TWIB notes: This week in baseball
Lead Summary
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
In spite of Mike Leake’s apparent – and alleged – attempt to become the Stupid Shopper of the Month, this has been a good week or two of baseball.
Ramona Collins deserves credit for enhancing my Baseball Spirits in this still early spring, by sharing a family scrapbook from the summer of 1956. The book includes one of – if not the first – Little League teams in Hillsboro. I quickly recognized several names in the photo caption of then-youngsters like Garry Boone, David Pence, Eddie Robbins, Perry Harewood, Johnny Tener and many others.
In addition to the cool (vintage?) photographs, the Collins family scrapbook also included a number of old newspaper clippings. One, in particular, caught my eye. From a July 17, 1956 headline, we read: “Three Redlegs to be visitors Wednesday for All-Star Game.”
First, it should be pointed out for our younger readers that the “Redlegs” were and are the Cincinnati Reds. Players who had committed to being the special guests of a Little League game between Hillsboro and Washington C.H. included Gus Bell, Johnny Temple and Roy McMillan.
(Prior to Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Dave Concepcion and Barry Larkin, a lot of fans considered Temple and McMillan to be the Reds’ all-time best second baseman and shortstop, respectively. It’s possible that Brandon Phillips will replace either Rose or Morgan as the franchise’s best all-around second baseman.)
Tickets to see the 1956 Little League game and the trio of “Redlegs” were $1 per person and Bob Hamm, the league organizer, encouraged everyone to purchase a ticket, and the game was played at the county fairgrounds baseball diamond.
Thanks, Mrs. Collins, for sharing this 55-year-old scrapbook. I read everything in the book and thought fondly of friends, Squeak and Danny. I also shared some of the clippings and photos with local historians Jerry Pruitt and Bob Patton.
Somehow, I just cannot envision very many of today’s Major Leaguers taking time off during the season to visit a Little League game with a 120-mile round-trip involved.
* * *
And then, on Monday night, several of us made the always pleasant drive to Chillicothe (which, as I informed my daughter, is a Native American word meaning “38 miles east of Hillsboro”).
The good folks at the VA Memorial Field – which is the home of the Chillicothe Paints – hosted a softball/baseball doubleheader this week for a few SHL teams.
Prior to the start of the baseball game, a high school friend of mine, who has a daughter playing for the Eastern Lady Warriors, was talking to me for several moments when she stopped, and asked, “You know who I am, don’t you?”
Being the brain-dead man that I am, I said, “Yes, but I had to ask my daughter who Lori Magulac was a few minutes ago.”
It wasn’t my fault. Really.
Everyone who knows me at all knows two things about me:
• I am more nearsighted than a one-eyed mule with a bad monocle; and,
• Because of said vision impairment, I often do not recognize people at first glance. Or second, or third.
But in the case of not recognizing Lori, who was there to watch one of the Southern Hills League’s top pitchers, who just happens to be her son, Casey Jordan, I will repeat: It wasn’t my fault.
I had just spent several confusing minutes with the gatekeeper, who couldn’t seem to understand why there were three of us going to the game and only one was buying a ticket. No sooner had I resolved that situation, and Lori walks up, wearing a pair of dark “Hollywood” sunglasses. Once again, (and as usual) I was clueless.
Fortunately, my oldest daughter is used to my all-too-familiar, dumb, blank stares. “That was Lori,” she said.
“Oh, yeah,” I replied. “Brandy (Chandler) just bought some tires off of her not too long ago. She’s Cris Walker’s sister. I stop by Magulac Tires all the time and bought several tires out there last year. They have great service and prices.”
“No…..kidding,” Caitlin said, rolling her eyes at the old man.
Sorry, Lori!!!
(But I did recognize Betty Jo Ratliff right off! And, word on the street is that Rusty Fite has a couple of Aces on his bowling team in the Realtors competition!)
* * *
Back to the games…
As well-reported by Fairfield’s Tom Purtell, it was a perfect night for baseball on the well-maintained Chillicothe Paints’ home turf.
In Game 1, Fairfield’s Lauren Larrick held the Eastern Lady Warriors to two hits and Eastern’s Maria Johnson held the Lady Lions to one hit, as Eastern defeated Fairfield, 1-0. It was the Lady Lions’ (9-1, 6-0 SHL) first setback of the season. Eastern, meanwhile, improved to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the SHL.
As HCP sports editor Stephen Forsha has already reported, both Larrick and Johnson pitched outstanding ballgames.
For fans unaccustomed to watching softball on a professional baseball field, that, too, was something to see.
The bases and pitcher’s mound were moved in and a temporary fence and backstop were in place.
For a general idea of the differences in the two games, for the softball game, the leftfielder played about where the shortstop would be positioned in baseball.
The transition of the field from softball to baseball took about 45 minutes.
