Konstruktivno udruzivanje Hrvatskih prirodoznanstvenika

Constructive Networking of Croatian Scientists (text below)

U Hrvatskoj naizgled postoji sve sto nam treba za uspjeh nacije: obrazovni sustav, (visoko-)skolski programi, instituti, centri za transfer tehnologije, izvjesca privredne komore koja javljaju da su nasi inovatori vrlo uspjesni.(vidihttp://www.hgk.hr/komora/hrv/PRESS/PRIOPCENJA/arhiva/2003/11/2711-6.htm  )

Medjutim, na internet stranici Centra za Transfer Tehnologije (CTT: http://www.ctt.hr/obrazovanje.asp ) vidimo realnost: '' Prema posljednjim izvjestajima Zavoda za statistiku tek nesto preko sedam posto stanovnistva ima visoku naobrazbu, visu svega oko cetiri posto, srednju naobrazbu ima oko 45 posto, a 40-ak posto stanovnistva nizu. U danasnje vrijeme to su vrlo losi pokazatelji,
pogotovo gledajuçi sa stajalista razvijenih zemalja i visokih tehnologija. CTT neprekidno naglasava da Hrvatska gubi intelektualne/radne resurse i sve cesce nedostaju strucnjaci. Iz tog razloga, CTT posvecuje veliku paznju upravo obrazovanju, kao jednoj od primarnih potreba RH.''

Dakle, jasno je da objektivno vrlo malen broj znanstvenika, te opcenito, visoko strucnih osoba, ne moze preko noci promjeniti sveopcu situaciju nacije, pa sam vec ranije u brojnim izvjescima napisao (http://www.hkz-kkv.ch/pavuna.php ) da smatram da je red da se u katolickoj zemlji Crkva pobrine da ipak bas nemamo gladnih, a da Vlada djeluje na poboljsanju opce socijalne situacije u zemlji.

Ono sto mi znanstvenici, nasi inzenjeri-inovatori, te poduzetni tehnolozi, mozemo uciniti jest da u svjetskoj ekonomiji znanja, inicijativa i strateskih udruzivanja 21-og stoljeca pokusamo svi zajedno poboljsati barem utjecaj i uspjesnost tog visoko-obrazovanog dijela nacije. U principu, to je ono sto i MZOS i Poslovno-inovacijski centar BICRO vide u svojoj viziji (
http://www.mzos.hr/default.asp?jezik=&ru=177&sid= ).

No, ravnatelj Instituta Rudjer Boskovic-a, dr. Stjepan Marcelja, biofizicar s dugogodisnjim iskustvom u svjetskim institucijama, jasno upozorava na svojoj web stranici http://www.director.irb.hr/inovacije.htm   : ''Ceka nas jos mnogo posla da bismo sva vazna pravila dotjerali tako da znanost postane cvrsto integrirani dio uspjesnog nacionalnog inovacijskog sustava.''

Dakle, Hrvatska ocito ima i brojne organizacijske probleme tzv. tranzicijskih zemalja, no, poput Irske ili Izraela mi takodjer imamo specificnost da velik broj nasih strucnjaka zivi i djeluje posvuda u svijetu, te svi imamo volju da pomognemo da se taj proces tranzicije ubrza.

Buduci sam vec godinama redovno povezan s brojnim strucnjacima dragovoljcima ( vidi : http://www.hssd.hr/odbori/znanost.htm )
smatram da uz bolju organizaciju, te strateskim povezivanjem znalaca, uz mudru orijentaciju na mlade talente, Hrvatska bi vec u jednoj generaciji (npr. do 2025.) mogla ostvariti jacu znanstveno-tehnolosku bazu, pa nadajmo se i bar 2-3 visoko uspjesne, svjetski relevantne tvrtke, poput Nokia-e, Ikea-e ili Nestle-a (http://www.hkz-kkv.ch/pavuna.php ). Nasu buducnost cine kultura
biotehnologije i ekoturizam, nova znanja u gospodarstvu te stvaranje velikih dohodaka s malo znalaca ('Microsoft' nema ni 300.000 zaposlenih) u najljepsoj i zadnjoj cistoj zemlji u Europi! Evo, na taj nacin mi u inozemstvu pojednostavljeno vidimo Hrvatsku. I naglasavam, takva ce Hrvatska i biti jer bi u suprotnome mogla nestati, izmanipulirana najgorom vrstom tzv. eurokapitalista. Uz to
svakako je nuzno pojacati ulogu Splita i juzne Hrvatske, jer je jos uvijek skoro 99% znanosti koncentrirano u Zagrebu; no, naravno i ostale centre cemo podrzati.

Da bismo to postigli nuzna nam je medijska pomoc hrvatske televizije da bi se u naciji sustavno pojacala svijest da i mi imamo nase vrhunske 'Janice' u znanosti i tehnologiji : postoje brojni primjeri uspjeha nasih mladih, a samopouzdanje nacije je bit nase buducnosti
(http://www.fokus-tjednik.hr/vijest_arhiva.asp?vijest=1737&izdanje=78 ).

Cesto mozemo koristiti uspjesne primjere iz Irske, Izraela, Svicarske ... kako se mlade ljude planski stimulira i kako im se zrelom infrastrukturom pomaze u inovaciji i integraciji u svjetski znanstveno-tehnoloski sustav (vidi npr. http://www.startupcafe.ch/ i http://cdm.epfl.ch/homepage.php ). Postoje uspjesna rijesenja kako se smanjuje odlijev mozgova, a mnogi mladi bi se lakse odlucili
ostati u Hrvatskoj (ili vratiti se nakon specijalizacije) ako im pomognemo u rijesavanju stambenog pitanja. Za nase dokazane vrhunske strucnjake koje zelimo vracati iz inozemstva takodjer postoje brojna rijesenja, ali je svima bitno da cijela vizija i strategija post-tranzicijskog drustva znanja bude jednom zauvijek prihvacena na najvisem nacionalnom nivou; u suprotnom, odlijev mozgova ce se nastaviti.

Rijetko cemo samo 'suhim' znanjem i pokusajima iz Hrvatske uspjeti u bilo kojoj svjetski relevantnoj aktivnosti. Zato moramo napokon postaviti i nasu globalnu infrastrukturu te imati nase ljude i prijatelje u tzv. centrima moci i odlucivanja: u filmskoj industriji to je npr. Hollywood, dok u znanosti to moze biti npr. Harvard, u tehnologiji Stanford ... a u financijskoj podrsci projektima Europske
Unije to je svakako Bruxelles ...

Planirajmo i stvaranje nase 'krovne' tvrtke 'Croatia-Tech' koja ce nacionalne proizvode i inovacije uspjesno predstavljati u New Yorku, u Parizu ili Hong Kongu ... sve to, a i jos puno vise su vec ostvarili npr. Izraelci, a i drugi narodi, pa iskoristimo i poklonimo naciji sva ta brojna korisna iskustva jer nas ima stvarno posvuda po svijetu.

Pritom cuvajmo zajednistvo jer mi znanstvenici nismo korumpirani, te imamo i razvijenu kulturu strucnog (ne)slaganja, pa pokusajmo (p)ostati nacionalni primjer. Vazno je da mudrom strategijom izbjegnemo polarizaciju izmedju 'siromasnih' domacih i 'privilegiranih'
inozemnih hrvatskih strucnjaka, te u nasim buducim susretima ponudimo, te realiziramo jednu uspjesnu viziju i strategiju koju Lijepa Nasa, nakon brojnih stoljeca patnje, svakako zasluzuje.
 

