The "John Preston Hill - Hall Of Fame Player In Any League" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Leafing through a few sports books I have and found a baseball player by the name of John Preston "Pete" Hill whom I had known very little about until I began to read a bit more.  "Pete" Hill was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in July of 2011.  Now, the story about this gentleman had my full attention since I had never heard his name before, but yet he made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  As I read his story I became aware that he was an outfielder and manager for the Negro Leagues, playing at first for the Pittsburgh Keystones.  And...this guy was a fantastic player.  He was born on October 12, 1882 in Culpeper County, Virginia to Rubin W. Hill and Elizabeth Seale Hill.  He had two older brothers, Jerome and Walter.  The Hill family later relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  He began his professional career at he age of 17 with the Pittsburgh Keystones which was one of the many all-black teams that existed before the first Negro Baseball League was founded in 1920.  

Pete Hill batting left-handed.

He remained with the team for two years before he joined the Cuban X-Giants and played for them in 1901 and 1902.  He then signed with the Philadelphia Giants who were owned by newspaperman H. Walter Schlichter and managed by Sol White.  He played left field and batted in the bottom third of the lineup during his first year.  He was that good that he eventually. took over center field and batted third in the order.  He played for the Giants until 1907.  

Pete Hill in his Detroit uniform.

He then moved once again to the Cuban Baseball League with Habana until 1912 when he returned to the United States and signed with the Brooklyn Royal Giants and then the Chicago American Giants when these teams were independent before the Negro Leagues in 1920.  When the Negro League was established in the 1920's he played for the Detroit Stars, Milwaukee Bears and Baltimore Black Sox.  He retired as a player in 1925 at the age of 43 and moved to Buffalo, New York where he was a porter on the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.  In 1906 he married Gertrude Lawson and had a son born in 1910 named Kenneth Hill.  John Preston "Pete" Hill died on December 14, 1951 from coronary thrombosis in Buffalo, New York.  

His plaque at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

He was buried in the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Alsop, Illinois.  In 1952, Hill was named the fourth-best all-time outfielder in Negro League history.  Then in 2006 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  He was considered one of the top three all-time best players in the Negro League.  If only he'd of had the chance to play in the United States major leagues, he might have a name that is more recognizable to baseball fans all over the world.  

His plaque at the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York.

In the Cuban League he led the league in batting average (.365) in 1910-11.  Mr. Cumbeland Posey, owner of he Homestead Grays and famous black baseball player, manager and executive, once called Hill "The most consistent hitter of his time."  In 1909 Jimmy Smith, a famous sportswriter of his time, put Hill on his 1909 "All-American Team."  He did spend his 1919 season as both a player and manager for the Detroit Stars.  He was 36 years old at the time and besides coaching, he batted .388 to lead the team.  His final position in professional baseball was as the field manager of the 1924-25 Baltimore Black Sox.  Any player who can be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, no matter what league they played in, must have been something special to watch play baseball.  I only wish I would have known of him and would have had the chance to watch him play.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Knowing When To Quit" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story in the online edition of our local newspaper that had the title that read: "Missing the LNP Tournament this year?  Here's a look back at its 74-year history." The LNP Tournament is a yearend baseball tournament for youth baseball with three categories of Midget-Midget (12 and under), Jr. Midget (14 and under) and Midget (16 and under).  The tournament was canceled this year since most youth baseball seasons were canceled due to the Coronavirus.  The LNP Tournament is the same end-of-the-year tournament as the New Era Tournament years ago.  Today there is only one daily newspaper while years ago there were two daily newspapers, the morning Intelligencer and the evening New Era.  

Early headline in the Lancaster New Era

Both have been condensed into one daily which is delivered in the morning and is known as the LNP.  This year's tournament was to celebate it's 75th season.  That's many, many Lancaster youth who have been involved over the past 75 years.  I played in the tournament beginning when I was 12 years old in 1956.  

Headline in 1952

Both my sons played in it quite a few times over the years and now my grandson has partici- pated in it a few times.  I coached teams in the tournament four years and my son Derek coached teams in the tournament a few times.  The tournament began in 1946 when the New Era sports editor George Kirchner started the event.  At the time he called it the "New Era Tournament."  

The 1946 New Providence team that won the very
first New Era Tournament championship.

The tournament was intended to provide something to keep young boys out of trouble, while also getting them interested in sports and providing games for a general audience to watch.  At first, any team could enter by filling out a form and return it to the newspaper office.  65 teams played in the first tournament which was just for boys between the ages of 12-14.  A few younger boys were allowed since they had played on the teams during the summer.  

