…game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday evening reminded me of the only Phillies player I ever personally knew, who was also the most famous person from my ol’ hometown of Marysville WA (whose latest get-on-the-map attempt, the big new Tulalip Casino, opens Thursday).

Larry Christenson graduated from the now-defunct Marysville High in my freshman year. He then pitched for the Phillies for 11 seasons, including their 1980 World Series championship. (In his only World Series start, he was pounded by Kansas City batters and lasted just one inning.) Among his teammates were such greats as Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, and Tug McGraw (the father and father-in-law of that country music couple who, names notwithstanding, never ran a major publishing company.) (The most recent Net reference to Christenson came when he went to visit the now-ailing McGraw Sr. in the hospital.)

The image at right, by the way, can be purchased from professional sports caricaturist Dick Perez.