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| Wednesday, August 22 Nine years old and full of life By Jim Caple ESPN.com |
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Rebecca Veeck is just nine years old but has already visited Cooperstown three times, if you count her first visit when she was in her mother's womb during induction ceremonies for her late grandfather, Bill Veeck, in 1991. Her most recent visit was this past Sunday when the Hall of Fame celebrated the 50th anniversary of Eddie Gaedel's one at-bat by recreating the game's most famous promotion. Rebecca portrayed Gaedel, wearing his jersey, stepping to the plate and taking four high ones just as the little man did half a century earlier. "I loved it," she said. Rebecca's father, Mike, is famed for his outlandish baseball promotions, a man dedicated to making a baseball game as much fun as possible, a clown who fills conversations with laughter and self-mockery. A father who walked to the edge of his dock in Charleston and wept two years ago when he and his wife, Libby, learned that Rebecca had retinitis pigmentosa, a rare eye disease that destroys the retina and often leads to blindness when it strikes so early. The Veeck family's spirits rise and fall with each new examination and prognosis. Early this year they were hopeful when examinations showed Rebecca's deterioration had slowed considerably. Alas, it was only a temporary reprieve. The last trip to the doctor showed further deterioration. "As much as we can tell," said Mike, "she can see everything out of the corner of her eye. But if you throw a soda can in front of her, she has to feel for it." Mike said doctors give no timetable for further deterioration but the Veecks are prepared for the worst, that their daughter will go blind. Not knowing how long Rebecca's limited vision will last, the Veecks are taking her to as many places as they can so that she will at least have the memory of the sights if or when her vision disappears completely. California and Arizona, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, all the wonders this country offers. "It's really gotten to be a game that way," Mike said. "To see as much as she can." They have 32 states down but there are still 18 left and still so much to see, so much she may never see here and abroad. A sunrise from Maui's Mount Haleakala. A sunset over the Olympic mountains. The Sydney Opera House. Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, Michelangelo's David. Her husband's face ... But the Veecks know it could be worse. Libby remembers a visit to a hospital with Rebecca when the two met a little girl who had already been through three open heart surgeries. Vision aside, Rebecca is full of life, extremely bright, quick to smile and already displays the Veeck gift for conversation. "Libby is donating a lot of time to Meals on Wheels and Rebecca goes with her," Mike said, his voice cracking a bit. "There's no doubt that if she sees another person who needs help it makes what is happening to her more understandable. Not easier, but more understandable. That we're all in this, that we all have challenges and difficulties to face." A movie about Rebecca is in the works and Mike says her share of the film rights will go to research into finding a cure for retinitis pigmentosa. Meanwhile, Rebecca has a teacher's aid in school and is furiously learning Braille. She helps at the ballpark with her father's team, the Charleston Riverdogs. Like her parents, she devours books, listening to every audiotape she can get her hands on. She recently adopted a puppy and received a special three-wheel bicycle that allows her to feel the freedom of a bike ride. "Her spirits are great," Mike said. "When Mom and Dad have a little trouble, one of us is always upbeat when the other needs someone around." By the way, that Gaedel recreation at Cooperstown wasn't completely accurate. Gaedel was only 3-foot-7 while Rebecca measures 4-foot-3. That's in height, of course. She measures off the chart in heart.
Box score line of the week But the week's best boxscore line goes to 12-year-old Danny Almonte, who threw a perfect game on national television at the Little League World Series, the first perfect game at Williamsport in 44 years. The Bronx Little Leaguer struck out the first 15 batters he faced and allowed only two balls hit into fair territory, both on bunts. His line: 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 16 K It was Almonte's second consecutive no-hitter. He threw a no-no and struck out 16 in the regional final that sent the Bronx team to Williamsport, the first team from the borough to reach the Little League World Series. And they did it one year after playing with hand-me-down uniforms and sharing a single bat.
Lies, damn lies and statistics
From left field Rijo's return is a great, inspiring story but not unheard of. Dave Stieb retired in 1993 and returned in 1998 while Efrain Valdez, Larry Luebbers, Steve Fireovid, Brent Knackert, Ravelo Manzanillo and Kip Gross came back from longer absences in the past decade. The longest gaps between major-league appearances since the end of the Korean War:
Q. What is believed to be the longest span between big-league appearances?
Power rankings
A. Paul Schreiber, who served as the Yankees pitching coach in the late 30s and early 40s. He pitched a couple games for Brooklyn in 1923, then didn't pitch again until 22 years later in 1945 when he threw three hitless innings in one game.
Voice of summer -- Mets pitcher Al Leiter on the reception Mike Hampton might get at Shea Stadium this week. Hampton cited the Denver school system as a reason for signing with the Rockies last winter. Jim Caple is a Senior Writer for ESPN.com. |
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