Do you remember Chocolate Thunder, Darryl Dawkins, the backboard breaking, slam dunking monster of the Philly 76ers? He was a 6'11", muscled, massive guy, mean as he could be. He was listed as 250 pounds, but I think he was bigger. Would you believe that I almost took him on one night?
The year was 1980. It was the Maverick's innaugural season. WBAP carried the Mavs and Mark Holtz was the play-by-play radio voice. He had just moved down from Denver but his familly hadn't joined him yet, so, he gave me his two courtside tickets. Mark only voiced the Mavs the one season before becoming the long time voice of the Rangers.
Greg Cagle and I took the tickets and sat right under the backboard at one end. The seats were actually folding chairs placed very close to the baseline. There wasn't as much room allotted to photographers and cameramen, so the seats were closer to the court than they are today. There was an aisle running up the middle of the section and I was on the aisle, row 2.
As an expansion team the Mavs were horrible. I think they won 15 games all season and lost 67. They had a bunch of no name young guys who, while physically overmatched, played with spirit and intensity and they managed some upsets of good teams. Their center was Tommy Legrande a 6'10" toothpick compared to Dawkins.
The Mavs were playing well and it was a close, intense game. The crowd was really into it; and, being down under the basket, I saw the ruggedness of the play, the banging, and the blatantly cheap shots. Dawkins was big and intimidating and delivering more than his fair share of the hits and the refs weren't calling any fouls. We were really yelling at him, the crowd was really wild, and I felt like I was on the court.
As the Mavs came down on offense, Legrande starts down the lane. Dawkins delivers a forearm smash to his face, bloodying his nose and lip. Incensed, I start toward the court. "You're not going to cheapshot one of my teammates and get away with it," I'm thinking. On the third step toward the court, just a step or two away from the court, I realize, "You idiot! What are you doing? You can't go on the court. Besides, that's Chocolate Thunder and he'd kill you!" Wisely, I stepped back to my seat and contented myself with just yelling forcefully at Dawkins.
And, that's how I almost took on Chocolate Thunder.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Odd Stories - Doug Rader
In 1983 Doug Rader became the new manager for the Rangers. I was the Business Manager at WBAP and we carried the Ranger radio broadcasts. In addition to the games we carried a daily coach's show and that is the source of this post.
The Rangers were pitiful under Rader. I think he was just there 2 full season and a part of another one. Their winning percentage under his leadership was about .400 and their best finish was 3rd in the West. When the Rangers adopted red uniform jerseys one year he hated them and said he looked like a giant blood clot. Anyway, the story comes from his first year.
Rader had started his first season as manager, the team was coming home from spring training and they were going to have the annual welcome luncheon and introduction of the players and coaches to the media and season ticket holders. One of Rader's duties as manager was to do the coach's show. Of course he would be paid the standard fee that I think was $45 per show and generally paid monthly. Rader demanded that he be paid for the entire season, in adance, and in cash. As I recall the total was a little over $7,000.
Warren Potash was our General Manager and he was a little miffed that Rader wanted cash in advance but agreed to the demand. But, he was going to make a bit of a scene about it.
The first thing we did was find an old battered suitcase on which the latches had been broken and had to be kept closed by tying a belt around it. Then I went down to the bank and got the $7,000+ in ones except for a number of $100 bills. We proceeded to back the suitcase full of cash placing a $100 bill in the top of each bundle of ones that was on the top layer in the case. When the case was opened it looked like there must be $100,000 or more in there.
Warren took the suitcase full of money to the Welcome Luncheon. When it came time for him to make his remarks he said something about Rader's demand for cash and wasn't sure if it was because Rader wasn't going to be there that long or didn't trust us. He had removed the belt from the suit and presented Doug the case allowing it to fall open and spill the money all over the floor.
Rader never asked for cash again.
The Rangers were pitiful under Rader. I think he was just there 2 full season and a part of another one. Their winning percentage under his leadership was about .400 and their best finish was 3rd in the West. When the Rangers adopted red uniform jerseys one year he hated them and said he looked like a giant blood clot. Anyway, the story comes from his first year.
Rader had started his first season as manager, the team was coming home from spring training and they were going to have the annual welcome luncheon and introduction of the players and coaches to the media and season ticket holders. One of Rader's duties as manager was to do the coach's show. Of course he would be paid the standard fee that I think was $45 per show and generally paid monthly. Rader demanded that he be paid for the entire season, in adance, and in cash. As I recall the total was a little over $7,000.
Warren Potash was our General Manager and he was a little miffed that Rader wanted cash in advance but agreed to the demand. But, he was going to make a bit of a scene about it.
The first thing we did was find an old battered suitcase on which the latches had been broken and had to be kept closed by tying a belt around it. Then I went down to the bank and got the $7,000+ in ones except for a number of $100 bills. We proceeded to back the suitcase full of cash placing a $100 bill in the top of each bundle of ones that was on the top layer in the case. When the case was opened it looked like there must be $100,000 or more in there.
Warren took the suitcase full of money to the Welcome Luncheon. When it came time for him to make his remarks he said something about Rader's demand for cash and wasn't sure if it was because Rader wasn't going to be there that long or didn't trust us. He had removed the belt from the suit and presented Doug the case allowing it to fall open and spill the money all over the floor.
Rader never asked for cash again.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
First Grade - The Blue Sheep
Since I wasn't six prior to September 1st I couldn't go to public school first grade. If I wanted to start first grade I had to go to private school and I did. First Baptist had a private school first grade. Gary had gone there the previous year. The teacher was Miss Gill.
Miss Gill was a nice lady, but very stern and very big. She was probably 5' 10" abd 275 pounds. That may be an exxageration, but, remember, I was only in the first grade. Everyone looked bigger than they probably were.
Miss Gill carried around a wooden yardstick. If you talked in class without permission or commited some other infraction, Whap!, she swatted you on the hand with that yardstick. She could reach anywhere in the room with that yardstick with one step and a swing, or so it seemed.
Our room was the first room in the children's wing that runs along Border Street. In all of the remodeling over the years I think they've made an office out of part of the room and maybe made it where it connects with other nursery rooms. It didn't connect to any other room back then.
I sat on the second row in the second seat from the middle aisle. As Miss Gill was facing the class I was on her right, in easy swatting distance for her right handed swing.
One day our assignment was to color a sheep. The outline of the sheep was already provided for us on the paper. I colored mine and turned it in. After eveyone had turned their pictures in, she graded them and handed them back out. I got a check plus! The guy next to me got an X. I looked at his paper and at his grade and at his sheep and laughed. I pointed at it and said "Sheep aren't blue."
WHAP! My outstretched pointing right hand was swatted hard. "Don't make fun of people. It's not nice," Miss Gill said, and I've remember that to this day.
And that's what I learned in first grade.
Miss Gill was a nice lady, but very stern and very big. She was probably 5' 10" abd 275 pounds. That may be an exxageration, but, remember, I was only in the first grade. Everyone looked bigger than they probably were.
