Maurice Boscorelli
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 30, 2010
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He was known to most as "Ralph the Programme Guy". If you ever attended a sporting event in Toronto, you know who I'm talking about. He was at nearly every game. He was a fixture selling programmes at Jays games for years. Ditto for the Leafs, Raptors, Argos and thousands of concerts, from The Beatles in 1964 to Black Eyed Peas last year. If it was a big event, Ralph was there. And now, he's dead at the age of 67.
I had known Ralphael Platner since I was a pre-teen. We called him "Ralph". He was an odd character from the neighbourhood who talked too fast and could tell you what day of the week you were born if you provided the date and year. Like me, he had a photographic memory. I would see him quite often when I went to Argonaut or Leaf games. Once, while attending a friend's bar-mitzvah, I spotted "Ralph" at the sweet table. Figuring he was a friend of the bar-mitzvah boy's family, I asked him what he thought of the service.
"Don't know" he replied "I'm just here for the food". A few months later, at MY bar-mitzvah, guess who showed up? That's right, it was Ralph. We called him "Ralph the Party Crasher". The guy was everywhere. He attended functions all over the city, as long as they didn't conflict with his job selling programmes. I would see him around 10-1030 at night at some banquet hall or hotel that was hosting a party. He would walk in like he was an invited guest, and then head straight for the food.
I'm sure there were many occasions when somebody inquired as to who he was, and whether or not he was invited. Usually he got recognized. Rarely was he told to leave. He was ubiquitous. He was "Ralph". He lived in the same apartment building at Bathurst and Roselawn for as long as I can remember.
Trying to calculate the number of events Ralph attended over his 50 years of "hawking" is next to impossible, but let's try. About 3000 Jays games at the CNE and the Dome since 1977. Hundreds of Maple Leafs games at the Gardens and the A.C.C, starting in the 1960s.
Hundreds more Raptors games. 50 or so concerts a year for 50 years....there's another 2500 events. And if you add other special events, Argos games, Toronto Rock games, indoor soccer, outdoor soccer (Toronto Metros, Toronto Blizzard, Toronto FC) auto racing (I used to see him at Mosport) and heaven knows what else.
He probably attended/worked 10 thousand events over the years, and made money at every one of them. He was an entrepreneur before the word was even invented. He was a hustler, too. Had been since his days at Vaughn Road Collegiate and Seneca College.
Ralph was always in a hurry. Whether it was running up and down the stairs at the Dome in his shorts, work boots and black socks or making change for a customer. He didn't waste time.
I introduced my wife to him a few years ago at a Jays game, and he looked me in the eye and said "You went to Newtonbrook (high school) didn't you?" "Yes", I replied. Then he looked at my wife and said "You didn't go to high school in Toronto, did you?" (She didn't). I also reminded him that, many years ago, he taught me how to say the Alphabet backwards. I can still recite it to this day. And while Ralph should've been a huge sports fan, because he attended so many games, he seemed much more interested in film and music.
He once confessed to being a Pittsburgh Penguins fan, but I'm not sure he told anybody while he was hawking programmes at Leaf games. He was in incredible shape for a man of his, or any other age. He worked out regularly at the Jewish Community Center, and always appeared as if he could run a marathon, if he had to. Another thing: I never saw him in a seated position. He was always standing, or walking, or running.
I had no idea Ralph had passed away until I read a tweet from Scott at @randomjaysstuff. He had been a fan of Ralph's for many years and had taken pictures of him at work. He graciously allowed me to use one of them for this article. I found out that Ralph had suffered a stroke last spring, and ended up at Sunnybrook hospital. His friend Ronnie Kirshenblatt told me when he attended a Jays game earlier this year, Ralph was not at his familiar post selling programmes at the southeast corner of the Rogers Centre.
He had visited Ralph in the hospital, but Ralph didn't recognize him. The nurses said he was unresponsive. Later, they transferred Ralph to Mount Sinai. He never improved, and may have suffered another stroke. He turned 67 on October 1st, but there was no party, no cake and no celebration. He had no family and very few friends. I wonder if he was even aware that the Bluejays had faltered down the stretch and blown a big lead in August and September. Probably not.
Take a close look at the picture of Ralph. You won't be able to buy a programme or a pennant from him ever again. He may have been Toronto's greatest witness to sports history. And, if you had ever had the privilege of meeting him, he likely remembered when and where, and what high school you went to. I remember him as "Ralph the Party Crasher", and I know I'm going to miss him next time I attend a sporting event in Toronto. Rest in Peace, Ralphael Platner. The games just won't be the same without you.
I do remember him and love the fact that he would crash catered events all over the city just for a free meal,lol.
A real character for sure who will be missed.
