Fenway, Football, Heroes and God

By Patrick Cronin

A collection of 5 feature articles that were published in newspapers, magazines, and a book, Fenway, Football, Heroes, and God showcase ordinary people whose experiences and accomplishments are remarkable. Like so many other Americans who, often anonymously, continue to represent the best our country has to offer, they are our relatives, friends, and neighbors. And they continue to make us great with their generous acts of kindness, with their daily pursuit of excellence in their jobs, with their brave sacrifices to protect us all from our enemies, and with their faith. These are the stories of a selfless young boy, an NFL Scout, a war hero, a father of 13 who experienced a miracle, and a brother who perseveres after a transplant operation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Patrick Cronin
• Release date: Jun 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223599401

Book preview

Introduction

I wrote the newspaper and magazine articles included here because I was impressed by the people who are featured in them. Like so many other Americans who, often anonymously, continue to represent the best our country has to offer, they are our relatives, friends, and neighbors. And they continue to make us great with their generous acts of kindness, with their daily pursuit of excellence in their jobs, with their brave sacrifices to  protect us all from our enemies, and with their faith.  

The first story was a gift that could have been sent to me straight from baseball heaven. A father taking his son to Fenway Park for the first time is hardly a new subject for a story or a poem. However, when a series of small events so unexpected and unbelievable unfolded during a game there, the notion of not writing a story about it all became unthinkable.

The focus of the second article, a friend’s career as an NFL Scout, first occurred to me during weekly Patriots games back in 1986. As my old high school buddies and I would gather at one local pub or another to watch the games on television, I became more and more interested in all of the work my friend Joe DiMarzo, an NFL Scout, did before the annual NFL draft.

An in-law’s heroism in World War II is the subject of the third article. I spent time with Uncle Henry up on the coast of Maine, the site of so many of the summer and school vacations we enjoyed there for years as my kids were growing up.

And in terms of the fourth feature article included here, I think it is only fitting that I use the word miraculous to describe the events of a story of how a neighbor from a nearby town, the father of 13 including one who became an NHL star, confronted what was essentially a death sentence.

The final article is an addition to the original ebook edition and the later print copy. Written for my brother, who requested it, I think it is not out of place here. Captain of his Whitman-Hanson Regional High School baseball team, a member of the UMaine Presque Isle Hall of Fame, my brother Brian represents the many Americans who quietly persevere daily against great odds. Because of the courage and strength with which he has faced the challenges in his life, he is definitely one of my heroes. PLC

Passing by Patrick L. Cronin

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My father and I would have a pass

In the yard after he got back from work.

He almost always said yes,

Pungent with rubber, crooked fingers black.

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He’d coil, uncoil in precision, rhythmic grace,

Like one of the machines he daily fed,

And after each toss, from his smoky face

He’d pluck his lip-hung cigarette.

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In the beginning his throws were arcing, soft,

Spinning slowly, whispering between us;

Some I dropped, and some I kept aloft;

In either case he never made a fuss.

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Later, he flattened out his throws,

Tightened the spin so they would fairly hum

Through the air like little bees in narrow rows,

Stinging back and forth until we both were numb.

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In time, as if a talisman, the ball

He waved about his head, and let it fly;

Like magic it would bend and dart - and fall

Into my glove, and then he’d make me try.

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Now, while reaching back to pass with you, my son,

I hear again the whispers by my ear,

And gently turn the air with what was spun

By fathers who have passed as we do here.

1961-1991

Passing