New Era sports editor George Kirchner

A record crowd of 7,250 people showed up at Lancaster's Stumpf Field on the Fruitville Pike to watch the final game.  Lancaster's minor league club played their games in the stadium.  A few other years saw games being played at the field, but the field has now been reduced in size and is no longer used for the tournament.  Mount Joy's Kunkle Field has taken over as the major field for the two younger groups while Clipper Stadium, home of the minor league Lancaster Barnstormers is used for the 16 and under teams.  In 1952 a young girl who played on one of the teams was not allowed to participate in the boys-only tournament.  Seems she was one of the better players on the team and very upset she couldn't play.  Today, girls are part of the tournament, but I'm not sure how many may have played in it since then.  

When I played and when my oldest son began to play baseball, the winner of the tournament was taken to a big league game in either New York, Philadelphia or Baltimore.  

My grandson's team that won last years Under 14 Tournament.

Recently, the wining team have been treated to a game at the local Clipper Magazine Stadium.  Jackets are also awarded to the winning team.  The one jacket I received when I coached had my name reading across the chest pocket as Coach Woops instead of Coach Woods.  

The team I coached that won the 16-under championship.

To this day I wish I hadn't complained and gotten a new jacket, since everyone now calls me Coach Woops.  Both my sons as well as my grandson have won the tournament as a player, but I only won as a coach.  Tens of thousands of youth have participated in the tournament, including more than 100 players who have gone on to play baseball professionally in some capacity.  Of those, 18 went on to the Major Leagues with 16 as players, one as a coach and one as an umpire.  The list follows:

Bob Duncan - Pitched four innings for the Los Angeles Angels in 1961.
Nelson Chittum - Pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox from 1958-1960.
Jim Weaver - Pitched for the California Angels from 1967-1968.
Jim Todd - Pithed for the Oakland A's, Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners from 1974-1979.
Matt Watson - Outfielder who was in and out of the majors from 2003-2010 with the Mets and A's.
John Parrish - Pitcher who spent a decade in and out of the majors from 2000-2010, playing for the New York Mets and Oakland A's.
Don Wert - Third basement for the Detroit Tigers, 1963-1970.
Mike Sarbaugh - Third base coach/infield coach for the Cleveland Indians from 2013- present.
Jeff Bianchi - Shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers from 2012-2013.
Travis Jankowski - Outfielder for the San Diego padres and the Cincinnati Reds from 2015-present.
Chris Heisey - Outfielder, in and out of the majors from 2010-2017, playing for Cincinnati, Los Angeles and Washington.
Cam Gallagher - Catcher for the Kansas City Royals from 2017 to present.
Gene Garber - Pitcher for the Pirates, Royals, Phillies and Braves from 1969-1988.
Tom Herr - Second baseman for the Cardinals, Twins, Phillies, Giants and Mets from 1979-1991.
Bruce Sutter - Hall of Fame pitcher for the Cubs, Cardinals and Braves from 1976-1988.

Following are a few articles I found that were in the Lancaster Newspaper.  Had a good time searching the archives, trying to find information about the teams we all played on as well as the teams my son and I coached.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

PS - The two following photos are from the July 25, 1991 Lancaster New Era.  My Manheim Township Sertoma Midget team had captured the Lancaster New Era Championship after trying for 6 straight years.  The same team had beaten us the previous 5 years, but we managed to win in my last game as a youth coach.  What made it bittersweet was beating the Lancaster Township team which was coached by my wife's cousin, Bobby Nonnenmocher who had pitched in professional baseball in the 1960s. Click on images to enlarge them so you can read the captions. 

The "Squeezing A Few Runs Does It For The Champs!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Second of two days of watching my grandson's baseball team play in a tournament at "In The Net," which is a huge sports complex located at 798 Airport Road in Palmyra, Pennsylvania.  All summer I was unable to attend any baseball games due to the COVID virus, until two Sunday's ago when I was able to take in a double-header which featured the Landisville Vipers and the Mason-Dixon Ruffnecks, which I wrote about on Friday September 4.  The Vipers are actually a group of young men whose high school junior varsity season was eliminated by the virus, but took it upon themselves to form their own team and play in a few fall tournaments.  They were assisted by their parents as well as one mother, Annie Rieker, who helped in collecting money and contacting "In The Net" so that the team could play in this past week-end's tournament.  

Caden Woods makes a throw across the
diamond to 1st base.  Click on images to enlarge.

