aPril 2013 • 50PLUs • 7A

ganist was out sick or something and thus wouldn’t be able to play at the team’s home games for a while. He suggested that I go and talk to them, and perhaps they could use me to fill in. Well, I did, and lo and behold they hired me on the spot. I really had a good time, especially meeting all the Bucks players and coaches.”

Charles played for the Bucks for about three weeks. “Toward the end of my stay there,” he said, “one of the fans came up to me and remarked that I was the only organist who had played for the Bucks who seemed to like talking to the players and the fans. He then said he worked for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team and that they didn’t have anyone then that played the peppy kind of music I played. He told me I should go see them and apply to work for them; that with my ability and with my inter-action with the players, that I’d be a natural.

“So I took him up on it and called. A meeting was set up. Mister Selig was there (Bud Selig, then the team’s owner, now the Commission-er of Major League Baseball). Well, I was lucky. Mister Selig said he liked the way I played, and, of course, ev-eryone else there agreed with him. The job was mine.”

Over the next 14 years, Charles became quite a fan favorite, and he, in turn, took to the job like the pro-verbial duck to water. He liked his work so much that through all those seasons, more than a thousand home games, there’s no record of his miss-ing a single one. Another thing, a thousand game times and attendance of at least 20,000 a game meant that Charles performed before more than twenty million people. That’s quite an audience for a fellow who started out playing a squeeze box with his father. That total is just for the Brew-ers games. All the games in which he played for the Bucks (after those initial three weeks with them he of-ten played for them again) and for the Admirals would bring the total much higher.

A good many baseball stadium organists have a somewhat limited repertoire. They play “Take me out to the ballgame” or “The Beer Bar-rel Polka” and a couple of other tunes

over and over again. No one has ever counted the truly vast number of songs Charles has played over the years, but it’s safe to say it is prob-ably at least into the high hundreds. And he continues to add to that num-ber as he still entertains at an occa-sional party or special function there in Florida.

“He had a tune for every occa-sion, every circumstance,” recalled Tom ‘Sky’ Skibosh, who like Ziino, was in the Brewers press box (he was the team’s media relations director) during Charles’ tenure there. “He was something. He went to every Brewers player and asked each one of them about their favorite song or what kind of music they liked. Then, during the games, when the player would walk from the on deck circle over to the batter’s box, he’d play it. I don’t think that was done at any other ballpark in the country, and our players really got a big kick out of it, as did the fans.”

Charles laughed when I asked him about it. “Yes, sure, I remember that. It was a lot of fun. But one day I ran into a little vocal opposition because of it, and from of all people another paisan,” he said. “Accord-ing to Major League rules, an or-ganist has to stop playing as soon as the opposing pitcher toes the rubber out on the mound. Well, at a game against the Yankees one year, I was playing some tune for our hitter who was walking up to the plate and just before he got there Yankee skipper

Billy Martin came running out of the dugout, screaming and waving his arms as he always did. He ran up to the plate umpire and pointed up at me in the broadcast booth and yelled that I had continued playing after his pitcher had put his foot on the rub-ber. Everyone in the stands was won-dering what had happened. Billy told the ump that it was an unfair distrac-tion to his pitcher and was a terrible thing to do, on and on. Finally, the ump had enough and sent Billy back to his dugout and waved up at me. I learned afterwards that Billy had set the whole thing up in advance, by in-structing his pitcher to hurry up and put his foot on the rubber early. It was actually hilarious. The next day in the morning paper, there was a story and a big picture of Billy and the ump look-ing at me way high up in the booth. So the next night, before the game, I went down on the field and sought out Billy. I thanked him for getting me all that free publicity. We both had a big laugh. Billy was a great guy and loved pulling acts like that. You know, like me, he was a hundred percent Italian with a non-Italian name.”

Donald Dobert, president and CEO of the ATL pharmaceutical la-bel company in Menomonee Falls, recalled the day in 1973 when he met Charles. “It was before a game at old County Stadium,” Dobert said. “I was with my foster son, Doug Czarnecki, and we had gone up to the press box in hopes of meeting announcer Mer-

le Harmon. Well, he hadn’t arrived yet, but Frank Charles, whom we found out, was the team’s organist, was there, and showed us around. He was so nice and accommodating, tak-ing so much time with two complete strangers. But it was more than that; as it happened he took a real liking to us and us to him. Over the next 13 seasons, until he retired, that friend-ship grew. Every time he’d get a cou-ple of complimentary tickets, he’d call and offer them to us. That must have happened, incredibly, close to 200 times. At games, when we were in our seats, Frank would signal us. Whenever he’d play a few bars from the tune, ‘Summer Samba,’ that would mean he was inviting us up to the press box. We’d go up and he’d introduce us to everyone. You can’t believe how great we felt, especially little Doug, who was only eight years old when it all began.

