14 Back

Bucky takes Torrez deep.

There was nothing like baseball in the 70s.
The Big Red Machine, the great A’s teams, crazy uniforms, great mustaches and larger than life personalities: Reggie, Thurman, Hammering Hank, Tom Terrific, Pudge, Yaz, Billy and The Boss.
It was a special time.

A new documentary available on Amazon via Sports Illustrated TV brings it all back.

“14 Back” tells the story of the 1978 Yankees and the fierce and soul sucking rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox which burned hotter than ever in those days.

That ’78 season and that team were my all time favorites.

Ron Guidry was my favorite player, I followed the soap opera in the NY tabloids daily and I loved Nettles, Munson, Mickey Rivers and Willie Randolph.

The Yankees were a surreal drama in those days with personality disputes, brawls, insults and twists and turns that defied description.

And oh, they played baseball too— mounting an historic comeback from 14 games behind the  super talented Red Sox to force a tie and a winner take all one game playoff. I watched that game with my dad and grandfather on a small TV in Queens and we hung nervously on every pitch.

It was an amazing game with big hits, drama and even wind that played tricks and a blinding sun that played havoc with the vision of fielders.

The game was also full of personal stories with players trying to break ancient curses and overcome nagging doubts about their abilities.

This was the game that Bucky Dent hit his famous home run and forever became Bucky “Effing” Dent in New England. It was the game that broke Red Sox captain Carl Yastrzemski’s heart and it was the game that solidified Goose Gossage’s legend and reminded everyone of “the original sin”, the trade of Babe Ruth to the Yankees which unleashed a curse that was very real and wasn’t exorcised until Johnny Damon slugged a grand slam at Yankee Stadium in 2004.

So if you love a good story well told, check out 14 Back.

The documentary also got me thinking about the local ties of some of the participants.
Here’s a few I can think of. I’m sure there are more.
The hero, Bucky Dent, ran a baseball school in Delray Beach for a long time with Larry Hoskin, a really great guy.
Bucky is still around and is also a great guy.

On the 25th anniversary of his famous home run, we reached out to him as a City Commission and prepared a proclamation honoring his achievement.
Bucky graciously agreed to come to Delray City Hall where I happily made the presentation. My colleague, a  Red Sox fan, Commissioner Bob Costin seized the moment by donning a Sox hat at the precise moment Bucky approached the commission dais. Bucky cracked up. We all did. Ya gotta love Bob Costin.

Years before, when Little Fenway was built at Miller Field (that’s right there’s a replica of Fenway right off Linton Boulevard), Bucky did the coronation by re-enacting his famous homer. It was 1989 and it cost $100,000 to build the replica Green Monster. Mickey Rivers showed up to stand in the on deck circle and Red Sox pitcher Mike Torrez was gracious enough to serve up another home run pitch.
Pretty cool.
Contrary to press reports at the time, Torrez had no intention of throwing a brushback pitch.

“You can’t rewrite the history books,” said Torres “You live with it and you die with it. I agreed to do this for the sake of the kids who will be using the facility. A lot of the kids weren’t even born at the time so it’ll be something special for them.”

Indeed it has been a special place.

Speaking of Mickey Rivers, he would play in the one and done Senior Professional Baseball Association for the team based in West Palm. I was fortunate to interview Mick the Quick as a young reporter. He gave me his bat.

The legendary Red Sox captain “Yaz” would end up living in Highland Beach after living for a while in east Delray.. He could be seen from time to time at Boston’s on the Beach. How cool is that?

As for Boston’s on the Beach, I am told by someone who would know, that the “Spaceman” Bill Lee (who figures prominently in the 14 Back documentary) that a movie on his life features a scene at Boston’s in Delray Beach. Amazing.

But the hero of the piece is Bucky.

I still see him around town from time to time. For 30 plus years he has run a charity golf tournament at The Falls Club in Lake Worth which always attracts a slew of ball players.
The event benefits local charities, including those who care for cancer patients and their families.
He may not be loved in Boston, but he remains one of my all time favorites and a hero to Yankee fans everywhere.

Remembering The Oldies, Celebrating The New

A classic…

Last week, I found an old menu on Facebook from Tom’s Place, an iconic culinary mecca in Boca Raton.

And I mean mecca, because people made pilgrimages to Tom’s Place to worship at the altar of bbq ribs.

