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Blind Luck or a Good Eye for Talent?
by Jim Armstrong, Denver Post
June 5, 2006
This is a story of blind faith.
No, not that kind of blind faith. Literally blind faith.
Jerry Clinkscales is legally blind, a victim of macular degeneration that
has left him with 20-200 vision. At 75, he listens more than he sees.
His wristwatch tells him what time it is. His CD player reads him books.
He can check out the newspaper and surf the Net, but only with the help
of magnification devices that turn ordinary words into headlines.
He still bowls and plays golf, but not like he used to. His 8-handicap
days are long gone.
"It's amazing I can make contact with the ball," he said. "But
I don't know where the heck it's going. I've got to ride with someone
so they can find it for me."
As he sits in his home office in Arvada, his connections to the world
include a TV set, a computer and a device that magnifies The Post sports
section, which he reads religiously every morning.
Seems he can't get enough of these Rockies. And no, he isn't a newcomer
to the bandwagon. He had faith in the early days of the season, so much
so that he bet 50 bucks that they would win the National League pennant.
At 40-1 odds, The Orleans casino in Las Vegas is about to reward him with
$2,050.
"I looked at the ticket yesterday," said Clinkscales. "When
I got home, I put it in an envelope and sealed it. I was afraid to open
it until they clinched."
Clinkscales' story is typical of many baseball fans from his generation.
The lengthy season, with its hot streaks and cold, provides a continuing
story line for elderly people and shut-ins to follow. Now for the part
of his story that is anything but typical: He has a historic connection
to a Rockies player.
That would be rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who played at Long Beach
State before being selected by the Rockies in the first round of the 2005
draft. The first-ever shortstop at the school? Jerry Clinkscales.
"I was on the first team in '54," he said. "We didn't play
UCLA or USC like they do now. We played Occidental or Cal Poly or the
Marines at Camp Pendleton. A few of us had gotten out of the service and
we'd drive our coach nuts. We were old enough to drink, so we'd stop at
a bar on the way home from the games."
Clinkscales is a long-time fan of the Long Beach State program, which
has produced several big leaguers, including Tulowitzki, Bobby Crosby,
Jered Weaver and the Giambi brothers. As if the Rockies drafting a fellow
Dirtbag - that's the unofficial nickname of the LBS baseball team - weren't
a big enough thrill, he got to meet Tulo on Sunday at Coors Field. Not
only that, Clinkscales' home office has a new addition: An autographed
picture of the possible rookie of the year.
Like many others who meet Tulo- witzki, Clinkscales was amazed by how
big he is.
"Shortstops don't look like they did in my day," he said. "I
was about 5-9 and 140 pounds soaking wet. I hit .270 or .280, a little
speed, no power. I was nothing like this kid. He's a star." ...
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