Think Spring Think Holiday Think Fashion Think Dreg SHOES Orchard Mall • West Bloomfield Orchards Lake N. of Maple 851-5566 SILVER COINS ANTIQUE JEWELRY GOLD COINS POCKET WATCHES TIFFANY COIN COLLECTIONS FRANKLIN MINT ROLEX WATCHES STERLING SILVER STICK PINS SILVER DOLLARS BROACHES ANTIQUE SILVER HUMMELS FLATWARE SETS SILVER BARS CANDLESTICKS DIAMONDS PAPER MONEY GEMSTONES PRTEK PHILUPE SCRAP GOLD WICHERON OBJECTS D'ART TEA SERVES BOWLS & nuns CARTIER COIN WATCHES VAN CLEEF RINGS POSTCARDS PIAGET PENDANTS 10-24 KARAT GOLD ROYAL DOCILTON CHAINS EARRINGS We are interested in serving you or your client in the appraisal or liquidation of your coins, jewelry, collectables or an entire estate. PLEASE CALL OR STOP IN! 33700 WOODWEIRD fIVENCIE BIRMING11(1M. M148009 248-644.8565 3/19 1999 Mon.-Fri. 9.6 ■ Saturday 94 Metro Dealer Since 1956 72 Detroit Jewish News The BiG Story But Dad's allegiance to the Browns wasn't enough to keep him in St. Louis when he heard about a better job in Detroit with the Dodge Brothers. In addition to making automo- biles, the company was engaged in the war effort and needed work- ers We moved to Detroit in 1917, and Dad went to work as an experienced" spot welder. (I don't know where he got the experience, but Dad was a quick study, and after a few hours of on-the-job train- ing, he was on his way to earning the most money he had ever made.) As good as this job was, Dad probably was more excited to learn that Dodge Brothers had a baseball team. Then he discovered the team was only for office and middle management per- sonnel. That might _have discouraged an ordinary person, but not Dad especially when it came to baseball. - He took his case directly to the boss, Horace E. Dodge himself. Not only did Dad make the team, but he got my brother, Abe, the job as batboy. Everyone received tailored uniforms with the Dodge Brothers team, including Abe. The Grosse Pointe Country Club had a baseball diamond that Mr. Dodge thought his team could use for its home games. When Mr. Dodge tried to join the club, howev- er, he was denied membership for "religious" reasons. Mr. Dodge solved that problem by buying the club! The picturesque grounds on Lake St. Clair then became the site of most of our ball- games. The playoffs between Dodge Brothers and our archrival, the team from Graham Brothers truck manu- I/ Former batboy Abe Solomon Author lone Pinsker, who now lives in California, says family members joke that her father, Morris Solomon, was born with a baseball bat in his hand. facturers, were the highlight of the season. Families were invited and enjoyed catered dinners that includ- ed frog legs and other delicacies. Once, when a win over the Gra- ham.Brothers occurred on the Fourth of July, we were treated to an extravagant fireworks display that scare some of theilittle kids k..,_.;.__ 404-- speechless. The team also made road trips, two of them notable. One was to the state prison in Lansing, and the other was to Philadelphia on a Pullman car Mr. Dodge had char- tered. The Philadelphia trip had a mem- orable beginning. When it was time for the train to leave, Mr. Dodge hadn't arrived. Since he was usually late, no one was unduly concerned. Sure enough, just in time, Mr. Dodge came rid- ing into the train yard on the cow- catcher of a steam engine he'd commandeered to make up for lost time! A bit later, after we moved to Los Angeles, we learned that Mr. Dodge was in town. Dad looked him up and took citecim photo along. Mr. Dodge was pleased and grateful for the visit, and so was Dad. He told Mr. Dodge that those days on the team were among the highlights of his life. Mr. Dodge, in turn, thanked Dad for the pleasure that he, the team and even the batboy had given him. He even remembered giving Dad 50 cents for "the kid." Editor's Note: This article first appeared in "Reminisce" magazine.