The Hitmaker
Friday, February 24, 2023
Bryce Martin, a former staff writer for The Californian, the Taft Midway Driller and the Ridgecrest Daily Independent, has put together a book detailing some notable athletes and events from Kern County's past.
"Kern County Sports Chronicles," which was published in 2013, is on sale at Barnes & Noble for $19.95.
Most of the chapters in Martin's book are from articles he wrote during his journalism career, mostly in the 1970s, but one as recent as 1987. Most of the chapters featured stories that were generated during his years in the Ridgecrest area.
There are some well-known subjects, like boxer Jerry Quarry, former major league pitcher George Culver and former South High and Cal State Bakersfield wrestling coach Joe Seay.
But most of the book features lesser-knowns with unique stories to tell. Like "Buckshot" May, a pitcher in the 1920s for the Pittsburgh Pirates who was the first Bakersfield-born major leaguer, and Vern "Moon" Mullen, who played in the 1920s with the Canton Bulldogs and other teams in the NFL's infancy before retiring in Taft, where he taught at Taft High for more than 30 years.
Also included is a look at rocket car designer Ray Van Aken, rodeo team ropers Dennis Watkins and Julio Moreno, a Taft-based skydivers group, and a look at the independent Bakersfield Outlaws of the California League in 1978.
Martin also includes updates on the individuals he features. Many are now deceased, but several remain in Bakersfield and Kern County.
Longtime Californian sports editor and columnist Larry Press wrote the foreword.
Thursday, February 23, 2023
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
THE EAGLES SOAR IN COFFEYVILLE
"Doolin-Dalton"
They were duelin', Doolin-Dalton
High or low, it was the same
Easy money and faithless women
Red-eye whiskey for the pain
Go down, Bill Dalton, it must be God's will,
Two brothers lyin' dead in Coffeyville
Two voices call to you from where they stood
Lay down your law books now
They're no damn good
Better keep on movin', Doolin-Dalton
'Til your shadow sets you free
If you're fast, and if you're lucky
You will never see that hangin' tree
Well, the towns lay out across the dusty plains
Like graveyards filled with tombstones, waitin' for the names
And a man could use his back, or use his brains
But some just went stir crazy, Lord, 'cause nothin' ever changed
'Til Bill Doolin met Bill Dalton
He was workin' cheap, just bidin' time
Then he laughed and said,"I'm goin,"
And so he left that peaceful life behind
Mm..
High or low, it was the same
Easy money and faithless women
Red-eye whiskey for the pain
Go down, Bill Dalton, it must be God's will,
Two brothers lyin' dead in Coffeyville
Two voices call to you from where they stood
Lay down your law books now
They're no damn good
Better keep on movin', Doolin-Dalton
'Til your shadow sets you free
If you're fast, and if you're lucky
You will never see that hangin' tree
Well, the towns lay out across the dusty plains
Like graveyards filled with tombstones, waitin' for the names
And a man could use his back, or use his brains
But some just went stir crazy, Lord, 'cause nothin' ever changed
'Til Bill Doolin met Bill Dalton
He was workin' cheap, just bidin' time
Then he laughed and said,"I'm goin,"
And so he left that peaceful life behind
Mm..
Somehow Gary Paxton, who was born in Coffeyville, Kan., overlooked his birth town when finding all other avenues to turn into song. Glenn Frey, J.D. Souther, Don Henley and Jackson Browne composed this one -- Bryce M.
Postscript: When our Columbus, Kan., American Legion baseball team traveled to league foe Coffeyville, it surprised me to see that the Condon Bank was still there and still in operation some 70 years after the famous failed bankscapade.
Monday, February 20, 2023
RAN IS STILL RUNNING
On occasion when a new NFL head coach or higher-up is named locals in that community want to know details about the new hire. I don't care spit about what the flag-kneeling IQ-distressed bunch making up the NFL does, but when I heard the name of the new Titans GM, "Ran Carthon," it got my attention.
"Ran"? What kind of a given name is that? That should have been the first thing Nashville media explained. Ran? Excuse me, is that short for Randolph? Randy? Randall? But no. Days passed and I finally had to look it up on my own: Arandric Kornell "Ran" Carthon.
His dad was Maurice Carthon, a former NFL player, as was Ran. It seems dad passed on the genes. The name too. Maybe that's how he took on the new name from the given one. Perhaps using his ability as a running back to avoid tacklers, he "ran" from it.