* * *
As local sports fans know, you can read about both games online at www.highlandcountypress.com. But this column is never meant to be a recap of any particular ballgame. It’s just my limited perspective on the game – America’s game, if you will.
The first time that Fairfield and North Adams met this season, the Lions run-ruled their SHL opponent. That game lasted just 4 1/2 innings.
The Lions are good, mind you. They’ve got solid ballplayers in Casey Jordan, who was 3-for-4 with four ribeyes against the Green Devils; Ian Adams, who led off the game with an inside-the-park home run; and third baseman/pitcher Nathaniel Miller, to name just a few.
When Fairfield exploded for a four-run first inning Monday night at the VA park, coming on the heels of a 10-run victory earlier in the year, it would have been easy to write off Rob Meade’s team.
After all, the Green Devils are a freshmen- and sophomore-dominated team, with only one senior and no juniors. But they didn’t quit.
After a scoreless first, North Adams put together an impressive six-run second inning. Brent Davis got things started with a single. With aggressive base running, he stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Shortstop Matt Roades then drove in Davis on a single to right. On two occasions, Roades, a righthanded batter, hit behind the runners to advance them on the bases. You just don’t see that very often anymore.
Devin Gardner reached on an error to load the bases. Cody Hall then drove in two runs with a hit. Nate Beasley followed with a single in the hole between third and short. Center fielder Richard Gerlock reached on a fielder’s choice and freshman starting pitcher Hank Sparks walked to load ’em up. Treavor Hall kept the inning alive by reaching first on an error, scoring Beasley. And Brent Davis, in his second at-bat of the inning, hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Gerlock.
For this relatively young high school team, playing under the lights of the Prospect League, that second inning on the evening of April 18, 2011 may prove to be a turning point. Coach Meade and his staff probably hope that it is. As do all of the North Adams’ fans.
Fairfield won the ballgame by an 8-6 score. The Lions were gracious in victory and they most likely realized this was a better team than the one they defeated in 4-plus innings a few weeks ago.
When Devils’ catcher Treavor Hall almost made a sliding catch on a foul ball between the visitor’s dugout and the fence, the Fairfield coaches and fans acknowledged the effort. They did the same for third baseman Devin Gardner, who snared a line drive and fired to second base for a double play to end the bottom of the third inning.
Likewise, North Adams fans applauded when Lions first baseman Tyler Campbell almost took down the right field fence in a hustling effort to catch a long foul ball.
Simply put, this was one of the more entertaining and enjoyable SHL baseball games I’ve seen in several years. Good players. Good coaches. Good fans. And a great little ballpark.
As Mel Allen used to say, “How about that!”
* * *
On one final note, as always, it was good to see Mike Moses, who was umpiring the first game, and John Wend, who managed stadium operations for the doubleheader in addition to serving as the public address announcer.
And we’ll forgive John, who referred to North Adams as “Eastern” a time or two, as the evening wore on. That’s OK, John. I was getting tired, myself.
You can hear John Wend all summer long as the voice of the Chillicothe Paints. For ticket information, go to www.chillicothepaints.com or call (740) 773-TEAM.
You can also read John Wend’s 2011 Paints preview on our website at www.highlandcountypress.com. If you’re a baseball fan, a Paints game is certainly worth the 35-minute drive from Hillsboro.
Rory Ryan is publisher and editor of The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
Ramona Collins deserves credit for enhancing my Baseball Spirits in this still early spring, by sharing a family scrapbook from the summer of 1956. The book includes one of – if not the first – Little League teams in Hillsboro. I quickly recognized several names in the photo caption of then-youngsters like Garry Boone, David Pence, Eddie Robbins, Perry Harewood, Johnny Tener and many others.
In addition to the cool (vintage?) photographs, the Collins family scrapbook also included a number of old newspaper clippings. One, in particular, caught my eye. From a July 17, 1956 headline, we read: “Three Redlegs to be visitors Wednesday for All-Star Game.”
First, it should be pointed out for our younger readers that the “Redlegs” were and are the Cincinnati Reds. Players who had committed to being the special guests of a Little League game between Hillsboro and Washington C.H. included Gus Bell, Johnny Temple and Roy McMillan.
(Prior to Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Dave Concepcion and Barry Larkin, a lot of fans considered Temple and McMillan to be the Reds’ all-time best second baseman and shortstop, respectively. It’s possible that Brandon Phillips will replace either Rose or Morgan as the franchise’s best all-around second baseman.)
Tickets to see the 1956 Little League game and the trio of “Redlegs” were $1 per person and Bob Hamm, the league organizer, encouraged everyone to purchase a ticket, and the game was played at the county fairgrounds baseball diamond.
Thanks, Mrs. Collins, for sharing this 55-year-old scrapbook. I read everything in the book and thought fondly of friends, Squeak and Danny. I also shared some of the clippings and photos with local historians Jerry Pruitt and Bob Patton.
