Most people I have written about for the Ring of Matadors have been good friends. Denny Silva was a good enough guy but we were more associates than friends. I am including him to show that many times the things we remember best are from experiences that surprise us.
Denny played on the freshman baseball team with me. We used to practice everyday on a field bordering the auto shop, Boot Hill and the creek. Like me, he was an outfielder.
At one practice, the coach was hitting us fly balls. I was just a few feet away from Denny when he missed catching one of those high fly balls and it struck him squarely on the forehead. I had seen ground balls hit a rock and jump up and hit people, and I had seen boys get beaned. That was the first fly ball off the noggin I had ever seen.
It was like he turned into a soccer player for just an instant and did a header with a baseball. I'll never forget the sound it made or how far the ball traveled after impact.
The other thing I remember about Denny is that when he was a junior, he dated one of the most beautiful senior girls on campus: Michele Dean. I grew up on a street that at one time had 14 teenage boys and no teenage girls other than my sister and her friend.
Michele Dean only lived about four blocks away but she was a legend on Emerald Street. I'm confident she had no idea. None of us even knew her.
She did help boost my street cred on two occasions when she saw me walking to school alone and gave me a ride. They were the only rides I had ever taken from a stranger, and I was happy to do it, then brag about it later to the boys .
I was surprised to see Denny walk around campus for about two weeks with my personal cab driver. It was even more mind numbing to witness the fly ball incident. On very high pop ups, I found myself thinking of him and hoping I wouldn't have the same experience.
I don't know what Denny is doing now, but my guess is he doesn't plant himself under fly balls anymore. I think he gave up baseball after his freshman year.
I did hear that he delivered his sister-in-law's baby -- who is another former classmate of ours.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Denny Silva
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7 comments:
I have never been beaned with a ball. Craig and I were out tossing the ball one Sunday afternoon. Craig told me to put some zip on it. I threw the ball to him, fastball style throw, and hit the top of his mitt, where the ball glanced off and hit him in the mouth. He had a badly cut lip and two loosened teeth. The teeth eventually turned gray and he had caps put on them.
Poor kid!
Denny lives in Tracy,C.A. with his two boys and wife Kristi(from high school,who happens to be better looking than Michele Dean). He works for Coke and still plays on a weekly softball team.He is a great Dad and still is a lot of fun.Our families have been spending vacations together for years.
Robert+Kelly=4boys
Thanks for the update, Kelly. I love it that he plays softball. I shouldn't have assumed that he doesn't plant himself under fly balls anymore. Now he's probably teaching his kids to do it. Never underestimate a matador.
I can't believe I forgot to comment about the delivery of his first nephew Michael who was born 18 years ago on the bathroom floor.Doctor Denny delivered a healthy boy with the help of a 911 person.Even though all of us women friends find it very sweet and impressive-over the years of being pregnant we prefer not to be that close.
Robert+Kelly=4boys
Me, Denny Silva, and Jake Hendricks were the only 3 that went all went to Arroyo Seco, Sonoma, Mendenhall, and Granada. I remember Denny and Jake all the way back to the second grade and how we played soccer during recess. Denny was really good at teather ball. Funny how I forgot all about Denny and Jake until I saw his name on your blog. Thanks for bringing back the memories Paul.
Well I do appreciate the Michelle Dean story and the very kind comments from Kelly, but I could have done without the mention of my Baseball abilities! It was pretty amazing how far the ball traveled, and the fact it didn't hurt a bit. What I remember of the season, or I should should say half season as I failed to make grades, is Paul and I sat on the bench I think every inning. And for fun we would place mud on the bench for the guy's that actually played, to sit on. Thanks Paul for including me in the Ring of Matadors! Believe it or not I went 2 for 3 last night in a 11-9 victory without taking a fly ball off the noggin! It's great to see that you are doing well, take care.
Denny
That header story was not an indictment of your baseball skills. It was just a tough sun day near Boot Hill.
Are you sure the ball didn't affect you because my memory of that team was that I started every game?
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