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Sixties Baseball Memories of Some Great Seasons….

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Baseball Memories – Thank You “Uncle” Barney
As I sit and watch the Cubs in the baseball play-offs memories arose of some magical years in my life. I was born in 1951 and I have vague memories of the 1957 or 58 World Series my mother was rooting for the Braves over the Yankees. The first time I really remember watching the games was 1960 when the Pirates beat the Yankees in a seven game series, which ended on a Bill Mazeroski homer. I remember getting home from school just in time to see the homer!
1961 – Barney Gets the Call!
The following year 1961 was also a big year for me.. In that year, my mother’s first cousin Barney Schultz was called up to pitch for the Chicago Cubs. Barney was a knuckleball relief pitcher. He languished for most of his career in the minor leagues. By the time he was called up in 1961 he was 34 years old!
We went to several Phillies games that year. One of the times when my Uncle Kenny took me to an afternoon doubleheader, Barney collected a save in both of the games!! That feat was on the back of his baseball card the next year!


Another time because we were family, we got to go below the stands to the hallway outside of the visitors locker room.
That night I got autographs from several Cubs players. At one point I walked up to a player who was standing by himself near the exit. I got his autograph, when I looked at it, I saw it was the hottest rookie in the league and the future savior of the Cubs- Ken Hubbs.
The sad part of that story was that after the  season in the league Hubbs died when private plane he was piloting from Provo, Utah to Colton, California crashed during a snowstorm. Topps issued the In Memoriam card below in 1964.


 
1964 – What a Year!
Speaking of 1964, now there was a season for a 13 year-old to remember! In Phillies history . In Phillies year that the year that Ruiz’s steal of home started the Phillies Plop that saw them blow a 61/2 game lead with 12 games to play. (1) But in my baseball history it is the year that “Uncle” Barney helped lead the St. Louis Cardinals to the pennant! At 38 years-old Barney was a September call-up for the Redbirds. He appeared in 30 games and saved 14 of them. His ERA over those gamed was 1.64! His 14 saves placed him 5th best in the National League and the Cardinals in the World Series against the hated (at least by me) Yankees.


Barney Pitches to Mickey Mantle – Oh My!
Oh and it placed me in the left field bleachers in Yankee Stadium for game 3 of the Series. With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning Cardinal manager Johnny Keane summoned Barney from the bullpen to replace started Curt Simmons. What I didn’t know at the time was what an aging Mickey Mantle told Yankees starter Jim Bouton. Bouton relates….
 “He was standing there with the bat on his shoulder watching Barney Schultz. His warm-up pitches were coming in about thigh high and breaking down to the shin, to the ankles — two or three in a row. Mickey said, ‘I’m gonna hit one outta here.’ (2)
 
Catcher Tim McCarver recalls what happened next……
Mantle stood in. Schultz wound up. McCarver knew right away:
“Nothing good was gonna come of this pitch. There are a lotta pitches that don’t do anything during the course of a game. There are fastballs that aren’t fast. There are fastballs that are meant to hop in on a lefthander and they don’t hop. There are breaking balls that are meant to break and guys pop ’em up, foul ’em back, or pull ’em foul, or hit ’em for a single, or hit ’em for a home run. But nothing like this.”
The first pitch to Mantle, a knuckler, didn’t dance or flutter or defy expectation. It didn’t do anything at all. “It wasn’t thrown,” McCarver said. “It was dangled like bait to a big fish. Plus it lingered in that area that was down, and Mickey was a lethal low-ball hitter lefthanded. The pitch was so slow that it allowed him to turn on it and pull it.” (2)
And Mantle sent it sailing over the right field fence! It was Mantle’s record-breaking 16th World Series homer!
Schultz took one quick look over his shoulder and walked off the mound. “I crossed the third base foul line as he was rounding third base,” he recalled. “I didn’t even watch him run the bases. I wasn’t interested in that. I was interested in punching myself in the mouth.” (2)
It Was Still a Great Year!
The car ride back to our home in New Jersey was sad that day, for every but my Yankee loving cousin Jimmy Ashton!! However, the Cardinals went on to win the Series in 7 games, capping a pretty great 1964!
A year that also saw me go also go to my first and only All-Star game! In that game the Phillies’ Johnny Callison hit a walk-off homer to send the National League home winners!! We also went to the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows that year!
Also in 1962 and 1964 my Little League baseball team Hope Hose, in spite of me, won two league championships!! Great Times!!
Links


