A couple of days ago, I got an e-mail from Harold. He had been sick, but he never told me that. Instead, he started with:
I do check in on LADT quite regularly although I do so for your take rather that follow the comments. You get a lot of base hits and some big flies.
I am pleased with the pictures that indicate you and your family are doing well and are happy. Nothing tops that.
He went on to chat about a few things and then wrote this:
Mark, I would love to live next door to you as I really like your confidence, your rational outlook on the world, your vision, and what you really taught me. That is, MiLB progression is not linear.
However, Jeff would very slightly edge you out as a preferred neighbor as we have so much in common with our personalities and interests. We first connected in 2016 on the Loons championship run. We might even sing, “Kumbaya”. lol
Some of you will get that last line.
I intended to respond to his e-mail today when I was sitting on Waikiki. I intended to visit Nova Sciota as I never met Harold, although we have talked on the phone many times. I should not have put either one off.
Harold Uhlman was the Kindest Best Man Who Walked the Earth for the Past 2,000 Years
Anyone who ever knew him would swear that that truth… and scorn anyone who dared dispute it! Here is his Bio:
Harold Uhlman was born and raised in a small Canadian town in Nova Scotia. He was captured by the voice of Vin Scully and the bat of Duke Snider in 1952 and with a broken heart followed them when they moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles for the 1958 season. His all-time favorite player on the field is still Duke Snider and the player he respects the most is Jackie Robinson. Along with his 70 years as a loyal Dodger fan he has had an unwavering passion for minor league baseball.
I wish I had responded sooner to his e-mail, but I wanted to give it the time it deserved, and COVID-19 prevented me from going to Canada. Harold Uhlman was a man among men and a friend. R.I.P. Harold
Evan Bladh also knew Harold very well for longer than I. Maybe he will have things to add.
Prayers are extended to Harold and his family. R.I.P. Harold Uhlman. You will truly be missed.
I am so sorry to hear about Harolds passing. May he rest in peace and may the Lord comfort his family during this sad time.
Very nice tribute, Mark. Harold will be missed.
Harold was the kind of person who genuinely cared about how you were. You struck up a conversation with him and it was fielded with questions about you and how you were doing. I only had one week to be in his presence.
It was at Camelback Ranch in 2008 or 2009, maybe later. I’m not sure. Ron Cervenka had a message board in operation, his blog had not started and there were probably a dozen regulars that would post there. Harold being one of them. So he flew out to Phoenix from Nova Scotia. A number of participants from Ron’s message board were there as Ron had booked them hotel rooms. At the time he mentioned that he hadn’t been away from Elaine, his wife, for any lengthy period in a great while. All indications were that they were very much in love after probably 50 Years of marriage.
We hit it off quickly. Everyone did. He was shy and a private person, but once he opened up, he was as friendly and kind as anyone I had ever met. He had such a vast knowledge of the Dodger minor league system. We went out to the back fields each morning and watched the young kids. He knew them well, having followed them via internet radio broadcasts and such. He was quite giddy to actually see the kids in person.
The photo you see is of Harold and Tommy Lasorda at Vero Beach back in the mid 80s. He told me the story about that one. He had somehow reached Tommy before travelling by car down to Vero on the phone when he called the spring training site. He mentioned that he was from Nove Scotia and Lasorda, who spent a lot of years in Cananda due to his timewith the Dodger Triple A affiliate Montreal Royals, was eager to meet him. Long story short. They struck up a bit of a friendship and Tommy promised him tickets if/when he arrived in Vero. The photo is of their meeting.
I was present when Harold stood in the queue to speak to Tommy in the autograph line. I’d love to report that they had a joyous reunion. It was anything but. Tommy didn’t remember him and Harold sheepishly walked away with an little autograph. We kidded him about the incredible impression he had left with the Hall of Fame manager. Harold joked that “most of you weren’t even born the last time I spoke to him.” I’m searching for photos of that. I think I might have something.
Over the years as we corresponded on blogs and via emails, the topic was usually Dodger organization issues. He was highly opinionated on certain topics. I remember our only major disagreement was over the brush back pitch and brawls caused by it. Harold staunchly believed it had no place in baseball. He was truly a pacifists to the nth degree.
He didn’t like contention. He left another blog over a disagreement and he never turned back. It wasn’t anything personal, he just didn’t like the arguments and conflict. He became a Dodger fan through the magic of a transistor radio that would pick up the Brooklyn feed in his far off location that was a perfect fit geographically to get the reception. duke Snider was a favorite of his as a young boy and when Duke eventually broadcast in Montreal, that was a perfect fit for him as well. I believe he wrote about that at the ThinkblueLA site.
He started blogging by accident when Ron Cervenka asked him for some material. He provided it and it was so good that Ron encouraged him to write more. It morphed into what we all knew here as DC’s blog articles. He was turned off when politics would enter the fray. Again- he hated conflict.
My last correspondence with Harold was back in March of this year. I sent him a book that I wrote that isn’t baseball related on the life of my great grandfather. He wrote me the following: “I’d be telling you a fib if I said I read all of your book. However, I did read considerable excerpts and certainly got the overall picture….it has taken a place on my bookshelf along with a number of Dodger books. thank you for providing a copy for me…thank you for the inscription in front as I consider you a good friend.”
I’ll miss Harold. He was one kind, sweet man. His faith in God was strong. I won’t go into religion here, but I believe he is at peace. He lived a good life and influenced many.
Lovely post Evan.
