Furman's 1st Son - Nick Bisher
Six, Going on Seven
By Furman Bisher, Atlanta Journal, July 1956
It was a holiday, the Fourth of July. Fathers and children become companions on holidays. There had been swimming in the afternoon and picnic by poolside until the storm busted loose. That night it was the ball game, Atlanta against Nashville, and we entered the park at 7:30, a small boy, six going on seven, heeling to.
He needed a cushion to see over the heads of the people in front. He needed a scorecard so he could write his story of the game, too. As we drew alongside the Snow Cone machine, he stopped and looked soulfully into my eyes. We walked on. We were seated.
"Daddy," he said as the Crackers took the field, "may I ask you a question? The question is: May I have a Snow Cone so I won't get too hot?"
(Bob Kelly is pitching for Nashville It is the second inning and he has walked Montag and Meeks. DiPrima is at bat. Kelly thinks he should have had a strike, and he is begging umpire Garbella. DiPrima walks, bases are loaded and the crowd is beside itself.)
"Daddy, I would take a box of popcorn and an orange instead of a Snow Cone."
(Sacka bounces out to first and a Cracker run scores. Now Valentine, the pitcher, is at bat, two on, two out.)
"Is this Valentine Day, Daddy?"
(Willis singles in the third and Daniels singles behind him. The crowd is noising it up with rhythmical applause, as they say on the radio, and stamping feet. Thorpe, a big man, is up.)
"Daddy, when does Mr. Rambone bat? ...Well, what's he doing in Texas? ...Doesn't he like Atlanta any more? I sure wish I had a Snow Cone."
--A Whisper and a Hurry
(A man is seen leaving the box seat section and returning in a moment with two Snow Cones. Grape. Kelly is begging again. He is behind, 0-3, and trying to strike out Meeks. He is asking Garbella to help him. Meeks strikes out.)
"May I borrow your handkerchief, Daddy?"
(Valentine walks Taylor and Schmees singles and men are on first and third with one out and Tommy Brown, who hits long balls, at bat. Six-Going-on-Seven is fidgeting?)
"Daddy, may I whisper something to you?" He whispers.
(A man and a small boy are seen hurrying from the box seat section, one leading the other by the hand. It is a question, who is leading whom. Pretty soon they return. Man is leading small boy.)
(By this time, Brown has singled and Williams has singled and it is 3-3. Thorpe is up. He flies out. Kelly strikes out Riddle and Montage. He is hot.)
"Daddy, I haven't seen a home run tonight."
(Meeks singles and DiPrima singles and Wilhelm, now catching for Sacka, who is hurt, beats out a bloody one down the third base side. The park is alive with madness.)
"Daddy, I think that's Ed Capral back there."
(Ernie White comes out to talk with Kelly, who is in a temperamental sweat.)
"You don't know who Ed Capral is?"
(Valentine strikes out.)
"He's the star of Surprise Party, where they give away prizes and things."
--For Hire, Cheap: One Small Boy
(Reynolds pinch-hits for Willis and grounds to Williams, who throws out Meeks at the plate. The pot is still boiling.)
"On Channel 11."
(Daniels walks, forcing DiPrima home with a run.)
"Can we watch television when we get home?"
(Thorpe drives a double off the right-field tin and Crackers are pouring home like somebody left the cork out of the syrup bottle, and when the scampering is done, it is Atlanta 7-3.)
"Well, that was the first home run I've seen this season."
(Schmees singles again and Tommy Brown singles and Country Brown walks. Valentine's fading and the atmosphere is heavy. Clyde King goes out to talk with Valentine.)
"Daddy, I can almost whistle. Can you whistle?"
(Williams forces Country Brown at second, but a run scores. Lutz singles home another run. King goes out and removes Valentine. Peanut boy passes by.)
"Daddy, I haven't had any peanuts tonight."
(Vogel comes on and gets Batts on a double-play ball.)
"Daddy, why don't they make this into a swimming pool?"
(Montag fans. Meeks singles, but DiPrima hits into a double play.)
"Daddy, I'm sleepy. It's way past my bedtime. What time is it?"
(Vogel fans Werber and gets Taylor on a fly. He walks Durnbaugh and Schmees, but Tommy Brown flies out. It's over and everybody gets up and starts for the exits. Crackers win, 7-5.)
"Daddy, I'd like to work out here. Could I get a job selling Snow Cones? I wouldn't eat 'em all, I'd really sell some."
(Man and small boy head for exits. Small boy is asleep before car is out of parking lot.)
Next morning: "Daddy, when can we go to the ball game again?"
