Mendon John Price
It was sad to see that Mendon John Price had passed away.
He was the wheelchair bound street musician that many of you saw outside of the Lookouts games and the Tivoli events. He would be playing his harmonica.
He once was cited in front of me for panhandling and blocking traffic on the street or sidewalk down where the Lookouts play.
Fortunately for him, he came in front of a judge who likes street musicians. I usually give them something monetarily for their musical performance.
I remember this was when Mendon had been down at the Lookouts and it was at the end of the game when he got charged.
When he came in front of me I asked him what kind of music he was playing. He said, "Rock and roll." I told him Lookout fans would want to be hearing Take Me Out to the Ballgame. He said he didn't know that. I told him to just not block the street or sidewalk and he could play his music but he really needed to be playing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
Sometime after that when I was at a game, I saw him on the street. As I was coming out of the ballpark I walked up and asked him to play it. He said, "Play what?" I said, "Play Take Me Out to Ballgame." I said, "I asked you to learn it, did you learn it? He said, "Oh yeah!" I said, "Well let me hear it." He said, "How does it start?" I said, "You don't know it but you better know it next time I come by here." Next time I walked up to him and he started his version of Take Me Out to the Ballgame. I told him that it was great.
After that every time I would leave the game he would yell, "Hey, judge" and he would start playing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
I hope his family is well and I hope Mendon is at peace. Every time I hear Take Me Out to the Ballgame I think of Mendon. I hope I hear it soon again at a Lookouts game.
Russell Bean