“But besides being such a super guy, he was also one great musi-cian. He could play anything, and his spontaneity was unbelievable. One day when a fight broke out between the Brewers players and the visiting Texas players, and they were really slugging it out, he started playing the song, ‘What the world needs now, is love, sweet love…Well, everyone in the stands started laughing, and the players did then, too.”

Frank Charles was born in 1927, but it wouldn’t be quite correct to say he’s 85 years old. With his love of life, his love of family and friends, his love of music and the good life down there in balmy southern Florida, all combined with that big, happy smile he always seems to wear, it would be more appropriate to call him 85 years young.

ChARLEs continued from page 6A

In the ‘70s and ‘80s in the Brewers’ press box, they called these gentlemen “The Three Amigos,” from left to right, Tom “Sky” Skibosh, Frank Charles and Mario Ziino. It was somewhat of a misnomer, as amigo is a Spanish word, and these three were all of italian descent. The words should have been “Three Amici.”

10A • 50PLUs • aPril 2013

Always protect your precious eyes

EYE CARE continued on page 11A

QAT whAT AGE shOULD YOU BE CONCERNED ABOUT CATA-RACTs?

A Cataracts are the most com-mon cause of treatable blind-ness in the world. They typi-

cally start developing around the age of 60. However, cataracts can occur at a much earlier age due to a variety of medical conditions. Cataracts are not preventable and will eventually affect everyone. Oftentimes, symptoms are gradual and barely noticeable to the patient, which is why regular visits to an ophthalmologist are so import-ant. Patients often ignore the warning signs of a cataract thinking that a sim-ple change in prescription will solve the problem. Even slight blurriness, sensitivity to bright light and glare, difficulty seeing in dim light or while driving at night are all very common signs that a cataract may be develop-ing.

Together with my team at Lasik-Plus, our goal is to provide our pa-tients freedom from glasses and contact lenses no matter what the sit-

uation might be. Thanks to a variety of the latest options in cataract treat-ment, I am able to not only treat the cataract but also improve my patients’ distance and near vision at the same time. In addition, cataract treatment at LasikPlus can also correct any astig-matism as well as eliminate the hassle of reading glasses – an option that has not been available until recently. For patients with otherwise healthy vision who simply wish to be free of glass-es and contacts, a variety of treatment options is also available. To schedule a visit with me and my team at Lasik-Plus, please call us toll free at 855-442-2020Question answered by Dr. Ron Allen, M.D. of LasikPlus Milwaukee

QhOw OFTEN shOULD I GET MY EYEs ChECKED AFTER AGE 60 OR BUY NEw GLAssEs?

A The American Optometric As-sociation and the American Academy of Ophthalmology

recommend an eye exam every year for people over 60, unless conditions require earlier. The national average is new glasses every 2.4 years unless the eyeglasses prescription requires a more frequent change.Question answered by Aurora Vision Center

Q ALL OF A sUDDEN I sEEM TO BE hAvING BLURRY sIGhT IN ThE MIDDLE OF MY vIsION

FIELD. whAT MIGhT BE CAUsING ThIs?”

A “Central vision blurriness may be a sign of age-related macu-lar degeneration. Both forms

of AMD cause loss of straight-ahead, detail vision (as needed for driving, reading and recognizing faces) but, fortunately, not side vision,” explains Mark Freedman, MD, of Eye Care Specialists ophthalmology practice where thousands of AMD patients are diagnosed and treated each year. “Dry AMD is more common, less severe, and progresses slowly. Wet AMD is less common, more severe and can progress quickly. Early detection im-proves the chances of preserving vi-sion. Without treatment, about 70% of wet AMD patients become legally blind within two years.”

With treatment, however, eye care specialist Daniel Ferguson, MD, says there can remarkable results, “Although there are NO guarantees, with regular injections of new medi-cations (Avastin, Eyelea or Lucentis), we have stopped progression of wet AMD in about 90% of patients and even had up to 30% gain improve-ment in vision.”

Central vision blurriness can also be a sign of a cataract. “The natural lens located inside your eye focuses light onto the retina to form the im-ages you see. As your lens ages, areas of it can grow cloudy forming a ‘cat-aract,’ which can cause blurriness and glare issues that inhibit daily living,” states Dr. Brett Rhode, Head of Oph-thalmology at Aurora Sinai Medical Center. “The only effective treatment is to surgically remove the cloudy lens (cataract) and replace it with a lens implant. This often improves sight to levels not seen in years.”

If you are a diabetic, blurred vi-sion could be a complication of your disease. Ophthalmologist Daniel Pas-kowitz, MD, PhD, explains, “With diabetes, extreme blood sugar levels and fluctuations can damage the blood vessels of the retina, causing blurred vision and permanent impairment. All diabetics—Type 1 or 2, insulin-de-pendent or not, newly diagnosed or longtime sufferers—are at increased risk with each year that passes. For-tunately, diabetes-related sight loss is often preventable with yearly exams and early intervention using medica-tion injections (as described above).”