Miss Gill carried around a wooden yardstick. If you talked in class without permission or commited some other infraction, Whap!, she swatted you on the hand with that yardstick. She could reach anywhere in the room with that yardstick with one step and a swing, or so it seemed.
Our room was the first room in the children's wing that runs along Border Street. In all of the remodeling over the years I think they've made an office out of part of the room and maybe made it where it connects with other nursery rooms. It didn't connect to any other room back then.
I sat on the second row in the second seat from the middle aisle. As Miss Gill was facing the class I was on her right, in easy swatting distance for her right handed swing.
One day our assignment was to color a sheep. The outline of the sheep was already provided for us on the paper. I colored mine and turned it in. After eveyone had turned their pictures in, she graded them and handed them back out. I got a check plus! The guy next to me got an X. I looked at his paper and at his grade and at his sheep and laughed. I pointed at it and said "Sheep aren't blue."
WHAP! My outstretched pointing right hand was swatted hard. "Don't make fun of people. It's not nice," Miss Gill said, and I've remember that to this day.
And that's what I learned in first grade.
Second Grade Lunch
I was in Mrs. Fuel's second grade class at CB Berry Elementary. Our room was directly across the hall from the cafeteria/auditorium. There are two events that I remember distinctly from second grade.
I didn't know the words to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer so I was not selected to sing for a PTA meeting during school. I was very disappointed. The second event was one particular lunch.
I bought my lunch at school each day. I think it cost 25 cents and included milk. When you went through the line you were supposed to take the next plate in line. You weren't allowed to look for a better plate, one with fewer green beans or a bigger roll.
On this day we were having some sort of chicken soup. As I was approaching the serving line I saw this shriveled up miniature chicken leg sticking up out of the little bowl of soup. Looking quickly I realized that bowl was going to be mine. I tried to drop back in line but couldn't do it. Then I tried to take the next bowl but the cafeteria worker hollered at me to take the next plate in line. I was stuck with the shrivelled up piece of chicken in a bowl. All the other bowls had pieces of chicken in the bowl like a normal soup. They didn't have this shrivelled up stump of a chicken leg dumped in a cup of thin gruel. I might have to take it but I sure didn't have to eat it!
I sat down and ate my lunch, everything but the shrivelled up chicken leg and hideous gruel. I started to get up and take my tray to the cleaning window but Mrs. Fuel stopped me. "You have to eat all your food," she said. I sat back down but refused to eat. Lunch period was over but I hadn't eaten my shrivelled stump so I was not allowed to go back to class. I had to stay there and eat everything on my tray. I refused. I don't know how long I sat there, the only one in the entire cafeteria. The workers were back in the kitchen cleaning and getting ready to go home. I sat there. I was not about to eat the shrivelled stick and gruel. Finally, Mrs. Fuel came back into the cafeteria. "Have you eaten your soup?" she asked. "No, and I'm not going to!" I replied. She spent a few more minutes trying to get me to eat it and I continued to refuse. Finally, she let me put up the tray and go back to class.
I think this is probably where Ben got his ability to deal with Mrs. Stanley. I didn't want to and I wasn't going to and I didn't eat that disgusting shrivelled specimen. So much for second grade lunch.
I didn't know the words to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer so I was not selected to sing for a PTA meeting during school. I was very disappointed. The second event was one particular lunch.
I bought my lunch at school each day. I think it cost 25 cents and included milk. When you went through the line you were supposed to take the next plate in line. You weren't allowed to look for a better plate, one with fewer green beans or a bigger roll.
On this day we were having some sort of chicken soup. As I was approaching the serving line I saw this shriveled up miniature chicken leg sticking up out of the little bowl of soup. Looking quickly I realized that bowl was going to be mine. I tried to drop back in line but couldn't do it. Then I tried to take the next bowl but the cafeteria worker hollered at me to take the next plate in line. I was stuck with the shrivelled up piece of chicken in a bowl. All the other bowls had pieces of chicken in the bowl like a normal soup. They didn't have this shrivelled up stump of a chicken leg dumped in a cup of thin gruel. I might have to take it but I sure didn't have to eat it!
I sat down and ate my lunch, everything but the shrivelled up chicken leg and hideous gruel. I started to get up and take my tray to the cleaning window but Mrs. Fuel stopped me. "You have to eat all your food," she said. I sat back down but refused to eat. Lunch period was over but I hadn't eaten my shrivelled stump so I was not allowed to go back to class. I had to stay there and eat everything on my tray. I refused. I don't know how long I sat there, the only one in the entire cafeteria. The workers were back in the kitchen cleaning and getting ready to go home. I sat there. I was not about to eat the shrivelled stick and gruel. Finally, Mrs. Fuel came back into the cafeteria. "Have you eaten your soup?" she asked. "No, and I'm not going to!" I replied. She spent a few more minutes trying to get me to eat it and I continued to refuse. Finally, she let me put up the tray and go back to class.
I think this is probably where Ben got his ability to deal with Mrs. Stanley. I didn't want to and I wasn't going to and I didn't eat that disgusting shrivelled specimen. So much for second grade lunch.
Basketball -Jr High Style - RA's
While playing in the school league, we also played in the Tarrant Baptist Association Royal Ambassador league during my Junior High years. One strange thing is that I don't remember any RA games between my very first season as an 8-9 year old and my 7th grade RA team. I really don't remember much about the 7th & 8th grade RA seasons, but here goes.
We had graduated from the garage painted cotton undershirts and cotton short to real basketball uniforms. We had white tops with green numbers and green satin-looking shorts. Our uniforms were very much like Arlington High's. As a 7th grader I didn't get to play much, certainly not near as much as I thought I deserved to play. I was very small but very quick and a good ball handler. My defense was outstanding. I thought I should play more but the bigger, older guys got the time. Our players included Tommy Pope (from the first team), Mitchell Kolinovsky (he's a preacher now in Grand Saline or somewhere), Tommy Wier (he wasn't very good), Bobby Greenwood (he was horrible but in later life he was an animal trainer who trained birds and other animals for TV shows, events, and the like), Cary Don Risinger, Gary, Verne Hargrave, and me. We probably lost as many games as we won.
On some of the other teams I met some guys that I would play against later in high school. I became good friends witha kid from Haltom but I can't remember his name. He was my same age but a grade younger. He had a big brother a couple of years older who was the star of their team.
We played the games at the South Side Recreation Center on Rosedale in Fort Worth. All the games were played on Saturday except, for some reason, the very last game was played one week night. The games would be played cross court so that 2 games could be played at the same time. The team we were supposed to play didn't show up. Haltom was supposed to play another team in a game that would decide the championship. Both teams were undefeated. Since we weren't going to have a game, they played full court for the championship. Haltom was in gold and the other team in red. I really don't remember who won, but I think Haltom did. I do remember that both teams were very good.
There was an age limit so by the time I reached 9th grade, most 9th graders were ineligible. Verne and I were still on the team and a friend of Verne's named Ronnie Lindley came to RA's so he could play. I only remember one other player on that team, Danny North. He was HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! But, everybody had to play. I always wished he wouldn't show up. He was the oldest of 10 or 11 kids. His family lived in two houses, I think on Connally Terrace at Park Row. His mom was a great big fat woman. She didn't even know she was pregnant with her last child until about the time it was delivered. Her name was Mary Cherry North. Their whole family sat on the front pew at church.