Davor Pavuna, co-chair
http://dubrovnik2004.epfl.ch

Institute of Physics of Complex Matter
Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)
EPFL SB-IPMC-LPRX
Bât. PH D3 304 Station 3
CH-1015 Lausanne, EPFL - Switzerland
Mobitel: +4179 2404127
Voice: + 41 21 693 3301 (direct)
Voice: + 41 21 693 4475 / 3374 (secretaries)
Fax: + 41 21 693 4666
Email: davor.pavuna@epfl.ch
Web page: http://pavuna.epfl.ch

Constructive Networking of Croatian Scientists

Davor Pavuna
davor.pavuna@epfl.ch
Institute of Physics of Complex Matter
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)
CH-1015 Lausanne, EPFL - Switzerland
http://pavuna.epfl.ch

At a first sight Croatia has everything that the nation requires to perform successfully: a functional education system, advanced
university programs, numerous institutes, centers for the technology transfers Š and even the chamber of commerce reports that Croatian inventors are very successful.
(see :http://www.hgk.hr/komora/hrv/PRESS/PRIOPCENJA/arhiva/2003/11/2711-6.htm  )

However, the Center for the Technology Transfer (CTT: http://www.ctt.hr/obrazovanje.asp ) warns us of the daily reality: ''According to the National Bureau for Statistics only little over 7% of Croatian citizens has university education, higher education
some 4%, secondary school education 45% and 40% only the basic education. In the present age these are rather discouraging facts from the point of view of highly technologically developed countries. Therefore the CTT emphasizes that Croatia looses intellectual and working resourses and often lacks experts. Hence CTT pays great attention to education of badly needed experts.''

Evidently, a rather small number of scientists (few thousand at best), and other top professionals cannot overnight change the overall situation of the nation. As I wrote in several previous reports (http://www.hkz-kkv.ch/pavuna.php ) in a poor catholic nation it is the church that should help genuinely starving fraction of the population, while the government should take great care that the overall social situation gradually improves.

What we scientists, our engineers-innovators, as well as enterpreneur-technologists can hope to achieve is that in the global knowledge economy, we join our forces and know-how and try to influence and improve the performance of the highest educated section of the society. In principle, that is what the science ministry MZOS and the innovation-managment center BICRO also
propose ( http://www.mzos.hr/default.asp?jezik=&ru=177&sid= ).

However, the director of the Institute Rudjer Boskovic, dr. Stjepan Marcelja, a biophysicist with long experience in scientific institutions worldwide, warns us at his web page ( http://www.director.irb.hr/inovacije.htm ) : ''We still have a lot of work to do until all the requirements are met and the science becomes truly an integral part of a successful national system of innovation.''

Namely, Croatia still has numerous organisational problems of the transitional society, yet like Ireland or Israel we also have numerous successful professionals who live and work abroad and who are willing to help speed up this (painfull) transitional process.

Over the years I was in touch with numerous such Croatian professionals worldwide ( see : http://www.hssd.hr/odbori/znanost.htm).
Therefore, I firmly believe that with better organisation, and strategic networking of all these professionals worldwide (and with a clear orientation toward young talents) Croatia can already within one generation (by about 2025.) realize much stronger scientific-technological base and even generate 2-3 very successful, globally relevant, companies like Nokia, Ikea or Nestle (http://www.hkz-kkv.ch/pavuna.php). Our future belongs to the wise implementation of biotechnology and ecotourism, and in creating few large businesses with relatively few knowledge workers ('Microsoft' has less than 300.000 employees) in the most beautiful and the last clean European country. This is our simplified view of Croatia from abroad. Still, I emphasize that this better be the future of Croatia; otherwise our motherland may even dissapear manipulated by some aggressive eurocapitalists. Moreover, in science and technology we also have to strengthen the role of Split and southern Croatia, as nearly 99% of Croatian science is still concentrated in Zagreb; evidently other centers should also be wisely supported.

In order to achieve all the above we require help from the media, especially HTV : we have to systematically increase the awareness
that we also have our 'Janicas' in science and technology . There are numerous examples of successes of our young people, and the confidence of the nation is vital for our successful future (see :
http://www.fokus-tjednik.hr/vijest_arhiva.asp?vijest=1737&izdanje=78 ).

Often we can use successful examples from Ireland, Israel or Switzerland on how does one stimulate the young people and how the optimal infrastructure helps them innovate and get fast integrated into the overall scientific and technological system (see for example : http://www.startupcafe.ch/ & http://cdm.epfl.ch/homepage.php ). There exist successful solutions on how to diminish the brain drain ; many young people would stay in Croatia (or would return after the specialization abroad) if we help them with their lodging and reintegration. As to our renowned top professionals (that we would like to bring back to Croatia) there exist also numerous viable solutions, yet the first prerequisite for all of them is that the whole strategy of the post-transitional knowledge society becomes finally accepted at the highest national level; otherwise, brain drain and the general apathy will continue.

Rarely can we succeed in any globally relevant activity simply by using 'dry' knowledge only. That's why we have to create our global infrastructure and have our own people and friends in all key centers of power and decision making. In the movie industry it's Hollywood, yet in science it could be Harvard, for technology Stanford Š and for the funding schemes of the European Union it's
Bruxelles.

Let's also plan the creation of our global company 'Croatia-Tech' that will systematically represent and sell our products in New York, Paris or Hong Kong Š all that and much more has been realized by Israelis, and several other small nations, so we that's why we should also integrate our know-how and optimize our network with our professionals worldwide.

While implementing the whole vision we should treasure our unity ; at the end of the day we, scientists, are not corrupted, and we have a rather sophisticated and well established culture of (dis)agreements. So, let's try to remain / become an example to the whole nation. It is also important to avoid the polarisation between our 'poor' scientists within Croatia proper and the 'priviledged' Croatian experts who come from abroad. Let's join forces in our future meetings and constructive actions to realize this whole postive vision that our motherland Croatia, after numerous century of (colonial) suffering, clearly deserves.

http://www.hssd.hr/odbori/znanost.htm 
http://www.hkz-kkv.ch/pavuna.php 
http://www.mzos.hr/pkhz
 
Best for now,

Tvoj, Davor

davor.pavuna@epfl.ch
 

"Freedom from Despair," the acclaimed documentary by Brenda Brkusic is playing in New York, Chicago, San Pedro and Windsor
 

Please mark the following fundraiser screenings on your calendar and please donate what you can to help the film: (please note new location for San Pedro)

NEW YORK
Sunday, November 21, 2004 at 1:30pm (after mass)
St. Raphael's Parish Center
W41 St. (bt 10/11 Ave), New York
NY Contact: Nick Krasnic
917-545-7329
CinemaDeArte@aol.com 
(after the Parish screening we will meet up again later in the evening for another Freedom From Despair screening at a local NY film festival. For more information about that screening please visitwww.nyfilmvideo.com )

CHICAGO
Sunday, November 28, 2004 at 6:00pm
Croatian Cultural Center of Chicago
2845 W Devon Ave Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Contact: Mijo Vodopic
mvodopic@hotmail.com 
with sepcial guest -Croatian Consule General, Zorica Matkov

SAN PEDRO
Sunday, December 5, 2004 at 3:00pm (after mass)
Croatian American Hall
631 West 9th Street San Pedro, California
San Pedro Contacts: Milan Vukovic and Jeff Bacic
milanvukovic@msn.com  andjbacic1@yahoo.com 
A prominent TV station will be there covering the San Pedro event to finish a story about the community coming together to support Brenda and her film! It is important to have a full audience for the press. We had 300 people in LA and we would like to match that number in San Pedro on December 5. With sepcial guests - famous actors from the film.

