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In 1972, the Athletics launched a dynasty | Baseball Hall of ...

John Matuszak. That big giant sexy beast! <3 Never Forgotten.

John’ The Tooz’ Matuszak, Oakland Raiders’ Defensive Tackle & Defensive End. He lived in Southern Cal at the time and would fly up for practice at the Bay Area home fields, and for the games at Oakland’s Stadium. I would take him to his mom’s apartment complex that he bought for her in the Oakland Hills whenever he’s in town. He would stay at the Oakland Airport Hilton Inn, where I worked from 1976 to 1980. Tom Hanks wasn’t an actor then, but a 20-year-old bellman, one of several. He’s a year older than me, and I staff the front desk, telling them which bags belong to which guest going to suite so-n-so. Ron Howard of 'Happy Days' stayed at our hotel while acting in a B-movie. As opportunity knocked, Ron got Tom into movies he had directed, like ‘Splash’, ‘Apollo 13’, ‘Da Vinci Code’, ‘Angels and Demons’, and 'Inferno’. So, there you have it, about which Tom blogs about his bellman days.

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My work car was a a root beer color,1978 Datsun 510 Hatchback: My wife drove the family car.

1978 Datsun 510 | KHLA1007469 | Bid History | BidCars

Oversized Tooz sits on the front passenger's-seat, with the chair clocked all the way to the back, resting on the edge of the backseat. He would then roll down the window while his right hand was holding the car's roof, with,his left hand, he would handle my car's stickshift--grinding my engine--"Nope! We're back in first, TOOZ, IT'S THE FREEWAY!" He certainly was a burly guy, but his heart was as big as gold--a kindhearted gentle giant if there ever was one. In comparison to 130 pounder little old me,,I need two and a half of me to match his girth. Well, anywho, we parted ways when the Raiders moved to LA, at the tine I was moving on from Oakland. YET, I was there when the A's won their tthree World Series, which I attended while they played in Oakland, also, I cheered the Raiders on, when they won the Super Bowl. John starred in'Goonies' as Sloth, in 1985. and other films. Sadly, John passed away, 1950-1989. Aloha, my friend. PEACE!

A's and Raiders Win: '70s Oaklander'

Silhouettes know they’re loved, day and mostly nights;
When my ball sails the fence, I fetch—two blocks down
And when the dog walks the cat—dragged when she bites,
While ticketed, my name changed to a pronoun,
Love baseball, yet my golf ball, they can’t catch mines,
I’m in shorts and shirttails, she’s dressed to the nines,
She’s in the clubhouse, and I’m in the golf cart,
Begs I, she came; she’s there, I’m here, being smart.
                                                                        
Not a clock watcher, though, I’m told, “You’re still here?”
The wage is great, yet labor can be taxing
Staffed, forty years; polite—but can be austere
Wrote up some, watching union ranks relaxing
I hate writing up folks, or being strict, ugh!
Some tact, less frank, gets smiles, or a shoulder shrug
Double-shift, no-takers, no clock—“What’s with that?”
Worst, are those days, straight two days, I'm left at bat!

baseballfootballhatelovesportsrispetto

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