Ninth grade and I was still very short. I was 5-foot or so. I started my 10th grade year at 5-2, so that should give you an idea. I was the best player on our team, then Verne and Ronnie. We had a good team despite the fact that I was the only player to be on the school team. We had won every game going into what would be the championship game against Diamond Hill. Joe Myers was our coach and RA Counselor.
In addition to the Diamond Hill game, one other stands out. We were playing First Baptist Mansfield. They had a big guy about 6' 2". He was a football player type, slow, broad, and tall. He and the rest of their team play very rough. To start the game and for almost the entire first half we only had one referee. I was always good at banging around even though I was small. I could block out, hit guys, and make it all look like their fault if there was a foul situation. Well, a second referee shows up and as I'm dribbling down the court it is kind of quiet and my mother shouts out, "There is a second referee here now Charles, so you can't be playing as rough as you have been." She is calling out attention to me for the referees to watch. I was flabbergasted! I turned around, still dribbling, and said, "Would you shut up!" Big mistake. She shut up but I heard about it when I got home.
The big guy was hurting us with a semi-jump shot from just inside the free throw line. Ronnie couldn't guard him even though he was our tallest player. Although he was a foot taller than me I said, "Let me guard him." I thought I could block his shot because he'd pull the ball behind his head on his shot and had a rather slow release. I was quick enough that I could jump around to his side, block the ball behind his head, and steal it. After doing that 2 or 3 times and taking the ball each time on a fast break score, he was toast. He lost all confidence and we won the game. I don't remember exactly what hapened to me when I got home, but I'm sure it wasn't pleasant. At least we won.
The week of the championship game was also the week we played for the city championship at school. We had a Wednesday practice for the school team that kept me from going to RA's that week. Since I wasn't at RA's that week Joe benched me for the entire first quarter. Big mistake. The Diamond Hill Baptist team was the 8th Grade Diamond Hill Junnior High team. We were behind 8-10 points after the first quarter. Late in the game we'd gotten the lead down to a couple of points. I stole the ball on our defensive end. I heard somebody call down under our basket, saw one of our players, and threw it down for what should have been an easy tying score. Too late I realized that the player was Danny North. He didn't catch the ball. He fumbled it and batted it around until until he kicked it out of bounds. Their ball. They came back down and scored and time ran out. We lost the championship game.
Joe Myers, Verne, and I were talking the other day. Joe brought up how he remembered that we almost won the championship. I reminded him that we would have if he hadn't benched me for the first quarter. He didn't remember that part. Verne just remembered how cold and clammy Joes's hands were. When he would call a time out we'd come over and Joe would grab you by the shoulders. I can remember even then that Verne would wrench his shoulders around trying to get Joe's hands off him.
We played RA ball our 10th grade year as well. We weren't very good. We had no height. Since I was playing varsity as a junior and senior I was ineligible for RA ball, so that chapter of my life was over.
We had graduated from the garage painted cotton undershirts and cotton short to real basketball uniforms. We had white tops with green numbers and green satin-looking shorts. Our uniforms were very much like Arlington High's. As a 7th grader I didn't get to play much, certainly not near as much as I thought I deserved to play. I was very small but very quick and a good ball handler. My defense was outstanding. I thought I should play more but the bigger, older guys got the time. Our players included Tommy Pope (from the first team), Mitchell Kolinovsky (he's a preacher now in Grand Saline or somewhere), Tommy Wier (he wasn't very good), Bobby Greenwood (he was horrible but in later life he was an animal trainer who trained birds and other animals for TV shows, events, and the like), Cary Don Risinger, Gary, Verne Hargrave, and me. We probably lost as many games as we won.
On some of the other teams I met some guys that I would play against later in high school. I became good friends witha kid from Haltom but I can't remember his name. He was my same age but a grade younger. He had a big brother a couple of years older who was the star of their team.
We played the games at the South Side Recreation Center on Rosedale in Fort Worth. All the games were played on Saturday except, for some reason, the very last game was played one week night. The games would be played cross court so that 2 games could be played at the same time. The team we were supposed to play didn't show up. Haltom was supposed to play another team in a game that would decide the championship. Both teams were undefeated. Since we weren't going to have a game, they played full court for the championship. Haltom was in gold and the other team in red. I really don't remember who won, but I think Haltom did. I do remember that both teams were very good.
There was an age limit so by the time I reached 9th grade, most 9th graders were ineligible. Verne and I were still on the team and a friend of Verne's named Ronnie Lindley came to RA's so he could play. I only remember one other player on that team, Danny North. He was HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! But, everybody had to play. I always wished he wouldn't show up. He was the oldest of 10 or 11 kids. His family lived in two houses, I think on Connally Terrace at Park Row. His mom was a great big fat woman. She didn't even know she was pregnant with her last child until about the time it was delivered. Her name was Mary Cherry North. Their whole family sat on the front pew at church.
Ninth grade and I was still very short. I was 5-foot or so. I started my 10th grade year at 5-2, so that should give you an idea. I was the best player on our team, then Verne and Ronnie. We had a good team despite the fact that I was the only player to be on the school team. We had won every game going into what would be the championship game against Diamond Hill. Joe Myers was our coach and RA Counselor.
In addition to the Diamond Hill game, one other stands out. We were playing First Baptist Mansfield. They had a big guy about 6' 2". He was a football player type, slow, broad, and tall. He and the rest of their team play very rough. To start the game and for almost the entire first half we only had one referee. I was always good at banging around even though I was small. I could block out, hit guys, and make it all look like their fault if there was a foul situation. Well, a second referee shows up and as I'm dribbling down the court it is kind of quiet and my mother shouts out, "There is a second referee here now Charles, so you can't be playing as rough as you have been." She is calling out attention to me for the referees to watch. I was flabbergasted! I turned around, still dribbling, and said, "Would you shut up!" Big mistake. She shut up but I heard about it when I got home.
The big guy was hurting us with a semi-jump shot from just inside the free throw line. Ronnie couldn't guard him even though he was our tallest player. Although he was a foot taller than me I said, "Let me guard him." I thought I could block his shot because he'd pull the ball behind his head on his shot and had a rather slow release. I was quick enough that I could jump around to his side, block the ball behind his head, and steal it. After doing that 2 or 3 times and taking the ball each time on a fast break score, he was toast. He lost all confidence and we won the game. I don't remember exactly what hapened to me when I got home, but I'm sure it wasn't pleasant. At least we won.