The Boca Historical Society shared the post and it got a big reaction on their page.
Aside from the really low prices ($1.50 chicken sandwiches!) it struck a chord of nostalgia in those of us lucky to have experienced Tom’s amazing food.

I remember taking my dad to Tom’s many years ago. It was at Tom’s that we witnessed someone going up to the take out window  and ordering brisket which was met with a quizzical look. We talked about that experience for years.
But I digress.

Nostalgia is a powerful thing. We tend to remember the good stuff and disregard the rest. So we remember Tom’s  but tend to forget that we weren’t exactly awash in restaurants back in the 80s. Of course, there were some great places—the Arcade Tap Room, Boston’s on the Beach, Scarlett O’Haras, Ken and Hazel’s, Damiano’s, Pineapple Grille, Splendid Blendeds, LaVielle Maison, Arturo’s, Caffe Luna Rosa and there is more.
But…
As good as the old giants were and are (here’s looking at you CLR), it seems like we are living in a golden age of restaurants.
Everywhere you look, even in nondescript locations, there exists some great restaurants.

Innovative menus, knowledgeable servers, gifted chefs, interesting interior designs, exciting craft cocktails and beers, world class wine lists, unique concepts. We are living in a special era. And the arms race seems to be just beginning.

Food halls, green markets, secret suppers, farm to table concepts, craft breweries, food tours, food trucks it’s extraordinary. Even convenience stores are turning into foodie havens, with artisanal sandwiches, kale salads and specialty breads.

We are also living in a great age of creativity.
To combat e-commerce and to stand out in the crowd, retailers, theater owners, hoteliers and even office developers are stepping up their games. (Boutique hotels, co-working, pop-up concepts etc).
For retail it’s all about the experience.
Movie theaters have added food, plush seating, film clubs and cocktails—a far cry from sticky floors, popcorn loaded with transfats and jujubes (remember those odd fruit chews?). While the changes are rapid and ongoing (please save the raisinet) the outcomes are pretty cool. Some local examples are iPic and the Living Room Theater at FAU. Both have raised the bar on the movie going experience and both seem to be doing well in the era of streaming and binge watching Netflix.
Sometimes the changes and the speed of change seems overwhelming. So yes, I miss the good old days.
But isn’t today and tomorrow exciting?

 

Those Great Good Places

She’s a beauty, a great good, place.

I moved to Florida 30 years ago this summer.
Time flies when you’re having fun.
Back then, there weren’t too many places to dine in Delray.

Nope, we weren’t a foodie destination unless of course you thought Burger Chin or Jawoppy at the old Delray Mall were fine dining. (Confession: I did).
We did have the Arcade Tap Room, the Annex, Las Hadas and of course Boston’s on the Beach but we were far from a happening spot.

I spent a lot of time in those days at Tom Sawyer’s in Boca, Dirty Moe’s, Rosie’s Raw Bar and the wonderful Ken and Hazel’s.
We shot pool at the Phoenix on A1A (where Burger Fi now resides) and on rare occasions visited Marie Callender’s in Boynton Beach. Morrison’s cafeteria was a  treat and we all loved a place called Coasters in Atlantic Plaza.

There was a place below Linton Towers–the name escapes me–but I remember paying big bucks to watch Mike Tyson knock out Michael Spinks in mere seconds during a pay per view fight. The people in the buffet line weren’t pleased. We blinked and we missed the fight.
Delray was sure different in those days.

I thought about these old time places when I read that 32 East may be exiting the scene after a long and glorious run so that Louie Bossi can take its place.
If it comes to pass, I will miss 32 East; one of the first truly great restaurants on Atlantic Avenue.

Owner Butch Johnson has done a great job since opening in 1996  and I will miss seeing my fellow Oswego alumni John Fitzpatrick behind the bar where he is the consummate spiritual advisor, with the emphasis on the spirits.
32 East earned its place in the firmament of great local places alongside Dakotah, Damiano’s, Bennardo’s, Splendid Blendeds, Louie Louie Too, the Twilight Cafe, Gleason Street Cafe, Pineapple Grille, The Patio Delray, D & B Seafood, Busch’s, Atlantic Station, Luna’s and Vittorios. So many more I’m sure.
Thinking about them all gives me a warm and nostalgic feeling.

It’s not just the places we miss, but the people associated with them. I remember watching the All Star Game at Louie Louie’s with Diane and the late Lamar Shuler one year and taking my parents to the Gleason Street Café when they visited Delray to see the grandkids. I remember election night 1990 at the Arcade Tap Room and seeing the town’s fathers at their old table at the Green Owl.

