EXTRA INNINGS – BOOKS |
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COOPERSTOWN IS MY MECCABY RUDY GAFUR |
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REVIEW
RUDY AT THE BAT – by Craig Campbell – Eyeopener Wednesday, April 5, 1995 He could be called the Forrest Gump of major league baseball. Rudy Gafur seems to have been everywhere and seen everything related to the history of the game. And it's all in his new book, COOPERSTOWN IS MY MECCA. Borrowing the old theme of 'Baseball as Religion', Rudy Gafur details his interest in the game and his regular visits to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Coopertown, New York. Gafur immigrated to Canada from his native Guyana in 1971 when he was in his late twenties. He barely knew anything about basball, which he said was never played in his homeland. He made up for lost time by totally immersing himself in the game and its history. He read all the baseball material he could get his hands on, attended as many Toronto Blue Jays games as he could, and listened to Tony Kubek call the rest of them on television. But he was still hungry for more. As an executive of the Ontario Federation of Students, Gafur organized many events for the Students Union of Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in the late 1970s. In 1978, he arranged a trip for 500 Ryerson students to attend a Blue Jays game at Exhibition Stadium during Orientation week. There, Gafur met Blue Jays manager Roy Hartsfield, who was the first in an impressive list of baseball people he would meet. |
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| But besides telling the story of a former cricket player who adopted the "American Pastime" as his own, this book describes his yearly pilgrimages to the Hall of Fame and the Village of Cooperstown in great detail. Gafur has visited the Hall of Fame every year since 1986 and has not missed a Hall of Fame induction ceremony in that time. His descriptions of the Hall of Fame itself, and the great players who are celebrated there, will likely bring up plenty of memories for those who have had the chance to visit Cooperstown. Those who have not been there get a clear picture of what the Hall of Fame and the village itself really are like. COOPERSTOWN IS MY MECCA is the diary of a true baseball fan covering 1986 to 1994 plus hundreds of moments from over 100 years of baseball. "I've tried to capture my passion for the game and my reverence for the shrine," Gafur said during the launching of his book, at the Moss Park Armouries on March 24. Gafur has done that, but he has also written a book that contains an incredible account of information in less than 200 pages. In two chapters, he profiles some of the best baseball writers and broadcasters in the history of the game, and a number of appendices give the reader everything from a list of Hall of Fame members and the criteria for selection, to how to get to Cooperstown and where to park.
Gafur does not delve into any of the game's scandals. There is no mention of free agency, arbitration or strikes - other than the kind pitchers throw over home plate. His outlook is simple and based on a respect for the glory days of baseball. COOPERSTOWN IS MY MECCA is a book written by a baseball fan for baseball fans. |
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ReviewBALL FAN PENS BOOK ON COOPERSTOWN – by Martin Melbourne – Staff Writer, Scarborough Mirror Saturday 15-16 April 1995 Major League Baseball is back but the players have their work cut out to win back even Scarborough's number one fan. Rudy Gafur, of Agincourt, has been a baseball fanatic for close to 20 years, following the game, its history, and his beloved Toronto Blue Jays with almost religious devotion. That dedication is expressed in Gafur's new book, COOPERSTOWN IS MY MECCA, in which he recounts some of the lore of the sport and of the town which houses its Hall of Fame. Gafur says the seven-month players' stike has not diminished his love of the game, but it has lessened his affection for modern-day players and owners. "There is a lot of selfishness and a lack of consideration for not only the fans but the irreparable damage they have done to students and the people who work in spinoff (industries)," said Gafur. "I have not lost one iota of love for he game, but I am disenchanted with both sides." As disappointed as he is with the current state of America's "National Pastime," Gafur remains enthralled with its past. A devout Muslim, who came to Canada from Guyana in 1972, Gafur considers baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, a shrine and his trips there pilgrimages. He has visted there 12 times since 1986 and has become an expert on induction weekend ceremonies. For example, Gafur advises that if you want a seat within 30 yards of the stars as they are inducted into the hall, be prepared to line up at about 6 a.m. Otherwise, you'll be about 150 yards back. And if you'd like one of the 500 or so souvenir bats, available on one day during Hall of Fame Weekend, 4 a.m. is a good time to set up camp near the gift shop, he says. "Even the regular (visitors) are still finding out certain things," said Gafur, who adds the concept of the book started to take shape when, during one visit, he asked himself, "what if I was only able to make one visit to Cooperstown?" "I thought I would weave in my personal memories and experiences and try to show my passion for the Hall of Fame and my love of the game and the village of Cooperstown. And I included some inside information that even the regulars don't know." Sporting an introduction by former baseball player and Blue Jays broadcaster Tony Kubek, COOPERSTOWN IS MY MECCA has garnered solid critical support and even a plug from current Blue Jays commentator Jerry Howarth. "If you have't visited Cooperstown before, you will make your first trip with this book," Howarth said. "Rudy puts you in Cooperstown, not just inside the Hall of Fame." |
