The Danceman Hits 500 At Cornell

A milestone was reached this weekend---and probably the least interested party to it all was the man who achieved it.

Dancer.
The Danceman.
Dick.
Uncle Dancer.
Coach Blood.

No doubt other nicknames exist, but I don’t know them and besides, children occasionally read this blog.

All of the above refer to my brother-in-law,Richard Blood---coach of the Women’s Softball team at Cornell University—who won his 500th game on Saturday against the University of Pennsylvania.
Later that day, win #501 came against the same team, so to Dancer, the “record” is already ancient history as Cornell works to win their second consecutive Ivy League title.

That’s the Danceman for you.

You see, for Dancer, it’s all about excellence. It’s about doing the things that help the team. It’s about class—and conducting yourself both on and off the field in such a manner that transcends a mere GAME. However, when those behaviors occur, a funny thing happens.

You win.

In Dancer’s case, you win A LOT. In fact, Coach Blood is only the SECOND coach in Cornell school history to reach 500 wins in ANY sport. We’re talking about a school that was founded a few years after the Civil War. Football “helmets” were made of leather back then—and if tennis was your game, guys, don’t forget to put on your coat and tie before heading to the court. Jolly good!

500 wins is a big deal, mostly because it represents so much more than victory on the softball diamond when associated with Coach Blood.

I’ve decided that since Dancer won’t blow his own horn, I‘ll do it for him. A shout-out to cousin-in-law Diane Hessler, (a faithful Tim Moore Blog reader), who inspired this topic as the milestone approached. She’s a huge Dancer fan-as is the case with every member of his family, his wide circle of friends and of course, the ladies of Big Red Softball.



Here’s a video of Coach Blood talking about the 2010 season:





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubj4FY-wmfQ

Despite being “all business” on the job, you can’t have a nickname like “Dancer” without also having a side of your personality that’s…well, a little DIFFERENT. From college days at Plymouth State in New Hampshire where my brother-in-law was a regular marcher in some notorious parade dressed in a chicken suit (where presumably the “Dancer” nickname and legend began) to the countless hilarious life episodes retold at those family gatherings where beer is served (that would be all of them), a complete picture of the Danceman emerges:

A master carpenter/builder.
Talented artist.
Passionate fisherman.
Wicked funny storyteller.
Avid golfer
Uncle and Hero to his nieces/nephews

And, oh yeah….he can coach.

All of the above talents and pastimes pale when the talk turns to baseball/softball-or sports in general. A virtual baseball trivia machine, he also seems to remember EVERY inning of every game he has ever coached. You should hear it-goes something like this:

“It was the ’92 championship game---5th inning with one out and runners on first and third…I put the steal sign on and told the batter to take the first two pitches and then slap it down the first base line…..”

I couldn’t tell you what I ate for lunch yesterday.

Dancer is a walking baseball encyclopedia and this knowledge of every situation and the likely outcomes combine with a gut feel for the game that no doubt contribute to the incredible record he has achieved.

Now don’t get me wrong—Dancer is not perfect. He was a Yankee fan for a while.

At first I attributed this disease to the fact that he had moved from staunch Red Sox country in New Hampshire to Ithaca, New York, where I assumed he had succumbed to peer pressure. In fact, the reason had much more to do with the composition of the Red Sox at the time---and the respect for discipline that has been the hallmark of the Yankees. Dancer was not a fan of Manny Ramirez—his lack of a work ethic doomed him in the eyes of the Coach. He was also critical of the wildman that Johnny Damon was while in Boston. I guess the trade to New York—complete with detour to the barber shop—did much to resurrect his image with the Danceman.

Don’t wear your baseball cap BACKWARDS while in Dancer’s presence. Don’t resort to infantile cheers while in the dugout-he doesn’t make a distinction between baseball and softball-it’s not cool. Root for your teammates, but let’s exhibit a little self-respect, OK?

For Dancer, the coaching success began at Hopkinton High School in New Hampshire, where he won 8 State Championships, 5 of them in a row from 1985-89. When the diamond was renamed “Blood Field”, it was a fitting tribute to someone who taught the girls both on the field and also in the classroom. Dancer spent a year as assistant Women’s Softball coach at Dartmouth. Coaching pitchers was—and is-- his specialty.

After Dartmouth made the serious mistake of NOT hiring him to be their head coach, Cornell gave Dancer the opportunity to show what he could do at the college level.

Dartmouth’s loss was Cornell’s gain. Funny how things work out, no?

Dreams of major league stardom morph into the thought of umpiring, then coaching at the high school level—then moving to college—at a prestigious institution like Cornell.
This was what Dancer was born to do.

Despite the Ivy League’s distinct disadvantage in recruiting (no athletic scholarships), the Danceman has done a remarkable job attracting young women from around the country to come to sometimes frigid upstate New York for zero financial help and play a sport for him—for which there is no pro option after college (at least not yet). A zillion prospects, hundreds of scouting trips and phone calls and home visits. I get the distinct impression that parents can see the real deal---and there is nothing phony about Dick Blood. His personality is his best recruiting tool---when combined with the scholastic reputation of Cornell, it might well be unfair for the other Ivy schools.

Just as Dancer chooses to shine the spotlight on others, I would be seriously remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the OTHER half of this winning team. Dancer’s wife Judy has been through it all—and Dancer would be first to admit that NONE of the accomplishments achieved would have been possible without her love and support.

I’d call her the “assistant coach” ,but Dancer already has a couple of them on the squad, so I’ll refer to her as the Athletic Director. Seems more appropriate.

Untold miles of driving, following a bus—and literally THOUSANDS of innings, in all kinds of weather, often alone while Dancer coaches on the field. The pressure is no less intense, the helplessness of not being able to do anything more than support her husband until the game is over, the win—or loss—is absorbed—and the next step is planned.

Judy has had a rotating “family” of a dozen or more “daughters” every season. From meals to moral support, equipment manager and concierge to God-knows-what, Judy Blood’s contribution to Cornell Softball is only speculated on by folks like me—but intimately known to those whose lives she touches on a daily basis. She is the best.

So…what’s next?

Another day…grind out another win or suffer a loss. Either way, Dancer will be there, supporting, teaching, coaching.

After all, there’s always another game, right?

Congratulations, Coach.


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