Gym Cracks By Jim June 9, 2004 RED SOX ROAD TRIP Old pals hit road for KC weekend of memories and baseball By Jim (Babe) Berryman MissingNebraska.com I suppose many people who access this site grew to adulthood in small town Nebraska. I am one of them. Greeley was my hometown. This community is sort of a big Cheers setting. Everybody knows everybody. Sometimes you may not want the community to know of your activities, but sooner or later, much to one's chagrin, the illicit activity will surface. People of different religion persuasions accept each other's ideologies. One's sociological status goes out the window as people belly up to the bar in Frogger's or one of the other watering holes in this community. I know of three Greeleyites who access this site. I understand there are many more. John is the sports columnist for the Greeley Citizen, one of the better small town newspapers in the state. On recent trips to Greeley, Jim, a retired farmer and Helen, an elementary grade school teacher said they enjoy the site. I appreciated their comments as they are typical Greeleyites. Most of my classmates/playmates have departed Greeley for the big world out there. But many of them maintain close ties to their hometown. I have maintained a close relationship with my home community. My favorite sport was baseball. I played first base/pitcher for the American Legion team. Charlie Scott, Gerald Harr and Bob Rooney played on this team. All of these individuals became Catholic priests. The tall skinny first baseman they threw the ball to was a Methodist. Now 50 years later I've dined with all three of the above named individuals in the last couple months. Do real friendships stand the test of time? Bob Rooney (now Father Bob) and I made several trips to Kansas City in the early 1960s to watch major league baseball. We usually scheduled our trips to see the Boston Red Soxs, his favorite team, or the hated New York Yankees. Father Bob and I returned this past weekend, after a 40 plus year hiatus, to Kansas City to watch who else--the Boston Red Sox. We were not quite as active this trip as during our 60s excursions---no bounding up steps. No beer runs--maybe $6.00 a bottle was the main reason for this change. We were not as vocal this time either to the happenings on the field. Father Bob and I probably enjoyed these games even more than those we witnessed in the 60s. In addition to talking about the game we discussed Greeley and some of the characters who were raised in this community. I laughed and talked more this weekend than I have in some time. Father Bob was great company. Our friendship was developed in the 1950s and still exists a half century later. Small town Nebraska. And Father Bob came home a happy camper. His Soxs won the two games we were able to watch. As he said several times during the trip--Go Soxs. Thanks Father Bob for another great experience which started in Greeley several decades ago. Post/Read Feedback PREVIOUS GYM CRACKS: Click Here