WINDSOR
Sunday, Decemer 12, 2004 (after mass)
St Francis of Assisi Church
1701 Turner Road Windsor, Ontario
Windsor Contact: Sonny Kekelj
skekelj@cogeco.ca 
This screening is in conjunction with the Parish's annual appreciation lunch!

A very special thank you to Tom Rinear for sponsoring Brenda Brkusic's flight from Los Angeles to Chicago so that she will be able to attend the Chicago film screening! And a very special thank you to Michael Kustra and family for offering to host Brenda Brkusic in their home during the New York screening.

A note from Milan Vukovic:
This highly acclaimed film is truly the story of all Croatians and the Croatian National Association (Udruga) is proud to sponsor the showing of this film with the generous support of volunteers in each city . You will also be able to meet and speak to Brenda Brkusic in person in NY, Chicago and San Pedro. This is a fundraiser for Brenda to be able to continue promoting the film. If you think as highly of this film as we do your tax deductible donation will be gratefully accepted after the screening. If you can not make it to one of these screenings, please visit the film's website www.freedomfromdespair.com  for more information on how to donate to the film.

Please remember, if we support each other's events, not only will they be more profitable, they'll also be more fun! Zivili!!!

Milan Vukovic
President, Croatian National Association

A note from Brenda Brkusic:
I want to sincerely thank everyone for their continued support and encouragement as I work to get Freedom From Despair shown in the American mainstream media. Your attendance at this screening and your donations will be crucial in gaining the support needed to go further with promoting the film and will mean so much to me and to all the people who told their life stories in the film. In two years, working 20 hours a day with little funds, I tried to make a film that all would be proud of - a film that tells the Croatian story in an easy to understand, professional and entertaining format. The film festival acceptances, the awards won, and the great newspaper reviews have been a blessing. Croatians have laughed and cried while seeing their own stories represented on the screen - the film is a rollercoaster of emotions that I know everyone will relate to in some way. I am ecstatic to share the film with you and ask for your support in making this journey a success. I continue to apply to film festivals and seek distribution every day. I need you help. I look forward to meeting all of you.

With much love and respect,

Brenda Brkusic
Filmmaker, Freedom From Despair

FREEDOM FROM DESPAIR - starring Michael York, John Savage, Beata Pozniak and Dennis Kucinich. Music by Nenad Bach.

PRESS RELEASE: LA showings of "Freedom from Despair" a Success
http://www.CroatianWorld.net/CROWNframes.htm?/Letters/4765.htm 

Hrvatsko Slovo Newspaper review of the film:
http://www.croatianworld.net/CROWNframes.htm?http://www.croatia.org/crown/oldphotos/4653.htm 

Kodak review of the film:
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/students/beat/aug2004/aug_04_chapman2.jhtml?id=0.1.4.5.4.8&lc=en 


VIEWER QUOTES!
“Freedom from Despair is a powerful, moving film, documenting a much neglected piece of modern history - Croatia’s struggle for independence from the repression of Tito’s Yugoslavia and the brutality of the Balkan War. Brenda Brkusic has created a memorable portrait of a people, a culture, and one man’s hard-fought journey to freedom.â€?
-David S. Ward, Academy Award Winning Filmmaker

“Brenda Brkusic has a very inspired directorial approach, and she achieved dramatic tension and rhythm, which even after one and one half hours time does not leave the viewer unmoved. Not only did she master her film profession, it is also obvious that she is a very gifted young film director, as she as a 23-year old made a mature and serious film for which even older colleagues in this domain could be envious.â€?
-Hrvatsko Slovo Newspaper

"In a time when there are a lot of films made about nothing, Freedom from Despair is a film about something very important. It is a film that shows us that there are still things in this world that are worthy of our tears. Some films feel as if they have to be made, and this is one."
-Lewis Chesler, Juror, 2004 Dubrovnik International Film Festival

“Brenda Brkusic, American film producer of Croatian descent, is one of these authors we have been waiting for: young, gifted and brave. Brenda presented this tale without exaggeration, honestly and sincerely, with the author's courage which is imposing, but which is also without any ideology and propaganda. She gave through her personal dimension a very vivid presentation of a totalitarian time, the darkest sides of a system which mercilessly trampled human rights.â€?
-Hrvatsko Slovo Newspaper

“It cannot be denied that the young director, screenwriter and producer took pains to make a quality presentation.â€?
-Vecernji List Newspaper

"Congratulations on a magnificent film! Everyone coming to Croatia should see it. And now Iraq. You're effort has world relevence. We must not be so passive. As for the skill, the careful crafting, the checking, the sheer hard work involved....BRAVO! This is my first visit to Croatia but not my last. Like too many people, I never really knew where it was or what happened here. Now, thanks to you, I know exactly - and I will spread the word. It will always be a place in my heart. May you make many more meaningful films. Thank you for caring and sharing.�
-Emily, South Africa

“Freedom from Despair is the epitome of an independent film, a labor of love.â€?
-Pete Weitzner, PBS Producer

“Freedom from Despair is an extraordinary, thoroughly engrossing, accomplished and very moving film.â€?
-Michael York, Actor

“Brenda, this film is important for the world. You’re work is admired by me, as is your personality. You’re a wonderful woman. God bless you.â€?
-John Savage, Actor

“WOW! We both loved it. You have a great understanding of the audience's mental state, where we are, what we're thinking, wondering, hoping for, and your film goes in directions easy to follow, inspiring, peaceful, and tragic. I loved the scene in the woods where the three boys were talking about seeing New York and Hollywood. Great job, you should be very proud.â€?
-Dave Codeglia, filmmaker

“I really liked your documentary. At some moments I found myself getting choked up. You really hit on the head the hardships the cause went through to get where it is today. It's not easy to take on this type of subject matter, and I think you did an excellent job.â€?
-James Codeglia, filmmaker

“You are wonderful. When I received the film I disconnected my phone to watch it without disturbance. Throughout the whole time watching it, my emotions took over and my tears were flowing. I have shown the film to close friends and all I hear from them is "oh my God, we can see ourselves in this film. We were all forced out of our home the same way." I loved it. I do thank you so much for your kindness. I'm so happy to know you and your family.â€?
Anthony Dizdar, Delaware

“It was an honor to watch the film today, and I am so proud of what you did
to show what really happened with our country of heritage. I truly believe that you will go places in your film career - you are smart, beautiful, talented, and work hard. Keep it going, and I look forward to many more Brenda Brkusic productions.�
-Tom Rinear, Los Angeles

