In looking for info on the Seventh Inning Stretch (Tuesday’s Buzzyblog), I learned that credit for its origins is often given to Brother Jasper Brennan of Manhattan College. This from Wiki:
I recall my friend Pat Browne, a graduate of Manhattan College, telling me years ago after I had asked him where the name Jaspers came from, how they were named after a Brother who taught there. Every year at NCCA Selection time whenever the Jaspers would be mentioned as going to the tournament, I would always think of Pat of course, but it would also cross my mind “What did he tell me about how they got that name in the first place?” Well, now I know.
However, I have another Jasper connection and that stems from a childhood friend named Jasper Bryant.
Jasper lived just below Buzzy’s Country Store and used to work in the Store doing many of the same things I now do on a daily basis such as sweep the floor, take out the trash and stock the beer case. Back then we sold gas and would also pump gas for folks. (Remember when that was done as a service for people gassing up instead of everyone pumping their own npwadays?)
In this photo my Mom took, Jasper is seen here trying to steady the pet donkey Amigo with yours truly barely hanging on. (No jokes please about which one of us is the Jackass.)
Jasper passed at the young age of 44 and thanks to a conversation I had with his cousin Julian Bryant, I learned that he is buried in St. Luke’s Church Cemetery where I took this photo:
Arlington Cemetery the other day, and St. Luke’s yesterday, guess it’s my week to visit all of the famous cemeteries.
Music-wise, this from Manhattan College alum Katie Henry:
I am not even going to mention Manhattan’s most famous alum – some dirtbag named Rudy.