Monticello — I came to this beautiful mountain city to investigate or check on its

hometown boy by the name of John Calipari.

No, I'm just kidding, but it sure would have been interesting to talk to

people who knew the UK basketball coach when he was growing up in the

Pittsburgh suburb of Moon township.

Actually, my family and I were in the big city last week to watch the

baseball Pirates play the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets. And we visited

a friend whom I hadn't seen face to face in 35 years.

The friend's name is Nellie King, a former Pirate pitcher who was a

radio/TV broadcaster for the team for nine years during the 1960s and Œ70s.

We first met in Cincinnati where he learned of my childhood friendship

with star Roberto Clemente.

King is the guy who took me to the visiting team's dugout in

Cincinnati's Crosley Field and I sure felt like I was in heaven when I saw

the major league players like Willie Stargell nosing around in the dugout.

That was a very big treat for a little kid from Kentucky.

Interestingly, during our recent trip, King and other ex-Pirate players

like 1960 World Series hero Bill Mazeroski, star catcher Manny Sanguillen

and pitching standout Steve Blass were honored in a pre-game ceremony at PNC

Park, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Forbes Field, the team's former

ballpark.

The 81-year-old King, who over the years has had to battle some health

issues, now lives in an assisted living facility. While he uses a

walker to get around, he is fortunate that his brilliant mind is still very

sharp. He has a book coming out very soon.

Because of my horrible hearing loss, King remembers that my father had

to listen to the Pirate games on radio for me, relaying the message. Back

then, my dad and I usually had to leave the house nearly every night so we

can get the game on radio clearly. We would sit in the car and listen to

King and his partner Bob Prince describe the action.

King and I also talked about Calipari.

"I know him," said King, who also served as the sports information

director and golf coach at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh for many years

after his Pirate broadcasting tenure ended in 1975.

Calipari's UMass squad and Duquesne frequently squared off as both

schools were members of the same conference (Atlantic 10).

Nevertheless, the likable King is a very good storyteller and a good

company. You can bet his upcoming book, titled "Happiness Is Like A Cur Dog:

The 30-Year Journey Of A Major League Pitcher & Broadcaster," will contain

some fascinating anecdotes about baseball people and I can hardly wait when

it comes out.



I was fortunate to meet Jim O'Brien, a former columnist for The Sporting

News magazine who is the author of many popular books on Pittsburgh sports.

Overall, he remarkably has written 23 books and his writing style is very

pleasing.

In recent years, he also has visited King numerous times and interviewed

him for quotes in several of O'Brien's baseball books.

Eating a tasty brunch at a popular Pittsburgh restaurant, O'Brien and I

discussed many topics. I even suggested that he do a book on Calipari in the

future since the coach is from Pittsburgh and UK is a college basketball

powerhouse even though the Kentucky mentor has a new book coming out in the

fall.

Anyhow, you may want to take a look at his latest 432-page book titled

"Pittsburgh Proud: Celebrating the City's Rich Sports History," which has 80

different stories on standouts from various sports, including current NFLers

Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin. The book also has stories

on Peyton Manning, Hank Aaron, Stargell, among others.

His other recent book is titled "Fantasy Camp: Living The Dream With Maz

And The Œ60 Bucs." In case you didn't know, Pittsburgh's Bill Mazeroski hit

one of baseball's most famous home runs in history as he slammed a

game-winning, ninth-inning homer to win the 1960 World Series over the New

York Yankees.

You can find O'Brien's books at some locations and on the Internet,

including his Web site at www.jimobriensportsauthor.com.



Calipari recently was the subject of a lengthy article by Gerry Dulac

which appeared in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The sportswriter had gone to

Lexington to interview the coach.

The Post-Gazette story mentions that Calipari in his career has come a

long way from his house at 888 Beaver Grade Road in Moon to one of college

basketball's hottest beds at Kentucky.

"I was here for like two days, it's about 11:30 at night, and I looked

out our window (in the office) and I see those (championship) banners

hanging in the gym, and I go to Robes, ŒWe're at Kentucky,' " Calipari told

the Post-Gazette, referring to his assistant coach and Pittsburgh native,

John Robic. "Two kids from Pittsburgh and we're at Kentucky. We busted out

laughing."

On his Kentucky job, 50-year-old Calipari told the newspaper, "If I were

35. I'd probably feel overwhelmed. But, look, we're moving so fast right now

to catch up, to tie up loose ends, you don't have time to think about where

you are. I'm not intimidated by it. I'm humbled I'm here. I'm ecstatic

getting a chance to coach in a program like this. But I'm not feeling like,

Wow."



Jamie H. Vaught, whose syndicated sports column currently appears in

Kentucky newspapers, is the author of four books about UK basketball. He is

currently a professor at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College

in Middlesboro and can be reached by e-mail at CatsUpClose2008@yahoo.com.