Armenian Mirror-Spectator Celebrates 78th with Gala

Kurkjian said he did not have the heart to disabuse the man of his illusion, adding, “For about 30 seconds, I was Armen Keteyan,” reminding everyone that he is about one full foot shorter than Keteyan.

Keteyan, by the way, was scheduled to participate in the ceremony, but had to leave on a last-minute assignment.

Another story involved James “Jimy” Williams, the storied former manager of several baseball teams, including the Red Sox and the Houston Astros. Kurkjian recalled that he met with Williams, who advised him that if he wanted to make a “double batch of pilaf,” that he should use two pots. He recalled Williams’ advice, “Remember, two batches, two pots.” Apparently, Williams had grown up in Fresno, where he played baseball with many Armenian-Americans and clearly ate (and learned) well at their homes.

Several similar anecdotes followed, which elicited an expression seldom heard at a serious Armenian affair, namely that the audience members — baseball fans or not — wished the keynote speaker would go on longer.

Kurkjian expressed a real love and dedication to the mystique of baseball, suggesting that it was a game where anything was possible. He answered the questions of several eager baseball fans in the audience and spoke briefly about his latest book, Is This a Great Game, or What?, and donated a signed copy to the host of the event, Kevork Atinizian.

Also speaking was Semonian-Eppich, who has single-handedly raised the profile of the Improper Bostonian to such an extent that it is now a must-read for most of the city’s hip denizens, with a bi- monthly print run of 500,000.