“We were very moved and impressed by your film. We were both in tears at different points and though it was 95 minutes, we were captivated throughout. You truly captured the struggles of your people and it left us frustrated and angry once again at our own country's apathy when it doesn't benefit us. Your Father and Mother must be very proud of you. It took great courage and perseverance to make such a powerful film. It was also moving to be in the company of Croatians. I could feel their pain as your Father and others told their story. I bet you blew Chapman away when they saw your film. This is not a student film! Your powerful film is top notch.â€?
-Georgiana Gomez, filmmaker

"It was my pleasure meeting you and supporting your fantastic film. From the trailer on the web site, I knew that it was going to be a well done film, however, the editing, the in takes, the interviews, and your father’s story were amazing. His plight and belief in Croatia resonated throughout this film, and your passion was evident. It’s great that you remembered me and I thank you! Little did I know that this epic project you were working on was so wonderful and so you. You really personify grace, Hollywood and passion for Croatia. I am thrilled that you have the courage, strength and will to take on such a huge project. “Freedom of Despairâ€? has given me the courage to write my Father’s story, and somewhere inside of me, I’ve always wanted to do a documentary on my Dad. There are literally millions of stories like our parents that should be shared and told so that these people can find their peace. "
-Michelle Dunaj, South Florida

“The film deals with a complex set of events and circumstances in a very professional manner. It weaves together the personal experiences of several individuals with the struggles of the Croatian people from after World War II to the present. Its use of scholarly commentators, political activists, personal accounts, and excellent archival material to create the sweeping story of a nation's determination to be free is accomplished masterfully. The film showing was greatly enhanced by having the author/director present and willing to respond to questions at the conclusion of the film. She brought a personal commitment and involvement that supplied a strong emotional impact for all those in attendance. The viewers were clearly caught up in the drama of the documentary, and raised significant questions about the history presented as well as the process of producing such an important film with little financial backing. The college students in particular received an important lesson in history, but even more significantly an important lesson in dedication to a project and what can be accomplished through such dedication. I was thoroughly involved in the documentary, and came away with an increased admiration for the Croatian people and their struggles to overcome both a Communist regime and Serbian domination. The film reinforced my sense of the power of a people to preserve its culture and political autonomy.â€?
-Dr. Thomas McFadden, President, Marymount College

“I enjoyed your film very much, as it made me better understand what my own father went through when escaping communist Yugoslavia. It touched both him and myself. My father escaped from Yugoslavia at a young age, and he, like your father, was born in 1939, however in Split. As a consequence from my father successfully escaping, my grandparents and first cousin were tortured for a long period of time by the secret police. As you already know, your father's experience is a story many individuals share. I am extremely glad you made this film. People throughout the world are unaware of the inhumane actions that occurred under the communist regime. This film accurately depicts the situation, and in my opinion, is a terrific representation of how to inform the public of what many individuals experienced in the former Yugoslavia.â€?
- Ivana Odak, Southern California

“I really liked it. It was long, but I felt like I learned a lot about something I knew nothing about. I was interested by the personal story but also the politics behind it all. Social justice is important to me. Everyone (in attendance) was interested and I think we all liked it. I really liked her (Brenda’s) attitude and, really, her presence. She was very down to earth and proud of her heritage and work. I think she is a good role model for Marymount to present to the students.â€?
-Student, Marymount College

“Brenda, you have grown so much over these past three years, not only in competence and skill but in a host of personal ways. You manage to combine your gentle, compassionate manner with an admirable determination and sense of justice. That is a great combination.â€?
-Dr. Thomas McFadden, President, Marymount College

“I think it is a moving, intelligent piece; One that I learned a lot from and appreciate for that.â€?
-Representative, Paramount Classics

“I had the privilege of seeing Freedom from Despair and I thought it was a courageous and remarkable film. I strongly feel this film should be in every Croatian family’s home – and every year on its national independence day all families should see it again. Freedom was bought at a very high price and many people paid so that others may live in freedom. Congratulations for a magnificent film. I am not Croatian, but I can identify with those who fight for the right, liberty and freedom of others. I’m an American born in Texas; lived in this parish over 50 years. My family has war veterans who have contributed to the freedom of the U.S.A. Congratulations.â€?
-Rosa M. Salazar, Los Angeles

“It's quite honestly one of my favorite selections for the festival year. As a former NYU film student I must say you have quite an impressive work here, in terms of both technique and content, something that you should rightfully be very proud of. This film is important in so many ways and I want to make sure it gets the reception that it deserves. On a personal note, I'm looking forward to meeting you and hopefully getting the chance to hear about your experiences shooting this and what you're up to next. Thanks for making such a great film to celebrate at this Festival.â€?
-Shawn Kittelsen, New York International Independent Film Festival

“I am pleased to share that I have been so fortunate to meet Brenda while working with her to speak at our “the Nuts and Bolts of Leadership Series.â€? Brenda is an intelligent and dynamic woman whose future has great promise. On behalf of Marymount College, we are proud of her accomplishments as a young alumna. Like the others who attended the Freedom from Despair screening on the Marymount College Campus, I was close to tears on several occasions. It was indeed a privilege to experience such a powerful and moving film.â€?
-Christine Leible, Director, Alumni Relations, Marymount College

“Although I didn’t see the film, I feel attached to it from what I read about it, given that Yugoslav communists caused life-time disability to my father (who lives here now, and feels good here), and a lot of grievances to entire family during their reign. Your effort to disclose the evils of communism is greatly appreciated; the truth about it is soothing for the souls of all those who suffered from it. My father, and my family, surely did, a lot.â€?
-Ivana, Montreal, Quebec

"I absolutley loved the film. The qaulity was leaps and bounds above any other film we've ever received for the International Student Film Festival Hollywood."
- Kevin McKenna, Director of Investigative Documentaries Educating American Society


BIOGRAPHY
BRENDA BRKUSIC
Producer, Writer, Director, Editor

Brenda Brkusic was born in Chicago and moved to Los Angeles on an academic scholarship from Chapman University, graduating with highest honors with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Film and Television Writing and Directing. At Chapman, she gained experience in production, as a post production supervisor, script supervisor, and dance choreographer on various short films. She wrote, produced, directed and edited her senior thesis documentary Freedom from Despair, shooting in California, Chicago and Croatia during the summer of 2003. Recognizing her efforts, Chapman Film School awarded her its Marion Knott Scholarship, which afforded her the opportunity to work one on one with Academy Award winning filmmaker David S. Ward. Since then, praise for this film has steadily grown. Brenda has been invited to her Alma Mater, Marymount College, to be a featured speaker in their leadership series, was hired to speak in a documentary class sponsored by the International Documentary Association at San Pedro High School, was featured on PBS television, Associated Press Video News, in the LA Times, won Best Documentary and Special Recognition honors at the Student Filmmaker Awards and the Dubrovnik International Film Festival, and been covered in multiple international newspapers and magazines. She is gaining a reputation as an important new voice and her writing about Croatia has been published in the Washington Times. Freedom from Despair was recognized by Amnesty International, as one of the most important documentary films this year, and invited to have a world premiere in their film festival at the Director's Guild in Hollywood. Another human rights organization, The Anti-Defamation League, has named the film a Finalist in their current competition. She continues to make her home in Los Angeles.
 

