1.. . 1 • 1

Mr. Baseball

Continued from page 1

50 YEARS AGO...

The Jewish News
Awarded A Citation

This column will be a week-
ly feature during The Jewish
News anniversary year, look-
ing at The Jewish News of to-
day's date 50 years ago.

Mr. Baseball admits he was
surprised, but says he's not bit-
ter. "It was simply a business
decision," he said. "All I wish is
that I had a chance to go to bat
with Mike Bitch."
Mr. Cohen was one of 21 em-
ployees — about a third of the
full-time staff— fired after for-
mer Tiger owner Tom
Monaghan sold the team to
Mike Ilitch. He said he doesn't
know what his next step will be,
though last Monday morning
found Mr. Cohen, for the first
time in his life, at the unem-
ployment office.
"I guess I'll reapply for the
job," he said. "What do you do
with a baseball nut who's 50
years old?"
Mr. Cohen has been a base-
ball fan almost since the day he
Irwin Cohen: Out of a job.
was born.
His first game, in 1949, was
rained out. The next year he
everywhere from Detroit schools
groups on the centerfield score-
went with the Yeshiva Beth
to Southfield synagogues.
board. =-
Yehudah day camp and
"They asked me to speak at
He had plenty of other ideas,
watched the Tigers lose 6-2 to
Shaarey Zedek, to a group of
too. But now Mr. Cohen won-
the Chicago White Sox. "My fa-
young people with drug prob-
ders if anyone will ever hear
vorite player, Hoot Evers, dou-
lems," he recalled. Mr. Cohen
them.
bled that day," Mr. Cohen said.
decided to present a speech that
Some members of the Jewish
"I loved that name. It was the
would hit home. He looked up
community have started a let-
same as my favorite cowboy,
the history of ball players who
ter-writing campaign, spear- c
Hoot Gibson."
had been in a similar situation
headed by Mogain Avraham
In 1951, Mr. Cohen saw
and discussed how they over-
Rabbi Dov Loketch. They're - 1
Joltin' Joe DiMaggio play in a
came their addictions.
hoping Mr. Hitch will reconsid-
night game at Tiger Stadium. "I
Mr. Cohen persevered even
er and rehire Mr. Baseball. They
still remember the date, Aug.
when the Tigers were anything
still believe in happy endings.
14, my brother's birthday," he
but popular, like when longtime
Meanwhile, Irwin Cohen --
said. (Little brother ended up
announcer Ernie Harwell was
keeps thinking Tigers and cre - , _
staying at home with a comic
fired.
alive.
book, despite the occasion. He
This
past
year,
group
sales
"How's this for an ad:
was too young to appreciate the
were up 18 percent, despite the
`Looking- for family values? Look
game.)
more than 10 percent decrease
no further than Michigan and
He saw Mickey Mantle play,
in overall attendance.
Trumbull. We've got bargain
too, and Babe Ruth. Their
days and family fun. Call the
names roll from Mr. Cohen's lips
It was Mr. Cohen who sug-
Tigers'
group sales office,' " he
with a kind of nostalgic rever-
gested hosting celebrity singers
said.
ence.
to perform 'rake Me Out to the
But don't ask for Mr. Baseball
For most of his adult life, Mr.
Ballgame" and roving musicians
if you take him up on the offer
Cohen worked in the Wayne
at Tiger Stadium. He started
gam
He .'sobeen thrown out of the
County Treasurer's office. But
listing the names of visiting
he never abandoned baseball.
For years, he edited, designed
and published The Baseball
Bulletin, a weekly paper whose
reporters would later work for
ESPN, The Boston Globe and
President George Bush.

