Al Rehm, Sr. was a Northern baseball player, who while playing for the Tobs, married a local woman and became a cop. Al liked to drink a lot. He could be a handful.
Once, having driven to the ECU game, Country and I watched Al, Sr. unfold
out of a Red Bird. Obviously cranked, we asked Al if he’d taken a cab from Wilson
by himself.
Straightening himself, he assured us: “Hell yes, and I’ve already seen three
people here that told me they weren’t coming.”
Earlier I mentioned that Al’s only son, Al, Jr. was a neighborhood kid. We
were always watching Al because he was hilarious from the beginning.
His father umpired high school baseball in games that his only son, Al,
played in.
Once a ninth inning pitch whistled down the middle while batter Al, Jr.
watched with a two-strike count.
“Ball one” came the call from umpire/dad, followed by the corollary: “But if
another one like that one comes along, you better take a cut at it.”
The catcher took of his mask and looked backwards at the umpire.