[StBernard] Prayers for Kim Duplantier's family

[Westley Annis]

John, 
I love that story.  Thank you so much.  It has been a very difficult week.
Yesterday, we had a lot of memories recalled from so many peopleand a lot of
smiles to go along with them.  I will share your story with everyone.
Thanks again.
Kim 
principal at lynnoaks.com


-----Original Message-----
I wanted to be sure it was the same Lenny Reyes I knew - unfortunately it
is.  I mentored Lenny into high school baseball.  For most of the 90's I was
the chief instructor for the umpiring school for the Veterans Umpires
Association.  When it was felt an umpire working small schools could be
ready to move up to higher classification baseball (Catholic Prep district)
or college, they were usually paired with me.

I can remember when Eddie Cordilla and later Jim Boudreaux, the assigning
secretarys for the organization back then, first asked me to take on Lenny.
Like most umpires moving up to work bigger games, like Holy Cross, Jesuit,
Rummel and the like, Lenny was nervous.  I won't go into all the details but
I remember Barry Hebert, then coach of Brother Martin, looking to me during
Lenny's first big game saying "John you've gotta go tell Lenny a ball
passing above the neck is not a strike" - and it was the Crusaders who were
in the field.  I told Barry not to be too harsh, in my first 5A game I was
calling pitches stike that bounced off the plate.  But Lenny eventually
calmed down and got the hang of it.  I recall it was a hot day in June and
during a Second District Legion game at Kirsch-Rooney Park on Delgado's
campus.

Lenny and I went on to work dozens of games over the years and would call me
all the time with baseball rules questions since that was my area of
expertise.  He was always good natured and could laugh at himself.  And like
any good umpire, knew when he bad game, could admit it and shrugg it off.

We became good friends and enjoyed working together.  Though we had not
spoken to one another since just prior to Katrina, I thought he was doing
well and was very upset to learn of his passing.  I'll always remember Lenny
fondly, especially when I'm at the ballpark.

John Scurich