The photo of Richard and Jan at Stumpstone was taken by Michael-David as was that of Jan playing hockey.

The Babe Ruth Connection
By Susan M. Rogers with Jan Franklin BenDor

'Who was that nice man?' "My dad and mother would be pushing my baby carriage down the street toward Central Park, and we would run into The Babe as he was on his way west to Rooney's Gym or the package liquor store on the corner," Jan says. "The first time it happened, my mother, who was an artist and not much into sports, said, 'Dick, that was such a nice man.  Who was he?' My father was so in awe of his boyhood hero that he never did work up the courage to ask for an autograph."

Above left, from the HBO special, Babe Ruth connects for a hit early in his career, before joining the Yankees.   Above right, Todd has a little different stance as he gets a hit during the 1993 season, when his team finished third in the Ypsilanti American Little League Minor Division.  That was just five years before his photo in the uniform of the Senior Division Orioles, his home team (below, right), which received Second Place trophies in 1998.

Tossed by The Babe Jan attributes her athletic interests, particularly her passion for baseball, to those childhood contacts with The Sultan of Swat.  "I'm sure that peck on the forehead, and getting tossed in the air by Babe Ruth, around once a week when I was a baby, had something to do with it," she says, only half in jest.

She got game Jan herself has played ball for a variety of teams, both all-women and mixed teams since the late 70's, with a 10-year break for coaching.  Most recently, she played second base for a corec [the current, politically correct term for what was formerly called "coed"] softball team in the Ypsilanti Township Monday division.   Last season, they took third place.

Reared a mighty pitcher Todd, who turned 14 years old in March, 1998, grew into an excellent pitcher and third baseman.   He developed a fastball that has been clocked at 70 mph by an Eastern Michigan University clinic coach.  He also has what his mother describes as "a tricky offspeed pitch."  That was in the Senior Division of Ypsilanti American Little League in the Ann Arbor area. He helped his 13-year-old All Star team to a District Championship in the 1997 season, and was elected to the 15-year-old All Star team as a 14-year-old in 1998.  

Mom, the Coach From 1991 through 1996, Jan coached the Little League Minor Tigers, the Little League Major Yankees, and the T-Ball Red Sox.  Then she became the scorekeeper and an assistant coach for the Senior Orioles.  In 1996, she began turning her energies to developing the Little League program as a both a board member and as the player agent.     

Growing Little League  With Michael-David's assistance and database knowhow, the result of their energetic press coordination, advertising and recruitment, the result was a 40 percent growth in the Ypsilanti American Little League to over 400 children playing in four age divisions.  This has prompted the league to plan for an additional division, which will allow players 16 to 18 years of age to continue playing. 

Three more diamonds Jan then turned her attention to raising money for a new three-diamond Little League ballpark complex intended to replace some old fields at Recreation Park in Ypsilanti.  "About 60 Ypsilanti American Little League parents turned out to run the beer and wine concession at a Patti LaBelle concert that kicked of the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival Weekend in mid-August," Jan said. 

'The Babe would have been proud' "Babe Ruth loved a good party, and he loved kids even more," said Jan, "so he would have been proud."  In three hours, their effort raised $4,000 toward the goal of $35,000 needed.  Jan recently tracked down the Babe Ruth Foundation, which was keeping a low profile and was finally located in New Jersey.  "When I eventually got to them on the telephone, they were encouraging," Jan said.   "They invited me to submit a proposal for a grant to help us toward our goal." 

To be named for hero judge? If Jan has anything to do with it, when the new complex is dedicated, hopefully next spring, the late Judge Ken Bronson will get that honor.  "As City Attorney," Jan explained, "he wrote the brief, on behalf of the City and the local League, that ultimately resulted in the 1975 federal order to Little League, Inc., to let 12-year-old Carolyn King -- and all girls -- play ball."

Now it's ice hockey Jan recently took up ice hockey, and she now skates for the Pond Rockets, a women's team playing in the novice division of the Metro Skaters' Hockey League.   Of the Pond Rockets' 28-game schedule, 14 are "away,"  some as far as Lansing.   That's about a 90-minute drive from the University of Michigan's Yost Arena, where all four of the Ann Arbor women's senior teams are based. Thanks to the excitement of the USA women's Olympic gold medal, the league has grown to 28 teams in three divisions for over-thirty women players in the Detroit-Windsor metro area.  (There are over 50 women's teams statewide in Michigan.)  

Jan, far right in dark jersey , skated deep behind the opponent's net to
pick up the puck and pass it to her center (arm raised) who scored in a game
that saw the Pond Rockets triumph over the Mt. Clemens Goal Diggers.

Too much fun? Ice hockey is a game of "strategy and speed, and there's plenty of incidental physical contact, said Jan, "although the women's game does not permit checking or fighting."   She skates both left wing and right wing, which are offensive positions.  Jan, 52, has begun to wonder if having so much fun is illegal.  "I have a recurring dream that ice hockey has been made illegal for old ladies, because the age police found out what fun I'm having."   She has a role model in the person of a mayor in Ontario.  "She's 80-something," said Jan, "and I hear she's still playing."