Abraham Littman, of Litt
man's Yiddish People's The-
ater,
announced the
upcoming presentation of a
Yiddish talkie and actor
Aaron Lebedeff. The bowling
SY MANELLO
league of Pisgah Lodge
Special to the Jewish News
planned to open its new sea-
son; President Milton Wein-
he front page bore a
s tein invited prospective
replica of the first
members to a practice bowl-
citation to an English-
ing session at the Bowl-O-
Jewish newspaper for con-
Drome on Dexter. Activities
tributions to the war savings
were being resumed by the
program. It carried the signa-
Women's League for Sabbath
ture of Henry Morgenthau Jr.,
Observance; a membership
then secretary of treasury.
drive was to be chaired by
The inside pages quickly
Mrs. M.H. Zackheirn. I3icur
brought readers back to the
Cholem captured the Jevvish
news of the war. Jewish and
Center Baseball Cham-
Christian youth in Great
pionship when it won out 2-1
Britain took part in a confer-
over the Maccabees in what
ence to fight anti-Semitism.
was termed a pitchers' duel;
Thirty thousand Polish
Bud Feld was pitching for the
refugee,s, including 650 Jews,
Maccab
arrived in Tehran from Rus
For those who were avid fol
sia. A massive pogrom in Kiev
lowers of the Jewish Radio
in the massacre of
Hour, plans were announced
40,000 Jews.
to fill the tune when Hyman
We must remember that
Altman, director of the pro-
our relations with Russia were
gram, would not be on the air
slightly different in those days.
due to the holidays. As a spe-
The following items will serve
cial service, station WJLB
as reminders. A Soviet Jew-
planned Jewish musical pro-
ish gunner was lauded in New
grams for Mr. Altman's usu
York for helping to save his
al broadcast times.
ship from Nazi dive bombers.
Of course there was con- ,
At the Conference of the Vic-
cern about residents being ad-
tory League for Russia in
equately prepared for Rosh
Jerusalem, unity between the
Hashanah services. In addi
Jewish and Russian people
ton to reminders about the
was the keynote of the speech-
services scheduled at differ
es at the opening session.
ent synagogues in the area,
A recognition was made of
two Jewish bookstores on
the High Holy Day season.
Twelfth Street ran ads for
The Selective Service of Michi-
Machzoriin, thlleisim, and
gan handed down a ruling
new year cards. These items
Then, in 1984, Mr. Cohen
that Jews would not be in-
were to be had at the Zion
heard about the opening at
ducted into the service during Boo kstore and at Chesluk's
Tiger Stadium, and he jumped
Rosh Hashanah and Yom
at the chance.
Th e comings and goings of
pur. Rabbi Max Wohlgelerrt-
members of the community
Mr. Cohen was never one to
ter was credited with bringing
were followed with interest by
rest easy on the job.
the ruling about.
our readers. In this issue they
He made cold calls and would
This was sad time indeed
were informed that: Mr. and
sometimes drop in on new pos-
for several families as the
Mrs. Israel Himelhoch were
sibilities, getting his foot in the
deaths of two chief rabbis were
visiting Au Sable Lake; Judge
door by handing the secretary a
Tigers pen.
reported in our pages. Rabbi
and Mrs. Harry B. Keidan
Juda Leo Landau, of Johan-
He would visit places like
and their children were re-
nesburg, died at age 77; and
Industrial Park in Warren,
turning from Charlevoix; and
Rabbi Nessim J. Ovadia, for-
home to countless factories, and
Mr. and Mrs. David King's
go door-to-door, always pro-
mer chief rabbi of the
granddaughter Jeanne re-
moting his favorite team.
Sephardic community of Paris,
turned to her home in New
died at age 52.
York City following a visit
He instituted stadium tours
News on the Detroit front
with them.
— and not just for big-name
was in a much happier vein.
businessmen. He would show 7-
year-olds around the place or
host the developmentally dis-
abled. He talked about the team

.

14

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1992

Kmart Center
Dedicated In Israel

KIMBERLY LIFTON

Staff Writer

0

fficials for the Troy-
based Kmart Corp.
think they may have
created the perfect bridge to
Eastern Europe.
That bridge, officials say,

is the new Hebrew Univer-
sity Kmart International
Center for Retailing and
Marketing, dedicated in
June. With the opening of
the center, Israel may get
some valuable tips from one
of America's best-known
retailers.
"The Kmart International
Center for Retailing and
Marketing will investigate
leading-edge issues in inter-
national retailing," Kmart

Chairman and Chief Ex-
ecutive Officer Joseph An-
tonini said. "In turn, it will
influence business school
education throughout the
world by offering an interna-
tional meeting ground for
retailing and marketing ex-
perts from both academia
and business."
Center director Dr. Arieh
Goldman said the interna-
tional retail center will con- _
centrate on research on
marketing and retailing in
Jerusalem and the changing (--=-
situation in Eastern Europe.
Dr. Goldman saidgrowing
sophistication of the retail- r=,
ing industry requires fur- _
ther education and research.
The Kmart Center will
enable Hebrew University to

