King, Ring, Pitching
Caught the Westbound Train
Steam Train Maury, Life King of the Hobos, has died at the age of 89. Born Maurice W. Graham, Maury recognized he was among the last of a dying breed of itinerant men living outside society’s norms with friends like the Pennsylvania Kid, who shaved with a piece of glass from a Coke bottle. He wrote a book of his travels, was a founding member of the Hobo Museum and helped establish the Hobo Museum in Britt, Iowa. At the National Hobo Convention in Britt, he was crowned king five times — in 1973, 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1981 — and, in 2004, was anointed grand patriarch. In the 1930s Britt originally established the convention as a joke and were stunned when reporters showed up to cover the event as an actual news story. The event grew to a four-day affair that drew tens of thousands. With increased security making it hard to get into the railcars that were the preferred mode of transportation, the life of the hobo, defined by Maury as “a man of the world, who travels to see and observe and then shares those views with others,” has become increasingly fleeting. Maury showed that togetherness was not the key to a good marriage, as he left a wife of 69 years. He hopped his first freight in 1971 and didn’t return or talk to Wanda for a decade.
A Little Less Pep in His Step
Willie Pep, a hall-of-fame featherweight boxer and one of the best fighters of the 20th century, has died at the age of 84. Relying on speed and finesse, Pep compiled a record of 230-11-1 with 65 KOs during his 26-year career that not surprisingly left him in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s. Pep’s style was essentially to evade punches until his opponent either got frustrated into a mistake or exhausted themselves with blows thrown where Pep no longer was. He once won a round in which he didn’t throw a single punch just to prove he could. For Pep, the skinny little men in the ring were no challenge, as this was a man doctors didn’t expect to walk again following a plane crash, let alone box for another 19 years.
A Little Dob Will Do You
Pat Dobson, a one-year wonder and trivia question answer for the Baltimore Orioles, has died at the age of 64. In 1971, the Orioles became the second team in history with 4 20-game winners, with Dobson, Jim Palmer, Dave McNally and Mike Cuellar. Dobson was the Fredo of the staff, left off the All-Star team that season, although he did make it the following year in the middle of an 18-loss season. After the season, he made a touring All-Star team that visited Japan, and threw a 7-inning perfect game, for which his hosts gave him a box of chocolates. McNally received a stereo system and a television. Dobson also spent most of his career being mistaken for Kansas City Royals pitcher Chuck Dobson. As a pitching coach, Dobson tutored his charges on how to be a one-year wonder, achieving his greatest success with 1982 AL Cy Young winner Pete Vukovich and 1989 NL Cy Young winner Mark Davis, both quickly returning to obscurity.
Steam Train Maury, Life King of the Hobos, has died at the age of 89. Born Maurice W. Graham, Maury recognized he was among the last of a dying breed of itinerant men living outside society’s norms with friends like the Pennsylvania Kid, who shaved with a piece of glass from a Coke bottle. He wrote a book of his travels, was a founding member of the Hobo Museum and helped establish the Hobo Museum in Britt, Iowa. At the National Hobo Convention in Britt, he was crowned king five times — in 1973, 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1981 — and, in 2004, was anointed grand patriarch. In the 1930s Britt originally established the convention as a joke and were stunned when reporters showed up to cover the event as an actual news story. The event grew to a four-day affair that drew tens of thousands. With increased security making it hard to get into the railcars that were the preferred mode of transportation, the life of the hobo, defined by Maury as “a man of the world, who travels to see and observe and then shares those views with others,” has become increasingly fleeting. Maury showed that togetherness was not the key to a good marriage, as he left a wife of 69 years. He hopped his first freight in 1971 and didn’t return or talk to Wanda for a decade.
A Little Less Pep in His Step
Willie Pep, a hall-of-fame featherweight boxer and one of the best fighters of the 20th century, has died at the age of 84. Relying on speed and finesse, Pep compiled a record of 230-11-1 with 65 KOs during his 26-year career that not surprisingly left him in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s. Pep’s style was essentially to evade punches until his opponent either got frustrated into a mistake or exhausted themselves with blows thrown where Pep no longer was. He once won a round in which he didn’t throw a single punch just to prove he could. For Pep, the skinny little men in the ring were no challenge, as this was a man doctors didn’t expect to walk again following a plane crash, let alone box for another 19 years.
A Little Dob Will Do You
Pat Dobson, a one-year wonder and trivia question answer for the Baltimore Orioles, has died at the age of 64. In 1971, the Orioles became the second team in history with 4 20-game winners, with Dobson, Jim Palmer, Dave McNally and Mike Cuellar. Dobson was the Fredo of the staff, left off the All-Star team that season, although he did make it the following year in the middle of an 18-loss season. After the season, he made a touring All-Star team that visited Japan, and threw a 7-inning perfect game, for which his hosts gave him a box of chocolates. McNally received a stereo system and a television. Dobson also spent most of his career being mistaken for Kansas City Royals pitcher Chuck Dobson. As a pitching coach, Dobson tutored his charges on how to be a one-year wonder, achieving his greatest success with 1982 AL Cy Young winner Pete Vukovich and 1989 NL Cy Young winner Mark Davis, both quickly returning to obscurity.
posted by The Grim Reaper at 1:58 AM
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