Another Brother

I had promised earlier to introduce you to all my siblings, with whom I maintain a pretty close relationship, even though we just don't get to see each other very often these days.

I already told you about Jimbo - next comes Jay.

Jay is the baby of the family. He is eleven years younger than I am. After he graduated from college (don't ask what he studied - he didn't. He was there on a soccer scholarship, and while he did get a degree in Social Work, it might just as well have been under-water basket-weaving.)

After Jay graduated from college, he spent three years doing volunteer work for the Jesuit volunteer corps. He ended up spending those three years in Alaska, where he met his wife, who was also a volunteer.

When they first met, they did not like each other. In fact, I think she despised him (who could ever feel that way about my brother?). They would come to appreciate, and even love each other. A marriage and three children later, they are a very happy family.

Jay married up. He promised to work to put his wife through med school, and then she graduated, finished her residency, and Jay retired. He's a stay at home Dad, and is as good a father as any child could hope to have.

I have to tell you, I do get a little sick of his mid-day phone calls. They go something like this: "What ya doing?" "Can't talk, I'm in the middle of a meeting." "Really? I'm sweating a little coming off the golf course. Guess we'll talk later."

He has a daughter Abby, who is starting school this fall. A son Peter who is a free spirit who loves to argue with his grandfather, and a daughter Holly who is a little over a year old. They are adorable. Thank God Cheri (his wife) had some decent genes to pass along.

Jay and I have taken a number of memorable trips together. He went with me and my two sons in 1996 on a baseball tour that took us to 14 cities in two weeks, a baseball game in a different city each night - including Cooperstown. He was with me in Cooperstown when we saw Ozzie Smith inducted into the Hall of Fame. And he was with me last year on a week long golfing trip to Hilton Head SC. This picture of him was taken on the 14th hole of the Arnold Palmer course there - the one on which he got his hole-in-one (he would never forgive me if I didn't mention that). The first picture at the head of this article is more indicative of his true abilities, though.

Well, enough of Jay. My baby brother is a good guy - as much a Cardinal and baseball fan as I.

And now that you've met Jimbo and Jay, I only have Janice, Jeff, Jerry, and Joe to go.