Joe Pa’s Best, Bahr None

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If God’s favorite gridiron football team is NOT Penn State … then WHY is the sky BLUE and WHITE??!! … Rest In Peace from all the haters, JOE PATERNO, they realize they broke your heart and ruthlessly killed you … On behalf of ALL in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a heartfelt thank you so very, very much for EVERYTHING.
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Legendary gridiron football coach JOE PATERNO and the PENN STATE UNIVERSITY program featured the luxury of outstanding field goal kicking all throughout the 1970s thanks, indirectly, to the Philadelphia native who had played such a pivotal role in the famous 1-0 victory by the United States over mighty England at the 1950 FIFA World Cup.

It had been, of course, future Penn State varsity soccer coach WALTER BAHR who provided the historic ball for JOE GAETJENS to head past England goalkeeper BERT “The Cat” WILLIAMS of Wolverhampton Wanderers and score what remains one of the most famous strikes in the history of the globe’s most glamorous tournament.

Bahr’s eldest son, Casey, became an All-American at the United States Naval Academy and also was chosen for the 1972 U.S. Olympic soccer team that competed at the ill-fated Munich Games in West Germany. In 1974, the former World Cup defender took over the soccer program in Happy Valley and would lead the Nittany Lions to the prestigous NCAA tournament an impressive twelve times in fourteen years on the job. Bahr’s two youngest sons, Chris and Matt, both played under him at Penn State and also achieved All-American status in soccer as had their older brother while also both gaining further notoriety and additional All-American recognition as field goal kickers for the iconic Paterno.

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CHRIS BAHR (99) had already been named All-American three times at Penn State before concluding an outstanding rookie season as an attacking midfielder for the Philadelphia Atoms during the 1975 North American Soccer League season. Chris then returned to Happy Valley for a final campaign under the beloved Joe Pa while serving as both placekicker and punter for the 1975 Penn State football team that went 9-3 and ranked # 10 in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls after losing in the Sugar Bowl to the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant’s University of Alabama squad. In an era when the “soccer-style” kicker was still something of a novelty, Bahr boomed four field goals of over 50 yards and set a new NCAA record for field goal percentage in his All-American senior season for the Nittany Lion gridders.
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The versatile CHRIS BAHR (99) would be selected from Penn State University by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2nd round of the 1976 National Football League Draft, an incredibly high pick for a placekicker even by today’s standards. The Bengals had enjoyed the excellent work of former West German professional soccer player Horst Muehlmann for five years but the one-time Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen goalkeeper had gone to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1975. Bahr did not disappoint in Cincinnati and quickly attained All-Pro status at the NFL level over the course of a long career which included stints with the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders and the San Diego Chargers.
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MATT BAHR (10) took over for his older brother, Chris, as the placekicker for Penn State gridiron football team and also attained All-American status in his senior season under Joe Paterno. Bahr broke his older brother’s NCAA record by making 22 of 27 field goals for an 81.5% accuracy rating and was a genuine weapon for a Penn State team which ended the regular season a perfect 11-0 before losing, once again, to the University of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. This famous defeat cost the Nittany Lions the coveted national championship but did not prevent Bahr from being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 6th round of the 1979 National Football League Draft.
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MATT BAHR (10) had followed his two elder brothers, Casey and Chris, into the ranks of professional soccer and spent most of the 1978 North American Soccer League season with the forgettable Colorado Caribous before closing out the campaign with the old Tulsa Roughnecks. After his senior season kicking field goals for Penn State, the youngest Bahr signed on to bolster the backline of the fledgling Pennsylvania Stoners in the American Soccer League. In late July of 1979, the two-sport defender left Allentown School District Stadium in the Lehigh Valley and reported to his first NFL training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who went on to defeat the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl that season and were crowned league champions.

