By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC sporty shoutout is sent along to Putnam resident Laura Crosetti, who is a fitness fanatic.  Whether it’s roller blading, aerobic exercise or fast walking Crosetti can be counted in.  The eight hours plus of her real life is spent as an administrator at Westview Health Care Center.  She recently blew out another candle on the cake.

Johnny Damon, the only player besides the immortal Babe Ruth to claim he was a member of a World Series Championship team for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, was in Hartford for the YMCA Celebrates Champions event at the Connecticut Convention Center.  The event took place on Thursday, October 23.

Damon, who still looks fit and ready to play centerfield for any team that would have him, admitted that he’ll officially announce his retirement from baseball in the spring of 2015.  The current resident of Orlando, Fla., confessed he’s enjoying family life.  And rightfully so, he should, as he is the father of three girls and a boy.  He also announced he and his wife are expecting a fifth child, a girl soon.

Prior to taking the podium with Hartford television sportscaster Rich Coppola of Fox Ct, Damon was part of a “meet and greet” with many of the fans on hand for the evening.  His warm personality endeared him to everyone in the long line of admirers from Hartford’s Minnie Gonzalez Little Leaguers to numerous adults who just wanted to shake his hand have a photo taken with him.

Among the audience of more than 1000 was a contingent from Northeastern Connecticut that’s associated with the establishment of the Regional Community YMCA, which plans to break ground soon at a site on Kennedy Drive in Putnam.  Leading the group were Betty and Laurence Hale, Pomfret residents and trustees of the Newell D. Hale Foundation, which has pledged $3 million to the soon to be constructed YMCA.  Also on hand were individuals involved in the “Building A Dream” Campaign, Paul Kelly of Woodstock, Dr. Marc Cerrone and Jim Zahansky of Pomfret and Donna Coderre of Putnam.  They were joined by Putnam Town Administrator Doug Cutler and Woodstock Academy teacher Michelle Rawcliffe.

Damon was entertaining and emotional on the stage as he spoke of his early child days when he was often bullied because of his problem with stuttering.  He told of how his desire to overcome his disability was made easier because of his love of baseball.

“The kids in our neighborhood spent hours playing baseball.  Through baseball I became part of a group and enjoyed success that eventually led to my career in professional baseball,” Damon told the crowd.

He spoke humbly of his baseball career which spanned 17 year with stops in Kansa City and Oakland prior to his years in Boston and New York.  Damon shared his rings with those who stood in line to meet him, many of who took photos of the rings with the Boston B and New York NY proudly displayed on the surface of the diamond studded pieces.

One of the best outfielders of his generation, Damon was a noted leadoff hitter as well as being able to hit for power.  He is one of only nine players in the history of baseball since 1900 with more than 2700 hits, 500 doubles and 400 stolen bases.  Well known for his generosity, Damon established The Johnny Damon Foundation and is a national spokesman for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Big Doings in the Small Print

Whenever individuals are involved in signing any official documents they’re always advised to read the small print very carefully.  That’s great advice.  

In the newspaper business the small print is called agate print or the agate page.  That page is my favorite page to read each day in the three newspapers I read daily because in addition to testing my visual acuity, it’s the place where I find the most interesting news, especially in the sports section.

In last week’s Tuesday and Wednesday edition of The Hartford Courant in very small type under the heading WOMEN’S GOLF – Quinnipiac Classic at TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, my eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar name.

The leader following the first day of action in the Classic, which featured host Quinnipiac University, Fairfield University, the University of Hartford, University of Albany and Delaware State University, the golfer on the top of the leader board was former Putnam resident Nicole Scola.  Playing on the Quinnipiac (A) entry, Scola fired a three over par 73.  The next day, Scola continued her torrid pace, duplicating her first day effort with an identical score of 73.

Scola’s two-day total of 146 earned her medalist and individual champion honors, beating her closest opponent Brooke Nethercott of the University of Hartford who was six strokes behind the winner with a 152.  Fairfield University captured the team honors with Quinnipiac (A) finishing fourth.

According to eye witnesses, Scola, despite her winning margin, might have even had a lower score with a few breaks.  A freshman at the Hamden school, Scola is scheduled to complete her bachelor’s requirement in three years.  She is working toward earning an MBA in four years.

Scola is the daughter of Atty. Nicholas and Jill Scola of Watch Hill, R.I. 

College Coaches Spotted in Putnam

The basketball notoriety of Putnam Science Academy is beginning to spread like the wild fires in California.  The success of Scoochie Smith at The University of Dayton and the rise in prominence of last year’s Mustangs nationally ranked team has attracted coaches from all over the country to pop in on PSA hoop workouts.

The most interesting of recent visiting coaches was the presence of UConn assistant coach Glenn Miller.  It appears that the Huskies have their eye on a couple of the young Mustangs.  Not to be out done, another in-state college, Quinnipiac University has been a regular visitor to the Maple Street campus.  Spotted recently was assistant coach and former UConn great Scott Burrell as well as head coach Tom Moore of the Bobcats.  Quinnipiac has done well at Putnam Science Academy, grabbing Chaise Daniels from last season’s team and signing current Mustangs Aaron and Andrew Robinson.

Providence College assistant Brian Blaney and University of Pittsburgh assistant Bill Barton have been interested spectators as have assistants from the University of Minnesota, Temple University, Rider University and Manhattan College.  Current Mustang point guard Kealen Ives is headed to Rider and big man Vincent Eze recently committed to Manhattan.

On the Patriots Jumbotron

Occasionally Ramblings, Points and Comments is made aware of local individuals who are spotted at basketball games by the “Kisscam.”  At the New England Patriots versus New York Jets Monday Night Football Game on October 20 in Foxboro a local individual was captured on the stadium “Jumbotron.”  Being caught didn’t turn out to be a bad thing for Bob Halloran.

Halloran, the treasurer at Putnam Bank and a Patriots season ticket holder, was featured as the one person in the sellout crowd selected as the season’s ticket holder seat upgrade for the game.  The humble Halloran notes he was shocked and a little embarrassed, especially because two of his fellow Putnam Rotary Club members, Brad Favreau and Paul Pikora were also in attendance.  It seems Favreau and Pikora ratted on Halloran at the weekly Rotary meeting, causing him to pay a fine at the hands of Club Sergeant-at-Arms Keith Aubin.

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.

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