The murderer of the friend who got me into umpiring was executed about 45 minutes ago...............

It's funny sometimes..............I think about Jim (the friend who got me into umpiring/and who I umpired my first ever game with) every now and then.......but those thoughts and memories get farther and fewer between.........

BUT.......just this past weekend, I was talking with one of our first year guys after games were over and we got to talking about how we got started in umpiring...........

I told him about a guy I graduated HS with, who after our Freshman year in College convinced me to join the local BB group and umpire some games in the evening with him...........It was 1979 and we were both working the same summer job that got off at 4 p.m., so evening games were perfect........I also told him that this friend of mine later became a Houston Police officer.........and was shot and killed because a senseless man got impatient............

Jim gave me my first indicator and plate brush..........and we shared a balloon protector whenever we umpired together.........

I called quite a few games with Jim over the next 3 summers...........and kinda got away from it after I got a real job...........

15 or so years later............I thought about the fun I had umpiring baseball way back when.........and I started doing fastpitch because I had been away from baseball so long.........<b>and</b> I had all daughters...............grin

Although I am not a proponent of Capitol Punishment............I have a hard time feeling any pity for the man who took the life of my friend........

Sorry for the ramble..........just thought I would share.........

And for a little more about Jim.............

Go here http://www.texascitysun.com/report.lasso?WCD=1240







[Edited by Gulf Coast Blue on Nov 19th, 2002 at 07:32 PM]

Joel,

It sounds like your friend was truly one of the good guys.

I'm sorry for your loss.

Tom

Tell us the details, Dakota. What happened and when?

I often umpire at Megan Kanka Field in Hamilton, New Jersey. Megan Kanka was lured into a house, raped, murdered, and then sodomized by a released convicted sex offender. No one in her neighborhood was aware that, just down the street from her, the State of New Jersey had housed three convicted sexual predators. Now we have "Megan's Law," and a State web site warns society of a small handful of creeps. Her murderer languishes on death row, still years away from any possible execution for the crime he committed in the summer of 1994. (NJ has not executed anyone since 1963.)

The family managed to carry on. Megan's sister became a pretty good FP pitcher, and her father coached the team.

About 25 years ago, the teenage girl who lived across the street from me was tortured and murdered by a man who had a long history of hammer attacks on women. Though he planned the attack and tried to escape, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Every so often he gets a hearing and pleads to be released.

I used to be opposed to capital punishment. I now believe that society has the right and obligation to rid itself of mad dogs.

greymule, it was Joel's friend. Check out the link in his post; it has the story of the murder, plus more.

Joel.

Don't apologize for anything. I want to thank you for sharing. Made me realize a lot...

Scott