Chuck Hartenstein- baseball
Click on link below to celebrate the life of Chuck Hartenstein.
Rembering Chuck Hartenstein by Jim Deitrick.
Photo is Jim Deitrick
Growing up in Western Pennsylvania, I was ( still am) a Pirate fan. I remember Twiggy working in relief roles with mixed results. One of my favorite players on the Pirate team was Richie Hebner, who was a real grave digger in the offseason back home in New England. One day I mentioned in a UT accounting class I was teaching that I was a Pirate fan and that Richie Hebner took the 3rd baseman’s job I wanted as a kid. After class, a student named Chris Hartenstein came to me and said that his dad used to be a Pirate pitcher ( the lightbulb went off in my brain…Chuck Hartenstein!!). He then reported that when his mom and dad had a date night in Pittsburgh, his babysitter was usually Richie Hebner, the only unattached player on the team.
Soon thereafter I met Chuck and his lovely wife at a basketball game. This was the first of many conversations we had at the Erwin Center. Funny, witty guy! Once I saw him pushing a cart at HEB containing only a case of Bud and a bag of deer feed. I asked about the strange combination. He replied that he puts out deer feed to attract the deer for his grandchildren to see, and he puts the Budweiser in the birdbath for the deer to drink. Chuck then smiled and said “ I have the happiest deer in Austin.????
My sincere condolences to the entire Hartenstein family and all of his friends. Rest In Peace, Chuck! I’ll miss you, my friend!
