Summertime means so many different things to different people: a break from studies at school , lazy days on sandy beaches, fun at family picnics. Growing up in MY family, summer meant ONE thing:BASEBALL!! My family's obsession with America's favorite sport began because of my younger brother, Joe, and his amazing pitching talent. Joe started his "career" in the sport at the ripe old age of 7. Every summer after that, for the next 15 or so years, was spent cheering Joe on in his baseball pursuits. Joe's pitching sent him to college on baseball scholarships and won him an offer to play for the San Diego Padres in the late 70's. My brother, always a humble soul, was afraid he didn't have "the stuff" to be a super star athlete so he chose instead to attend and graduate from law school. He never gave up his love of baseball, though. Nor did my parents. The 3 of them engaged in spirited, friendly rivalry every summer due to my brother's love for the St. Louis Cardinals and my parents' staunch support of the Chicago Cubs. Right up until the summer of 2006, when our beloved dad passed away at the age of 82, my brother and my parents would get together to listen to or watch every Cardinal-Cubs game. High stakes bets - dinners at favorite restaurants :)- and good natured ribbing always accompanied these happy events. Even after my dad's passing, my mom and Joe still looked forward to the summer of 2007 so that they could continue their cherished tradition. To our family's shock and extreme sorrow, Joe passed away very unexpectedly in January of 2007. I don't think anyone, even my mother, had the heart to follow much baseball last season. I welcomed a litter of beautiful fawn and red frenchies on Oct. 4th (my mom's birthday!) and advertised them for sale at the end of that month. Within a few days of posting their ads, I received an email inquiring about the sweet little fawn/black masked girl in the litter. 
The lady interested in her claimed to be Ashley Papelbon, wife of Boston Red Sox pitcher Jonathan Papelbon. "Oh sure" , I thought. In this business you get used to receiving LOTS of inquiries from people trying to pull one scam or another. Since Jonathan Papelbon was all over the news at the time for having thrown the winning pitch of the World Series, I assumed some enterprising soul was trying to use Jonathan's fame to "relieve" me of cash or a puppy :) My curiosity got the better of me, though, so I answered her email and the rest is Coons (my maiden name) family history! Ashley was, indeed, who she claimed to be and a very NICE lady, also. We corresponded until Tootsie (the puppy she fell in love with) was old enough to be shipped to the Papelbon home in Mississippi in time for Christmas. Tootsie joined Ashley, Jonathan and their other sweet little frenchie boy, Boss. The whole experience was just incredible to me! The fact that my pups attracted the attention of celebrities like Ashley and Jonathan was so flattering. The timing of the whole thing (selling a pup to the World Series winning pitcher the season after my "baseball crazy" brother had passed away) made me feel like Joe was smiling down on me :) It was just a very special time in my life,both as a breeder AND as a sister. This season, I have a NEW favorite baseball team! I think even Joe, the die hard Cardinal fan, would approve of my choice. GO RED SOX!!!!