The uniforms were designed and ordered by the players.  They convinced their JV coach, Tylor Bair, to coach the team this past weekend and he was happy to comply with their request.  Most of the 14 teams that entered the Under-16 (years of age) tournament were All-Star teams from other leagues, with the Vipers being just one of two teams entered that were school teams.  Saturday was a pleasant day and the Vipers played their first tournament game at 8:30 AM.  Two games were scheduled for each time slot, since there are two regulation sized baseball diamonds at "In The Net."  Seedings, or team assignments, for the second day of the tournament were based on how you did in two games on Saturday.  

Coach Bair and two of his players.

The Vipers didn't fare well, losing both games they played on Saturday and were seeded 12 out of 14 based on runs scored and runs allowed.  So, in order to win the tournament, they would have to win every one of their four games on Sunday.  Sunday became a long day of baseball for both the team and their followers which included my wife and myself as well as many team followers.  

Pete Fiore heading to second base.

Another 8:30 AM game began with the Vipers playing the #3 seeded Shenandoah Sluggers whom had defeated them the day before by a large amount of runs.  These young Viper's players worked too hard to go home after the first game of the day, so they decided to turn their fortune around and begin to win.  

Aiden Rodenberger.

This time the Vipers turned the table on the Sluggers, whom had half-a-dozen players that were larger than the Vipers biggest player.  As everyone knows, size doesn't matter in baseball and the Vipers soundly defeated the Shenandoah Sluggers, 12-4.  Two hours later they were playing a team known as POD Nationals whom had won their earlier game.  

Players resting in the shade between games on Sunday. Photo by Mike Costa

The Vipers pitching was strong and they defeated the Nationals 12-0 with Ethan Green doing the pitching.  By now Carol and I had watched four games of baseball in two days, but there was still more to come.  If the Vipers could win the next game, they would qualify for the finals and possibly win the Championship.  

Cody Fatta makes a throw to 1st.

What were the chances of winning against teams that were a collection of the best players from cities and towns?  Well, at 4:30 PM, the Vipers took the field against the Baseball Anthracites, batting first, since they were the lower ranked of the two teams. These guys, who played the entire game with a chip on their shoulders, shut-out the Anthracites 6-0.  They now had to take on The Steelsharks Baseball Team who were seeded #1 at the start of the day.  And, to top that off, the Vipers were the "Away" team which means batting first again.  The Vipers scored first with the score going back and forth during the game.  My grandson, Caden Woods, came in to quell an uprising in the bottom of the 5th and shut the Steelsharks down with three strikeouts.  

Ethan Smith

The Vipers didn't score in the 6th, but the Steelsharks did manage a run off of Caden in their half of the inning.  In the top of the 7th and final inning, the Vipers needed three runs to tie the game and four to go ahead.  First up was Ethan Smith who hit a hard ground ball and reached first on an error by the third baseman.  

Michael Rieker taking a high throw.

Caden came to the plate and singled between short and third with Smith advancing to second. Then Hunter Williams hit a ground ball and reached on an error by the shortstop.  Smith and Woods advanced to third and second.  Matt McCullough laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Smith and move Caden and Hunter up a base, but was out at first for the first out of the inning.  For those not knowing what a squeeze bunt might be, it is one of the most exciting plays in baseball.  

Marcus Riveria waits on the ball.

The runner on third base heads to home as soon as the pitcher begins to throw the ball.  The runner is counting on the batter to bunt the ball so he can score.  The batter cannot miss the ball or the runner will be out at home.  The coach  doesn't give the signal to the batter to bunt if he isn't confident he will get his bat on the ball!  

Preparing to bunt.

Matt pulled off a perfect squeeze bunt.  Woods is now on third and Pete Fiore at the plate, the coach calls for another squeeze bunt.  Woods is halfway home when Pete laid down the perfect bunt, scoring Woods, but being thrown out at 1st base.  But, before long the Vipers had scored two more and went ahead by a run.  In the bottom of the 7th inning, Caden walked the first batter bringing in Logan Harelson to pitch.

Team photograph.

Logan struck out the first batter before allowing a single which advanced the tying run to third base.  Logan bore down and struck out the next two batters to end the game.  The Landisville Vipers became the unlikely Champions of the tournament.  They have now entered a mini-season league sponsored by the "In The Net."  Games over the next few weeks will determine the winner of this tournament.  Can the Vipers win another.  Stay tuned!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The entire Vipers family poses for a photograph.

Medals for the winning team members. Photo by Mike Costa.

The "When Baseball Was Free Of Problems...Allegedly!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story titled "The Thrill Of Baseball" which was fist published as an editorial in The Saturday Evening Post on October 13, 1908.  In 1908, the game of baseball was so different than it is today.  There were no cheating scandals, players were smaller in stature, there were no drugs and only whites played the game of professional baseball.  

