The "Young Republicans" Story

It was an ordinary day. Baseball weather! I was 13 years old and playing for the Young Republicans junior-midget baseball team in the Red Rose Jr. Midget League in Lancaster. The Young Republicans were a team featuring 13 and 14 year old boys. The year before I had played for Schick in the local midget-midget league. That league is for boys ages 9-12. During the last few games of the season I noticed a man with a baseball hat that had an elephant on it coming to our games and standing behind the backstop. After our final game I noticed this man talking to my Dad along the sidelines. Dad called me over and introduced me to Mr. Regar. He was the coach of the Young Republicans and he wanted me to play for him the next year. He had also asked Johnny T. from my Schick team. Sure, why not!! I found out later that Mr. Regar would travel throughout Lancaster County and watch players in the midget-midget leagues to hand pick players for his team for the following year. What an honor. We started in early spring with practice and practice games in preparation for the upcoming season. I was picked to play 1st base. The only problem was that the returning 1st baseman was 14 and the star of last year's team. Oh well, I was still on the best team. That year we ended the regular season with a 29-1 record and I batted .364 for the season. I did get to play in almost every game and started over half of the games when the other 1st baseman was on vacation or hurt. Our only loss that year was to Reamstown by the score of 4-0. It occured in an open tournament where boys up to age 16 could play. WE WERE GOOD! The week after the season ended we traveled to Philadelphia and won the Pennsylvania State Jr. Midget Championship, winning the Championship game 2-1 with a home-run in the 10th inning by Cook R. A letter was published in the Lancaster Newspaper congratulating us for our conduct and sportsmanship throughout the tournament. We won the admiration of the hugh crowds that came to see the tournament. You see, Mr. Regar was big on these two qualities and it was his influence on me that helped me stress the same qualities when I coached. By winning the State title, we qualified for the Mason-Dixon Tournament which was a tournament for teams from Pennsylvania, New York, Washington D.C, Maryland and Virginia. You had to qualify for the invitation only tournament and we secured a spot with our play in Philadelphia. The tournament this year was to be held in York, PA. It seemed like we had home field advantage!! Even though we were only 30 minutes away from the baseball complex in York, the Young Republican Club of Lancaster arranged for us to stay in a hotel for the length of the tournament. Neat, no REALLY NEAT!! The crowds were large, cheering for our team. Well, we captured that tournament also, winning the Championship game by a score of 1-0 with a homerun by Cook R. This was probably the best team I ever played on during my lifetime. Many players went on to play in college or in the minors. My oldest son Derek also had a chance to play in the Mason-Dixon tournament which they won. I got to coach my youngest son Tad in the same tournament which we also won. Sounds hereditary! For a reward at the end of the season the Young Republican Club bought each team member a beautiful blue winter jacket with white leather sleeves and tournament patches on it for the championships we won. On the front was a big white elephant!! Mr. Regar's influence over me was only on the baseball field, because you see, I'm a registered Democrat!!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - In the newspaper photo line-up I'm the 9th player from the left while in the posed team photo I'm the middle row far right player, next to Cook R.