By Jamie H. Vaught Cats Up Close
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.