Free booklets on AMD, cataracts and diabetic eye disease are available to 50-Plus readers by calling (414) 321-7035.Question answered by Eye Care Specialists

Q I hAvE BEEN DIAGNOsED wITh wET MACULAR DE-GENERATION. MY GIRL-

FRIEND hAs BEEN GETTING shOTs IN hER EYEs TO hELP RETURN sOME vIsION FOR ThIs CONDITION. DOEs ThIs REAL-LY wORK? hOw LONG wILL I NEED TO GET shOTs BEFORE vI-sION GETs BETTER? whAT KIND OF EYE DOCTOR GIvEs ThEsE shOTs?

Wet macular degeneration covers a wide spectrum of cases, which can vary greatly in severity when first de-tected. The specifics in an individual eye would dictate the possible treat-ment choices.

There are currently three drugs available for the treatment of wet mac-ular degeneration, including Avastin, Lucentis and Eylea. These drugs are injected directly into the vitreous, the jelly inside the eyeball. Approximate-ly 90% of patients will experience sta-bilization of vision and 30-40% of pa-tients will see improvement in vision. Without treatment, wet macular de-generation usually leads to complete loss of central vision.

The number of needed injections varies greatly and can’t be determined with certainty at the outset. Research has shown that the best outcomes are

12A • 50PLUs • aPril 2013 EYE CARE continued from page 11ACommon eyelid problems include red and swollen eyelids, itching, tear-ing, and crusting of eyelashes during sleep. These problems may be caused by a condition called blepharitis (ble-fa-RI-tis) and treated with warm com-presses and gentle eyelid scrubs.EYE DIsEAsEs AND DIsORDERs

The following eye conditions can lead to vision loss and blindness. They may have few or no early symptoms. Regular eye exams are your best pro-tection. If your eye care professional finds a problem early, there are things you can do to keep your eyesight.

• Cataracts are cloudy areas in the eye’s lens causing blurred or hazy vision. Some cataracts stay small and don’t change your eyesight a lot. Others become large and reduce vision. Cataract surgery can restore good vision. It is a safe and common treatment. If you have a cataract, your eye care professional will watch for changes over time to see if you would benefit from surgery.

• Corneal diseases and condi-tions can cause redness, watery eyes, pain, problems with vision or a halo effect of the vision (things appear to

have an aura of light around them). Infection and injury are some of the things that can hurt the cornea. Some problems with the cornea are more common in older people. Treatment may be simple—for example, chang-ing your eyeglass prescription or us-ing eye drops. In severe cases, surgery may be needed.

• Dry eye happens when tear glands don’t work well. You may feel itching, burning or other discomfort. Dry eye is more common as people get older, especially for women. Your eye care professional may tell you to use a home humidifier, special eye drops (artificial tears) or ointments to treat dry eye.

• Glaucoma often comes from too much fluid pressure inside the eye. If not treated, it can lead to vision loss and blindness. People with glaucoma have no early symptoms or pain. You can protect yourself by having regular dilated eye exams. Glaucoma can be treated with prescription eye drops, lasers or surgery.

• Retinal disorders are a lead-ing cause of blindness in the United States. Retinal disorders that affect aging eyes include:

- Age-related macular degener-ation, or AMD. AMD can harm the sharp vision needed to see objects clearly and to do common things like driving and reading. During a dilated eye exam, your eye care profession-al will look for signs of AMD. There are treatments for AMD. If you have AMD, ask if special dietary supple-ments could lower your chance of it getting worse.

- Diabetic retinopathy. This problem may occur if you have dia-betes. Diabetic retinopathy develops slowly and with no early warning signs. If you have diabetes, be sure to have a dilated eye exam at least once a year. Keeping your blood sugar under control can prevent diabetic retinopa-thy or slow its progress. Laser surgery can sometimes prevent it from getting worse.

- Retinal detachment. THIS IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. When the retina separates from the back of the eye, it’s called retinal detachment. If you see new floaters or light flashes, or if it seems like a curtain has been pulled over your eye, go to your eye care professional right away. With surgery or laser treatment, doctors of-ten can prevent loss of vision.

LOw vIsIONLow vision means you cannot fix

your eyesight with glasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery. Low vi-sion affects some people as they age. You may have low vision if you:

• Can’t see well enough to do everyday tasks like reading, cooking or sewing

• Can’t recognize the faces of your friends or family

• Have trouble reading street signs

• Find that lights don’t seem as bright

If you have any of these prob-lems, ask your eye care professional to test you for low vision. There are special tools that can help people with low vision to read, write and manage daily tasks. These include large-print reading materials, magnifying aids, closed-circuit televisions, audio tapes, electronic reading machines and com-puters with large print and a talking function.