I Miss Communism Opens on Nov 14, @7pm 

Macbett Opens on Nov 12

 

Dear Crown readers,

Just a quick note for you to come see the show. Also I have gotten a few people that were concerned about coming because the tickets are $40.

PLEASE AS I SAID IN MY INVITE, DON'T LET THAT STOP YOU!!!

I WILL TRY TO ACCOMMODATE EVERYONE WITH DISCOUNTS OR
SLIDING SCALE TICKETS, SO PLEASE DON'T NOT COME BECAUSE OF MONEY!
TALK TO ME!!! EMAIL ME!!!

Click on the links for more info:
http://balkansnet.org/imisscommunism.html

http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?event=TOGGKMBQJPWIRRXAIUEW&unknownUser=true

http://www.macbettatglobe.org/

Thanks
Ines
 

 Il Dolce Theatre Company and Spirit of Sarajevo
present
Macbett
by Eugene Ionesco*
Directed by Neno Pervan
Executive producer Peter Dowling
Performing at the
Globe Playhouse
1107 N. Kings Road
West Hollywood
Nov 12– Dec 12
Thur, Fri, Sat 8pm
Sun 7pm
Reservations:
(310) 458-3312
More information at:
www.macbettatglobe.org

* In consideration of the unique circumstances of this production, special clearance has been granted by Marie France Ionesco for modifications to the author’s work for this production only. No rights of use beyond this production are granted.

http://www.macbettatglobe.org/

Note From Ms. Marie France Ionesco

In consideration of the unique circumstances of this production, special clearance has been granted for modifications to the author's work for this production only. No rights of use beyond this production are granted. History of Macbett.

Note From the Director

We live through dangerous, treacherous time. We are bombarded with empty rhetoric, lies and threats. Shakespeare wrote about all of this, four hundred years ago. Then, genius of Eugene Ionesco revisited these same issues during the cold war era with his Macbett.

He took Shakespeare’s original and explained to us that, since Shakespeare’s times, we did not move one single step ahead. Quite au contraire, we stepped back.

Today, more than thirty years later, it is my feeling that we are stepping even further back. Ionesco's words never sounded so terrifying, and famous Shakespeare’s monologues from Macbeth are as actual and stunning as ever. Very few contemporary plays can tell us this much about ourselves as these two classics can.

We tried to merge these two and the result will play out in front of you tonight. We stepped more into Ionesco's tragic side, because we believe that our times require that.

Our show would never be possible without understanding from Ms. Marie France Ionesco. We are extremely grateful for that.

Enjoy the show.

Neno Pervan

Cast

In Memory of Tim Choate
Macbett - Zoran Radanovich
Lady Duncan/Lady Macbett - Pamela Clay
Duncan - Neno Pervan
Banco - Julius Noflin
First Witch/Maid - Heather Petrone
Second Witch/Maid - Kim Blair
Soldier - Ines Wurth
Officer, Orderly, Macol - Kamen Gabriel
Lemonade Seller - Alex Veadov
Butterfly Hunter - Andrej Pervan

Production
Produced by
"Il Dolce Theatre Company" &
"Spirit of Sarajevo"

Executive Producer - Peter Dowling

Director - Neno Pervan
Lighting Design - Suki Medencevic
Set Design - Slavko Pervan & Neno Pervan
Music - Mladen Milicevic
Costume Design - Lada Pervan
Assist. Director - Vedrana Nanich
Final Costume Designer - Alen Haljevac
Master Carpenter - Luka Krstic
Sound Board Operator - Scott Eckert
Co-Producer - Vera Mijojlic

About the author:

Eugene Ionesco

Eugene Ionesco, one of the foremost playwrights of the theater of the absurd, was born in Romania. Settling in France in 1938, he contributed to Cahiers du Sud and began writing avant-garde plays.
History of Macbett

His works stress the absurdity both of bourgeois values and of the way of life that they dictate. They express the futility of human endeavor in a universe ruled by chance. His play La Cantatrice chauve (1950; tr. The Bald Soprano, 1965) was suggested by the idiotic phrases in an English language textbook; it has become an enormously popular classic of the theater of the absurd.

Among Ionesco's other plays are La Leçon (1951), Les Chaises (1952), Victimes du devoir (1953), Le Nouveau locataire (1957), Tueur sans gages (1958), Rhinocéros (1959), Photo du colonel (1967), Le roi se meurt (1963), and Jeux de massacre (1970). He wrote about the theater in Notes and Counternotes (1962, tr. 1964); a memoir, Present Past, Past Present (1968, tr. 1971); and the novel The Hermit (1974).

His plays are all available in English translation.

www.ionesco.org

Theater:

GLOBE PLAYHOUSE
1107 North Kings Road
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Contact:
Thad Taylor,
President and Founder of Globe Playhouse

Croatian Andronico Luksic Steps Down
 

Antofagasta chairman hands over to son

LONDON (Reuters) - The majority owner of Chilean copper miner Antofagasta, Andronico Luksic, has stepped down as chairman.

Luksic, ranked by Forbes magazine as the world's 140th richest man, chose his 78th birthday to hand the chairmanship to his son, Jean-Paul Luksic, who is chief executive of Antofagasta's mining division and had been deputy-chairman of the company.

Andronico Luksic, whose father emigrated from Croatia in 1910, bought a majority stake in the 116-year-old firm in 1980, when it was known as Antofagasta and Bolivia Railway Company.

He branched into banking, telecommunications and mining, turning the company, currently worth 2 billion pounds, into one of the world's biggest copper producers.

The Luksic family owns 65 percent of Antofagasta ANTO.L , making it one of the FTSE-100 index's .FTSE most closely held stocks.

The company said in a statement on Friday it had invited the elder Luksic to become Honorary President.

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=615910&section=finance

Luka Milas Receives ASTRO Gold Medal Award

for

Life-Long Achievements

Luka Milas, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Deputy Division Head for Translational Research
Division of Radiation Oncology
tel. 713 792-3263
fax 713 794-5369
email lmilas@mdanderson.org

October 28, 2004

Milas Receives ASTRO Gold Medal Award for Life-Long Achievements in Field
of Radiation Oncology

Luka Milas, M.D., professor of experimental radiation oncology
and deputy head for translational research in the Division of Radiation
Oncology at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, is one of
three scientists this year to receive the Gold Medal, the highest honor the
society bestows, from the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation
Oncology (ASTRO). ASTRO is the world's largest society of radiation
oncologists.

The award honors members who have made outstanding contributions in the
field of radiation oncology, including research, clinical care, teaching
and service. Milas was recognized earlier this month at the society's 46th
annual meeting in Atlanta.

"Receiving the Gold Medal award is an honor and I am deeply moved," Milas
said. "I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to collaborate with so
many dedicated scientists and physicians in moving our research from the
lab to the clinic where patients can benefit from this translational
research."

Devoting much of his career to researching basic tumor biology and refining
clinical radiation oncology, Milas has made significant contributions to
understanding the interactions between tumor and hosts for both primary
tumors and metastasis. He greatly contributed to treatment strategies that
increase therapeutic efficacy of radiotherapy, notably combined treatment
modalities. Many of his research findings have been extended to clinical
trials both at M. D. Anderson and worldwide. He has been a leader in
defining the effect of COX-2 (cyclooxygenase enzyme) inhibitors on tumor
growth and treatment response. He was among the first to demonstrate
improvement in tumor response to radiotherapy by an antibody to the
epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

"Luka has served as a wonderful mentor to young people in medicine - many
faculty have benefited, but the most important evidence is that all three
of his children chose medicine as a career," said James Cox, M.D., division
head and professor of radiation oncology at M. D. Anderson.