Amazing how a love of the Dodgers has brokered so many friendships.
Early start today. Let’s finish with a win, and head into the Post Season with some positive vibes.
Oh no! There’s been too many that past away that I got to appreciate after joining the community Mark started. I remember Harold breaking the news about losing his son not too long back from now and that it brought more than one tear. The kindest people that come to this site that has left us had had extreme tragedy before leaving this world. MJ was a really cool lady that was so loyal to the Dodgers it took me so long to find out she was female and Mark let us know the freak traffic accident fate dealt her. My heart hurts from this news but I thank you for sharing it. Sometimes bad news is supposed to seed in all of us to make us better people. I’m not a great person but I’m working on it.
So sorry to hear about Harold. Wonderful bio Evan and a window into his soul.
I don’t know if Harold enjoyed baseball other then Dodger baseball but if he was he had to enjoy yesterday looking down at the events. RIP Harold.
* I’m happy to see Aaron Judge break the Maris report. Couldn’t happen to a classier individual. No bat flips, no bullsit celebrations with chains and grocery cards. Just a modest great player who I really admire. I was getting fatigued on The Judge Watch so I’m glad it happened with a game to spare.
* David Cone is great and as we watched the replay, Judge’s mom kind of waited, watched and didn’t celebrate initially. Cone said mom gave her son “the silent treatment”. Great line.
* I remember the Maris pursuit as a 10 year old super-fan. 61 years later I’ve lived to see another Yankee break the record. I’m glad I’ve hung around so long.
* Hats off to the Rangers for pitching to Judge and not being little pussies.
* Also couldn’t be happier than to see another classy player, Albert Pujols ,get above 700. Another credit to the game getting his due. Felicidades Tio Albert.
* In the 2nd half the Yankees were floundering with a team OPS of .600, Judges’ was 1200. He carried the club which ended up winning their division. I know Ohtani is a freak and brilliant but my MVP vote goes to the guy who lead his team to 100 wins and a division championship..
Shades of 1941 when Joe D beat out Teddy Ballgame for MVP. Tough call.
* It’s interesting that the Yankees have been in existence since 1903. Last night the singles season strikeout record was broken by Garrett Cole and the homer record set by Judge, in the same inning.
Damn, I love baseball.
* So with all the hoopla in Arlington the Rangers are going nowhere. I have to wonder if Seager has any regrets?
Back to the Dodgers:
The in-game interview with AF was great, extended by the Drone Delay.
What separates this team from last is the ability to know how to have fun and still play with an edge. A team of professional.
That would lead me to think Alberto makes the playoff roster as he adds so much fun and the synergy of the club. I hope he does.
What separates this team from last years is Freddy.
Freddy certainly has added big things and all the little things to make us better. But this bullpen is the deepest I’ve ever seen.
And Trayce, a maturing Lux, Muncy healthy, and the pen
4:20 PM ET
Rockies (68-93)
Dodgers (110-51)
SP Austin Gomber L
5-7 5.62 ERA 121.2 33BB 91K
SP Clayton Kershaw L
11-3 2.30 ERA 121.1IP 22BB 128K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
DH Max Muncy L
3B J. Turner R
2B Gavin Lux L
CF C. Bellinger L
LF Joey Gallo L
Clear-day
1% Rain
85° Wind 8 mph Out
RIP Harold, condolences and prayers to his family. Loved his writing and his in-depth analysis of the players in the system. Never met him, but I would have loved talking to him for an hour or so about baseball. I have met a few of the guys here, BP, Mark, Watford, Patch, Jayne Cobb. We had nice baseball talks and I love talking baseball. We are all contrast in different personalities with one common love, the Dodgers. Congrats to Judge for passing Maris. Quite an accomplishment. I loved the fact that Tio Albert got 700 in LA. The man played his rear end off for the Dodgers last year. Jeff D also did a nice tribute to Harold on his site. Well last day of the season. I would like to see a little life at the top of the lineup as they head into the next 5 days of no games. I would also like to see Kersh get a win.
R.I.P Harold. I didn’t speak to him much here, but from what I read from the people who knew him, he was a great guy. I’m sorry for the loss to the people who knew him.
I wish I had know. Harold. Sorry for your loss.
https://www.sweenyfuneralhome.ca/book-of-memories/5036277/Uhlman-Harold-/index.php
That interview with Gonsolin was great, him talking about his cats. Also good news he’s gonna start in the first round.
I hope trea Turner didn’t revert back to his postseason Slump Just as I was going to post this he homers
In the latest FanGraphs podcast they spoke about how great and unprecedented this year has been for the Dodgers.
They basically won 110 games with a ludicrous amount of adversity:
No Bauer. Limited Buehler. Underperforming former MVP, Bellinger. Underperforming Muncy. Closer stinking.
Everybody should revel in how great this season has been. I know I am/have/will.
With belly getting on track The dodgers may be on to something
Bellinger finished with an average 45 points higher than it was last year. He had a down year it is true, but he had a pretty decent turn around season. He will be even better next season. Plus he is the BEST CF in baseball.
I see McNeill took the chicken shit way to the batting title.
RIP Harold, tuve una pequeña charla con el por este blog y note que era una persona con un trato muy amable y sencillo, lamento mucho su partida de este mundo. Nuestras oraciones estan con el, y una humilde condolencia a sus familias para que encuentren una pronta resignación.
Harold, Vinny and the Big Dodger in the sky are together for this season’s Championship run. Cheers from the Dodger faithful.