[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16344]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



         IN RECOGNITION OF HOUSTON ASTROS MANAGER LARRY DIERKER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN BENTSEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 15, 1999

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to offer my best wishes to Houston 
Astros manager Larry Dierker who will return to the dugout tonight, 
just four weeks after undergoing surgery that removed the cause of a 
grand mal seizure he suffered on June 13, 1999.
  Although he must still take medication for the foreseeable future, 
Larry's doctors have told him he has little chance of recurrence of the 
seizure that struck without warning as he sat in the Astros' dugout. 
Like all Houstonians, I was shocked and alarmed by the severity of the 
seizure which played out on television and before nearly 30,000 fans at 
the Astrodome in Houston. In the moments following his seizure, I was 
struck by the presence and courage of the Astros players, personnel and 
paramedics who rushed to Larry's aid. In particular, I was impressed by 
the response of outfielder Derek Bell, who took direct, physical action 
to keep Larry from further injury.
  As every Astros fan knows, Larry Dierker is in his third season as 
manager of the Astros. In 1998, he was named the National League 
Manager of the Year after leading the Astros to a record 102 wins. 
Before taking over as manager in October 1996, Dierker spent 17 seasons 
as an Astros radio and television broadcaster. He led the Astros to the 
National League Central title in his first season, then to their second 
straight division crown in 1998. For those of us that remember the 
early days of the Astros, we also know Larry for his 14 remarkable 
seasons as a top-notch pitcher in the National League who was the 
Astros' first 20-game winner in 1969. He was named to two All-Star 
games and pitched a no-hitter in 1976.
  Mr. Chairman, many sports fans, including myself, can easily become 
caught-up in the importance of winning games, division titles and 
championships. We rejoice at the success of the great athletes, whose 
guile and ability seem to defy our human limitations. While winning is 
important, injuries and losses teach both athletes and fans alike to 
keep humility in check, for we are all mortal, and every moment of 
triumph and success can be quickly supplanted with bad fortune and 
loss. In many ways, the battles of winning and losing, through good 
times and bad, mirror the unpredictable course of our own lives.
  On June 13, 1999, Larry Dierker, a quiet, humble man who has 
accomplished many great things in the arena of baseball, brought this 
lesson home to the sports fans of Houston. Now that he has rejoined the 
Astros, I join with Larry Dierker's family and many friends in the 
major leagues in celebrating his quick recovery and offering my best 
wishes in his able return to the Astros dugout.

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