Jackie Robinson was the first African American major
league baseball (MLB) player.  Jackie Robinson is credited
with breaking MLB's color barrier in 1947.  However, back in
1881 in the American Associaton, a major league at the time,
 Moses Walker and his brother Welday Walker played for the
Toledo Blue Stockings.

The superior edition of the game, which is played today, has made many needed changes to make the game more interesting, dynamic and available to all good players no matter what color, race, or religion they may worship.  But, with the updated version of the game are some unwanted items such as drugs and cheating, but it sadly is a part of our universal society today.  The song, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", was a big hit in the early days of the game and the following editorial was part of the Saturday Evening Post.  I have printed it as it appeared so you can see how important the game of baseball was at the time.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

     In an imperfect and fretful world, we have one institution which is practically above reproach and beyond criticism.  There is no movement afoot to uplift it, like the stage, or to abolish it, like marriage.  No one claims that it is vulgar, like the newspaper, or that it assassinates genius, like the magazines.  It rouses no class passions, and, while it has magnates, they go unhung with our approval.
     This one comparatively perfect flower of our sadly defective civilization is, of course, baseball - the only important institution that the United States regards with a  practically universal, uncritical, unadulterated affection.  The fact doesn't fit any theory, for baseball is somewhat of a trust and monopoly and is operated with an eye to the gate receipts.  
     The strength of baseball is simply that it gets results.  Politics bores, the newspaper irritates, the drama frequently, at best, leaves you in doubt as to whether you have had a pleasant evening, a cold in the head takes the perfume from the rose of matrimony.  But there is no doubt, no bar, no discount upon the thrill of the double play, or the deep joy of the three-bagger.
     "Our One Perfect Institution, " Editorial, October 31, 1908.

The "Baseball Is Alive And Well Once Again!" Story

It was an ordinary day. "Game Day" Lancaster County style!  It's been almost a year since I have been able to have my baseball fix.  But, sure enough, we got the call from my son and daughter-in-law telling us that Grandson Caden was going to play on a team  that was going to play at "In The Net" which is located in Palmyra, Pennsylvania.  Neat complex that has a few full-sized baseball fields.  Games were scheduled for this past Saturday and Sunday with at least two games each day.  Well, rain canceled the tournament's first day so they decided to cancel the tournament.  

Beautiful ball field in the middle of corn fields.

So, the coaches of the Lancaster team, known as Team Vipers 16U (ages 16 and under) arranged for a double-header with another team know as the Mason Dixon Ruffnecks. The games were to be played on a field in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania.  We got directions to Codorus Township Park in Glen Rock and off we went on early Sunday afternoon.  The park was located close to the Maryland border and took close to 45 minutes to find our way through all the country roads in southern York, Pennsylvania.  

Looking through the stalks of field corn at the game.

Beautiful park that as soon as I saw the field I swore it looked like the field in the movie "Field of Dreams."  The field was surrounded by corn fields and a few foul balls during the game ended along the edge of the corn field.  But, to me it didn't matter where the game was played or by whom, it was a ball game!  The teams were evenly matched with the first game going back and forth with the home team, The Ruffnecks, winning.  

Fans sitting along the edge of the corn field.

My grandson had a chance to play 1st base, 3rd base and Right Field.  Had a hit and a couple of good plays in the field.  Games at this age last 7 innings and the game ended in about 2 hours.  You could tell that both teams hadn't played much baseball together as well as playing for a few months.  Didn't matter though since I was getting to watch baseball.  

Caden hitting one to the outfield to drive in two runs.

Oh yeah, I already mentioned that, didn't I.  I took a few strolls around the edge of the cornfield and even stepped inside the corn stalks for a photo or two.  Second game began a half-hour after the first one ended and it was another evenly matched game.  Caden had the chance to pitch 2 innings at the end of the game and put the Ruffnecks down one, two, three in the 5th inning, but did give up a run in the 6th inning.  

Caden delivering a pitch.

The team entered the 7th inning with a lead, but the Ruffnecks tied the game in the top of the 7th and the Vipers couldn't score in the 7th.  Game was called at that point with the final score a tie.  Caden drove in three runs in the game and did a great job pitching.  And, I had the best time watching my favorite sport.  Tomorrow we will travel to "In The Net" to compete against teams from all over the North East in another  thrilling tournament.  One of the teams that The Vipers will face on Saturday is ranked 51st in Pennsylvania.  Now, I don't know if that's 51st out of 52 or out of 100.  Doesn't matter, since it's baseball and any team can win on any given day!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Watching Caden pitch from the cornfield above home plate.