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| Review
LOVE OF BASEBALL REFLECTED EVERYWHERE IN NEW BASEBALL BOOK – by Ben Steidman – Delhi News-Record Wednesday 8 February 1995 Inroduction by Tony Kubek Soft Cover - 200 pages - including many photos and illustrations Author Rudy Gafur, of Agincourt, Ontario, readily admitted to me that he has an "unabashed passion" for baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, and the national pastime (regarded as such by many Canadians as well as Americans). Gafur, who lives in the Toronto area, came to Canada from Guyana in 1972 and almost overnight became a baseball fan. Needless to say, he's a member of the Toronto Blue Jays Fan Club and the 'Friends of the Hall of Fame'. He is also a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Gafur has visted his 'Mecca' (the Hall of Fame) to pay tribute to the game's greatest players 12 times in nine years. His greatest thrills in baseball include the Blue Jays first World Series triumph, his first visit to Cooperstown, a walk around the Hall of Fame and Museum and the visit of baseball legends Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio to Toronto in 1991 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that unforgettable season, 1941. The two stars were there to mark their most magnificent feats attained in 1941– Williams batting .400 and DiMaggio hitting in 56 straight games. Gafur's love for baseball is reflected everywhere in his first book. At one point he observes, "Buoyed by the euphoria of my visit to Cooperstown..." Induction Day, 1991, has certainly been etched in his mind as he vividly recollects it in his book. He was present for the induction ceremonies accompanied by his grandson, Dairl. On that July weekend, Ferguson Jenkins officially became the first Canadian player inducted into the Hall of Fame. Other Canadians like umpire and player Bob Emslie had gained entry through the Honor Rolls of Baseball. Gafur recalls that "among the prized signatures obtained was the Splendid Splinter Ted Williams on my copy of his book, MY TURN AT BAT." Rod Carew, who crafted a .328 lifetime batting average in 19 years with the Twins and Angels, was inducted first that day, followed by Jenkins, the late Tony Lazzeri, who achieved fame with the Yankees, then 300-game winner Gaylord Perry, and finally, the late outspoken and innovative owner Bill Veeck. It's worthwhile recapping Jenkins' 19-year record. He pitched for the Phillies, Cubs, Rangers and Red Sox, racking up 284 victories, had seven 20-win seasons, with six in a row, captured the Cy Young Award in 1971 and the Sporting News A.L. Comeback Player of the Year Award in 1974. Gafur devotes two chapters to baseball writers and broadcasters. He notes that "their work has been taken for granted and often ignored by fans who are more interested in the score than in the medium that delivers that score, yet many of these writers and broadcasters are as legendary as the players whose exploits they have reported." The scribes mentioned in the book include Dan Daniel, Ring Lardner, Tom Meany, Grantland Rice and Damon Runyan. Broadcasters acknowledged include Mel Allen, Red Barber, Harry Caray, Curt Gowdy and Russ Hodges ("There's a long fly...It's gonna be...I believe...The Giants win the Pennant! The Giants win the Pennant! The Giants win the Pennant !The Giants win the Pennant! Bobby Thomson hits it into the lower deck of the left field stands! The Giants win the Pennant!...and they are going crazy !") First inductees in 1936 were Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christie Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner. Inductees in 1994 were Steve Carlton, Leo Durocher and Phil Rizzuto. Latest inductee (for 1995) is Mike Schmidt, considered the greatest hitting third baseman of all time. Total members stands at 219, with 55 still with us. Two recent stories in the Globe and Mail (Jan. 11) reflect some of the controversy that always swirls around Hall of Fame selections. According to the first article, it seems that a large number of the Baseball Writers Association of America, who do the voting, have rejected pitcher Phil Niekro's bid for everlasting fame. These members believe that Niekro's credentials, 318 - 274, aren't good enough for admission. Additionally, they have vetoed his entry because he played for an Atlanta Braves team that never won a World Series. Niekro, a knuckleballer, never garnered a Cy Young Award either. Don Sutton, another 300-game winner, has also had the welcome mat pulled from under him. Then, Schmidt, in the second article, insists that Pete Rose should be elected to the Hall of Fame. Rose, who played on the World Series winners at Cincinnati and Philadelphia and set the all-time career hit record, has been banned from baseball for betting on the sport. Interestingly enough, Cooperstown, site of baseball's shrine to its larger-than-life gods, is named after Judge William Cooper, father of world renowned author James Fenimore Cooper. Another famous Cooperstown family, the Clarks, were affiliated with the Singer Sewing Machine Company. The family financed establishment of the Hall of Fame. Like all true fans of this game that transcends mere sport, Gafur obviously feels baseball in his very soul. Baseball mirrors life - the shining glory of winning or the dark, bitter taste of defeat and tragedy. Yet baseball is more. It's art, tradition, history and culture. I think that Gafur, who lives and breathes the intoxicating air of baseball, has captured these things - the very heart and spirit of the national pastime. A self-proclaimed student of baseball history, Gafur, in his wrapup, says he would like to have "Gone to a ball game in a Higher League" inscribed as his epitaph. |
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