According to Milas, Lela, his wife of 42 years, and his children have been
his biggest supporters. His family of physicians includes his two
daughters, Mira, and Dubravka, an endocrine surgeon and family
practitioner, respectively, and his son, Zvoninir, a surgery resident.

Milas earned his medical degree from the University of Zagreb in Croatia in
1963 and joined the M. D. Anderson faculty in 1967 as a postdoctoral fellow
in the section of experimental radiotherapy where he served until 1969.
During the 1970s, he moved between Zagreb and Houston, and in 1980 returned
permanently to M. D. Anderson as the chairman of the department of
experimental radiation oncology, a position he held until 2002.

Milas has served on a number of committees, including the Tumor Biology
Committee and the Finance Committee of ASTRO. From 1992 until 2002, he
served as vice chairman of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Tumor
Biology Committee. He has received a number of awards, including election
to the Croatian Academy of Science and Art, the Miles Fellowship and since
1986 has held the United Energy Resources, Inc., professorship.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vesna J. Tomazic-Jezic, Ph.D.
FDA, Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Office of Science & Engineering Laboratories,
Division of Biologicals , HFZ-120
Tel: (301) 796-0259
Fax: (301) 796-9826
Email: vesna.tomazic@fda.hhs.gov
 

Failla Lecturer H. Thames along with current and past colleagues just after his lecture:
J. Kummermehr, L. Milas, Thames, K. Ang, A. van der Kogel, and R. Withers.
 

"FREEDOM FROM DESPAIR"

WINS

BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD IN HOLLYWOOD
 

On November 3, 2004, "Freedom From Despair" the feature length documentary by Brenda Brkusic played in the International Student Film Festival Hollywood at the El Portal Theatre to a wide-eyed audience of various ages and ethnicities.

"People laughed at exactly the right moments" Brenda commented, "sometimes I wonder if people will recognize the subtle sarcasm and irony in certain parts of the film, and they did! They also cried at the right moments. One woman of Mexican American decent told Brenda that she was very moved by the film: "it doesn't matter what ethnic group you come from, your heart does not grow immune to feeling the sadness and hurt that comes from seeing other people suffer." Brenda was especially touched when understanding that there were four Croatians present in the audience whom she had never met. "I thought it was very kind of them to come out and support the film. It really gave me a sense of how important and far reaching this film has become to everyone in our community."

The film, which tackles the untold history of Communist Yugoslavia and the Balkan War of the 1990's, stars famous actors Michael York (Austin Powers), John Savage (The Deerhunter), Beata Pozniak (JFK), and Congressman Dennis Kucinich. The film's score is composed by renowned musician Nenad Bach. Brenda went to Croatia last year to shoot the film, coming back with a mixture of interviews, stock footage and narrative recreations, then editing all of that together to form a captivating and personal historical drama. Kevin McKenna, juror for the film festival and Director of IDEAS - Investigative Documentaries Educating American Society, said "I absolutely loved the film. The quality was leaps and bounds above any other film we've ever received for the International Student Film Festival Hollywood."

As a result, Freedom From Despair won the award for Best Documentary at the International Student Film Festival Hollywood. Actor John Savage, the film's narrator, was at the festival's closing ceremony in support of the film and both he and Brenda were overjoyed when Freedom From Despair won the award for Best Documentary. "It was an honor to have some of my cast and crew present and to share this experience with them," said Brenda. "John Savage has been an enormous champion of the film, openly advocating attention for it, and he has become one of my best friends. I couldn't keep up with all the work it takes to promote the film if it wasn't for the support of friends and family."

Since the film's release six months ago, Brenda has received positive feedback from people around the world, including rave reviews from international media. In addition to winning the award for Best Documentary at the ISFFH, the film was premiered in the Amnesty International Film Festival in Hollywood, received a "Special Recognition" at the Dubrovnik International Film Festival, won "Best Documentary" at the Chapman University Filmmaker Awards, and is currently a "Finalist" in the Anti-Defamation League Dore Schary Awards.

A non-profit group, the Croatian National Foundation, is sponsoring Brenda in her current efforts to produce fund raiser screenings for the film.
For more information www.freedomfromdespair.com
 

Nenad Sulava of Croatia plays chess in France
 

Anand enters Corsica chess final

[Sports India]: Corsica (France), Nov 4 : Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand entered the final of the Corsica Masters chess tournament with a comprehensive 2-0 win over Etienne Bacrot of France in the semi-finals.

If Anand goes on beat Russia's Sergei Rublevsky in the final, it will be his fifth straight Corsica title.

Rublevsky beat Alexander Motylev 1.5-0.5 in the other semi-final Wednesday night.

NIIT brand ambassador Anand has now won five of the six games he has played in three matches here.

His only draw was against Nenad Sulava of Croatia in the pre-quarters after which he blanked Mikhail Gurevich 2-0 and now Bacrot.

Anand outplayed local hope and French No. 1 Bacrot in front of over 500 spectators at the Bastia theatre.

Anand first demolished Bacrot with black in the first game and then crushed the Frenchman with white in the second game for good measure.

In the crucial first game, Anand surprised with the Marshall Gambit of the Ruy Lopez. Bacrot declined and entered an obscure sideline with 9.d4.

He soon landed in an inferior position, and Anand wrapped things up on the queenside.

The other semi-final was much harder-fought, with the all-Russian duel between Motylev and Rublevsky came down to the final seconds.

As the score suggests, former Russian champion Motylev went from forcing mate to being mated on a single move at the end.

Anand and Rublevsky have met in a rapid match before, way back in 1996 when they played in the Moscow PCA Grand Prix.

Anand needed to win a blitz tiebreak game to go through. The 30-year-old Rublevsky is one of the many very strong "second tier" Russian GMs.

--Indo-Asian News Service

http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=40812

Croatia Sees Bumper Tourist Year

World Markets Analysis
November 04, 2004

Valerie Mason

Croatian Tourism Minister Bozidar Kalmeta said yesterday that the country had received 8.3m tourists in the first nine months of 2004, a 5% year-on-year increase and the most since it declared independence in 1991. The year-end tourist figure is expected to be over 9m. 'Croatia has stabilised and earned the image of a safe and organised tourist destination,' Kalmeta told parliament, according to French news agency AFP.
Significance: Although this is a post-2001 record, the increase in tourism is now levelling off slightly. However, it has re-established itself as a significant part of the Croatian economy. The increase in overnight stays was up only 2% year-on-year, suggesting a possible increase in short breaks or visits from neighbouring countries.

Copyright 2004 World Markets Research Limited

http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=

616&topicId=12552&docId=l:238513630&start=16

Croatian Johnny Pesky and the Red Sox

Dom DiMaggio (left) and Bobby Eoerr (center) joined Johnny Pesky

 for Game 2 of the Wolrd Series at Fenway Park    Elsa/Getty Images

Red Sox Star, Croatian Johnny Pesky, at World Series

For those not familiar with American sports, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series championship on October 27, 2004. Despite consistently being one of the best teams in baseball, the Red Sox had previously not won a  World Series since 1918 - in other words, longer than the existence of Yugoslavia!