The week of the championship game was also the week we played for the city championship at school. We had a Wednesday practice for the school team that kept me from going to RA's that week. Since I wasn't at RA's that week Joe benched me for the entire first quarter. Big mistake. The Diamond Hill Baptist team was the 8th Grade Diamond Hill Junnior High team. We were behind 8-10 points after the first quarter. Late in the game we'd gotten the lead down to a couple of points. I stole the ball on our defensive end. I heard somebody call down under our basket, saw one of our players, and threw it down for what should have been an easy tying score. Too late I realized that the player was Danny North. He didn't catch the ball. He fumbled it and batted it around until until he kicked it out of bounds. Their ball. They came back down and scored and time ran out. We lost the championship game.
Joe Myers, Verne, and I were talking the other day. Joe brought up how he remembered that we almost won the championship. I reminded him that we would have if he hadn't benched me for the first quarter. He didn't remember that part. Verne just remembered how cold and clammy Joes's hands were. When he would call a time out we'd come over and Joe would grab you by the shoulders. I can remember even then that Verne would wrench his shoulders around trying to get Joe's hands off him.
We played RA ball our 10th grade year as well. We weren't very good. We had no height. Since I was playing varsity as a junior and senior I was ineligible for RA ball, so that chapter of my life was over.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Basketball - Junior High Style
In the summer after my 6th grade year we moved out into the country to what is now a housing development on the corner of I-20 and Pleasant View Drive. When we moved there it was a 1/4-mile dirt and gravel road off a bumpy, very narrow, barely 2-lane Pleasant Ridge Drive. While the mailing address was Route 2 Box 296, Arlington before being changed to various other route and box numbers and finally 4250 Pleasant View Drive, it was in the Fort Worth school district. In the Fall of 1968 the area was changed to the Arlington ISD.
Anyway, we had left the friendly confines of the green and gold Berry Bears for the Purple and White Handley Greyhounds. It wasn't until we proudly wore our green and gold Berry letter jackets that we learned that our arch rival Meadowbrook Junior high bore the colors green and gold. We didn't wear the jackets much after that and I think they are now up in the cabins in the mountains.
Handley didn't have a "real" 7th-grade football team. Only the 9th grade had a regular schedule of games. The 7th grade practiced every day during the season and had one final scrimmage type game at the end of season. Still, the football players were the accepted jocks and the coaches knew them. We had basketball tryouts for two weeks, mostly run by the 7th grade football coach and Biology teacher and watched some by the head basketball coach Mr. Baldwin.
In those days of short, short basketball shorts I wore some bright gold shorts about as long as today's uniforms. Tryouts were conducted for an hour before school and watched by anyone who wanted to show up. Mostly, we had full court games with players rotating in and out. I can remember hearing 8th and 9th grade guys laughing about my shorts but also talking about how fast I was. After the last tryout session Coach Morris, the Biology teacher, said Coach Baldwin was going to make the final selection for the team the next day. Coach Morris was going to recommend the following people and he named them. They were all football players. That left Gary and me out. We went home that day thinking we probably wouldn't make the team. In talking about it in later years, Gary said he was terribly upset thinking that we hadn't made the team. All I really remember was thinking that the football coach didn't know basketball and when the basketball coach made the ultimate decision Gary and I would be there. Sure enough, when Coach Baldwin announced the team it was the guys who could play basketball, not just the football players, and Gary and I had made the team.
Gary and I were the starting guards for the team. John Tandy, Kim Riddle, and Alan Stanford were the 3 big men inside. We all played later at Eastern Hills High School. Gary was a starter on the JV as a sophomore, a squadman on the varsity as a junior, and didn't play as a senior. Alan also was a starter as a Soph, squadman as a junior, and lettered as a senior. John, Kim, and I all lettered as juniors and seniors. As 7th graders we had a pretty good team. We won the majority of our games, but I can't remember if we actually had a true league with a formal champion. I don't remember any particular game except that I had my tonsils out and missed the Christmas tournament. I also remember playing in a gym on the second floor of William James Junior High. I always thought that was so dumb and had never seen it before or since until our church built its gym. Stanford was our big scorer followed by Gary.
Our 8th grade year was pretty much a repeat of 7th grade without the tryout suspense. We had tryouts but we knew we were going to be on the team. Eighth graders were eligible to play on the 9th grade team and we all got to suit up for the final 9th grade home game against Meadowbrook. The only other thing of note was a new kid, Tommy Taylor. Tommy was a 7th grader but he was older than me and as old as Gary. His parents held him back and had him repeat 7th grade for athletic purposes. His dad was one of the top Southwest Conference football and basketball officials and Tommy was really good athelete. He played quite a bit on the 9th grade football team as a 7th grader.
For the 9th grade season I was relegated to 2nd team much of the time and Tommy took my place in the starting lineup. Carter Riverside had a guard who shot from his hip and was their leading scorer. In the first quarter in our gym he had already scored 10 or 12 points so Coach Baldwin pulled Tommy and put me in to shut the guy down. In the first few seconds that I was in he took a long shot and scored. He didn't score another basket the rest of the game. I totally shut him down. We slowly made up the deficit and had the game tied in the last minute of the game. They had the ball but we batted it loose toward mid court. Gary and I ran after the ball with the Riverside game between us. As we got to the ball we bumped one another and the Riverside guy fell down. The ref called a foul on Gary and we lost the game 42-41. It was a terrible call. We beat them later on in their gym. This time I started and totally shut the guy down again. I remember partially blocking one shot out at the top of the key, running around the lane, and catching the airball under the basket. We did have a City Championship game against Meadowbrook that we won. I started but got pulled for taking and missing a long shot, so I mostly sat the bench for the game.
Coach Baldwin was really a good coach and a great guy. Of the guys on that team only Kim Riddle and I started in high school. Another guy from Handley, Ricky Hall, started as a junior and senior but he didn't play in 9th grade because he broke his collarbone in football. In fact, he didn't play much in 7th or 8th grade either but got a whole lot better in high school.
That's part 1 of Junior High basketball. That discussed the school part. Later, I'll tell you about RA (church) basketball.
Anyway, we had left the friendly confines of the green and gold Berry Bears for the Purple and White Handley Greyhounds. It wasn't until we proudly wore our green and gold Berry letter jackets that we learned that our arch rival Meadowbrook Junior high bore the colors green and gold. We didn't wear the jackets much after that and I think they are now up in the cabins in the mountains.
Handley didn't have a "real" 7th-grade football team. Only the 9th grade had a regular schedule of games. The 7th grade practiced every day during the season and had one final scrimmage type game at the end of season. Still, the football players were the accepted jocks and the coaches knew them. We had basketball tryouts for two weeks, mostly run by the 7th grade football coach and Biology teacher and watched some by the head basketball coach Mr. Baldwin.
In those days of short, short basketball shorts I wore some bright gold shorts about as long as today's uniforms. Tryouts were conducted for an hour before school and watched by anyone who wanted to show up. Mostly, we had full court games with players rotating in and out. I can remember hearing 8th and 9th grade guys laughing about my shorts but also talking about how fast I was. After the last tryout session Coach Morris, the Biology teacher, said Coach Baldwin was going to make the final selection for the team the next day. Coach Morris was going to recommend the following people and he named them. They were all football players. That left Gary and me out. We went home that day thinking we probably wouldn't make the team. In talking about it in later years, Gary said he was terribly upset thinking that we hadn't made the team. All I really remember was thinking that the football coach didn't know basketball and when the basketball coach made the ultimate decision Gary and I would be there. Sure enough, when Coach Baldwin announced the team it was the guys who could play basketball, not just the football players, and Gary and I had made the team.
