Considering what just happened at Fort Hood in Texas, an upcoming Arcadia appearance by Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist and noted author Ira Berkow is very timely.
Berkow, who spent 24 years at the New York Times, will talk about his latest book, “The Corporal Was a Pitcher: The Courage of Lou Brissie,” on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Shaarei Torah Campus, 550 S. Second Ave. Brissie, 85, was a World War II hero who went on to pitch in the major leagues despite suffering a catastrophic leg injury in battle.
In 1994, Berkow wrote a column for the Times about Brissie getting shot up on a snowy day in Italy 50 years earlier. “I had always remembered Lou’s story from my days in college when Red Smith had written a column about this World War II veteran trying to make the Philadelphia Athletics with a shattered leg,” Berkow recently told MLB.com.
After Berkow’s column ran, the two stayed in touch and eventually agreed it was time to tell the story of this amazing war hero. The author’s appearance in Arcadia is part of a 10-event Jewish Book Festival.
Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Veterans, active military personnel and reservists will be admitted free. For further information, contact the Jewish Federation at 626 332-0700. E-mail address is federation@sgpv.org.
— By Larry Stewart