Baseball Reliquary Doing Great Things
The dictionary defines the word “reliquary” as “a container or shrine in which sacred relics are kept.”
As such, the “Baseball Reliquary” is described as is “a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of baseball history and to exploring the national pastime’s unparalleled creative possibilities.” Los Angeles County, California is the Baseball Reliquary’s base sponsor, with other support coming from private donors, registered membership in the activities of the organization, and the apparent fire and synthesis of creative forces that come together to develop the reliquary collections and creative presentations that spawn from this passionate base of association among those who care about the baseball culture, its rich history, and the muses of expression that bring our national pastime forever back into the foreground of our consciousness of the game’s incredibly large contributions to the life and language of our broader American social face.
To borrow from the unforgettable Reggie Jackson, we are impressed from afar that Terry Cannon, Executive Director of the Baseball Reliquary, also seems to be “the star that stirs the drink” for what already has transpired as the precious gifts of obliquely conscious artifact preservation and original music and poetic contribution come to mind. Because of the creative juices at play here, the Reliquary even contains a soil sample from the original 1845 Elysian Field location among the items in its collection, and they are about to sponsor a performance of original folk music songs about some of the most famous players and characters in the history of the game.
Here’s the material that went out to the world on April 2, 2016 about what sounds like an amazing day of entertainment in Pasadena, CA on June 25, 2016. For those readers who live in the So-Cal area, this sounds like a “don’t miss it” opportunity. For the rest of you, my apologies for not getting the word out earlier, but I just learned today what’s planned for this coming Saturday. Here’s the flyer:
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The National Pastime: Musical Presentation by Ross Altman, June 25, 2016, Pasadena, CA
Ross Altman Photo
Courtesy of Jesse Saucedo
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Baseball is a metaphor for life. It has a larger-than-life hero (Babe Ruth); it has a flawed hero (Pete Rose); it has a patriotic hero (Ted Williams); it has hubris (Roger Clemens); it has a colossal failure (“Casey at the Bat”); it has a symbol of America’s greatest tragedy – racism – and our determination to overcome it (Jackie Robinson); it has comedy (“Who’s on First?”); it has poetry (Jim Murray); it has a tragic disease (Lou Gehrig); it has mental illness (Jimmy Piersall); it has a cautionary tale (Mickey Mantle); it has a song (“Take Me Out to the Ball Game”); and above all it has a history. So does life. Los Angeles folk singer Ross Altman celebrates them all in his new show, “The National Pastime,” on Saturday, June 25, 2016, at 2:00 p.m., at the Allendale Branch Library, 1130 S. Marengo Ave., Pasadena, California. The program is free of charge, and light refreshments will be served. Come out to the Allendale Branch Library and Play Ball!
Ross Altman has a Ph.D. in English. Before becoming a full-time folk singer, he taught college English and Speech. He now sings around California for libraries, unions, schools, political groups, and folk festivals.
“The National Pastime” is co-sponsored by the Baseball Reliquary and the Allendale Branch Library. The program is supported, in part, by a grant to the Baseball Reliquary from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
List of songs and ballplayers to be featured (though not necessarily in this order):
1) “Mickey Mantle” (Mickey Mantle)
2) “Pride of the Yankees” (Lou Gehrig)
3) “There Was Babe” (Babe Ruth)
4) “Old Number 9” (Ted Williams)
5) “Mr. Baseball” (Pete Rose)
6) “Ballad of Jackie Robinson” (Jackie Robinson)
7) “Knuckleball Blues” (Phil Niekro)
8) “LA’s Poet Laureate” (Jim Murray)
9) “The Rocket” (Roger Clemens)
10) “Civil Rights and Baseball”
11) “Who’s On First?” (Steve Bilko)
12) “Fear Strikes Out” (Jimmy Piersall)
13) “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”
~ Flyer Info from The Baseball Reliquary
Publisher, Editor, Writer
The Pecan Park Eagle
Houston, Texas
Houston, Baseball, & Other Musings.
The Pecan Park Eagle 