Gary and I were the starting guards for the team. John Tandy, Kim Riddle, and Alan Stanford were the 3 big men inside. We all played later at Eastern Hills High School. Gary was a starter on the JV as a sophomore, a squadman on the varsity as a junior, and didn't play as a senior. Alan also was a starter as a Soph, squadman as a junior, and lettered as a senior. John, Kim, and I all lettered as juniors and seniors. As 7th graders we had a pretty good team. We won the majority of our games, but I can't remember if we actually had a true league with a formal champion. I don't remember any particular game except that I had my tonsils out and missed the Christmas tournament. I also remember playing in a gym on the second floor of William James Junior High. I always thought that was so dumb and had never seen it before or since until our church built its gym. Stanford was our big scorer followed by Gary.
Our 8th grade year was pretty much a repeat of 7th grade without the tryout suspense. We had tryouts but we knew we were going to be on the team. Eighth graders were eligible to play on the 9th grade team and we all got to suit up for the final 9th grade home game against Meadowbrook. The only other thing of note was a new kid, Tommy Taylor. Tommy was a 7th grader but he was older than me and as old as Gary. His parents held him back and had him repeat 7th grade for athletic purposes. His dad was one of the top Southwest Conference football and basketball officials and Tommy was really good athelete. He played quite a bit on the 9th grade football team as a 7th grader.
For the 9th grade season I was relegated to 2nd team much of the time and Tommy took my place in the starting lineup. Carter Riverside had a guard who shot from his hip and was their leading scorer. In the first quarter in our gym he had already scored 10 or 12 points so Coach Baldwin pulled Tommy and put me in to shut the guy down. In the first few seconds that I was in he took a long shot and scored. He didn't score another basket the rest of the game. I totally shut him down. We slowly made up the deficit and had the game tied in the last minute of the game. They had the ball but we batted it loose toward mid court. Gary and I ran after the ball with the Riverside game between us. As we got to the ball we bumped one another and the Riverside guy fell down. The ref called a foul on Gary and we lost the game 42-41. It was a terrible call. We beat them later on in their gym. This time I started and totally shut the guy down again. I remember partially blocking one shot out at the top of the key, running around the lane, and catching the airball under the basket. We did have a City Championship game against Meadowbrook that we won. I started but got pulled for taking and missing a long shot, so I mostly sat the bench for the game.
Coach Baldwin was really a good coach and a great guy. Of the guys on that team only Kim Riddle and I started in high school. Another guy from Handley, Ricky Hall, started as a junior and senior but he didn't play in 9th grade because he broke his collarbone in football. In fact, he didn't play much in 7th or 8th grade either but got a whole lot better in high school.
That's part 1 of Junior High basketball. That discussed the school part. Later, I'll tell you about RA (church) basketball.
My First Fish
With my annual fishing trip to the Pecos Wilderness rapidly approaching I think it is time to remember my first fish.
Each year my family went on a camping trip, usually in the Pecos Widerness area. I do recall one particularly dreadful trip to Red River where we froze so much that all ended up in my folks double sleeping bag to try and stay warm. We also stayed a time or two in the Cowles guest ranch in one of the cabins. We did that before we bought the tent.
The tent was a large light green canvas tent that had enough room for my parents' double sleeping bag along the back wall and Gary's and my sleeping bags along either side with enough room in the middle for someone to stand, change clothes, or whatever. I would bet that my folks still have the tent, although it is so big and heavy that no one would ever use it anymore.
I know what you're saying, "What about the fish?" I'm getting to it.
Just before you cross the bridge to the Tererro general store and Post Office there is a road to your left to the Holy Ghost Canyon Campground. I remember having to ford a stream to get to the campground and we pitched our tent in a campsite beside the stream where a bit of a log dam created a large pool. Immediately across the stream was a stump perfect for sitting on and that is where I fished.
To get to the stump I had to very carefully walk across the 20 ft log being careful not to lose my balance and fall in. I remember inching across the log and being quite satisfied with myself when I finally made it. Gary went off with my Dad up and down the stream trying to catch some fish. We didn't catch anything.
During this time the campground started filling up with people. Where there hadn't been anyone anywhere close to us there were now campers 10-15 feet away. One of the campers had a small dog, I think a terrier.
Anyway, I'd inch my way across the log each day and fish in the same big pool. I wasn't catching anything but my Dad and Gary weren't catching anything either. I'd been sitting for quite a while with my line in the water. It was baited with a worm and I had a big red and white bobber on it to let me know if a fish was biting. As I was sitting there I watched a fish come out from under the bank by a scrub brush and dirt area hanging over the stream and swim toward my worm. As I watched he grabbed the worm, down went the bobber, and I jerked up on my pole hooking him. I pulled him in and started hollering. "I caught a fish! I caught a fish!" I ran across the log with my pole and fish and showed it to my Mom.
It was a big fish, a brown 10-12 inches. Since we hadn't caught any other fish and it was still very much alive she put it in a large pan of water so it could swim around and stay alive. It was a beige plastic pan that she washed the dishes in about 14" x 18" and 6" deep. She didn't want to clean and cook just one fish.
Now, a couple of observations: How did I get across the log so fast? Why could I now run across a log I was scared to carefully walk over? I don't know.
Since we hadn't caught any other fish I was content to watch my fish swim around. That was Saturday and we went to Glorieta on Sunday for church. When we came back my fish was gone! After a very short search we found it covered in dirt and dog bites. The stupid terrier had taken it out of the pan. I never have liked those dogs.
I thought I was about 10 when this happened but in talking to my folks the other day they said it was 1957 so I would have been 6. Since we went to the mountains every year, who knows. Anyway, some time between 6 and 10.
Each year my family went on a camping trip, usually in the Pecos Widerness area. I do recall one particularly dreadful trip to Red River where we froze so much that all ended up in my folks double sleeping bag to try and stay warm. We also stayed a time or two in the Cowles guest ranch in one of the cabins. We did that before we bought the tent.
The tent was a large light green canvas tent that had enough room for my parents' double sleeping bag along the back wall and Gary's and my sleeping bags along either side with enough room in the middle for someone to stand, change clothes, or whatever. I would bet that my folks still have the tent, although it is so big and heavy that no one would ever use it anymore.
I know what you're saying, "What about the fish?" I'm getting to it.
Just before you cross the bridge to the Tererro general store and Post Office there is a road to your left to the Holy Ghost Canyon Campground. I remember having to ford a stream to get to the campground and we pitched our tent in a campsite beside the stream where a bit of a log dam created a large pool. Immediately across the stream was a stump perfect for sitting on and that is where I fished.
To get to the stump I had to very carefully walk across the 20 ft log being careful not to lose my balance and fall in. I remember inching across the log and being quite satisfied with myself when I finally made it. Gary went off with my Dad up and down the stream trying to catch some fish. We didn't catch anything.
