When Nate Carnevale sent home the game winner against Sussex Tech for a 2-1 soccer victory, I already knew that his father had played basketball at JMU and his uncle carried a PGA tour card and his grandfather had been the longtime head basketball coach at the Naval Academy. But I didn’t realize that Ben Carnevale, his grandfather, had been the head coach at North Carolina from 1944 to 1946 going 52-11 and reached the NCAA title game in 1946. And he was a player on the 1935 NYU national championship team and is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He also had been athletic director at William and Mary from 1972 to 1982 and, at one point, headed the United States Basketball Olympic Committee.
I learned all this from Cape lacrosse coach Mark D’Ambrogi along the fence at last Wednesday’s soccer game, because anything Annapolis, Baltimore, Atlantic Coast Conference - Mark is all over it like Verizon roaming charge.
BUD PLANT - My paternal grandfather, Franklin Frederick, was a blue-collar shift worker at the Bud plant in Philly where he was known affectionately by co-workers as Frank the Fat Guy. Frank lived on Hemburger Street behind Connie Mack Stadium and home run balls over the left field roof occasionally bounced by his stoop, but no self-respecting Fred is diving into the gutter for some Haitian baseball.
My other miserable and insane grandfather, also Franklin, hung out at Shibe Park practices - name later changed to Connie Mack - and collected autographed balls from all-star As and other American Leaguers and a few fabulous Phillies. I once asked him for his autographed Heinie Manush ball - the strangest question ever asked by a grandson whose brother, Frank, played for the Athletics.
“This is my brother, Heinie.”
“Yes; mine is one, too.”
Heinie Manush last played in 1939 and was a .330 career hitter. All those valuable balls littered all over his ghetto row house at 5th and Lehigh Avenue disappeared, but some day if I find them I may go O.J. and ask for their return.
STEELERS AT SKINS - Think about it, as I dare to mix politics and sports and inspire more anonymous mail, that on Monday night, Nov. 3, on the eve of the biggest election since the last election, the Washington Redskins host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the nation’s capital. I asked an Obama supporter and avid Redskins fan if he had a choice but could only choose one winner who would he pick, Obama or the Skins.
“That’s easy,” he said. “I’d choose Obama because the Skins can always come back next week.”
Isn’t it ironic that so many people believe that academics are more important that athletics, but then we want our athletes to just shut up and play and keep their personal opinions about issues facing our country to themselves.
PARADE SEASON - Little kids mostly like parades and candy flying at their feet. Personally, I don’t love a parade except perhaps the New Year’s Day Mummers parade which I last attended when jawbreakers were legal candy. The Phillies parade is scheduled for Friday and of all people, Chase Utley said the Phils may not be in the best shape but they would be there.
So two years ago Chase walks into a New York bar and orders a beer - allegedly. The bartender asked him: “How come you take so many pitches?”
Chase responded, “How come who takes so many pitches?”
“You’re Chase Utley. I’d know you anywhere,” said Eddie Gaines, former Cape 1,000-yard rusher from the class of 1988. “I know every Philly athlete on sight.”
Eddie was once on ESPN Sports Center holding up a home run ball from the Veterans Stadium left field bleachers. Eddie had brought the ball with him figuring if a home run were hit he’d hold up the ball and get on television. Eddie’s class of 1988 will be holding the 20th class reunion Saturday, Nov. 29. Go to capehenlopen1988.myevent.com.
I actually attended the 10th reunion of this class with my son, Dave, directly after Cape lost a first-round home football playoff game to Caesar Rodney in the final seconds. The Vikings finshed that season 9-2 and, but for two plays, may still be playing.
SNIPPETS - The Henlopen Conference cross country championships will be this Saturday, Nov. 1, at Killens Pond State Park. The Cape girls won the dual meet title and will now try to capture the big meet championship.
Cape’s volleyball team made the state tournament as a No. 15 seed and will face No. 2 seed Ursuline this Saturday, Nov. 1, at Dover High School. Game time is 6 p.m. Cape is an underdog for sure, but in all tournaments across sports some favorites fizzle, so why not show up and battle?
Soccer and field hockey pairings will be announced this weekend.
On Sunday Nov. 2, there will be a Polar Bear Plunge - not fundraiser - with hardcore Lewes Bears convening at the Cape Henlopen State Park at 1 p.m. Look for Guitar Slim Greg Mack, not to be confused with my contrabassoon self.
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Sports Editor Emeritus
Email Fredman at fredman@capegazette.com
