. One of the lads, sitting on the edge of Granny Alice's bed, asked "Grandma, do you think you could go to an Eagles game (NFL) and get hit in the face with the football?"

Don't think twice, it's alright.

Love, Victurd