During this time the campground started filling up with people. Where there hadn't been anyone anywhere close to us there were now campers 10-15 feet away. One of the campers had a small dog, I think a terrier.
Anyway, I'd inch my way across the log each day and fish in the same big pool. I wasn't catching anything but my Dad and Gary weren't catching anything either. I'd been sitting for quite a while with my line in the water. It was baited with a worm and I had a big red and white bobber on it to let me know if a fish was biting. As I was sitting there I watched a fish come out from under the bank by a scrub brush and dirt area hanging over the stream and swim toward my worm. As I watched he grabbed the worm, down went the bobber, and I jerked up on my pole hooking him. I pulled him in and started hollering. "I caught a fish! I caught a fish!" I ran across the log with my pole and fish and showed it to my Mom.
It was a big fish, a brown 10-12 inches. Since we hadn't caught any other fish and it was still very much alive she put it in a large pan of water so it could swim around and stay alive. It was a beige plastic pan that she washed the dishes in about 14" x 18" and 6" deep. She didn't want to clean and cook just one fish.
Now, a couple of observations: How did I get across the log so fast? Why could I now run across a log I was scared to carefully walk over? I don't know.
Since we hadn't caught any other fish I was content to watch my fish swim around. That was Saturday and we went to Glorieta on Sunday for church. When we came back my fish was gone! After a very short search we found it covered in dirt and dog bites. The stupid terrier had taken it out of the pan. I never have liked those dogs.
I thought I was about 10 when this happened but in talking to my folks the other day they said it was 1957 so I would have been 6. Since we went to the mountains every year, who knows. Anyway, some time between 6 and 10.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Let's talk some baseball!
Jack's post about baseball and the start of the new season has inspired me to write about baseball, but let's forget about the professionals. Let's talk about true baseball - Little League.
In the early 60's there weren't 112 different kid's baseball leagues, and just because you signed up it didn't mean you got to play. There was only Little League, at least in Arlington, TX. There were a limited number of teams and a limited number of roster spots on each team. You had to try out and the managers then drafted players from the tryouts to fill out their teams. Players were ages 10-12.
There were about 8 leagues or divisions in Arlington and the winners played for the city championship and the right to go on to the Little League playoffs. The teams in our league were the Kiwanis Katz, B&B Grocers, First National Bankers, Builders, Eagles, Tornadoes, Scorpions, and Crusaders. The last two teams were added in my 12-year old year. They had been started as minor league teams when I was 10 for the guys who didn't make "the majors". All the teams has a business sponsor but I can't remember all of them
Gary either wasn't selected or didn't try out as a 10-year old, so we were both trying out when I was 10. We were selected by the Katz. Our color was yellow and the uniforms were a gray flannel with yellow trim, long yellow stirup socks, and a big Kiwanis Katz patch the size of a football sewn on the back. Our coaches were Mr. Boykin and Coach Brown. Coach Taylor also coached our football team when I was in the 6th grade. Mr. Boykin had a daughter, Patricia, in my class. She was one of the prettiest girls in school, so I was real happy with my team.
As a 10-year old, my Katz team wasn't very good and I don't remember playing a whole lot. About all I really do remember about that season was that a couple of guys quit the team and when Gary and I went on vacation for 2 weeks they had to forfeit the games while we were gone. Coach Taylor also had a son on our team. I think he was the same age as Gary. He wasn't very good but I remember him being funny. He was a nice guy. It was either this year or my 11-year old year that we upset the Builders. Their pitcher, Don Kirby, threw real fast and was usually in the strike zone. One game we got an umpire who was as scared of Don's fastballs as the batters. I don't know why, but he wouldn't call a high strike. We figured out that if we squatted down real low he'd walk us. I squatted so low that my shoulders were only slightly higher than my knees. The umpire used that 4-inch strike zone and not a normal batting stance. Kirby walked in a bunch of runs and we won. So much for my 10-year old season.
The next year we played the opening game for the entire city. We got to ride on the fire truck in the parade from downtown to Senter Park and I got my glove autographed by Miss Arlington, Bonnie Bebee. Gary was our opening day pitcher. we lost 3-2 to the Tornadoes. I think I played center field that game. During the course of the year I played every position except pitcher. Again, we didn't have a real good team and lost more games than we won.
One of our better players was Jimmy something. He was small, very fast, and played catcher. Bradley Johnson was an 11-year old pitcher who threw sidearm and threw very hard. Unfortunately, he didn't have much control. I remember one game where Brad kept walking guys and Jimmy kept getting mad at Brad and throwing the ball back to the pitcher as hard as he could and yelling at him. It wasn't long before Bradley was crying. Coach Taylor kicked Jimmy off the team and put me at catcher.
Since I had a catcher's mitt and caught Gary all the time so he could practice pitch, they decided I would be the catcher. Besides, we had no one else. The chest protector was so large it swallowed me. Even pulled up as tight as the straps would allow, you could have put two of me in it. If the ball was on the ground and I bent over to pick it up, the chest protector would swing out and block my vision. I had to hold it with my glove hand and pick up the ball with the other. Fortunately, I only had to catch a couple of games. A new kid moved into town, Chris Burkett (I think), and he was a catcher and they let him take Jimmy's place. One highlight for me was against the Bankers and their pitcher, Mike Nicole. I think the Bankers won our league and Mike was the best pitcher in the league. He was also our quarterback. I had broken my right index finger and it was in a curved, metal splint. I got to go in as a pinch hitter late in the game. We were losing 5-0. I couldn't grip the bat real tight with my right hand becasue of the splint, but when Mike threw, I swung and hit a line drive over the first baseman's head. The ball hit and kicked toward the foul line and rolled all the way to the corner of the field. Their RFer was playing straight away and by the time he got to the ball I was already rounding second. He threw to the second baseman and by the time he caught it I had rounded third. I beat the throw home for an inside the park home run! For the last game of the season the starting lineup was the players that would return for the next season and we won.
My 12-year old season didn't start quite like I had hoped. I was supposed to be one of the 12-year old pitchers. Each team was only allowed to designate two 12-year old pitchers and those two remained in place for the entire season. You couldn't change them. A new kid, Ronnie Morris, moved into town. He was supposed to be a real good pitcher and hitter so Coach Taylor got his dad to sign up as our Coach and Ronnie was placed on our team. I was bumped from pitching every other game to full-time shortstop. Really, that was a good move because I wasn't a very good pitcher. I didn't throw hard and my control wasn't that good either. Ronnie was really good until he blew up for a couple of games in the season.
