Bruce Campbell Adamson P.O. Box 3511, Santa Cruz, CA, 95063-

Bruce Hits Home Run For Goodyear Blimp -- on Birthday!

May 28, 1966 - years Later

Do you know what you were doing thirty-five years ago? I do! Yesterday, May 28, 2002, I was at the San Francisco Giants game with the Diamondbacks (last years world series champs) and I reflected back to my little league days. On May the 27th Barry Bonds hit his 585th home run and it was the largest attendance record since the Pac Bell stadium opened its doors.

The reason I remember what I was doing, was it was my birthday and I was 12 years old. My father's best friend Bob Masson was in attending my game against the Santa Monica Dodgers. In the following year the Dodgers had the future Dodger/Yankee baseball star Timothy Leary on their team and he was four years younger than myself.

I went up to the late Bob Masson, who was then the Director of Goodyear Tire's promotions and said "Bob, I am going to hit a home run just for you." I was so sure of myself. Yet, I was such a little guy and had never come close to hitting a home run. Bob was in charge of the Goodyear Blimp and obtained passes on the blimp five times. Led Zeppelin, the rock group,was about to become international rock stars. In five days the Beatles would release their album Sgt. Pepper's. Barry Bonds was only two years old. Who would ever know that my little story would have little importance by this young boy? Photo of Douglas on left margin and Bob Masson about ten years before Douglas would sail around the world.

Well, this was one of the longest games in my history as a baseball player or as an observer. We lost 32 to 2. I was up three times. My favorite pitcher was pitching Alan Gleisner. The first time I clobber the ball out to left field and the left fielder performed a heart breaking Will Mays catch. The second time he caught the ball almost in the same place. The third time it went out into the blvd. and I indeed paid Bob Masson back for being my father's best friend. Normally the local newspaper would publish the home run hitters, for some reason this great achievement was overlooked.