The "Losing A Good Friend And Great Athlete" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Opened the morning newspaper and a friendly face was smiling back at me.  Seems that my wife's cousin, Robert L. Nonnenmocher died at home October 24 at the age of 82.  

Robert "Bobby" L. Nonnenmocher

 We saw him about a year ago during a visit to my doctor.  Seemed to be in good health, but evidently was having health issues once again.  Accompanying the traditional head shot photograph was a photo showing Bobby, as we called him, in a baseball uniform with Athletics across the front.  Bobby signed a contract to play for the Kansas City Athletics right out of high school.  He began his professional baseball career in the minor leagues. Most knew Bobby as "Noony", one of the best baseball players to ever come from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  He was a feared and respected lefty who pitched 2 no-hitters in both his sophomore and senior years at J.P. McCaskey High School where he graduated in 1955.  

Bobby as a player in the Kansas City organization.

 After three years in the Kansas City organization, he signed with the Detroit Tigers before enlisting in the U.S. Army where he played baseball at Fort Dix before returning to the Detroit minor league system.  He eventually ended up playing for the Lancaster Red Roses at Stumpf Field in Lancaster which was close to my childhood home.  He began his career as a metallurgical technician in 1962 and retired after 35 years in the industry.  He was a member of the Lancaster County Sport's Hall of Fame.  I got to know Bobby when I began dating my wife.  A year after I met Carol I began coaching a Little League Baseball Team associated with Hamilton Watch Company.  Bobby volunteered to help and he was a welcome addition to my coaching staff.  He took one of the boys, Ted Groff, a lefty, under his wing and continued coaching him privately through high school until graduation when he signed a professional baseball contract.  

The Hamilton Watch team that Bobby helped me coach.
Bobby is in the center rear while I am on the left rear.
Another friend, Lance, who helped coach, is on the right.

 Bobby was an usher in our wedding and became a good friend.  We loved talking baseball and I got to know just how good a pitcher he was in his career.  An arm injury took him out of baseball before he made it to the major leagues.  I coached for many years and in my final year I coached the Manheim Township Midget team into the New Era Tournament at the end of the summer season.  We ended up playing for the title against Lancaster Township who was coached by...you guessed it, Bobby!  I was lucky to have had one of the best pitchers in the league and won the game.  It was an amazing feeling beating one of the best baseball minds in Lancaster County.  Bobby ended up driving a transportation van for the Amish community.  He told us that he even drove a van load of Amish residents to Florida for their yearly winter vacation.  The stories he could tell were very interesting.  Bobby's wife died a few months before he did.  I'm sure that took a tremendous toll on him.  He is survived by a son, a daughter and three grandchildren.  I'm sure they will miss Bobby and his laid-back style as well as his many stories about his career as a professional baseball pitcher.  I'm glad I had the chance to know this great guy with the big smile.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.