By Furman Bisher, Atlanta Journal, July 1956
It was a holiday, the Fourth of July. Fathers and children become companions on holidays. There had been swimming in the afternoon and picnic by poolside until the storm busted loose. That night it was the ball game, Atlanta against Nashville, and we entered the park at 7:30, a small boy, six going on seven, heeling to.
He needed a cushion to see over the heads of the people in front. He needed a scorecard so he could write his story of the game, too. As we drew alongside the Snow Cone machine, he stopped and looked soulfully into my eyes. We walked on. We were seated.
"Daddy," he said as the Crackers took the field, "may I ask you a question? The question is: May I have a Snow Cone so I won't get too hot?"
(Bob Kelly is pitching for Nashville It is the second inning and he has walked Montag and Meeks. DiPrima is at bat. Kelly thinks he should have had a strike, and he is begging umpire Garbella. DiPrima walks, bases are loaded and the crowd is beside itself.)
"Daddy, I would take a box of popcorn and an orange instead of a Snow Cone."
(Sacka bounces out to first and a Cracker run scores. Now Valentine, the pitcher, is at bat, two on, two out.)
"Is this Valentine Day, Daddy?"
(Willis singles in the third and Daniels singles behind him. The crowd is noising it up with rhythmical applause, as they say on the radio, and stamping feet. Thorpe, a big man, is up.)
"Daddy, when does Mr. Rambone bat? ...Well, what's he doing in Texas? ...Doesn't he like Atlanta any more? I sure wish I had a Snow Cone."
--A Whisper and a Hurry
(A man is seen leaving the box seat section and returning in a moment with two Snow Cones. Grape. Kelly is begging again. He is behind, 0-3, and trying to strike out Meeks. He is asking Garbella to help him. Meeks strikes out.)
"May I borrow your handkerchief, Daddy?"
(Valentine walks Taylor and Schmees singles and men are on first and third with one out and Tommy Brown, who hits long balls, at bat. Six-Going-on-Seven is fidgeting?)
"Daddy, may I whisper something to you?" He whispers.
(A man and a small boy are seen hurrying from the box seat section, one leading the other by the hand. It is a question, who is leading whom. Pretty soon they return. Man is leading small boy.)
(By this time, Brown has singled and Williams has singled and it is 3-3. Thorpe is up. He flies out. Kelly strikes out Riddle and Montage. He is hot.)
"Daddy, I haven't seen a home run tonight."
(Meeks singles and DiPrima singles and Wilhelm, now catching for Sacka, who is hurt, beats out a bloody one down the third base side. The park is alive with madness.)
"Daddy, I think that's Ed Capral back there."
(Ernie White comes out to talk with Kelly, who is in a temperamental sweat.)
"You don't know who Ed Capral is?"
(Valentine strikes out.)
"He's the star of Surprise Party, where they give away prizes and things."
--For Hire, Cheap: One Small Boy
(Reynolds pinch-hits for Willis and grounds to Williams, who throws out Meeks at the plate. The pot is still boiling.)
"On Channel 11."
(Daniels walks, forcing DiPrima home with a run.)
"Can we watch television when we get home?"
(Thorpe drives a double off the right-field tin and Crackers are pouring home like somebody left the cork out of the syrup bottle, and when the scampering is done, it is Atlanta 7-3.)
"Well, that was the first home run I've seen this season."
(Schmees singles again and Tommy Brown singles and Country Brown walks. Valentine's fading and the atmosphere is heavy. Clyde King goes out to talk with Valentine.)
"Daddy, I can almost whistle. Can you whistle?"
(Williams forces Country Brown at second, but a run scores. Lutz singles home another run. King goes out and removes Valentine. Peanut boy passes by.)
"Daddy, I haven't had any peanuts tonight."
(Vogel comes on and gets Batts on a double-play ball.)
"Daddy, why don't they make this into a swimming pool?"
(Montag fans. Meeks singles, but DiPrima hits into a double play.)
"Daddy, I'm sleepy. It's way past my bedtime. What time is it?"
(Vogel fans Werber and gets Taylor on a fly. He walks Durnbaugh and Schmees, but Tommy Brown flies out. It's over and everybody gets up and starts for the exits. Crackers win, 7-5.)
"Daddy, I'd like to work out here. Could I get a job selling Snow Cones? I wouldn't eat 'em all, I'd really sell some."
(Man and small boy head for exits. Small boy is asleep before car is out of parking lot.)
Next morning: "Daddy, when can we go to the ball game again?"
Nick Bisher, 1949-2012
Copyright 2017, J. Bisher