Today in Philly Sports History: Chico Ruiz Steals Home, 1964


The story behind Mickey Mantle’s 1964 walkoff Series home run


Fifty years later, memories of Ken Hubbs still glowing

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Granddad Week and Four Mystery Series Temptations

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This week has been a Granddad week for me. It started on Sunday when i went to my first dance recital. I raised three boys and one girl and that one girl is the mother of Emma. Emma turned 3 in February and has been taking both tap and ballet lessons. Sunday was her first recital. I must say overall it was very good and Emma did great … Here is the picture they used in the introduction of the students.

Later that night we babysat Emma and Lucas for several hours as their parents went to a photo shoot for their business Rego Photography. Monday my son and Logan the son of my third son Peter came and we played cards from 2:45 to 4:45.

Finally, last night we went to my oldest grandson Oliver’s Spring Band Concert. Oliver is 12 and is in 6th grade. The concert was very good.

The result of all of the above is that we missed Senior Tuesday and its 15% off this week. But we still made a trip to the Audoubon NJ Goodwill this morning, The vinyl today was the same ones I left last week after my pretty good haul and the books were the same too. I did find some that I must have passed over last week.

Today’s Goodwill Book Mini-Haul – Four Mystery Series Temptations

Today's Four Mystery Series Temptations Books

“I” is for Innocent – Sue Grafton

While I have never read a Kinsey Milhone book, I acknowledge the groundbreaking nature of her work. Wuthout her work I may never have read books from the likes of Laura Lippman, Carol O’Connell, Kathy Reichs or even Karin Slaughter!

And that’s why I have been collecting the Kinsey Milhone series. With the addition of “I” is for Innocent I ever have 11 of the series books!

The Eighth Sister – Robert Dugoni

Robert Dugoni is another of those authors whose books I should be reading but haven’t. Dugoni has two main series the Tracy Crosswhite series and the David Sloane series. The Eighth Sister appears to be a standalone featuring former CIA case worker Charles Jenkins.

Hundred-Dollar Baby – Robert B Parker

I read my first Spenser novel back in 1987. It was The Judas Goat Spenser #5. I also read Taming a Sea-Horse in 1987 it was Spenser #13. Subsequently I have never read another Spenser book even though I enjoyed the books ans characters!

Hundred Dollar Baby is Spenser #34! It was released in 2006 four years prior of his sudden death in 2010. The last Spenser novel written by Robert B Parker and his assistant was SixKill published in 2011. From 2012 t0 2022 Ace Atkins wrote 10 Spenser books. In 2023 Mike Lupica began writing the books and has since added 4 books to the series. The latest released in 2026 is Framed (Spenser #54)! Anyway I hope maybe Hundred Dollar Baby can get me back into the series!

A Cold Day for Murder – Dana Stabenow

One of the author’s who may have benefited from the success of Sue Grafton was Dana Stabenow. A Cold Day for Murder is the first book in the now 23 book series featuring Kater Shugak. This is another series that I should have read but didn’t I blieve I have a copy of this book but where it is I know Not! Anyway the copy i bought was released in 2023 so it has the feel of a new book! So maybe I can trick myself into reading it!

But considering that Kate is a native Alaskan ex-DA investigator who lives on a 160 -acre homestead in a generic nationa park in Alaska with her half-wolf, half-husky dog named Mutt; I should love this series!!

Sue GraftonRobert DugoniRobert B ParkerDana Stabenow
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Thursday Update:

I am now finishing this post on Thursday after working this morning at Target! I din’t finish it last night becasue Zoe my sceond oldest grandchild only 6 months younger than Oliver had HER Spring Band concert. She plays saxophone and had a short solo in the third song! She was also named The Rising Star of the 6th grade band by the Music Teacher. Go Zoe! The best thingabout last night’s concert though is that the school is in the same block as our house so it was a short trip home!