Never Afraid To Never Forget

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An excited fan behind the iconic brick wall at Wrigley Field is lifted out of his seat as Seattle Sounders goalkeeper JACK BRAND, the native of Braunschweig, West Germany, who backstopped host nation Canada at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, courageously smothers the ball ahead of the Chicago Sting’s high-flying Dutchman DICK ADVOCAAT (22), the former ADO Den Haag, Roda JC Kerkrade, VVV Venlo, Sparta Rotterdam and FC Utrecht journeyman midfielder who is currently serving as the trainer for the national team of Russia, during a North American Soccer League game at the Windy City’s well-known baseball stadium in the summer of 1980.
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It is, in fact, the very essence of the Goalkeeping. To diligently stand on guard between the sticks and maintain a sharp eye on all affairs throughout. And, of course, step in to save the day before the situation spirals out of control.

As some may have noticed here already, this blog enjoys celebrating the history of German football. We refer to this particular habit as “connecting with our German heritage”. The old expression says, he can not learn from history is condemned to repeat it.

As fate would have it, the blog is actually produced in a place that was, once upon a time, known as Northampton Town. During the time of the American Revolution, the region was flooded with German-speaking settlers who could be trusted to do the right thing. And so it was one ‘Dutch’ yokel, JOHN JACOB MICKLEY, a private in the local Northampton County militia, who went down to Philadelphia ahead of the advancing British Army and brought the symbolic Liberty Bell back to Zion’s Reformed Church to be hidden and not melted down for cannon balls.

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It was here, under the floorboards of ZION’s REFORMED CHURCH (UNITED CHURCH of CHRIST) in what is now Allentown, Pennsylvania, that the LIBERTY BELL was secreted from September 1777 until July of 1778 so as to be kept away from the British troops then occupying the American capital city of Philadelphia. The original log building on this site was first errected in 1762 as a “union” church housing both Lutheran and Reformed congregations, which was a common practice among the Pennsylvania-German people of that time period. Today, in the basement of the church is The Liberty Bell Shrine musuem which features a life-size replica of the original and celebrates its 50th Anniversary in the coming new year.
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The blog wonders sometimes what might have happened had more Germans and others around the world spoken out earlier and more vociferously in opposition to the anti-Semitic garbage being tossed about by Adolf Hitler and his Nazi minions. BEFORE the lunatics with the massive legacy had ever had the chance to take and then consolidate real power over an entire country, if not almost an entire continent. Perhaps separate national football team histories for the Bundesrepublik Deutschland as well as the Deutsche Demokratische Republik, respectively, could have been avoided here.

These days, the blog sees more and more anti-Semitic trash-talk coming out of Europe all the time. Its abundance continues to grow here in America, too, as clearly and willingly evidenced by the “Occupy” Flea Parties all across the country at seemingly every opportunity they are afforded. And now, a little Jewish high school girl has had her hair set on fire in a Canadian public school.

At some point, it becomes time to say, “Enough is F-U-C-K-I-N-G enough!” In fact, perhaps that train has long since left the station. Hell, the blog has not even gotten to “JIHAD LEGIA” yet …

Forrest “Lefty” Brewer — Hero Of Normandy

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Promising minor league pitcher Forrest “Lefty” Brewer in the Major League uniform of the Washington Senators, circa 1938.
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FORREST VERNON “Lefty” BREWER

born: December 7, 1919, in Jacksonville, Florida
passed : June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France

bats : left
throws : left

Interred : Riverside Memorial Park, Jacksonville, Florida

PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL CAREER

1938 – St. Augustine (ind) — D class FSL — (41 ga, 25-11 w-l, 1.88 ERA)
1939 – Shelby (WASH) — D class THL — (10 ga, 5-4 w-l, 5.25 ERA)
1939 – Orlando (WASH) — D class FSL — (22 ga, 7-11 w-l, 3.85 ERA)
1940 – Charlotte (WASH) — B class PL — (28 ga, 11-9 w-l, 3.68 ERA)

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Unlike ELMER GEDEON, his teammate with the Orlando Senators and Charlotte Hornets, FORREST “Lefty” BREWER was neither college educated nor an officer. In fact, in the words of British author GARY BEDINGFIELD, “the Brewers were an impoverished family moving from slum to slum, where streetfights were commonplace and electricity wasn’t.”

