Pope Off

While everyone else has been waiting for the other Pope to pass, Philadelphia lost its own Pope - Paul Owens - who passed away Friday at the age of 79. Nicknamed for his resemblance to Pope Paul VI, he would emerge as the most important figure in the 121 year history of the Philadelphia Phillies, spending 48 years with the franchise, serving as player-manager, director of player development, general manager, manager and assistant to the president. With his hand at the till, the long barren minor league system developed a Hall of Famer in Mike Schmidt, and All-Stars in Larry Bowa, Bob Boone and Greg Luzinski. His many trades, generally completed in a hotel bar over a couple of highballs, yielded such players as Manny Trillo and Bake McBride and he signed free agent Pete Rose, key ingredients to the Phils 5 NL East titles from 1976-1983. His profanity-laced tirade in September of 1980 also spurred the moribund Phils to a stretch run that secured the NL title and World Series championship in 1980. Without him, it is no great stretch to think the Phils might still be looking for their first World Series title. In 1983, he stepped onto the field and led the aging Wheeze Kids to another World Series, falling short to the Baltimore Orioles. After the 1984 season, he served as a special assistant in a number of capacities, and was still employed by the Phillies until his death. Illness kept him from attending spring training this year and from participating in most of the year-long celebrations of the final year of Veterans Stadium, but his appearance in the Closing Ceremonies drew some of the loudest applause of the afternoon. As Owens touched home plate for the final time, it was a moment both significant, for without Owens many of the memories being celebrated would never have occurred, and poignant, for it was clear even from the upper deck that this frail figure was unlikely to see another season.


A-Bated
Tony Winner Alan Bates, also known for roles in Zorba the Greek and other films, died Saturday at the age of 69. He was also nominated for an Oscar in 1969 for The Fixer. Last year he was able to overcome the indignity of appearing with Ben Affleck in The Sum of All Fears by earning the Tony Award for his role in Fortune’s Fool and being awarded knighthood on New Year’s Eve.

Cock a Doodle Dead
Ivan Calderon, former major leaguer and cock-fighting ringleader, was shot and killed Saturday night in his native Puerto Rico at the age of 41. An outfielder with the Mariners, White Sox, Expos and Red Sox, he was an All-Star in 1991 with the White Sox. Even during his playing career, he was a man who loved to watch, and bet on, roosters killing each other, which is legal in Puerto Rico. Once during contract negotiations in the offseason, team officials claimed to be unable to find him. Peter Gammons, then baseball beat man for The Boston Globe, flew down, stepped off the plane, headed toward the nearest cock-fighting establishment and found Calderon. He had been involved in a car accident, but assured Gammons that he was getting back into playing shape. The accompanying photo showed a chubby Calderon with a pack of cigarettes rolled in the sleeve of his T-shirt.