UL's "Dirty Dozen and a Half"

[NewsCopy]

Faithful fans set for new season of Ragin' Cajun baseball

Other sports start their seasons. Baseball has Opening Day.

"It's special," said Jim Maraist. "It's the start of a lot of pleasure, something I've been looking forward to for the past couple of months."

The University of Louisiana opens its 2005 baseball season tonight, facing long-time rival Louisiana Tech at 6:30 p.m. at M. L. "Tigue" Moore Field in the first of a three-game series.

For Maraist and several of his friends, the start of baseball continues a tradition ... a gathering that began many years ago on the top row of Moore Field, back when Ragin' Cajun baseball crowds numbered only in the dozens.

"We were hardened baseball fans," said Joseph Handy. "A lot of us went to and supported other sports programs, but for me baseball was special because I'd played it all my life."

So did Bob Fournet, who still remembers fondly the days of the old Evangeline League when virtually every town in Acadiana had a minor-league baseball team. It was those memories - and a key family connection - that attracted him and others to the university's baseball team.

"I was watching them when they played on campus, where the architecture building is now," said Fournet. "You can pretty much say my blood runs red and white."

The rest of the story

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[Crawfish]

FYI, I heard this morning that Mr. Maraist (Jim?) passed away last night. If some of you do not know who he is, he is one of the elderly gentlemen who sit just below the press box at Tigue Moore Field (one of the "K" guys) Mr. Maraist was a big supportor of all UL sports.

Example: He has been at nearly every women's basketball game I have ever attended, even in the days before Coach Hall.

Mr. Maraist was a retired military man but is originally from Lafayette. At least one of his sons graduated from UL.

UL has lost a truly loyal friend and fan.

RIP Mr. Maraist

[BirdofParadise]

FYI, I heard this morning that Mr. Maraist (Jim?) passed away last night. If some of you do not know who he is, he is one of the elderly gentlemen who sit just below the press box at Tigue Moore Field (one of the "K" guys) Mr. Maraist was a big supportor of all UL sports.

Example: He has been at nearly every women's basketball game I have ever attended, even in the days before Coach Hall.

Mr. Maraist was a retired military man but is originally from Lafayette. At least one of his sons graduated from UL.

UL has lost a truly loyal friend and fan.

RIP Mr. Maraist

This is heartbreaking news. Mr. Jim loved the Cajuns and loved his country........

and in his memory......one last time......TAKE OFF YOUR HAT!!!!!!!!!!!

[Turbine]

This is heartbreaking news. Mr. Jim loved the Cajuns and loved his country........

and in his memory......one last time......TAKE OFF YOUR HAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is a LINK to when the guy made waves with his hat and Jim Maraist made note of it with his famous "TAKE OFF YOUR HAT"

[NewsCopy]

Cajuns missing big fan

When the University of Louisiana baseball celebrates Opening Day tonight, there'll be an empty seat on M. L. "Tigue" Moore Field's top row. Jim Maraist won't be there, and all of us are worse for that. Maraist passed away just over two weeks ago at his home in Scott, his season ending on Jan. 26 after 85 personal Opening Days, and it will be different walking up the steps at Moore Field and not hearing Jim's greetings. His compatriots on that top row, guys like Francis Babin, Bob Fournet, Cliff Broussard, T. C. Wiggins and Joseph Handy, will still be there. The members of the "Dirty Dozen and a Half" - a group whose numbers are dwindling with the passage of time - wouldn't miss it. And for Opening Day, they'll be there even earlier to get ready for the 6:30 p.m. first pitch. But without Jim there, it won't be the same. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[LuLu]

Cliff Broussard, a great supporter of UL athletics has died. He was a "provider" and could be seen at men and women's sports events. I have seen him at women's and men's basketball games, football games, volleyball games and at softball games. He believed in supporting his university athletic teams in any way that he could.

He was only one of three fans who had season tickets to all of the athletic venues in 2005 which earned congratulations in an article in LaLouisianne in Spring 2005. I am not sure if the same held true for 2006 and 7, but probably so. When the baseball and softball had conflicting games on the same day, he could be seen walking between the parks between games or between innings. He wore pepper pants to the athletic events and although he owned the matching pepper shirt, he rarely wore them as a matching set. At the athletic events, he always wore red and white. I can attest that he attended many of the softball 'away' games. The last softball game he attended was in May 2007 in Monroe. A few days after this series, he was admitted to LGMC and diagnosed with brain cancer. He lived a few weeks longer than the prognoses, but succumbed to this cancer on August 4, 2007.

One of his fan success stories was that he was instrumental in the purchase of the first chair back seats in the Tigue and was a member of the Dirty Dozen and a half. He was the organizer of all things manual that fans could do at the softball field. He hauled bricks. He got others to haul bricks. He had the first flower beds put in and was the "go to" person between the donors and the diggers for the plants for the flower beds.

Cliff was a retired teacher. He loved kids and he loved his teams. He will be missed.

[Turbine]

One of his fan success stories was that he was instrumental in the purchase of the first chair back seats in the Tigue and was a member of the Dirty Dozen and a half.

The group is shrinking. Here it was in 2005

[CajunCharlie]

Cliff was one of the good guys! He sat next to me at football games, and I would see him at the Tigue, Lamson Field, the Cajun Dome, and E. K. Long. He was almost a regular at the Krewe de Chew tailgating site. He and his side kick, J.A. Andrus didn't miss too many of the Krewes tailgating parties.

I will miss Cliff. One always misses the good guys.

[LsuULfan]

Condolences for your loss and especially to his family.

Is he in that picture and if so-which one is he? I recognized some by face but don't know names.

[CajunCharlie]

_ Condolences for your loss and especially to his family.

Is he in that picture and if so-which one is he? I recognized some by face but don't know names. _

Yes, he is the person standing.

[rhineaux]

_ Yes, he is the person standing. _

Isn't that the Rag-Arm man? As annoying as that was sometimes, it wasn't too bad because I knew if I was hearing it, then I was probably in one of the best places in the world enjoying an ice cold brew, and watching the cajuns knock it around. Its certainly something I'll never forget about the games at the Tigue.

Anyone know how old he was?

[BirdofParadise]

_ Yes, he is the person standing. _

Actually, that's not Cliff. He is not in that particular picture.

Cliff was 68 years old.