One of the primary persons involved in Red Sox history is 85 year oldCroatian American Johnny Pesky who is still involved in the organization and was interviewed by members of the press in the Red Sox locker room as the team celebrated their victory. In Pesky's honor, one of the portions of Fenway Park in Boston is called Pesky's Pole (it is one of the home run poles in outfield) and he is a member of the Red Sox hall of fame.

The following piece comes from the web page of the Baseball Biography Project (http://bioproj.sabr.org). Since this initially appeared, Bill Nowlin has written a full length biography about Pesky which appeared in March 2004 ("Johnny Pesky: Mr. Red Sox"). Pesky along with Red Sox great Ted Williams and others was the subject of another book which appeared in 2002 by award winning writer David Halberstam called "The Teammates." You can get both books at many book stores or on Amazon.

************************************************************************

Johnny Pesky

by Bill Nowlin

Johnny Pesky's career got off to an unparalleled start, and could have propelled him into the Hall of Fame had World War II not pulled three prime years out. Pesky set a rookie record with 205 hits his freshman year (1942) but then served in the Navy for the next three years. When he came back, he twice more he produced over 200 hits, in the Red Sox pennant-winning year of 1946 and in 1947. Had he managed over 200 hits for each of his three missing years, there is every possibility this lifetime .307 hitter could have made the Hall.

Born John Michael Paveskovich in Portland, Oregon on September 27, 1919, Johnny Pesky (he changed his name legally in 1947) was the son of Croatian immigrants. His father Jakov never did really understand baseball, but he and Johnny's mother Marija were both supportive of their middle of three sons when he took to hanging around the Portland Beavers ballpark located a few blocks from the family home. Johnny was just one of  the kids around the park, but groundskeeper Rocky Benevento invited him in and put him to work. Before too long, Johnny was one of the visitors' clubhouse kids - and clearly recalls hanging up the laundry of
Pacific Coast League players only a year or two older than himself - players with names like Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr.

Johnny had an older brother Anthony, a younger brother Vincent - who spent a little bit of time in the Yankees' system - and three sisters: Anica (Ann), Milica (Millie) and Danica (Dee.) Jakov worked in the sawmills until asthma forced him to retire. The older children took jobs; Vincent was the youngest and Johnny next-to-youngest. There was enough money coming in that it freed up the two boys to play some baseball.

From an early age, Johnny was doing everything he could to better himself at baseball. The young middle infielder also played American Legion ball, and on a number of city teams in Portland, as well as on some semipro teams. Before he'd graduated from Lincoln High School in Portland, he spent the summer of 1937 with the Bend Elks in the town of Bend, Oregon and led the league with a .543 average. The team won the state league title. Both the summers of 1938 and 1939 were spent with the Silverton Red Sox. Both the Bend and Silverton teams were summer league teams associated with local timber companies. Surprisingly, Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey owned the Silver Falls Timber Company, so Johnny was actually with the Red Sox (albeit the Silverton Red Sox) even before Boston's scout Earl Johnson signed him. Twice Johnny was part of a Northwest team that went to Wichita and competed nationally. The Silverton team won 34 games and lost two, and sometimes played exhibition games against touring teams like the House of David aggregation and the Negro League
Kansas City Monarchs.

Johnny was offered $2500 as a bonus by the St. Louis Cardinals, but signed with Boston for $500, because Johnson had so impressed Johnny's parents. They felt he'd look out for Johnny if he signed with the Red Sox. Johnson had offered an additional $1000 if Johnny stayed in the
organization for two years. His pay was $150 per month, and the Sox sent him the full thousand after just his first year.

Johnny's first year in pro ball, after signing with Boston, was 1940 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, playing for the Rocky Mount Red Sox of the Piedmont League, under manager Heinie Manush, who Johnny credits as a major influence. Johnny hit a club-leading .325. He had 55 runs batted in but, ever the table-setter, scored 114 times. Pesky led the league with 187 hits and 16 triples. That .325 average placed him third in the league.

In 1941, Pesky progressed from Class B ball in Rocky Mount to Louisville where he played for the Colonels, again hitting .325. Louisville was a Double A team in the American Assocation, managed by Bill Burwell. Pesky hit for precisely the same average - .325, and once again led the league in hits, this time with 195. He won the MVP award in the American Association for 1941.

By year's end, he was bound for Boston, offered $4000 for his first year's salary. Johnny joined the Sox for spring training just three months after Pearl Harbor. War loomed large over all of baseball, and during Johnny's rookie year, he spent three evenings a week beginning in May taking classroom for the United States Navy where he was in training to become a Naval aviator, in the same program as teammate Ted Williams. Pesky won the shortstop spot in spring training and was assigned number 6. Despite the need to balance baseball with Naval training, Johnny Pesky finished the season with a .331 batting average, second only to Ted Williams (.356) in the American League. He led the league in sacrifice hits. There was no "rookie of the year" award yet. That same year, The Sporting News named Johnny the shortstop on All Star Major League team. Johnny came in third in MVP voting, behind Joe Gordon and Ted Williams.

Tom Yawkey had his own prize for Pesky. At season's end, there was a $5000 bonus for the rookie shortstop - enough to buy his parents a home in Portland. Johnny Pesky never forgot Tom Yawkey's generosity at a time when Johnny was off to military service, perhaps never to return. Yawkey won fierce loyalty from many of his players; with gestures like this, one can understand why.

WWII took three years out of Johnny's baseball career, but while in the Navy he met his future wife, Ruth Hickey. She was a WAVE who Johnny met while serving as an Operations officer in Atlanta. Nearly sixty years later, Ruthie and Johnny remain very happily married. In 1953, they adopted a five-month old son through Catholic Charities - David Pesky, who was born in December 1952. Like a lot of ballplayers, Johnny had many opportunities to play baseball during the war and even played in the AL vs. NL All-Star Game at Furlong Field, Honolulu in 1945.

In 1946, the war over, Johnny and the Red Sox won the pennant, and took the fight right down to the 9th inning of the seventh game of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Johnny hit safely a league-leading 208 times that season, with a .335 average (3rd in the league), scoring 115 times (second behind Ted's 142.).  The Series was a disappointing one for Pesky, as it was for two other players named Musial (who batted .222 in Series play) and Williams (.200). And generations of baseball aficionados have heard that "Pesky held the ball" on a key play in the 8th inning of Game Seven, allowing Enos Slaughter to score the winning run from first base on Harry Walker's hit to left center. Cardinals 4, Red Sox 3. Films of the play do not show a clear hesitation, and perhaps sportswriter Bob Broeg was right in arguing that credit should go to Slaughter for his "mad dash" around the bases rather than blame being assigned Pesky for what was, at most, momentary surprise that Slaughter was streaking toward the plate rather than secure at third.

The following year, Pesky again collected his 200 hits (207 this time around) - the third year in a row he'd led the league. He and Dom DiMaggio were the table-setters for Ted Williams, and the speedy Pesky was usually discouraged from stretching a single into a double, because a double just meant the other team would walk Ted to fill the unoccupied sack at first. Pesky was a clever infielder as well; three times he pulled the rare hidden ball trick, and would have done so a fourth time had the pitcher not stepped off the rubber at the wrong moment.