I was very fast and batted lead off. I'd bunt for a single, steal second and sometimes third, and score by the second or third batter. Our 3B batted second. I think his name was Rodney and he was an 11-yr old. Bradley batted 3rd and hit a lot of home runs. Doug Tye played 1B and batted 4th, Chris Burkett, the catcher, batted 5th, Ronnie Morris played LF and batted 6th, Gary Ellis played CF and batted 7th, Flowers (I can't remember his first name) was another 11-yr old and played 2B and batted 8th, and one of two other 11-yr olds, ? Pierce and Chris ? would bat 9th and play RF. We should have had another couple of players but I don't remember who they were. They didn't play much. We only lost one game and that was when Ronnie totally lost his control and walked in 100 guys. We were behind from start to finish due to walks. Bradley couldn't pitch in two games in a row and we didn't have anyone else. The next time Ronnie pitched he was OK for the first few innings before going whacko. They'd worked a little with Chris the RFer and he came in to pitch to the last couple of batters to preserve the win. I hit another inside the park home run that year on a hit similar to the one the year before. In the last game of the regular season we were playing the Bankers. It was my 2nd or 3rd time up that game and their coaches were yelling, "Scoot up and watch for the bunt!" Coach Taylor gave me the hit away sign. The pitch was a fastball down the middle. I swung and hit a high fly ball over the left-centerfield fence by the concession stand at Senter Field, my first and only true Little League home run.
We won the first half outright and tied the Builders for the 2nd half, each with one loss. Since we beat them we thought we had won the tiebreaker and wouldn't have a playoff. All the other leagues were having playoffs since different teams had won each half. For example, Verne Hargave's team with Rusty Ward had won one half but lost the other half to Don Bodenhammer's team. Rusty later played in the Cincinatti Reds organization during the era of the Big Red Machine. He couldn't get out of AAA because of Ken Griffey, Sr and the other OF stars of that team. Verne's team lost their league playoff so they didn't make the city playoffs. Our league decided that we needed to have a playoff with the Builders for the 2nd half championship. If they won that game we'd have another playoff for the league championship the next day.
We won the the playoff highlighted with a really neat 3-6 double play to close the game. We were winning 1-0 in the last inning. Somehow, Mike Pringle (he was later a QB for Arlington High and a coach at Bailey during Emily's years) for the Builders had advanced to 3rd with one out. Their coach called for a squeeze bunt to try and score the tying run. When the batter squared to bunt our 1B and 3B charged the plate. The batter bunted a one hopper down the first base line that Doug Tye fielded on one hop and tagged the batter. Pringle, seeing the ball fielded so quickly, stopped and tried to get back to 3rd. I had broken to cover 3rd when the batter squared, so I was covering the bag and waiting for Doug's throw, I caught it and tagged Pringle for out #3 and the ball game. On to the City Playoffs!
Our first game was against a team that had Phil Mycoskie who has done a couple of knee surgeries and a shoulder surgery on me and a kid named Shellhammer. I'm not sure why I knew Shellhammer, but I did. My mom was nurse at the Arlington Clinic for Phil's dad. We won 3-2 or 5-2. Our next gamw was against Bodenhammer's team. He threw a good fastball and a very good curveball. I'd never seen a curve before. My second time up, we had a couple of guys on base. On the first pitch I ducked out of the way and the umpire called "Strike one!" Same thing on the second pitch. I looked back at the umpire. It was Mr. Kirpatrick, the Builders' coach. "He's throwing a curve," he said. On the third pitch I stood in, waited for the curve, and slammed the ball one hop off the right-centerfield fence driving in a couple of runs. Again, we won a close game, I think 3-2 setting up the championship game against the Olds 88 Rockets.
They batted first and we got them out. Again, I started off our hitting with a bunt. I was so nervous that I held onto the bat too tight and the ball ended up as a ground ball that made it past the pitcher and I beat the throw to first. I think I scored. A few plays stand out in my memory. Early in the game one of their guys tried to steal second. I took the throw and tagged the guy 6 feet from second base. The umpire called him safe. He claimed I never tagged the guy, but I had tagged him on his chest. He scored later in the inning after 2 were out. Also, their big hitter blasted a home run off Bradley. No one had hit a HR off him all year. It really pysched him, so much so that he intentionally walked him the next time up. The game went extra innings. The umpires rotated every three innings, so by this time the guy that had made the call on 2b was now behind the plate. He wouldn't call a strike so they scored went ahead. There were already 2 outs when I came up in our part of the inning. The first pitch was well over my head but the umpire called it a strike. The second pitch was in the same place so I swung at it anyway because the ump would have called it. Coach Taylor called time and came down to talk to me. I told him about the ump and he said don't worry about it, just hit the ball. The next pitch was over and I hit it for a clean single. Our next batter made the 3rd out so we didn't get to Bradley and lost the game.
That was the end of my baseball career. After that it was fastpitch softball and later slowpitch softball.
In the early 60's there weren't 112 different kid's baseball leagues, and just because you signed up it didn't mean you got to play. There was only Little League, at least in Arlington, TX. There were a limited number of teams and a limited number of roster spots on each team. You had to try out and the managers then drafted players from the tryouts to fill out their teams. Players were ages 10-12.
There were about 8 leagues or divisions in Arlington and the winners played for the city championship and the right to go on to the Little League playoffs. The teams in our league were the Kiwanis Katz, B&B Grocers, First National Bankers, Builders, Eagles, Tornadoes, Scorpions, and Crusaders. The last two teams were added in my 12-year old year. They had been started as minor league teams when I was 10 for the guys who didn't make "the majors". All the teams has a business sponsor but I can't remember all of them
Gary either wasn't selected or didn't try out as a 10-year old, so we were both trying out when I was 10. We were selected by the Katz. Our color was yellow and the uniforms were a gray flannel with yellow trim, long yellow stirup socks, and a big Kiwanis Katz patch the size of a football sewn on the back. Our coaches were Mr. Boykin and Coach Brown. Coach Taylor also coached our football team when I was in the 6th grade. Mr. Boykin had a daughter, Patricia, in my class. She was one of the prettiest girls in school, so I was real happy with my team.
As a 10-year old, my Katz team wasn't very good and I don't remember playing a whole lot. About all I really do remember about that season was that a couple of guys quit the team and when Gary and I went on vacation for 2 weeks they had to forfeit the games while we were gone. Coach Taylor also had a son on our team. I think he was the same age as Gary. He wasn't very good but I remember him being funny. He was a nice guy. It was either this year or my 11-year old year that we upset the Builders. Their pitcher, Don Kirby, threw real fast and was usually in the strike zone. One game we got an umpire who was as scared of Don's fastballs as the batters. I don't know why, but he wouldn't call a high strike. We figured out that if we squatted down real low he'd walk us. I squatted so low that my shoulders were only slightly higher than my knees. The umpire used that 4-inch strike zone and not a normal batting stance. Kirby walked in a bunch of runs and we won. So much for my 10-year old season.
The next year we played the opening game for the entire city. We got to ride on the fire truck in the parade from downtown to Senter Park and I got my glove autographed by Miss Arlington, Bonnie Bebee. Gary was our opening day pitcher. we lost 3-2 to the Tornadoes. I think I played center field that game. During the course of the year I played every position except pitcher. Again, we didn't have a real good team and lost more games than we won.