 

The "The Iron Men Of Baseball" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Think back to June 1, 1925 if that's at all possible.  I realize that most of you weren't even born at that time in history, but if you are a loyal baseball fan, such as I am, you might recognize that ordinary day as the day that New York Yankee Lou Gehrig stepped to the plate to pinch-hit.  It was the first of 2,130 consecutive games that the great Yankee would play in.  On that date in history, Gehrig pinch-hit for Pee-Wee Wanninger in the eighth inning and flew out to left field.   The next day Gehrig started at first base in place of Wally Pipp, and the man known eventually as the Iron Horse, didn't miss another game for nearly 14 years.  Yes, you read that correctly...14 years.  That's a whole lot of games!  

Yankee first baseman Lou Gehrig watches from the dugout
May 2, 1939 as his teammates warm up for their game with
the Tigers in Detroit.  The Iron Horese told manager Joe
McCarthy he was benching himself for the good of the
team, bringing his 2,130 game winning streak to an end.
The Detroit fans gave him a standing ovation when they
learned he would not be in the lineup.  The Yankees won, 22-2.

But, finally on May 2, 1939, in the midst of a batting slump, Gehrig took himself out of the lineup.  Sure made it easy for the manager who most certainly would have been booed had he taken him out of the lineup.  It was later found that Gehrig's batting and playing troubles were because he was dying from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  This disease causes the progressive loss of voluntary muscle movement.  Over time, people who have it lose their ability to walk, use their hands and arms, speak, chew and swallow.  During Gehrig's career he was MVP (Most Valuable Player) in 1927 and 1936, recorded the American Triple Crown (Batting .363, 49 Home Runs, 166 Runs Batted In) and was a member of six Yankees World Series Champions, including the 1927 title team, which many consider the best baseball team ever.  Lou Gehrig was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939.  He died at the age of 36 on June 2, 1941.  His record streak for most consecutive games lasted until Baltimore Oriole Cal Ripken broke the record on September 6, 1995.  

Cal Ripken played in 2,632 straight games.

Cal's streak lasted from May 30, 1982 to September 6, 1995.  Ripken went on to play in 2,632 consecutive games.  Will that record ever be broken?  On July 4, 1939, at Yankee Stadium, Lou Gehrig was honored for his achievement.  On that day he said, "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."  The record that Gehrig, and later Ripken, held is one that is almost impossible to top.  Injuries, sickness and a variety of other problems can easily disrupt a record streak such as that.  I never had the chance to attend a game in which Lou Gehrig played, but did get to see quite a few games played by Cal Ripken.  I even got to see him a few years ago when watching a Little League game that was being played in the Ripken Experience Aberdeen.  His stadium is a two-thirds scale replica of Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Aberdeen, Maryland.  Great guy who has given back to baseball for the benefit of the youth of Maryland.  Will anyone ever come close to catching Lou or Cal?  I doubt it, at least in my lifetime.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Oh, The Good Old Days!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  And, as my story title says, "Oh, the good old days!"  Never thought I would be able to use that simple sentence, but now that I'm closer to the 100 year old mark than the 50 year old mark, I guess I can use that oft used statement.  Used it today when talking with my wife after reading that one of the Philadelphia Phillies pitchers from the past, Jamie Moyer, pitched in the new Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 and it was the 48th stadium that he had pitched in during his career.  Now, that's amazing.  After telling her the great news, she said, "Wasn't that the pitcher that Villanova'a baseball coach, George Bennett, said that Derek reminded him of?"  Yep, that was him.  Derek, our oldest son, had plans to pitch in college for Indiania University of Pennsylvania, a Division II college.  A week of so after making the decision, he pitched for his Manheim Township High School team in a State Tournament game and totally shut down the best team from the Philadelphia area.  Happens that the Villanova coach was in attendance at the game and that evening we had a phone call asking where Derek was going to go to college.  

Jamie Moyer

We told Coach Bennett that he had plans to go to IUP, but hadn't signed any papers yet.  He offered him a scholarship that night to pitch for Div. I Villanova!  George told me on the phone that Derek reminds him of Jamie Moyer who had pitched against Villanova when he played for St. Joseph's University in the Philadelphia area.  In 1984 Jamie set St. Joe school's single-season records in wins (16), ERA ( 1.99) and strikeouts (90).  Quite an accomplishment.  And Coach Bennett said he though Derek could be another lefty like Jamie.  Derek was doing almost as well as Jamie until a few things snapped in his elbow while pitching at the end of his as senior year.  Pretty neat though to be considered in the same class as Jamie Moyer.  Jamie began his major league career on June 16, 1986 when he appeared in his first big league game starting for the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and getting the victory over Steve Carlton and the Phils.  

Derek pitching for his Manheim Township HS team.