DNA Provides an Ashton -Gottlieb Family Connection

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New Cousins Discovered: An Ashton Gottlieb Family Connection  Family

So the name John Sherrington Ashton has a nice British ring to it, don’t you think? Well, it should — my family immigrated from Lincolnshire, England in 1851.

But how about the name John Sherrington Gottlieb? Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue the same way. Still, through the wonders of Ancestry and DNA testing, I’ve discovered that he has a rightful branch on my family tree!

The Ashton Gottlieb Family Connection Started With a DNA Match…

Just the other day, I noticed a new, extremely high 4th–6th cousin match from a user named glgottlieb1. Based on the surname, I assumed the connection would be through the German side of my tree — but I was shocked when I previewed his small (10-person) tree and saw the name we shared was Ashton!

His grandmother was listed as Catherine Ashton. When I checked our shared locations, I saw that his father, Lawrence Emil Gottlieb (born May 6, 1907), was born in Philadelphia. In the 1910 census, I found the family — Mary (his mother) was born in New Jersey, as were her parents. She was 28 at the time, putting her birth around 1882. Emil was born in Illinois, with parents from Denmark. The pieces were starting to come together.

The Ashton Gottlieb Family DNA Connection Link

My great-grandfather, John Sherrington Ashton, was born in 1858 and married his first wife, Mary E. Warwick, in 1881. In my tree, I had four children listed for John and Mary: Blanche, Edward, Horice, and William — the earliest born in 1884. But looking anew at the 1885 Beverly, NJ census, I discovered another child: a daughter Mary, between 0 and 5 years old — a perfect fit to become Mary Gottlieb.. Mary Ashton was found in the 1910 census married to Emil Gottlieb and living with her family in Philadelphia.. The link would soon be cnfimred…..

 

1910Philalphia Census with Mary Gottlieb and her Family the DNA connection
1910 Philadelphia Census with Mary AShton Gottlieb and family

By 1920, the Gottlieb family had moved to Baltimore, Maryland. Emil and Mary had five children: Francis A. (18), Clarence E. (15), Lawrence E. (12), Catherine M. (9), and — low and behold — John S. Gottlieb, age 3. After more digging, my wife Kathleen (aka the best genealogist ever!) found a death record confirming his full name: John Sherrington Gottlieb.

That fact, plus the DNA match, is more than enough for me to welcome the Gottlieb family into our Ashton line!

The Rest of the Ashton  Story…

When I started my genealogical research, I only knew that my great-grandmother was Margaret McCloskey. My mother knew she had had an Uncle Bill who lived out near the Devon Horse Show in Pa. It wasn’t long into my research that I discovered that my great-grandfather had actually been married twice. John was born in 1858 and married his first wife Mary E. Warwick in 1881.

They had the following children:

  • Mary Catherine, born in August of 1881—only four months after their marriage, hmm?
  • William, born in 1884, died in 1953
  • Edward, born around 1884?, died in 1902
  • Blanche, born in 1886, died in 1904
  • Horace, born in 1889, died in 1890
  • Alice Matilda, born in 1890, died in 1932

The sad part of the story is that Mary E. Ashton died in 1892. A year later, John remarried—taking Margaret McCloskey as his wife. Between 1895 and 1902, they had four children: Violet (1895), Agnes (1897), John (my grandfather) (1900), and Madaline (1902).

By the time my mother was born in 1928, only three of the children from John and Mary’s marriage were living: William (Uncle Bill from Devon, whom my mother remembered), and the two girls, Alice Matilda and Mary Catherine… You’ve heard Mary Catherine’s story—in the next post I’ll tell you how DNA led me to discovering what happened to Alice and finding more Ashton relatives!

Cash Register Crisis Averted – A Family Moment

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Or How a 28-Month-Old Negotiated Her First Major Purchase!

There are times when you just shake your head and say, that child is a piece of work! This was Cash Register Crisis one of those times.

The other day, our 28-month-old granddaughter Emma had a very serious conversation with her mother.