One of our better players was Jimmy something. He was small, very fast, and played catcher. Bradley Johnson was an 11-year old pitcher who threw sidearm and threw very hard. Unfortunately, he didn't have much control. I remember one game where Brad kept walking guys and Jimmy kept getting mad at Brad and throwing the ball back to the pitcher as hard as he could and yelling at him. It wasn't long before Bradley was crying. Coach Taylor kicked Jimmy off the team and put me at catcher.
Since I had a catcher's mitt and caught Gary all the time so he could practice pitch, they decided I would be the catcher. Besides, we had no one else. The chest protector was so large it swallowed me. Even pulled up as tight as the straps would allow, you could have put two of me in it. If the ball was on the ground and I bent over to pick it up, the chest protector would swing out and block my vision. I had to hold it with my glove hand and pick up the ball with the other. Fortunately, I only had to catch a couple of games. A new kid moved into town, Chris Burkett (I think), and he was a catcher and they let him take Jimmy's place. One highlight for me was against the Bankers and their pitcher, Mike Nicole. I think the Bankers won our league and Mike was the best pitcher in the league. He was also our quarterback. I had broken my right index finger and it was in a curved, metal splint. I got to go in as a pinch hitter late in the game. We were losing 5-0. I couldn't grip the bat real tight with my right hand becasue of the splint, but when Mike threw, I swung and hit a line drive over the first baseman's head. The ball hit and kicked toward the foul line and rolled all the way to the corner of the field. Their RFer was playing straight away and by the time he got to the ball I was already rounding second. He threw to the second baseman and by the time he caught it I had rounded third. I beat the throw home for an inside the park home run! For the last game of the season the starting lineup was the players that would return for the next season and we won.
My 12-year old season didn't start quite like I had hoped. I was supposed to be one of the 12-year old pitchers. Each team was only allowed to designate two 12-year old pitchers and those two remained in place for the entire season. You couldn't change them. A new kid, Ronnie Morris, moved into town. He was supposed to be a real good pitcher and hitter so Coach Taylor got his dad to sign up as our Coach and Ronnie was placed on our team. I was bumped from pitching every other game to full-time shortstop. Really, that was a good move because I wasn't a very good pitcher. I didn't throw hard and my control wasn't that good either. Ronnie was really good until he blew up for a couple of games in the season.
I was very fast and batted lead off. I'd bunt for a single, steal second and sometimes third, and score by the second or third batter. Our 3B batted second. I think his name was Rodney and he was an 11-yr old. Bradley batted 3rd and hit a lot of home runs. Doug Tye played 1B and batted 4th, Chris Burkett, the catcher, batted 5th, Ronnie Morris played LF and batted 6th, Gary Ellis played CF and batted 7th, Flowers (I can't remember his first name) was another 11-yr old and played 2B and batted 8th, and one of two other 11-yr olds, ? Pierce and Chris ? would bat 9th and play RF. We should have had another couple of players but I don't remember who they were. They didn't play much. We only lost one game and that was when Ronnie totally lost his control and walked in 100 guys. We were behind from start to finish due to walks. Bradley couldn't pitch in two games in a row and we didn't have anyone else. The next time Ronnie pitched he was OK for the first few innings before going whacko. They'd worked a little with Chris the RFer and he came in to pitch to the last couple of batters to preserve the win. I hit another inside the park home run that year on a hit similar to the one the year before. In the last game of the regular season we were playing the Bankers. It was my 2nd or 3rd time up that game and their coaches were yelling, "Scoot up and watch for the bunt!" Coach Taylor gave me the hit away sign. The pitch was a fastball down the middle. I swung and hit a high fly ball over the left-centerfield fence by the concession stand at Senter Field, my first and only true Little League home run.
We won the first half outright and tied the Builders for the 2nd half, each with one loss. Since we beat them we thought we had won the tiebreaker and wouldn't have a playoff. All the other leagues were having playoffs since different teams had won each half. For example, Verne Hargave's team with Rusty Ward had won one half but lost the other half to Don Bodenhammer's team. Rusty later played in the Cincinatti Reds organization during the era of the Big Red Machine. He couldn't get out of AAA because of Ken Griffey, Sr and the other OF stars of that team. Verne's team lost their league playoff so they didn't make the city playoffs. Our league decided that we needed to have a playoff with the Builders for the 2nd half championship. If they won that game we'd have another playoff for the league championship the next day.
We won the the playoff highlighted with a really neat 3-6 double play to close the game. We were winning 1-0 in the last inning. Somehow, Mike Pringle (he was later a QB for Arlington High and a coach at Bailey during Emily's years) for the Builders had advanced to 3rd with one out. Their coach called for a squeeze bunt to try and score the tying run. When the batter squared to bunt our 1B and 3B charged the plate. The batter bunted a one hopper down the first base line that Doug Tye fielded on one hop and tagged the batter. Pringle, seeing the ball fielded so quickly, stopped and tried to get back to 3rd. I had broken to cover 3rd when the batter squared, so I was covering the bag and waiting for Doug's throw, I caught it and tagged Pringle for out #3 and the ball game. On to the City Playoffs!
Our first game was against a team that had Phil Mycoskie who has done a couple of knee surgeries and a shoulder surgery on me and a kid named Shellhammer. I'm not sure why I knew Shellhammer, but I did. My mom was nurse at the Arlington Clinic for Phil's dad. We won 3-2 or 5-2. Our next gamw was against Bodenhammer's team. He threw a good fastball and a very good curveball. I'd never seen a curve before. My second time up, we had a couple of guys on base. On the first pitch I ducked out of the way and the umpire called "Strike one!" Same thing on the second pitch. I looked back at the umpire. It was Mr. Kirpatrick, the Builders' coach. "He's throwing a curve," he said. On the third pitch I stood in, waited for the curve, and slammed the ball one hop off the right-centerfield fence driving in a couple of runs. Again, we won a close game, I think 3-2 setting up the championship game against the Olds 88 Rockets.
They batted first and we got them out. Again, I started off our hitting with a bunt. I was so nervous that I held onto the bat too tight and the ball ended up as a ground ball that made it past the pitcher and I beat the throw to first. I think I scored. A few plays stand out in my memory. Early in the game one of their guys tried to steal second. I took the throw and tagged the guy 6 feet from second base. The umpire called him safe. He claimed I never tagged the guy, but I had tagged him on his chest. He scored later in the inning after 2 were out. Also, their big hitter blasted a home run off Bradley. No one had hit a HR off him all year. It really pysched him, so much so that he intentionally walked him the next time up. The game went extra innings. The umpires rotated every three innings, so by this time the guy that had made the call on 2b was now behind the plate. He wouldn't call a strike so they scored went ahead. There were already 2 outs when I came up in our part of the inning. The first pitch was well over my head but the umpire called it a strike. The second pitch was in the same place so I swung at it anyway because the ump would have called it. Coach Taylor called time and came down to talk to me. I told him about the ump and he said don't worry about it, just hit the ball. The next pitch was over and I hit it for a clean single. Our next batter made the 3rd out so we didn't get to Bradley and lost the game.
That was the end of my baseball career. After that it was fastpitch softball and later slowpitch softball.
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