A standout pitcher in high school, Brwer would impress in a professional tryout with the independent St. Augustine Saints of the Class D Florida State League.

His first season as a professional, Brewer posted a stellar record of 25 wins and 11 losses with an ERA of 1.88 for the Saints. Most notable was a a no-hitter tossed on the fateful day of June 6 that caught the attention of CLARK GRIFFITH, the owner of the Major League Washington Senators.

Griffith would purchase the playing contract of Brewer from the independent St. Augustine Saints and had the prospect come to the nation’s capital for the final weeks of the 1938 Major League campaign. Brewer went to spring training the following year with the American League’s Senators, but was assigned to the Shelby Senators of the Tar Heel League to formally begin his affiliated pro career. Injuries did much to sabotage the youngster’s second season.

But, by the end of Brewer’s third year of professional baseball, spent with the Class B Charlotte Hornets of the Piedmont League, everything seemed to be coming together nicely. Brewer had progressed to the point where Griffith reportedly made a formal salary offer for a Major League roster position with respect to the upcoming 1941 baseball season.

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BELOW — Lefty Brewer, in the uniform of the Charlotte Hornets, instructs a young fan with respect to the proper way in which a pitcher grips the baseball.
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ABOVE — Forrest Brewer in the formal dress of the United States Army, left, and pictured at parachute school in 1942, right.

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Fate in the form of Uncle Sam stepped in and drafted Forrest “Lefty” Brewer before the 1941 season had a chance to arrive, however. Brewer immediately decided to volunteer from the paratroopers after completing basic training.

Exactly six years to the day after throwing a no-hitter for the St. Augustine Saints, Brewer and his parachute landed at La Fiere near Ste Mere Eglise and the Merderet River in Normandy with a small band of paratroopers; this group would later be overwhelmed by a larger body of German soldiers.

Lefty Brewer did not survive D-Day.

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This facscinating photograph of Brewer (seated in the front row at the far left) and his 508th PIR Red Devils baseball team was taken just nine days before D-Day in 1944. Notice the looks on the faces of these boys who are about to have a Major League collision at home plate with History, the likes of which they cannot possibly comprehend at the actual moment.
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NOTE — all photos for this post are courtesy of GARY BEDINGFIELD and SEAMHEADS.COM

Mr. Bedingfield has another website, BASEBALL IN WARTIME, which is absolutely amazing, a comprehensive analysis of the subject and completely worth the visit.

What a coincidence for this blog that today, on this 66th Anniversary of D-Day, the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs are currently engaged in an International League series with the Charlotte Knights.

Or is that, perhaps, on purpose?

A not-so-subtle reminder for IronPigs fans, and, indeed, supporters of the great American game of baseball everywhere, that, without brave and courageous genuine heroes such as Lefty Brewer, we might not have the FREEDOM TO PLAY diamond games.

THE FREEDOM TO PLAY : No War Heroes, No IronPigs

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The mighty British Army, the strongest military on Earth, advance on the American position so as to enforce the tyranny of King George III and put down the Rebellion once and for all. (Ronald Hilton photo)

COLDSTREAM GUARDS OFFICER — “Remember, lads. We don’t want these ungrateful Colonial assholes to win the war and, ultimately, invent baseball so the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs can play at Coca-Cola Park on the East Side of Allentown someday.

The Americans WILL play cricket and LIKE IT!”
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The hired guns of the British Crown, the German-speaking mercenaries known at the Hessians, have arrived on the scene to do all the real fighting for the loser Lobsterbacks.

HESSEN-KESSEL SOLDAT — “The best thing that can happen to us is to be captured by the American Colonial army, believe it or not.

