My Friend the Hull Man

I left work Friday at five. Ceil fixed pizza for supper, a homemade crust even. Very good. Not much on TV. I read several Hank Aaron tributes. Then something interesting happened.

Jeff Hullinger has become an Atlanta legend on social media, posting interesting stories about Atlantans and city history. Seems like a down to earth guy. He posted several Hank Aaron tidbits on Friday. Hullinger is almost always upbeat, posting good news rather than bad. That’s why I was surprised when he called out the city of Atlanta for allowing the site where Aaron hit 715 to remain run down.

Seemed like a typical news media thing to do. Like lemmings people responded in agreement: “Yeah – something needs to be done!” Hullinger had posted several photos of the old 715 display – but none of the area around it, which is brimming with revitalization and new construction. Apartments. Parking decks. Trendy restaurants. The new Georgia State basketball area is being built. Hullinger reported on this just a few weeks ago.

So despite my fondness of Hullinger, without really thinking I responded overdramatically. “For shame! Any good journalist should know Georgia State plans a refurbish the 715 marker when it builds its new baseball stadium on the site.” I posted a rendering of the ballpark on Facebook. On Twitter someone had posted a similar reply. Hullinger quickly responded, quoting me in a new post (below). He had deleted my negative post. I can’t really blame him.

I don’t have many notifications pop up on my phone, because I don’t need more distractions, Saturday while waiting on Ceil I checked my messenger app. To my surprise, Hullinger had sent me a private message Friday night. I responded, several hours late, but we swapped several more. His love of Atlanta is evident, particularly Virginia Highlands. I told him I used to live on Hillpine. Now we’re best buddies.

I didn’t share with Jeff about the first time our paths crossed, but I need to. In 1985 I was living in my old Greenwood Avenue apartment near Grady High. I volunteered for the Peachtree Road Race, at the finish line in Piedmont Park. Back then the race entered the park on 14th Street, weaved around the athletic fields to the finish line. My job was to direct the press truck off the paved road just before the finish line. Piece of cake. The truck sped in and parked, and the press scrambled out. One young reporter bravely hopped over the side of the truck – in bright white pants. The Hull Man. I’ll never forget those white pants.   .

I slept late Saturday morning. Cleaned upstairs. Cheesey grits for a late breakfast, and a leftover Chickfila biscuit that I warmed up in the oven. Later we drove downtown. Ceil picked up supplies at Sam Flax on Northside. I crossed the busy street to browse around in the Goodwill.

Then we went down to check in on Matthew. It was the first time Ceil had seen his house. Since we were in the neighborhood, we parked the car and walked over to see the old 715 marker in the old Turner Field parking lot. Fans were placing flowers, baseballs, and other mementos at the base. We chatted with a film crew, and petted their friendly dog. The old marker and huge parking lot is in disrepair. I did tell Hullinger it would be good if “someone” could quiz Georgia State about a stadium timeline.

From there we took I-20 to Boulevard to Edgewood to get Ceil a coffee. Across the street there was a long line into the Slutty Vegan (above). Then Dekalb to Moreland through Little Five Points, up Briarcliff all the way to North Druid Hills, then Roxboro over to Peachtree Dunwoody up to Perimeter Mall. Then Abernathy to Johnson Ferry to the Merchants Walk Whole Foods, then home. I went inside Goodwill, and inside M’s house. Also outside to see the 715 marker. I stayed in the car the rest of the time, when C got coffee, went inside the mall, and Whole Foods. Leftover pizza for supper.

Stayed home all day Sunday. Online Sunday School. Ceil went to walk with friends. I watched Bucs@Packers and Bills@Chiefs. Packers kept dropped passes. Poor pass defense by the Pack. Looked like several players didn’t want to be there. TB@GB: the score was 31-23. I’m not sure of the reasoning. Eight points. Scoring a TD on that one 4th down play would be harder – less of a sure thing. Then converting a two-point conversion right after the fourth down play even less likely. But shouldn’t they have tried? I know at least one running back was hurt. Not sure what they said after the game. I asked the experts here in my office, but they didn’t know either. Nice after the game when Fox kept asking Brady questions. Finally he said “why don’t you talk to some of the other guys? How about our great coach?”  

CHRISTY MATHEWSON  [SABR Bio] led the National League in strikeouts five times in a six-year span, then pitched another eight seasons never again leading even once. Led NL in Ks 1903-05 & 1907-08. He placed among the league’s top ten annual strikeout leaders for a dozen straight seasons (1901-1912). For many years, he and his brother held the record for most wins by a pair of brothers. Mathewson won 373 games. Brother Henry’s career record was 0-1. Their combined career victory total was surpassed on 23-April-1974 when Gaylord notched the Perry brothers’ 374th win.  Phil and Joe Niekro (with 539) are the current record holders. Mathewson’s NL record for strikeouts in a Modern Era season stood for 58 years. Struck out 267 in 1903. Koufax broke the record in 1961 with 269. The current record is 382, set by Koufax 4 years later. Overall modern MLB record is Nolan Ryan with 383 in 1973.