Well it's been 10 years now since Jamie pitched in Yankee Stadium and won in his 48th stadium.  He added two more stadiums before he retired at the age of 49 in 2012 having played in 50 MLB ballparks.  Moyer's final start was against the Colorado Rockies at Marlins Park in Miami on May 21, 2012.  Moyer got the loss in the 7-4 game.  Jamie didn't have the lively fastball, but it was good enough to get an out.  He was sneaky in the pitches that he threw and had a great curve, sinker and slider.  Same pitches that Derek used when he beat the team in Philadelphia in 1989.  Two lefties that pitched and had the same ideas on getting batters out.  If only his arm hadn't given out...but we will never know!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The " My 3rd Base Hero" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about one of my favorite baseball players, Don Wert.  Never heard of him before?  Well, Don was born in nearby Strasburg, Pennsylvania and played his college baseball at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA.  He was signed as an amateur free agent in 1958 and played several years in the minor leagues.  He finally reached the majors in 1963 at the age of 24 and became the Detroit Tigers' regular third baseman from 1964-1970.  

One of his baseball cards.

As I was growing up and playing little league baseball, I was both a first basemen and a third baseman.  Was placed at the "hot corner" by my midget coach (ages 14-16), since I was one of the few kids on the team that could throw it across the diamond with some accuracy and speed.  The more I played the position, the more I enjoyed it and became fairly competent at the position.  Actually was picked to play in the end-of-the-year all-star game at third base.  And, naturally I try to model myself after Don Wert who at the time was working his way up through the minor leagues.  Don earned a reputation as one of the best fielding third basement in the American League and in 1965 played all 162 games for the Tigers at third base and led all American League third basement with a .976 fielding average.  He also led the Tigers with 159 hits, had a .341 on-base percentage and a career-high 73 walks.  

An old black and white of Don.

Actually hit 12 home runs even though he wasn't known as a power hitter.  In 1965 he was awarded the 1st annual "Tiger of the Year" award by the Detroit chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America and finished 310 in the American League for Most Valuable Player.  So, you get the idea as to why I wanted to model myself after Don Wert.  Then, on June 24, 1968, Don was struck in the head in the 6th inning of a game by Cleveland Indians pitcher Hal Kurtz.  The pitch shattered his helmet and he was carried off the field on a stretcher.  He was held at the hospital for two nights and missed several games.  

His pennant clinching hit to win the 1968 AL pennant.

He never regained the hitting technique he had before the accident.  He was selected to the American League All Star Team that year by team manager Dick Williams and doubled off Tom Seaver in the 8th inning.  I, as well as all Detroit Tiger fans, remember him the most for his game-winning hit on September 17 to clinch the American League pennant.  He was mobbed by hist teammates and fans came pouring on the field after his pennant-winning single.  I found the radio broadcaster, Ernie Harwell, description of what happened that day which follows:

This big crowd here ready to break loose. Three men on, two men out. Game tied, 1-1, in the ninth inning. McDaniell checkin' his sign with Jake Gibbs. The tall right-hander ready to go to work again, and the windup, and the pitch...He swings, a line shot, base hit, right field, the Tigers win it! Here comes Kaline to score and it's all over! Don Wert singles, the Tigers mob Don, Kaline has scored...The fans are streaming on the field...And the Tigers have won their first pennant since 1945. Let's listen to the bedlam here at Tiger Stadium!!

Game 3 in Detroit - Teams line up before Game 3 of the
1968 World Series at Tiger Stadium.

But, he wasn't done yet.  He singled in Detroit's final run of the 1968 World Series, driving in Dick Tracewski with two outs in the top of the 9th inning in St. Louis, completing the Tiger's comeback to top the defending Series champs, 4-1, wining the series, 4 games to 3.  What a season...and I was pulling for him all the way.  

1968 Tigers infield:
Don Wert, Ray Oyler, Dick McAuliffe, Norm Cash

On July 15 of the following season, with President Richard Nixon in atten- dance, Don started a triple play on a ground ball hit by Ed Brinkman.  On October 9, 1970, Don and Denny McLain were traded to the Washington Senators in an eight-player deal.  Wert ended up being released from the Senators the following year.  During nine years in the Majors, Don played in 1,100 games and had a batting average of .242 with 929 hits, 417 runs scored, 389 walks, 366 RBIs, 129 doubles and 77 homers.  He played 1,043 of his games at third base and collected 914 putouts, 1,987 assists, and 173 double plays.  And, I had finished my baseball career by that time and was playing slo-pitch softball.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Universal Game Of Baseball" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story written by sports writer John Walk about a young fellow by the name of Dan Kurtz who was born in Seoul, South Korea and at the age of 4 was adopted by a family in nearby New Holland, Pennsylvania.  His lifelong dream was to be a sports broadcaster.  Little did he realize that the current COVID-19 pandemic has helped him toward his dream.  After graduating from Lancaster Mennonite High School in 1998 he returned to his native South Korea and worked as a school teacher.  

