History of Champions #11

 

John Doucette was born in Brockton on January 21, 1921.  

He was a well known film character actor whom, according to IMDB, appeared in over 260 movies and television programs, with about 60 early appearances being uncredited.

 Among some of the highlights to his long and successful career were roles as an architect in The Fountainhead in 1949 and in the 1970 epic Patton when he played 3rd Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Lucian K. Truscott.  Other notable performances included bit parts in High Noon, The Robe , and the mega-budget Cleopatra.  More familiarly, Doucette appeared in the John Wayne films True Grit, The Sons of Katie Elder, and Big Jake.

 Many saw John Doucette as the bad guy in several episodes of The Lone Ranger.  It was a natural role for him given his rough looks, commanding presence and skill with a gun.  He was considered by many to be the fastest draw in Hollywood. His roles, however, went well beyond that stereotype. He appeared on a variety of television shows, including The Adventures of Kit Carson, The Cisco Kid, City Detective, The Joseph Cotten Show, My Friend Flicka, Sheriff of Cochise, Bonanza, Tombstone Territory (as Apache Chief Geronimo), Kung Fu, The Rat Patrol, Hogan’s Heroes, Lock-Up, Superman, Science Fiction Theater and Disneyland.

Brockton native John Doucette’s page at IMDB.com:  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0234732/

Surfing The Web

Police: Brockton brothers hid heroin in buttocks

Arrests come after lengthy investigation

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By Mya Papadopoos

ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER

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BROCKTON —

Police who nabbed a Torrey Street family on drug charges say they found two brothers hiding heroin in their buttocks.

“That’s actually not uncommon,” Sgt. Richard Gripper said Sunday. “It’s just to deter detection. That’s why it’s done, though it is always the first place I look for anything.  It seems we do plenty of these searches.  I guess you could say we’re up to our elbows.”

Loose rice — which police say is often used by drug dealers to absorb the scent of buttocks to throw off police dogs — was also found among the plastic bags in one man’s buttocks along with two calculator watches, a box of matches, a steak knife, a bowling pin and noted broadway actor Nathan Lane, Gripper reported.

Post Card Comic Strip #6

Nighthawks on Centre Street

Surfing the Web

Today at www.enterprisenews.com there were a few articles about condom availability at Stonehill College.  There were some great comments by some our local voices…

The Brockton Enterprise March 5, 2009

History of Champions #10

Steve Balboni, Brockton native

Stephen Charles Balboni or ‘Bye-Bye’ Balboni was born in Brockton, Massachusetts on January 16, 1957 and was a professional baseball player from 1979 to 1993.

 

In a total of nine seasons in the minor leagues, he hit 239 home runs and drove in 772 runs. He also struck out 930 times. His career minor league batting average was .261.  He won the Most Valuable Player award in 1979 with the Fort Lauderdale Yankees of the Florida State League and in 1980 for the Nashville Sounds of the Southern League.

 

Balboni his league in home runs six different seasons, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1992 and 1993.  He led the league in Runs Batted In 4 times, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1992.  He led the league in strikeouts in 2 seasons, 1979 and 1981.

 

 Bye-Bye Balboni made it to the big leagues with the New York Yankees in 1981.  He went on to play in the big leagues through 1990 with a short comeback in 1993.  He played for the Yankees from 1981 to 1983 and then in 1989 and 1990.  He was the starting first baseman for the Kansas City Royals from 1984 to mid-1988, when they traded him to the Seattle Mariners.  He only played in Seattle until the end of the ‘88 season.

 

 In parts of 11 Major League seasons, Steve hit 181 home runs and had 495 RBI.  He also struck out 856 times.  His career batting average was .229.  In 1985, he led the American League with 166 strikeouts.  He also set the single season home run mark for the Royals with 36 – which still stands today!

 

 1985 turned out to be his best season for many reasons.  He had career highs in games played (160), at bats (600), hits (146), runs (74), doubles (28), triples (2), homers (36) and runs batted in (88-tied in 1989).  He led all American League first basemen with 1686 total chances and 1573 putouts in 1985.  He also was the starting first baseman in the 1985 World Series. Steve batted .320 with 3 RBIs in the Series and helped lead the Royals over the cross-state St. Louis Cardinals, four games to three.  He also demonstrated good glove work in the field, something he was not known for during his career.

 

 

Bye-Bye Balboni’s major league clubs:

 

 New York Yankees (1981-1983)

Kansas City Royals (1984-1988)

Seattle Mariners (1988)

New York Yankees (1989-1990)

Texas Rangers (1993)

 

Post Card Comic Strip #5

Perry's Case. Exhibit A.

Perry Angelo Rudolpho was a shoe buyer from the midwest whom came to Brockton in 1904 and romped around the city with a girl named Smith.

When his wife later threw Perry out of the house for suspected infidelities, Perry sent her this postcard as an attempt to explain his whereabouts.  When that didn’t work he bought a whole stack of picture-postcards and sent them to her one-by-one claiming to be either just outside the shot or the blurred man you can’t quite get a make on.

Finally Bertha Rudolpho, Perry’s wife, sent him back a postcard of a Saint Bernard wearing a miniature whiskey barrel around his neck.  Perry was so excited that his wife had finally reached out to him.  Then he flipped the postcard over.  It read:  “Y-O-U!”

Surfing the Web

Brockton Conversations on FaceBook:

                                                    Vince Offer and the amazing ShamWow!

Announcement: We’re back!

Hello Campello!!!

We will once again be updating Brockton Tip to Bush with new stories, postcard comic strips, Westgate Cinema Hall of Fame inductees and more!  We are extremely happy that people have been checking in with the site in our absense. 

Look forward!  The fog is broken! The morning pigeons are on the nighttime crumbs!  Hello Campello!!!

Ah, Sweet Against Mine Eyes

Coming up Perkins near the train bridge and Clinton Street, is apart of the city where the old buildings speak of Brockton’s proud past with the best possible story to tell…  a firsthand chronicle.  These are the very roads my great-great-grandfather gazed over.  Where my grandfather knew every inch.  These great places I have romanticized past all conceivable fault. 

Westgate Cinema Centre Hall of Fame #5

The next inductee into the Westgate Cinema Centre Hall of Fame is

Howard Stern’s Private Parts 

Follow the link to see the trailer…

visit videodetective.com for more info