The Conversation: A Cash Reigster Crisis Arises

Emma: I need a new cash register. It’s broken.

Elizabeth (Mom): Oliver got it for you — he thought you’d like it!

Emma: I don’t like it. We need to go to the store. I need a Minnie one.

If you knew Emma, you’d know that right now she is obsessed with the show Minnie’s Bow-Toons, where Minnie and her friend Daisy Duck are co-owners of Minnie’s Bow-tique — a specialty shop that sells only bows and bow ties.

This is a child whose TV time was limited until recently. When she did watch, it was usually Miss Rachael. But now, things have changed — ever since Baby Lucas entered the family on May 8th.

But back to Emma’s story. After my wife Kathleen (aka Grandma) told me about the conversation, I searched Amazon for a Minnie Cash Register. I found one and would have bought it — but Elizabeth told us the devious child had seen one at Target. So we didn’t think any more about it.

The Result: A Crisis Averted…

Until Elizabeth texted this photo. Crisis averted:

Emma the cash register crisis averted

And here’s proof — Emma greeting customers at her Bow-tique!

Hmm, Miss Emma got her way. Sometimes you have to know when to give in. And considering how wonderful she has been with her new baby brother, she certainly deserves special treats.

Well — actually — in those first few days, when Lucas was really fussy and crying, Emma told her parents:

“You have to take him back and get a better baby!”

A New Crisis??

Her first employee…

Hmm LucA ANITHER cASH rEGISTER cRISIS

Oh no — a union problem already — sleeping on the job!

More About Emma –

My Ancestral Roots – Karn and Meyer Families

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So when I started my genealogical research on my family, I really new very little about what countries my ancestors came from. I knew my father’s family came from Dresden, Germany. In addition, I knew my mother’s family came from England. As to where in England I had not a clue. After years of research here’s what I’ve discovered. I’ve divided it up by Maternal and Paternal Lines.

P.S. Now while I will be posting this for everybody, this post has been primarily for my children and grandchildren. But I hope others may find it interesting.

According to the latest information from Ancestry my DNA comes from 6 ancestral regions. My DNA composition is  as follows:

Paternal Ancestry Regions

Germanic Europe – 20%
Sweden 11%

RegionMaternalPaternalMe
50%50%110%
Southern Germanic Europe26%26%
Sweden11%11%
Central Scotland & Northwern Ireland10%10%
South East England & Nothwestern Europe4%5%9%
Munster Ireland9%9%
Northern Wales & Northwest England7%7%
West Midlands7%7%
Connacht Ireland7%7%
The Netherlands5%5%
Southern Wales5%5%
Donegal Ireland2%2%
Esotnia & Latvia1%1%
Sardina1%1%


Baltics 1%

Maternal Ancestry Regions

England & Northwestern Europe 22%
Ireland 21%
Scotland 7%

Paternal Ancestry

My father’s parents were Edward Karn and Charlotte Meyer, Here’s a little about the Karn and Meyer Families

The Roots of the Karn and Meyer Families

Karn – Hechler

My grandfather’s parent were Henry Karn and Pauline Hechler. The Karn family came from Germany, while the Hechler family came from Switzerland. Based on my research Henry came to the US alone in 1882. While Pauline and her family arrived in 1882. They were married in New York City in April of 1887.

Pauline Hechler Karn my greatgranmother

Pauline’s parents were Daniel Hechler and Susanna Siegrist. From Daniel’s death certificate I learned he was born in Oberkulm, Switzerland. Oberkulm is a municipality in the district of Kulm, in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. I am not sure where Susanna was from as I have not yet found her deathe certificate.

I learned from Henry and Pauline’s wedding certificate that Henry’s parents were Kasper Karn and Katerina Sohl. On Henry’s death certificate his father’s name is listed as Andrew. When I found records for Kasper and Katerina on Ancestry I discovered that they lived in “Oberaula, Germany. Based on DNA matches at Ancestry, I have several matches with people who have Sohl ancestors in Oberuala.

