Brian Keyser--1996
A high school star from the Chico, CA
area who pitched at Stanford alongside
Mike Mussina; Brian Keyser saw his big
league career last two seasons for the
White Sox during the mid-1990's. He
would register a 6-8, 4.97 mark in 51
outings of which ten were starts.
The Baseball Reference web site list of
players born on October 31st totals 73,
which includes Brian Keyser--- and that's
why his card is posted here.
It had to be difficult growing up with a
birthday that was shared with ghosts,
goblins and witches. I could imagine that
every birthday party that Keyser had was
distracted by trick-or-treating. While his
friends would come for cake and ice
cream, there was always the allure of
free candy tugging at them.
As for why Keyser was the chosen one of
the 73--- well, it was on the day he was
born when I suffered a traumatic event in
my life. It was October 31, 1966 and I
was in first grade. Growing up in the
1960s meant homemade costumes for
Halloween and that year I went to school
in Indian costume made by my
sewing-challenged mother.
What I remember was that after a
morning of class, recess and lunch the
Indian costume began to unravel--- and
it came apart in a strategic location---
opening up from my crouch to my butt.
With underwear exposed, I sat without
moving in my chair for the entire
afternoon. Luckily I had a short distance
home from school, which I remember was
a run of embarrassment.
Once home, with tears flowing, my
mother re-sewed the costume in time for
me to trick-or-treat. That evening I am
sure that I didn't run from house to
house, though I probably cautiously
scooted throughout the neighborhood
collecting my candy and checking my
costume every few houses.
I went trick-or-treating probably 13 or 14
times in my life and of all the costumes I
wore, the only one I remember that darn
Indian costume.
And now I will remember Brian Keyser,
too.
(10/31/11)
area who pitched at Stanford alongside
Mike Mussina; Brian Keyser saw his big
league career last two seasons for the
White Sox during the mid-1990's. He
would register a 6-8, 4.97 mark in 51
outings of which ten were starts.
The Baseball Reference web site list of
players born on October 31st totals 73,
which includes Brian Keyser--- and that's
why his card is posted here.
It had to be difficult growing up with a
birthday that was shared with ghosts,
goblins and witches. I could imagine that
every birthday party that Keyser had was
distracted by trick-or-treating. While his
friends would come for cake and ice
cream, there was always the allure of
free candy tugging at them.
As for why Keyser was the chosen one of
the 73--- well, it was on the day he was
born when I suffered a traumatic event in
my life. It was October 31, 1966 and I
was in first grade. Growing up in the
1960s meant homemade costumes for
Halloween and that year I went to school
in Indian costume made by my
sewing-challenged mother.
What I remember was that after a
morning of class, recess and lunch the
Indian costume began to unravel--- and
it came apart in a strategic location---
opening up from my crouch to my butt.
With underwear exposed, I sat without
moving in my chair for the entire
afternoon. Luckily I had a short distance
home from school, which I remember was
a run of embarrassment.
Once home, with tears flowing, my
mother re-sewed the costume in time for
me to trick-or-treat. That evening I am
sure that I didn't run from house to
house, though I probably cautiously
scooted throughout the neighborhood
collecting my candy and checking my
costume every few houses.
I went trick-or-treating probably 13 or 14
times in my life and of all the costumes I
wore, the only one I remember that darn
Indian costume.
And now I will remember Brian Keyser,
too.
(10/31/11)
