STRUCK ON THE DIAMOND: REMEMBERING JODY RAMSEY by Rene Torres, Bronc Center Fielder (1966-69)

Jody Ramsey

Although his life was cut short by tragedy, former Pan American University centerfielder Jody Ramsey symbolized the best of baseball and life, capturing our imagination with his exploits on and off the field.

Recruited from San Jacinto College by Coach Al Ogletree, who coached from 1968-1997, Freeport's Ramsey was among the finest athletes and human beings to ever compete as a Bronc since Edinburg Junior College established its first baseball team in 1927.

Unfortunately, Jody left us before his time.

The 1973 Bronc season was scheduled to begin Friday, February 23, but rain forced the game to be postponed until Saturday.

Jody, who'd been hired that summer as a construction worker on the new ball park, was working along with teammate Tommy Simpson from McAllen to get the field ready when the pair picked up an irrigation pipe, accidentally striking a power line.

Ramsey was killed instantly, while Simpson, who was taken to the hospital and treated for burns, survived, but with emotional scars.

Coach Alfred Ogletree

As Coach Ogletree told the McAllen Monitor:

"He was the American kid.  He put his heart and soul into this team.  Having to call his parents and tell them he had died was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

(I’d be remiss if I did not mention that Tommy was an exceptional athlete at McAllen High School, earning All-District honors in baseball, eventually a second-team selection to the Rio Grande Valley All- Millenium squad. 

Simpson was inducted into the UTRGV Hall of Fame in 2015 following Jody in 2013.)

UTRGV had this to say about Jody Ramsey: “While he was very impressive on the field, Ramsey was equally outstanding in his character and standards of living.”

Ramsey was a proponent of the Pan American University chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, twice elected as president.  

In his honor, the university will reinstate the Jody Ramsey Memorial Award, given to a Bronc senior baseball player “who best follows the standards set by the late Jody Ramsey.”

His name will forever be etched in Bronc baseball history.  He will never be forgotten, especially by his teammates, and the legions of friends he left behind.

So, if you want to keep Jody’s dream alive, play catch with your kid!

As I always say:  "Once a Bronc, always a Bronc!!"

NOTE: On February 24, 2023, will mark the 50th anniversary of his death. On February 17, 2023, UTRGV will retire his number 6 jersey before a home game against Houston Christian (formerly Houston Baptist)

Excerpts were taken from the McAllen monitor, Pan Am baseball programs, USPS stamp collection publication and research by Piky Rodriguez.

BROWNSVILLE'S MAYORAL FIELD GETS CROWDED QUICKLY

 It's tempting to lead this article with a political cartoon featuring a "crowded field," because there are many such cartoons.

But, it's not that we already have a field of five in the Brownsville mayor's race, but that each of the candidates seems deeply flawed.

Former Mayor Pat Ahumada

The "blast from the past," Pat Ahumada, is certainly a known quantity, the self-described "quarterback" who views the city commissioners as merely his "blocking lineman."

Pat is not without ideas, like the Brownsville/Matamoros reservoir project and was one of the few who saw through the Tenaska and United Brownsville scams early on, but his abrasiveness is hard to navigate and ends up crippling and sabotaging the possible good he could accomplish.

Then, there's the matter of his depositing a $26,139 check intended for a vendor into his own account, then spending roughly $6,000 of those monies before being confronted by Police Chief Garcia.

Ahumada was also on the verge of signing on to a phony airlines deal proposed by convicted RICO con artist Carlos Quintanilla, an upside down deal the City of Brownsville almost fell for, but for the brave opposition of citizens Craig Grove, Dino Chavez, Teresa Saldivar and others.  

District 2 City Commissioner Jessica Tetreau is also a known quantity, originally replacing the disqualified Zeke Silva to run against the abrasive Charlie Atkinson.  Tetreau won as a write-in candidate with the help of the Brownsville Cheezmeh group.  

Since that initial victory, Tetreau has garnered enough support to win the seat two additional times against strongish candidates like Sergio Zarate, Pat Ahumada and "Caty" Presas-Garcia.  

Now, after 12 years as City Commissioner, the City Charter seems to prohibit another run at that position, something Bobby Wightman-Cervantes disputes.  That leaves a run for mayor as Tetreau's only option if she wants to stay in city office.

Honestly, Tetreau has actually worked as commissioner, some say having "grown into" the role, but is she someone the voters will decide should represent the entire city?

Self-awareness, that is seeing ourselves as others perceive us, comes into play here and we'll leave it at that.

Another, almost perennial candidate, is Erasmo Castro.  Erasmo is in William Garza territory in terms of running for office.

If you applauded Erasmo's service as BISD trustee, then perhaps you support him as mayor.

My most recent interaction with Erasmo was sitting alongside him for a year or two on his podcast.  

Those "interview" sessions with local candidates and office holders were frustrated by Erasmo's need to dominate the microphone.

Would a Mayor Castro be a good enough listener to incorporate the ideas and support of the entire City Commission?  

That's something I would question.

Uncle Ralph Cowen Introducing John Cowen at Cobbleheads

Ralph Cowen told me a couple years ago that his nephew John Cowen had done a "wonderful" job managing the family business.

"He's made us all a lot of money," explained the elder Cowen.

I have no reason to doubt that, but what always worried by about John Cowen is his timidity, his seeming lack of assertiveness in public.

Now, I've been out of the loop for a while, not even observing John's chairmanship of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, the 4A entity entrusted with spending 1/4 cent of every dollar of sales tax revenue on economic development.

Of course, I've long maintained that politicians, city commissioners should NEVER serve on such a board.  The whole point of creating 4A and 4B boards was to SEPARATE economic development support monies from politics.  

Anyway, the coming candidate forums will give me a chance to observe John to see if he's developed the assertiveness to lead our city as mayor.

Jay Nagy

Twenty-six year old Jay Nagy, a SpaceX employee, has taken to social media to announce his candidacy for mayor, careful to separate himself from the "other candidates."

The lad promises to "fix the potholes," something he says previous mayors have been totally inept at doing.

We'll see how the young man presents himself at candidate forums.

JUAN MONTOYA'S EL RRUN RRUN UPGRADES FROM BLOG TO VLOG

 

Vlogger Juan Montoya 

Longtime local blogger Juan Montoya has moved recently into the vlogging world, that is, utilizing videos in addition to the written word.

We'll be listening in shortly to his recent interview with mayoral candidate Jessica Tetreau to see what information we can glean.

Actually, bloggers and vloggers are sometimes referred to as influencers, as in those who help shape public opinion on matters.

Erasmo Castro, who recently described himself as the "King of Local Media," appears twice daily on YouTube, where he presents his view on local issues and plugs his current campaign for mayor.

Meeting of Bloggers in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines in 2018

Of course, blogging and vlogging are worldwide pastimes.  I was shocked in 2018 when I became aware of the large number of bloggers operating in just the city of Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.  

DESANTIS DUMBS DOWN FLORIDA SCHOOLS

 

TINY CHINESE CAMERA ATTACHED TO KITE CATCHES DRAMATIC PHOTOS OF MATAMOROS

 

JOHN BRUCIAK GETS ONE LAST LAUGH AT BROWNSVILLE

 

HISTORIC GRAPHIC ART FROM BROWNSVILLE'S DIEGO LEE ROT

 From the editor: For 50+ years I've unsuccessfully tried to peek into the mindset of my son, artist/musician Diego Lee Rot.

The child of two oppressively restrictive parents, Diego, like a long-compressed spring, expanded his consciousness at the first sign of freedom.

We repost just a sampling of his graphic art minus the captions: