I left Mesa this morning after catching three Cubs spring training games. Last night, they played the Reds. Today, I am in Bizbee, birthplace of my father and grandmother. It's my first time here, and the place is beautiful and fascinating.
Bisbee was a turn of the century mining town. That's what drew my grandfather here from Pennsylvania. In 1907 he married my grandmother and the following year, my Dad was born here. The same year, a fire wiped out the town, otherwise, it might have become the capital of Arizona. Eventually, my family moved to Los Angeles, from where grandad deserted the family and headed to Nevada to work the mines and where he died in 1972.
This is my first time in Bisbee. It is a well preserved old western town tucked into the mountains. Tombstone is 25 miles away, and I stopped to visit Boot Hill on my way down.
Poor old Rook-"Shot by a Chinaman"
As for Mesa, it was great hanging out with Cubs nation, many of whom come down here during spring training. To each game I wore my Cubs jersey with Ken Hubbs' name and number 16 on the back. A few people came up and stopped to chat about Hubbs, the rookie of the year second baseman who died in a plane crash in 1964. One lady told me that Hubbs was her favorite player and told me how heartbroken she was when he was killed. Another man from Chino told me he played little league ball against Hubbs' Colton, California team.
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