Ray Oldenburg, a University of West Florida Professor wrote a great book some years ago called “The Great Good Place.”
The book talked about those “third” places beyond home and the office that become a part of the community fabric.
We miss them all. We cherish the memories. But inevitably we move on to discover new places too.
And so it goes.
I miss happy hours at Dirty Moe’s, I miss seeing Officer Vinny Mintus at The Annex for lunch and I wish I could have one more breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Pompey at the old IHOP on North Federal.
Memories…

In Praise of Volunteers

Have you driven by Delray’s municipal beach lately?
It’s going to be a bit of a mess for awhile but when the dust clears the A1A “promenade” should look great.
Which is a good excuse to say thanks to the Beach Property Owners Association better known as the BPOA.
If my recollection is correct, the BPOA worked on the Beach Master Plan for the better part of 8 years. That’s a long time. Lots and lots of volunteer hours.
Architect Bob Currie donated his time and talents to the effort and so did the board led by President Bob Victorin–one of the truly great people who live in Delray.
It’s the volunteers who make our city so immensely special.
Their love of Delray is palpable and can be seen in every corner of our community.
Dedicated citizens bring energy and resources that can’t  be measured to the effort of building a great community.
It really does take a village.
Recently, I had the occasion to have dinner with three all time Delray greats at 50 Ocean.
While two of the three–former Police Chief Rick Overman and retired Officer Skip Brown–were city employees, their success was driven in part by their ability to attract and effectively deploy a slew of volunteers. The third gentleman was the one and only Perry Don Francisco, former owner of Bostons on the Beach, who became legendary for his community service over the years. In fact, Perry is still working for the community through Delray Citizens for Delray Police. In addition to a sensational banquet honoring longtime police employees (held last weekend) he’s still deeply involved in the holiday toy drive and when the chips are down –as they have been recently –you can always count on Perry to be there.
It’s here that I will note that while his wife grew up in Delray, Perry has always lived just down the street in another city. So for those city commissioners who cavalierly suggest that only residents should be able to serve/volunteer on city boards I respectfully disagree. Take a measure of where someone’s heart resides. If it lives here, it doesn’t matter where the head hits the pillow.
But I digress.

Let’s just say that Perry’s been invaluable to countless lives in our community. Mine included.
Chief Overman and Skip have also been invaluable.
Rick was a force of nature who came to Delray and created a department that became a farm system for future chiefs and legendary officers who made it possible for Delray to succeed.
Without a great PD there would be no Delray as we know it. It’s just that simple.
To quote someone in this story who shall remain nameless: Delray was circling the bowl before it made the turn.
My contention is it doesn’t make that turn without a great Police Department and some terrific city staff and yes volunteers and business leadership.
So as we enjoyed the ocean view from a restaurant once owned by Perry and swapped old stories I sat there in awe of three local legends.
And realized that all three employed volunteers to help them succeed. Rick and Skip and a few others launched and managed a remarkable volunteer effort at the department. An effort that earned national and international accolades.
But it wasn’t just PR. No, the accomplishments were real and lasting.
MAD DADS led by Chuck Ridley and Ben Bryant helped a great set of cops decimate the drug trade in Delray.
Skip’s volunteers–1,300 at its height–were something to behold. They still are.
And Perry set a standard for involvement for all other business leaders that may never be matched. Right up there with him are people like Frank Wheat, Bill Branning and Cathy Balestriere—contributors who give and give. P.S. those three don’t live here either. But we don’t have the Delray we know without them.
What a legacy.
Which brings me to The BPOA.
The association has a long history of engagement and advocacy.
While they are chartered to look after the barrier island, in my experience they have always pushed for the the betterment of the entirety of Delray Beach.
I’m glad to see dirt finally being moved on the Beach Master Plan. It’s been a long slog. It didn’t have to be, but that’s the subject of another column or my next book. Maybe both. Let’s just say the improvements don’t happen without them.
The volunteers work hard. They care.
And that makes all the difference.

Collaboration Key to Success

collaboration

I recently had an opportunity to meet and talk with a diverse group of Lake Worth business leaders.

They were a mixture of retailers, restauranteurs and service providers, mostly from the downtown core.

They are a motivated group, eager to see their city grow, thrive and succeed. You can’t help but get swept up in their enthusiasm and passion for their city. They are hungry and you have to be hungry to succeed.

I’ve always liked Lake Worth.

