Popeye is strong to the finish

You remember the old cartoon. "I'm strong to the finish, 'cause I eats me spinach. I'm Popeye the Sailor Man." I don't know if Dick 'Popeye' Drury was ever a sailor or if he even likes spinach. I do know that he is an excellent softball coach and the parents and kids at Mary, Mother of the Church (MMOC) in South St. Louis County are fortunate to have him. The Sportsmanship Brigade was on-hand Friday evening for a 6th grade game between the aforementioned MMOC and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. We found seats next to an older couple who were very quick to let us know we had arrived in the right place for sportsmanship. They are the grandparents of one of the MMOC players.

Grandma said, "You have to look at our Popeye. He's an outstanding coach." When we asked who Popeye was, she told us to look for the guy wearing the Popeye t-shirt. Of course...why didn't we think of that? Popeye had on a green t-shirt with his namesake cartoon character on the front, jean shorts and socks with sandals. His gruff exterior is a mere facade. Popeye's a softy for his team. He taught, corrected and cheered on every play for seven innings. Some coaches say they're with you, but Popeye was with his girls every step of the way. During a particularly rough inning in which St. Margaret Mary scored quite a bit, Popeye made an interesting offer to his team. He yelled, "I've got a Tootsie Roll for whoever gets the third out."

Sure enough, MMOC recorded the third out on the very next play. The player who made the catch ran over to Popeye who greeted her with a hug and a Tootsie Roll. A simple nod between Brigade members confirmed that no matter what else we saw, one award had Popeye's name on it. Our attention then turned to Coach Doug Mohesky of St. Margaret Mary. His team is very well coached and his attitude sets a great example for any coach or parent. You would've thought St. Margaret Mary had won the league championship after every inning. Mohesky met his players at the edge of the dugout every time they came off the field and gave them hi-fives and words of encouragement. He is a tremendous coach and certainly worthy of recognition from the Brigade.

Just when we thought our night was done, an 'Ally Cat' ran across our path. No, not a real alley cat, but Alyssa from MMOC. Her batting helmet reads 'Ally Cat' across the front. It's often said that players take on the personality of their coaches. There's no doubt this young lady is a Popeye disciple. When she wasn't clapping and cheering from her post at first base, she lead group cheers for her teammates from the bench. You definitely want to run into this 'Ally Cat' on the field. The Brigade decided to go into the prize vault for the third time and give that award to Alyssa. Incidentally, Alyssa's grandparents are the people who directed our attention toward Popeye in the first place. Funny how things come full-circle...even on a diamond.

From L-R: Popeye, Ally Cat and Coach Mohesky

The Sportsmanship Brigade is a group of Sports Commission volunteers who attend youth sporting events looking for acts of good sportsmanship. Athletes, coaches, parents, fans and officials who exhibit good sportsmanship are rewarded with a certificate of recognition and a gift card to a local business. For more on the Brigade, including scheduling and volunteering information, please visit sportsmanship.org or call 314-345-5130. Until next time...


Be a Good Sport!

-Sol