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- Montage — Two Individual Salamis in a Single Half-Inning
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- Fernando Tatis autograph
Frank Pulli, R.I.P.
The phone rang in the boiler room one morning. Back then, there were three or four of us who could pick up and complete the laydown transaction or else gab and sell as though our lives depended on it.
I had to gab this time.
The guy on the other end I could picture at once. He had a scratchy, gravelly, Northeastern ethnic-type voice. He probably was a mobster, but certainly one of those g—do, g—ea, W-P guys.
We did a dance on the phone about the pars, and somehow I had convinced him to go ahead and order. I went in for the guy’s name.
“You ready?” he asked.
”Go ahead” I said.
“The last name is Pulli, spelled P-U-L-L-I. First name Frank. Frank Pulli”.
I stopped breathing on my end of the line. Of course I had to ask.
“Frank Pulli? As in the baseball umpire?”
“You got it”
There but for the grace of Allah I was the one who picked up the phone. If any of the other guys had answered, things might have turned out differently, and for the poorer. The other guys in the boiler room were into goof pursuits like Star Trek and pornography. But I was all baseball. Fanatically.
How many times growing up listening to the broadcasts would I hear the announcer say, “And calling the balls and strikes tonight, Frank Pulli”?
I knew who Frank Pulli was. To the other guys, he would have remained just some faceless g—do, g—ea, W-P customer. But to me, he was a notable personality. I knew what he looked like!
So that was how we started out, Frank Pulli and I. At that time, young Samuel was living, breathing, eating, sleeping, dreaming baseball; by logical extension, the Old Master Richard was pulled back to his childhood in Brooklyn, reliving the glory of the 1950s-era Brooklyn Dodgers. All three of us would come to enjoy Frank’s warm heart and generosity.
Invariably when he and his crew came to Dodger Stadium (that was when the umps still were confined to working a single League), he would call me up at the office and invite all of us into the umps room before the game. Even back then, he was a father figure. He took the young-kid umps like Dreckman and Rapuano under his wing and he made sure they didn’t end up like Eric Gregg. He steered them away from hamburgers and donuts and had them join him at top places like Patina. Umpires behind the plates at Patina! Patina!
And so we come to the story of the photos at the top of this article. Pulli did not work the game, but Fernando Tatis did become the first — and so far only — Major Leaguer to hit two grand slams in a single inning.
The next time the Cards came into town and Pulli was working the games, young Samuel asked Frank if might be able to gain access to Tatis so Tatis could autograph a ticket stub from the game. Frank came through for the boy, of course.
Thank you. Frank Pulli. Thank you for your spirit and your openheartedness. You’re safe at home now.
Free ones: Rundown…
Saratoga Race Course 5
Calder 2, 6
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club 1, 6, 7
Pay-side: Today…
Arlington 6, 7, 8
Golden Gate 1
Louisiana 1, 2, 6, 8
Monmouth 4, 8, 10
Remington 1, 5
Woodbine 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
Today’s Stakes Pageantry: Dmr 6, the El Cajon, is on the free page.
Yesterday’s Activity: Another $50-plus win mutuel on the pay-side, courtesy of Cashmere Muffin in the finale at the Arlington Park. That would also make Cashmere Muffin a King of the NetCapper Bulliesz special!
Cashmere Muffin was 30-1 (30-1!) on your morning line and a refugee from the Fair Odds on the V6 Betting Line; she snuck in via the contentious-race definition with a qualifying LifeLiner Speed Column score of 86, actually tops in the field! Actually, the only 80-plus rating in the field! Cashmere Muffin’s full LifeLiner array was 62-61-86.
And, yes, she ran to that, defeated some 21 lengths through the opening-half mile and still 5 lengths behind with only two furlongs remaining. Yet she summoned enough championship form in the final 1,320 feet to prevail in this grueling mile-race for $7,500 claimers. Cashmere Muffin paid $52.80 to win.
WMF Report:
Early
Albuquerque 7f
Columbus 6f
Chas. Town 7f
Ellis Park 6f
Emerald 6f
Finger 6f
Marquis 6f
Mountain 1m
Monmouth 6f
Northlands 6f
PennNat 6f
Thistle 1m
Rally
Woodbine 7f
Nocturnal Submission: Currently sifting through the wreckage of some 100 races or so to see what develops. Any findings will be posted to a freestander subsequent to this post.
Thank you. Best wishes. Goodbye. R.I.P., Frank Pulli. Rest easy.
Nice story, I knew that name but don’t remember why? Fire’s up one’s imagination. Wish to send pictures someday.
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