The Americans have a prisoner of war camp just for Hessians in Northampton Town right by the Jordan Creek. But, the Americans have limited resources and really do not want to be bothered to guard and feed us. They would rather put us on parole and give us jobs working in local factories or on farms.

Plus, that area is flooded with German-speaking settlers. It should be easy to score chicks.”
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BRITISH OFFICER — “In the name of King George III as well as excessive and oppressive taxation without representation, I implore you rabble to surrender immediately.

The AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs will never field a team capable of even a modest .500 winning percentage in the International League because the Philadelphia Phillies will just never care.

Save yourselves from the heartache while you are still able!”
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AMERICAN OFFICER — “Men, are we really going to just stand here and let some sexually-confused British Crown cross-dresser wearing some woman’s wig and stockings tell US we cannot invent baseball and go watch the IronPigs play at the Park on the East Side?”

(pause)

“Yo, Adrian — tell your King George III — Fuck Off and Die!”
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BRUNSWICK SOLDAT — “Holy shit, Hans. These soon-to-be American heroes do not seem to be frightened by our special Hessian Brass Mitre Hats, like everyone else, historically speaking.

They just shot the little British drummer boy — these dudes just don’t give a damn!

Getting captured, being paroled to become a Bauer and hitting on German-speaking babes in the region which will eventually be known as the Lehigh Valley is looking better and better by the minute.”
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BRITISH SOLDIER — “I just don’t understand this. All the King’s horses and all the King’s men said this was going to be a cake-walk over these unprofessional and ill-mannered American Colonials.”
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The British Army, with chaos now in command, retreat and leave the field and its symbolic victory to the Americans.

The Americans are now free to invent baseball and, thus, the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs are now able to play professionally in the prestigous International League at Coca-Cola Park on the East Side of Allentown.

(Note the German guy on the left who does not like to give up so easily, or so it would appear)

History lesson concluded.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY and THANK YOU TO ALL THROUGHOUT HISTORY WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE ON BEHALF OF LIBERTY AND FREEDOM FOR THE UNTIED STATES OF AMERICA.

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This post was NOT inspired by the cowardly and disrespectful pretend-President of the United States, BARRACK HUSSEIN OBAMA, who COULD NOT be BOTHERED to make the ANNUAL VISIT to Arlington National Cemetery.

0-bama is too busy chillin’ in Chicago with his homeboys. Too busy playing golf. Too busy watching basketball.

Too busy standing up for the supposed Constiutional Rights of ILLEGAL ALIENS who break the law and do not respect existing U. S. Immigration policy.

Too busy smearing the illegal alien-overwhelmed citizenry of Arizona not to mention “Teabaggers”, who believe in limited government and low taxes.

Barrack Hussein Obama hates America as well as its history and traditions — how much more obvious can it get?

Can we elect a REAL PRESIDENT in 2012?

Please.

Why Can’t You Jerks Just Stick To Sports?

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KLEINER JUNGE — Mutti wants to know why you jerks have to stick your unwanted political opinions in everything and how come you clowns can’t just concentrate on IronPigs baseball?

You guys cranked out game reports for spring training and the World Baseball Classic.

You guys used to pick a Player of the Game night in and night out and, if Lehigh Valley lost, you would choose one from each team. You guys used to put up all kinds of articles about everything, kept careful and prompt track of all team transactions as well as statistics, and put up the box scores everyday, too.

Not just for the IronPigs but for their theoretical feeder team, the AA R-Phils of the Eastern League, too.

Mutti says you guys freaked out after Obama’s Dog’s Baseball Card was released last spring. And you got progressively worse. Mutti says not only are you guys sore losers, but you really don’t know a damned thing about baseball anyway.

I think you guys just plain suck — so do your opinions.

POLIZEI — Your mom is right – we did freak with the Obama Dog Baseball Card and its “fun facts” about the Presidential pooch.

We understood the canine promised to Sascha and Malia was to be adopted from the Shelter — just one of MANY Obama campaign promises that would go by the boards unchallenged by the lap dogs in the Main Steam Media.

