A Story From the Tailgate Trail

In a time a long way in the rear view mirror, when I was getting out of college, getting married and starting a career in Thoroughbred Racing at Jefferson Downs, I purchased a Grandstand Box at Fair Grounds.  We ended up in a box at the 1/16th Pole, next to Gary Palmisano (who became a good friend and our horse trainer).  The Box behind us was inhabited by Coach Lou “Rags” Scheuermann and with some regularity his son Joe.

Rags was easily recognizable, a thick shock of white hair, red fair completion and a raspy voice which regularly delivered pearls of wisdom to the crowed at large or whomever the barb was delivered to.  Most of the time if Joe was available, he was the receiver.  Rags was a legendary Baseball Coach in New Orleans and was beginning to settle into his role as Athletic Director at Delgado Junior College.  Joe was moving into his new role as Baseball Coach at Delgado, succeeding his dad.  Both were regular and passionate handicappers.

One of Joe’s signature betting strategies was to bet two horse combination bets one way to save his bankroll.  Inevitably the horses would run in the reverse order.  When he would show the tickets to Rags, he would get an “OK Rockefeller!”  This would usually start a verbal joust running the rest of the day, which at some point would end with the classic Rags, “You damn stupid boy!”  By then everyone in ear shot was usually in tears from laughing at the show.

Enough days have passed since those times for Joe to have won 1,000 games as a Baseball Coach last night and long ago succeeded Rags as Athletic Director at Delgado.  Late this Spring Joe will be inducted into the Baseball Junior College Hall of Fame.

Back several years ago when Tailgate Tigers was getting started we were trying to get in some meaningful cooks to hone our skills.  I called on Joe and ask if they had post game meals planned for all of the team’s home games.  I suggested we would like to feed the team after a game if he had an opening.  He thought the players might enjoy a change from the regular post game Pizza meal to Jambalaya and Pulled Pork from a Whole Hog cook.

 We had fun feeding the kids and being part of the atmosphere at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium with all of the Scheuermann family. There are certain people and places in New Orleans making it the special place to call home that it is. These folks make New Orleans a better place. Congratulations Joe for a stellar career and the milestone of 1,000 wins.

BGK