MORE TALES FROM OZ(ZIE)

Ozzie Jacoby was undoubtedly one of the most colorful and fascinating individuals to ever grace the game.  He was adept in so many areas.   I often recall  him whizzing through the Sunday New York Times Crossword Puzzle — ‘working it’  horizontally (using the Across clues) without necessitating reference to the Down column.   Absolutely awesome — but ego-deflating to the gallery.

He had a lightning fast mind and a terrific sense of humor — although not appreciated by everyone.  Bobby recalls an incident which occurred when Ozzie had taken him under his wing in the role of mentor.  Apparently, Bobby made an ill-fated play and tried to justify it by saying, “I had a reason for it…”   Ozzie cut him off, stating,”If you didn’t have a reason for it, you would be in a mental institution.”  In retrospect (some fifty years later), Bobby laughs about it — but didn’t find it so humorous as an ambitious young fledgling.

Bobby reminded me of another Ozzie tale when he received a midnight call arousing him from a deep sleep.  Apparently, he had been dreaming about the battles of the Pacific during World War II.   The voice on the other end jubilantly proclaimed, “We are advancing on the Solomons!”  Not being fully awake, Bobby immediately attributed it to the portion of the war involving the Solomon Islands.   However, it was merely Ozzie reporting in that he and his wife Mary Zita had just won a big event and now were only a total of 100 master points behind the leading Mixed Pair in the country — Peggy and Charlie Solomon.  So much for history!

I often reflect on another late night call — this one from Texas.  It was Ozzie inviting Norman to journey to Washington, D.C. the following Sunday evening to form a team with him and his son Jimmy, and to bring his local partner, expert Bobby Jordan.   Norman knew Jordan was not available but before he had a chance to suggest someone else, Ozzie blew him off, instructing “If you can’t — just get someone good” and in his usual blustery manner, impatiently slammed down the receiver.

On the appointed Sunday, Ozzie appeared in the lobby of the Shoreham Hotel and asked Norman the name of his recruit.  Norman proudly replied, “Ozzie, I want you to meet Bobby Goldman — to which he screamed loud enough to be heard by sightseers at the Washington Monument  …. “BOBBY WHO?????????”  Bobby had just been christened!   That endearing reference became associated with Goldman’s first audience before The Wizard of Oz — and from that moment on he was known as Bobby Who.   Though young and new on the scene, Norman had immediately recognized him as a star in the making.   Norman was an amazingly good judge of talent as Bobby Goldman went on to become a Dallas Ace, the team’s computer program guru for hand analyses and practice regimens and won a couple of world championships, to boot.

P. S.  Ozzie and Company did triumph in Washington as well.