Friendship Renewed

Nick with Greg Nettles and legendary Whitey Ford during a Spring Training game in the '90s.

Manager Joe Torre with NBC's Gene Shallot, a regular at Yankee Spring Training and a good friend of Nick's.  

Nick with Davey Concepcion, shortstop for the 'Big Red Machine' of the 1970s.

I love these pictures of my friend Nick Eanes (the middle one he took).  Nick was freelance Spring Training photographer for the New York Yankees in the '90s. 

Nick and I finished high school together.  He was very successful in the cemetery / funeral home business before getting very involved with the New York Yankees.  He was especially close with "Catfish" Hunter before Catfish's death.  Nick orchestrated a "Catfish Hunter Day" in Hertford NC ("Catfish's" hometown) the week before "Catfish" died.  Baseball people came from around the world.  It must have been a time.

Nick turned over most of his pictures to me to help him organize, scan, and set-up digitally.  I look forward to that project.  Nick and I are going on a road trip to Atlanta to see the Braves play in July. 

Life has a way of coming full circle in so many ways.  It is a joy to once again renew my friendship with Nick, to be able reflect on our youth together, to share our challenges and our accomplishments from full and rich lives, while at the same time, having fun making new memories.   As they say, 'life is good'.