Dan working on his site from home.

At the time he set up a website known as mykbo.net which is dedicated to the Korean Baseball Organization for English speaking baseball fans.  At first it served as a message board, but during the pandemic it has gained in popularity, since the only baseball on TV, besides reruns of old-time World Series games, has been Korean baseball games.  Now, the site has gained in popularity with fans in the United States and Dan has become a sort of celebrity.  ESPN Sports Network has been broadcasting Korean Baseball games for the past few weeks and twice Dan has made appearances on games talking with the broadcast crew.  Today, Dan is a stay-at-home dad to his three young children while his wife is in the Army.  They have been on the move recently having lived in Pennsylvania, Washington, Korea, Texas and now back in Washington.  His children are ages 9, 5 and 3, so they keep him pretty busy.  He grew up on a farm in Lancaster County and attended Millersville University while studying in South Korea during the 2000-2001 school year.  It was during that time that Dan attended his first Korean baseball game and fell in love with it.  In John's article, Dan talks about the game and says its almost like attending a rock concert.  

Dan attending a game with his son Landon. Photos from Dan.

The fans cheer, shout and play music no matter if their team is winning or losing or if its the first or last inning.  In Korea baseball is known as "Yagu."  It has to do with having fun and showing a bit of flair on the field like punching out a guy with a strikeout or players doing bat flips after hitting a home run or even a single.  In the United States players would be humiliated if that happened to them and would probably try and retaliate.  Not so in Korean baseball, since it's all part of the game.  He also said that if you are a young pitcher and happen to hit an older batter, you have to take off you hat and bow to the batter meaning you show no ill will towards him.  If not, the benches will clear and a big fight will break out.  Baseball in Korea is based on age and having respect for your elders, as it is in life in Korea.  Dan has maintained his website for many years now and finds it's a way to stay connected with baseball as well as his birth country.  He doesn't make any money on the site, but keeps it active due to his love of the game.  And, he realizes that when the virus releases it's grasp on the United States, and Major League Baseball returns to the tube once again, the amount of hits to his site will probably decline.  He does mention that since the Korean games are played without fans, the games aren't as exciting.  But, if in the meantime, baseball fans can learn more about baseball in Korea, then its all worth it.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Ballplayer You Shouldn't Forget!" Story

It was an ordinary guy.  Listening to Jimmy Buffett live from the Opera House in New Zealand.  At least I thought it was live until I saw on my computer screen next to the word Zealand (2017). Oh well, his songs still sound the same no matter where he may be or when he sings them.  

Listening to Jimmy and writing about Monte!  Life is Good!

So, as I write this, you may find a few extra words from one of his songs jumping into my memory as I wish I had a pencil thin mustache.  Story begins on April 15, 1947 when Jackie Robinson stepped to the plate against the Milwaukee Braves.  In that one instant, Jackie broke Major League Baseball's color barrier.  So why was it Jackie instead of someone else.  There had to be quite a few negro baseball players who were just as good, but weren't chosen to step to the plate that fateful day.  He actually wasn't the player chosen by the Negro League owners.  That was a young man by the name of Monte Irvin.  Both Monte and Jackie had graduated from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.  Monte had made a name for himself after playing nine years for the Newark Eagles while Robinson had only played one year in the Negro League.  Many said that Monte was the superior player.  

A signed Monte Irvine baseball card.
Asking $50 on eBay.

But, Monte had served in the 1313 Engineer General Service Regiment from 1942-45, seeing action in the Battle of the Bulge.  When Brooklyn Dodgers manager Branch Rickey showed interest in Monte, he said he wasn't ready to play Major League Baseball so soon after the war.  He was still suffering from "shell shock." So, Monte went to play in the Puerto Rican Winter League where he won the MVP in 1945 and '46. It was there that he met 11-year-old Roberto Clemente.  Monte reported that the neighborhood kids would hang around the ball field and the players would let them carry their bags which is what Clemente and his buddy Orlando Cepeda did.  When Monte felt as if he was ready to return to the Negro League, he did so in 1946 where he led the team to the Negro World Series title and won the batting title in the process.  And, when Monte Told Rickey he wasn't quite ready to play in the Majors, Rickey turned to Robinson and gave him the opportunity to be the first player to cross the color line in Major League baseball.  

Monte when he played for the New York Giants.

