REFLECTIONS of YOUTH

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Posted By: Patrick McMenemy

Ted:

Your response certainly brought me back to my early years growing up a diehard Red Sox fan 45 minutes west of Boston in Worcester, MA. The tradition of flipping, leaners, and putting cards in bike spokes was still going strong in the mid to late 60's.

Of course, I have vivid memories of booing everytime I pulled a "stink'in" Yankee card from a Topps pack. The Yankees were saved for the bike spokes.

Not only did we play the "leaner" and "flipping" games at lunchtime in the schoolyard, but since I had a twin, we also played and practiced our skill at home as well.

Some of my most vivid memories include trading a handful of Mickey Mantle cards for a Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson. I also rembember the day, I won huge pile from the school bully....it included a older card I had never seen before...a Topps 1954 Mantle.

I also remember using a tiny transitor radio with an ear plug in school to listen to the 1967 World Series. I think every other boy in school had one as well.

When the Red Sox won the World Series against the Cardinal last year, the heartache a 7 year old boy suffered back in 1967 was finally gone.



Patrick