Now — go ask your mom where the fuck she was when The Morning Call was publishing articles about Coca-Cola Park entitled “Why Are We Financing Stadiums” (Christina Gostomski, April 22, 2009)?

Every college professor in town beat the snot out of us and said it would have been better to just distribute the money to the general citizenry. THAT was embarassing and we shant be soon forgetting the whole episode. Eventually, for lack of overt support from IronPigs fans, we had no choice but concede defeat to the college professors.

But that was just for starters.

All year long, we pushed and prodded the IronPigs to get to the break-even mark of a .500 winning-percentage. We NEVER asked for fucking championships. NEVER – always a modest, but respectable, five hundred.

In no uncertain terms, EVERYWHERE we went, we were told to SHUT THE FUCK UP — because the Philadelphia Phillies are doing great!

That we were just too stupid to understand what is really going on here in minor league baseball. Stars of the furture, Player development, Family entertainment — you know — the standard selling points.

All the while, we get “treated” to downright shocking opinons from certain local sportswriters who shall remain nameless advocating the elimination of the singing of the National Anthem prior to IronPigs baseball games.

This on top of the standard, daily, trash-talking of Conservatives and people who believe in limited government and low taxes.

It is our “job” to ignore everything, we have been told.

As a matter of policy, if jobs are required then we expect paychecks in return.

By the way, does your mom have somebody holding a gun to her head that makes her read the IronPigs blog here or something?

If so, tell her she should call the cops.

KLEINE JUNGE — I thought YOU were the cops.

POLIZEI — Not those kinds of cops – we don’t do house calls. Tell your mom to call Obama. El Presidente would LOVE to have blog police and put us “out of business”, so to speak.

Too bad for Obama and the Democrats we do not try to make money here — you know damn well Obama and the Democrats want to tax the living crap out of everything so as to pay for their outrageous spending spree as well as “return wealth to its rightful owners.”

KLEINE JUNGE — My dad says you guys are assholes because he is trying to relax after work — sports and politics are to be kept separate.

POLIZEI — Your dad does not watch a whole lot of the National Basketball Association, does he?

Daddy-O might want to do some research on Phoenix’s team, LOS SUNS, sometime when he has a minute. The team that supports law-breaking illegal aliens who do not respect U.S. sovereignty or immigration laws.

I believe Obama set an all-time, single-season record for appearances by a sitting President on Monday Night Football. By a mile. I could be mistaken.

I take it for granted Pa Pa missed Obama’s Cominskey Field fiasco in the interview with Bob Costas at the All-Star Game in St. Louis last summer, too.

But, hey, I am sure your dad is a busy guy working hard for the family and everything.

KLEINE JUNGE — My first grade teacher says you guys give the First Amendment a bad name.

POLIZEI — Your teacher’s union requires her to tell you that. Ask your teacher what else her union requires of her. She will be unnerved and send you to the Principal’s office.

Better yet, ask her Union Rep what the deal is. Be prepared to duck a punch. Especially if you are a Boy Scout!

KLEINE JUNGE — I still think you guys suck.

POLIZEI — It is not coincidental that we changed to a certain format for this season. Are you smart enough to understand all the heavy symbolism going on about here, Little Boy? Or are you a fucking moron, historically speaking, who thinks we are Hitler’s Nazis?

Let me give you a hint.

Our IronPigs Experience last season was miserable. Our American Experience with the VERY FIRST Post-Modern President has been extremely unhappy — with no end in sight, I might add.

Hell, it could be another SIX YEARS. And that is assuming Obama, who thinks he is FDR reincarnated, does not repeal the Amendment limiting Presidents to two terms.

Of course, as you know, the IronPigs contend for the cellar this season in the International League.

See if you can figure out the rest yourself. We try and use as many black and white photographs as possible. Exactly how aware of what is going on all around you and why, Little Boy?