. Additionally, they had two children (and this is where it gets spooky) Andrew and Peter, The names of two of my sons are Andrew and Peter! Anyway I imagine that buy the time Henry died the only name they associated with Henry was Andrew his brother.

Meyer – Wendel

Family Names included in the Meyer line include Wendel, Ehnert. There are several other names but for this post I am only going back to my great-grandparents.

My Great-Grandparents Herman Meyer and Helene Ehnert were married in Dresden Germany and my grandmother Charlotte and her sister Irmagard were both born in Dresden. Prior to marrying Herman had been a member of the King of Saxony’s guard.

 

The family came to the Philadelphia in 1912. Herman was born in 1871 in Koningswalde, Germany. The Meyer line has been traced back to 1812 in Koningswalde.

Helene’s family came from Olbernhau. Olbernhau is a town in the district Erzgebirgskreis, in Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the Ore Mountains, 35 km southeast of Chemnitz, and 23 km north of Chomutov, Czech Republic.

Helen’s parents Moritz Wendel and Wilhelmina Ehnert also came to the US a few years after Herman and Helene. Helene had one sister Else who also came to America a few years after her parents. Else married Curtis Schrier. Their family lived near Bethlehem  Pennsylvania and I can remember going there as a child,

A brother Rheinhardt died in World War I in Poland.

Ok so this post has gone on a little longer than I expected  so I will handle my maternal line in another post!

Rockin‘ Granddaughter Emma to Sleep with Jerry Jeff and Others!

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2026 Reflections – while “Edward” which is what Emma calls me because that’s all she heard my wife shout before i got y new hearing aids – EDWARD! EDWARD! and now my wofe is teaching Emma’s brother Lucas to continue to call me Edward and nnot Granddad! And while I am no longer rocking Emma to sleep – Lucas has succumbed several times ti the charms of Mr Bojangles!

“Boom, boom, boom.” That’s the sound of love, rhythm, and a sleepy toddler in motion.

I’m trying to get more enthusiastic about writing again — and to do so in a more timely way. Over the summer I did better, but now that the school year has begun, my wife and I are back to full-time babysitting for our granddaughter Emma.

Emma is our fourth grandchild, the daughter of our daughter Elizabeth and her husband Marcus. Elizabeth is a school psychologist in a district about 45 minutes north of their home. So, we babysit from around 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — a long day for us Grandparents!

When we finally get home and dinner’s done, I’m usually wiped out. Writing feels like the last thing I want to do. But I’m going to try a new approach — to write more posts wrapped around my day. Hopefully, this is the first of many.

How Rockin’ Granddaughter Emma to Sleep Goes….

On a typical day, Emma takes a two-hour nap sometime between 11:00 a.m. and noon. Before that, I usually take her for a walk around the neighborhood — a mile or two, depending on how it goes. The goal? Keep her awake during the walk so she’ll sleep better afterward.

The other day she fell asleep mid-walk, so today I kept my eye on her. Every time her head started to droop, like she was about to doze off, I spoke to her — and her head would pop right back up! We managed to finish the full mile, and she’s now peacefully asleep.

The Rockin’ Grandaughtrer Emma Routine

Once it’s nap time, I rock her — first while standing, then transitioning to a rocking chair. I also sing to her. (I think she stays awake just to hear me stop!)

First up is one of my all-time favorite songs: Jerry Jeff Walker’s Mr. Bojangles. I sway back and forth singing “boom, boom, boom” to match the beat. When Emma was younger, she’d say “boom boom” herself when she got sleepy!

If she’s still awake after that, I move on to Aztec Two-Step’s Baking, and if she’s really holding out, I finish with Harry Chapin’s Taxi.

This past Monday? She held out all the way to Taxi before finally surrendering to sleep.

The Rockin’Playlist for Grandaughter Emma

Here’s a playlist of the songs I sing to her. Someday I’ll have to explain that I rocked her to sleep with a song about a street dancer in a New Orleans drunk tank…

Granddad Needs a Nap Too

Since I can’t take a photo while I’m rocking her, here’s one Grammie took right after a nap — when Granddad needed one just as badly!

Emma after a nap with Granddad