Grave Pursuits - Baseball Players

An article in todays San Diego Union-Tribune is titled "A Grave Pursuit" by Mike Karsnak, and tells the story of Frank Russo, who is baseball's "grave guru." The article is online here, with the title "For the good of the game, he's baseball's grim reaper."

Russo has a web site with the motto "The Dead Ball Era, Where Every Player is Safe at Home" here. He has created an electronic mausoleum, where people can visit ballplayers graves and read a little bit about them, no matter how obscure.

The article says that "Russo gets his information by poring over genealogy records, sifting through newspaper archives and hounding county clerks for death certificates.

Frank Russo has written a book with Gene Racz titled "Bury My Heart at Cooperstown," based on his findings.

Russo has a ritual when he visits the graves wearing a vintage Lou Gehrig jersey - he takes the sweat from his forehead and wipes it on the headstone, saying "It's out of respect."

At least he doesn't dig them up.