A NOTE FROM THE FLOW
The David Marasco Issue, or "I've got an offer you can't refuse." Concerned that someday I may want a break from the grind of putting together TDAQ, and also wanting to spread his own editorial wings, our assistant editor, David Marasco made the following proposition:
"I'll put together a 24-page issue, which we'll call 59-B. I'll worry about costs, it will be free to subscribers. We'll use a few things from you, a few from Twilight (our other editor), and I will decide upon the rest. The tone and feel of the issue will be mine, final editorial decisions will be yours. It will give our readers a free extra issue between now and the regular November issue." Well, folks, how could I pass that up? You are holding the results of that late July discussion in your hands. We hope you enjoy it
.RIDING THE REDLINE
by David Marasco
Normally this is where you would be reading a "Go with the Flow" column. Not this issue, this is going to be a little different. A while back I asked the Flow if I could have a shot at being the editor for an issue. The Flow gave his OK, and you have the final product.
Yes, the layout looks a little different, and it is only half-size (this issue does not count against your subscription), but it is the same writing you would find in a normal TDA. Give us some feedback. Tell us what you like and what you hate. This has been a learning experience for both myself and the Flow, and with your help we can discover even more.
Now why would anybody want to go through all of the trouble of putting together a baseball magazine? While the job isn't thankless, it is a lot of hard work for little financial reward. And yet, not only does TDA exist, but many fanzines are out there. Perhaps the answer can be found in a book reviewed in this issue - Jim Bouton's Ball Four. Bouton observes, "You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time."
Gripped by baseball? I suppose you could say that is true for many of those in this business. I asked several editors to write about their experiences in this field. After you read what they have to say you may agree that they are gripped by something.
So how did I end up with this affliction? I think I was doomed generations before I was born. My grandfather was a huge fan of the game. He organized sandlot teams in the Great Depression, and after the war he settled in New York City where he could watch all the baseball he wanted. He would see New York’s Golden Era, and witness events such as Willie Mays’ catch in the 1954 Series.
Not only did he pass his love of baseball down to me, but if he were alive today he would be TDA's biggest fan. He moved out into the cornfield the last time the Giants won the Pennant, so his writing does not grace these pages. Instead he's on the cover.
The photo is from an Internment Camp, baseball gripped him even there. The team is made up of highschool players, he is the older man in the checked shirt. Due to wartime restrictions on cameras, photos like this one are somewhat rare. What wasn’t rare was baseball in the internment camps, it was one of the most popular activities. I don’t know how many games this team won or lost, but I do know it made the war that much better for them. What can I say? Some people have it in their blood.
If this issue got a grip on you, or if you have gripes, send me e-mail- marasco@nwu.edu (or just send it to the Flow, USPS).
DLM