The Red Sox came within a game of winning the pennant both in 1948 and 1949, and were only four games behind in 1950. These were some great Red Sox teams. Pesky's place, though, never seemed secure - a strange spot to be in for a top-ranking shortstop. When Johnny joined the team for spring training in '48, he was unsure where he'd be playing, since Boston had acquired Vern Stephens from the St. Louis Browns and it looked like Billy Goodman - another infielder - would make the team. Stephens contributed 137 RBI in '48; clearly manager Joe McCarthy's decision to play him proved wise. (Stephens led the league in RBI in '49 and '50. Goodman stuck, and hit .310. In 1950, he won the AL batting title with a .354 average - with a bit of an assist from Pesky. Johnny approached 1950 manager Steve O'Neill late in the season and offered to take himself out of the lineup so that Goodman could accumulate the necessary at-bats to qualify.)

The problem was an embarrassment of riches. There were just too many good hitters on these Red Sox teams. Johnny Pesky's average fell off sharply in 1948, down to .281. Almost certainly part of the reason was that McCarthy slotted Stephens in at short, and shuffled Pesky over to third. He put a brave "team face" on it, but being asked to learn a new position was unsettling. So, too, was the pay cut Joe Cronin imposed on him after the 1947 season. All he'd done was led the league in hits for each of his first three years, but Cronin cut his $20,000 pay down to $17,500 for 1948. "They asked me how many home runs I hit and how many runs I had knocked in," Johnny explained fifty years later. This was certainly a discouraging situation, and Pesky did pop a career-high three home runs in 1948. He may have been pressing more than a little.

1949 saw a bit of a rebound, his average back up to .306 and, earning an even 100 walks, elevated his on base percentage to .408. Johnny, always a team booster, allowed, "What a lucky guy I am. Instead of wearing these shoes, I'd probably be shining them for some other guy in the Coast League." There were endless rumors, though, about trades said to feature Pesky. From time to time, he admits, these rumored trades proved distracting for him.

The 1950 season was a tremendous year offensively for Boston. Pesky hit .312, walked 104 times and boosted his OBP to a solid .437. His fielding at third base drew frequent accolades in the Boston press. Scoring 112 runs, he joined teammate Ted Williams as the only other player to have scored 100 or more runs each of his first six seasons of major league ball. This was the year Pesky, in effect, took himself out of the lineup so that Billy Goodman could have a shot at the batting title. Boston Herald sportswriter Bill Cunningham wrote, "The sporting part about his gesture is that he made it for the man who took the job away from him." Years later, in 1985, the Lynn Sunday Post editorialized that Johnny Pesky led the majors in "Most Friends."

By 1951, though, the bloom was off the rose, and when the Marines called Williams back in 1952 to fly combat in Korea, the golden days were gone. There were signs that Pesky was slowing a bit. He only stole 2 bases each in '50 and '51, down somewhat from earlier years. He maybe wasn't getting to as many balls as an infielder as he had earlier. Lou Boudreau had been brought in by Yawkey, and was projected as the shortstop. Even though Pesky's career .316 average at the time ranked him fifth among active players, here he was - once again - having to fight for a spot. Johnny got off to a slow start, but wound up the season at .313. Boudreau hit .267.

Johnny's 1952 season began poorly, and he was hardly ever used by Boudreau, now the manager and seeking a "youth movement" in Boston. Hampered by injuries, he was hitting a pitiful .149 when he traded to the Tigers in a monster deal. Boston sent five players to Detroit, a full 20% of the 25-man roster. In exchange for Pesky, Walt Dropo, Fred Hatfield, Don Lenhardt and Bill Wight, they got four Tiger players (Hoot Evers, George Kell, Johnny Lipon & Dizzy Trout.) Johnny pulled it together a bit and hit .254 for Detroit. 1952 truly was a sub-par season.

He cracked 300 at-bats in 1953, and hit .292 but he was in decline.
After appearing in 20 games for the Tigers in '54, Detroit traded him to
Washington, where he finished his playing career with a .246 mark
between the two teams.

Johnny Pesky wound up his major league career with a .307 average, and an On-Base Percentage of .394.

His life in baseball, though, was just entering a new phase. Johnny coached with the Denver Bears in the Yankees organization in 1955, then managed five different minor league teams for the Detroit Tigers from 1956-1960.

Most of his sixty-plus years in baseball, however, have been with the Red Sox. After his years with Detroit, the Red Sox called him back following the 1960 season. Johnny managed the Sox' Seattle minor league team in 1961 and 1962, and managed the big league Boston Red Sox in '63 and '64. As manager, he brought some fire to the position, after years of yawns under the likes of Pinky Higgins. Some felt he was a little too fiery; he had a few run-ins with "Dr. Strangeglove" Dick Stuart, who committed 29 errors at first in 1963 - but hit 42 homers and had collected a league-leading 118 runs batted in. He also clashed with Carl Yastrzemski a number of times, and Carl made clear his discontent. As much as anything that may explain Yawkey's refusal to find a position for Pesky within the organization when Higgins finally dismissed Pesky late in 1964. Yaz was like a son to Yawkey, and Higgins was one of Yawkey's drinking buddies. Pesky had originally been brought in as manager despite Higgins' opposition.

When relieved as manager, Pesky hooked on with the Pirates and served as major league coach for two years, while managing the Pirates' Columbus club for a third.

From 1969-1974, he served as broadcaster for Boston, working with Ken Coleman and Ned Martin as a color commentator. Though he worked hard at improving himself, he never felt comfortable except during rain delays when he could really stretch out with stories about players from his era.

During the same period, Pesky called on clients for the Sox, initiating a fledgling marketing department for the club, working in tandem with former catcher Bob Montgomery. Johnny Pesky probably appeared at more banquets and events around New England than any other figure in Red Sox history.

He's also one of the only people in baseball to have a part of a ballpark named after him. Fenway's famed "Pesky Pole" - the right field foul pole - was given the nickname by Sox broadcaster Mel Parnell. A former teammate, Parnell was poking a little fun at Johnny's lack of power - he hit just 17 home runs, and only six at Fenway - every one of which went out past the right field foul pole, now the shortest distance for a home run in major league ball.

From 1975-1984, he was first base coach under Sox skippers Darrell Johnson, Don Zimmer and Ralph Houk. From 1985 to the present, Johnny has been a special assignment instructor, evaluating players at lower levels in the Red Sox system, but also working with generations of Red Sox players at spring training and at Fenway. As late as 2003, Johnny Pesky - "Mr. Red Sox" in the eyes of decades of New Englanders - could be found on the field at Fenway before games, hitting fungoes to infielders and generally serving as a goodwill ambassador throughout the region. Johnny Pesky is a charter member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.


Sources

Most of the information for this article was gleaned from many hours of conversation with Johnny Pesky, who gave unsparingly of his time as I worked on the book Johnny Pesky: Mr. Red Sox, scheduled for publication by Rounder Books in 2004. In addition to the newspapers cited in the text, I consulted Total Baseball (7th edition) for statistics, and the microfilmed records of the Boston Globe newspaper for the years of Pesky's career. Other information was provided by personal interviews with Ken Coleman, Bob Montgomery and Vincent Paveskovich.


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