The city has an amazing array of assets: two main streets (Lake and Lucerne), a beautiful beach and casino, a fun pier, a nice waterfront park and golf course, cute cottages, a vibrant art scene, some great restaurants and some nice festivals including the Street Painting Festival which is a whole lot of fun.

I’m part of a team that is trying to restore the historic Gulfstream Hotel on Lake Avenue. It’s a fun and challenging project and I’ve learned a whole lot about historic preservation, design and what it takes to build a successful hotel in today’s world.

A project like the Gulfstream would be a no-brainer in a place like Delray or Boca, established markets and proven destinations for tourists.

But in Lake Worth, The Gulfstream is being viewed as a catalyst, a market maker so to speak.

The risks are greater and so are the challenges. But the rewards, if successful, are that much more satisfying.

In Delray, I’ve seen entrepreneurs succeed and fail: especially when we were more of a start-up city; back when we were excited and confident but not quite 100 percent sure about whether the vision for the downtown would take root.

I saw many early pioneers open shops and restaurants and then go out of business—with the common lament that “they were just a little ahead of their time.” And I saw others make bets that paid off beyond their wildest imaginations.

On our beach, I grew to become great friends with Perry Don Francisco, the managing partner of the landmark Boston’s on the Beach. Perry and I were reminiscing last week and talking about the “early years”. He virtually lived at the restaurant—in a third floor apartment. At that time, Boston’s was a breakfast place, a lunch spot, a dinner destination, a nightclub, a caterer, a bar and a host to private parties. Eventually, Perry added the upper deck for fine dining and then an outdoor bar. Oh and there was a small hotel out back. Whew!

He juggled all of those different businesses and found time to serve on city boards, start a police support group, attend myriad chamber of commerce meetings and give to every worthwhile charity that helped kids and the community.

He was there during the struggle; he believed, he engaged and he made it happen. But it wasn’t easy and it didn’t happen overnight.

Next door, Fran Marincola came from a Jersey boardwalk and opened a gelato shop that ultimately became the award winning Caffe Luna Rosa. Did he envision lines out the door for brunch when he started out almost 30 years ago, probably not? But it happened and along the way, he went out of his way to be involved in building the town through service on the Parking Board (talk about excitement), the Downtown Development Authority, Delray Marketing Cooperative, Beach Property Owners Association, DELPAC. the Sandoway House among other causes. He lives and breathes Delray and has helped employees find homes and a life in this community.

Further on up the street, it’s nice to see long time merchants like Hand’s and Vince Canning Shoes working well alongside new shops.

In Pineapple Grove, people scoffed when Scott Porten and Morgan Russell proposed “CityWalk”, which has given us great stores, services and a personal favorite Brule.

We saw the Miami City Ballet come and go, the Esplanade plaza change hands a few times and then flower with a gym, Christina’s, Papas Tapas, a Mystery Book Store and more.

The sky was supposed to fall when the old Post Office left. We fought to keep it, calling our reps in Congress, but Pineapple Grove made it and now the nooks and crannies; Artist’s Alley, Third and Third and the Arts Warehouse feel alive. There’s even rumors of a food market coming to a neighborhood that had been dormant for years.

There’s more to do, of course. Federal Highway is going to thrive, South of the Avenue is on its way and investment is coming to West Atlantic Avenue. Keep your eye on Northwest/Southwest 5th Avenue as well. We have a great CRA and they are focused.

So as I meet more and more people in Lake Worth, I think about my experiences in Delray Beach in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Each city needs to find its own distinctive personality and leverage its own strengths, but there’s a commonality in what it takes to make it happen.

A great Police Department is essential.  People have to feel safe to visit, live, shop and invest. A friendly city government is also a must. That means a staff and elected leadership that doesn’t lower standards or cut corners but works hard to make deals happen and to shape positive outcomes that benefit both the business owner and the community. Yes, it’s possible.

And most importantly a supportive community that shops locally, welcomes entrepreneurs and supports them in ways large and small. The community piece is vital. A group friend told me recently that “money is fungible; it goes where it’s welcome.”

That saying resonates, so before intractable opposition forms, it is important for community leaders to get out front with a message of “how may we help you” versus “we’re going to stop you” or “you are on your own, good luck.” Again that does not mean lowering standards, but it does mean an attitude of trying to solve problems collaboratively, a distinction that many cities miss.

Can Lake Worth do it?

Absolutely.

We are betting on it.