Three years later at the age of 30, Monte's rights were sold to the New York Giants, but he wasn't quite the same player he had been with the Newark Eagles.  He still helped the Giants to two pennants (1951 and '54) and one World Series title in 1954.  But, during his time with the Giants he got the chance to groom a young player by the name of Willie Mays who was my hero when I began playing Little League Baseball.  Monte Irvine did make history when he, Willie Mays and Hank Thompson were the Major League's first all-black outfield.  Willie said,  "Monte taught me a lot of things about life. I already knew how to play the game, but sometimes you need a little more.  

Another signed baseball card.

You need to know how to treat people.  You need to know how, when you hit a home run, you run around the bases--you don't stop and show anybody up.  Thinking was more important to him than just playing the game."  In 1956 Monte moved to the Chicago Cubs.  He didn't get to play every day, but still drove in 50 runs in 111 games in what would be his final season.  After he retired as an active player, Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn made him a public relations specialist for MLB.  Monte was in that position when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home run record.  Monte Irwin was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 for his Negro League career.  Irvine was 96 when he died in 2016.  He might not have received the same recognition as did Jackie Robinson, but that doesn't mean he wasn't as good a ball player.  While researching Monte, I got an entirely new outlook on what the Black ballplayers had to go through during their entry into Major League Baseball.  Has it changed today.  I'm not sure!  At times I feel it is no different than when they first arrived on April 15, 1947.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Dream Has Vanished! Say It Ain't So...Please!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with my grandson, Caden, as to what he is doing to try and past time while his school has been postponed for the rest of the year due to the Coronavirus.  He said he walked the half-mile to his old elementary school to shoot baskets on the playground, then returned home to take the family's two large dogs for a walk.  Not being able to go to school is driving him crazy!  He is a very good student, but what he misses most is been able to play baseball for his High School's team.  Caden began baseball at a very early age since his dad had him throwing and batting as soon as he was able to walk.  The love of the game was given to him by his entire family, since I played ball for many years as did his dad and uncle.  He honed his skills for close to 10 years in organized baseball and this year, as a freshman at Hempfield High School in nearby Landisville, Pennsylvania, he made the high school team. Before school ended more than a month ago, the team played their first scrimmage of the year and Carol and I headed to the game to see how well he would do.  

 

The evening he was picked for the team was a
special occasion for Caden and his mom and dad.
Here he is seen with his mom, celebrating!

He is playing Junior Varsity ball this year and is on a team that features freshmen and sophomores.  The team has about 18 players, so he wasn't sure if he would start the game or come in as a substitute.  The game started and there he was at first base in the bottom of the 1st inning warming up the rest of the infielders.  Top of the second and he came to bat to face the starting pitcher for the York team.  Hit the ball sharply to the third-baseman, but was thrown out at first base.  He didn't return to play first base in the second, but instead headed to the bullpen to warm up in preparation to pitch.  His team's pitcher began to struggle so he was called into the game to get the final out of the inning.  The following inning he continued to pitch and ended the inning with a strikeout on a great curveball.  The third and final inning had him back at first base once again.  The game was called after 3 innings due to the weather.  It looks as if the coach is planning on using Caden quite a bit which is what he was hoping would be the case.  Now, I should tell you that I find it hard at times to keep my mouth shut when Caden is playing.  The umpire is never right when he calls a ball when Caden is pitching or a strike when he is batting.  And, I'm not the only one who is like that.  Most every other parent or grandparent is the same way.  Tough being an umpire, but they have to expect that, since I'm sure they are the same way when they are watching their kids and grandkids playing.  

2020 Hempfield Baseball Team.  Caden is third row from bottom, third from the right.

I was warned by my wife not to go behind the screen at home plate, since she didn't want to have to go home early.  I did listen to her and we had a great time at the game.  The team looked as if they will do well this year.   BUT, two days later, the entire season came to a halt when Caden's school was closed due to the spred of the Coronavirus.  His years of practice and games while advancing up through the different levels of youth baseball have come to a halt by a silent killer.  No one is happy about this, especially Caden!  As upset as Caden may be, those boys who are seniors this year and who were hoping to perhaps receive scholarships to go to college and play baseball must be extremely heartbroken.  Caden lives for baseball!!  He does have summer ball to look forward to, but making his high school baseball team was a dream finally come true, and to have it all come to a sudden end is heartbreaking.  Not only for him, but his entire team as well as their friends and relatives.  I know the virus will eventually cease, but for now it has put my grandson's dream on hold.  How cruel!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS - I wrote this story a few weeks ago and since that time summer baseball has also been eliminated this year.  The entire family is disappointed, but not half as much as Caden and his dad.  Someday I will once again get to cheer for him on the playing field.