Somehow, I just cannot envision very many of today’s Major Leaguers taking time off during the season to visit a Little League game with a 120-mile round-trip involved.
* * *
And then, on Monday night, several of us made the always pleasant drive to Chillicothe (which, as I informed my daughter, is a Native American word meaning “38 miles east of Hillsboro”).
The good folks at the VA Memorial Field – which is the home of the Chillicothe Paints – hosted a softball/baseball doubleheader this week for a few SHL teams.
Prior to the start of the baseball game, a high school friend of mine, who has a daughter playing for the Eastern Lady Warriors, was talking to me for several moments when she stopped, and asked, “You know who I am, don’t you?”
Being the brain-dead man that I am, I said, “Yes, but I had to ask my daughter who Lori Magulac was a few minutes ago.”
It wasn’t my fault. Really.
Everyone who knows me at all knows two things about me:
• I am more nearsighted than a one-eyed mule with a bad monocle; and,
• Because of said vision impairment, I often do not recognize people at first glance. Or second, or third.
But in the case of not recognizing Lori, who was there to watch one of the Southern Hills League’s top pitchers, who just happens to be her son, Casey Jordan, I will repeat: It wasn’t my fault.
I had just spent several confusing minutes with the gatekeeper, who couldn’t seem to understand why there were three of us going to the game and only one was buying a ticket. No sooner had I resolved that situation, and Lori walks up, wearing a pair of dark “Hollywood” sunglasses. Once again, (and as usual) I was clueless.
Fortunately, my oldest daughter is used to my all-too-familiar, dumb, blank stares. “That was Lori,” she said.
“Oh, yeah,” I replied. “Brandy (Chandler) just bought some tires off of her not too long ago. She’s Cris Walker’s sister. I stop by Magulac Tires all the time and bought several tires out there last year. They have great service and prices.”
“No…..kidding,” Caitlin said, rolling her eyes at the old man.
Sorry, Lori!!!
(But I did recognize Betty Jo Ratliff right off! And, word on the street is that Rusty Fite has a couple of Aces on his bowling team in the Realtors competition!)
* * *
Back to the games…
As well-reported by Fairfield’s Tom Purtell, it was a perfect night for baseball on the well-maintained Chillicothe Paints’ home turf.
In Game 1, Fairfield’s Lauren Larrick held the Eastern Lady Warriors to two hits and Eastern’s Maria Johnson held the Lady Lions to one hit, as Eastern defeated Fairfield, 1-0. It was the Lady Lions’ (9-1, 6-0 SHL) first setback of the season. Eastern, meanwhile, improved to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the SHL.
As HCP sports editor Stephen Forsha has already reported, both Larrick and Johnson pitched outstanding ballgames.
For fans unaccustomed to watching softball on a professional baseball field, that, too, was something to see.
The bases and pitcher’s mound were moved in and a temporary fence and backstop were in place.
For a general idea of the differences in the two games, for the softball game, the leftfielder played about where the shortstop would be positioned in baseball.
The transition of the field from softball to baseball took about 45 minutes.
* * *
As local sports fans know, you can read about both games online at www.highlandcountypress.com. But this column is never meant to be a recap of any particular ballgame. It’s just my limited perspective on the game – America’s game, if you will.
The first time that Fairfield and North Adams met this season, the Lions run-ruled their SHL opponent. That game lasted just 4 1/2 innings.
The Lions are good, mind you. They’ve got solid ballplayers in Casey Jordan, who was 3-for-4 with four ribeyes against the Green Devils; Ian Adams, who led off the game with an inside-the-park home run; and third baseman/pitcher Nathaniel Miller, to name just a few.
When Fairfield exploded for a four-run first inning Monday night at the VA park, coming on the heels of a 10-run victory earlier in the year, it would have been easy to write off Rob Meade’s team.
After all, the Green Devils are a freshmen- and sophomore-dominated team, with only one senior and no juniors. But they didn’t quit.
After a scoreless first, North Adams put together an impressive six-run second inning. Brent Davis got things started with a single. With aggressive base running, he stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Shortstop Matt Roades then drove in Davis on a single to right. On two occasions, Roades, a righthanded batter, hit behind the runners to advance them on the bases. You just don’t see that very often anymore.
Devin Gardner reached on an error to load the bases. Cody Hall then drove in two runs with a hit. Nate Beasley followed with a single in the hole between third and short. Center fielder Richard Gerlock reached on a fielder’s choice and freshman starting pitcher Hank Sparks walked to load ’em up. Treavor Hall kept the inning alive by reaching first on an error, scoring Beasley. And Brent Davis, in his second at-bat of the inning, hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Gerlock.
For this relatively young high school team, playing under the lights of the Prospect League, that second inning on the evening of April 18, 2011 may prove to be a turning point. Coach Meade and his staff probably hope that it is. As do all of the North Adams’ fans.
Fairfield won the ballgame by an 8-6 score. The Lions were gracious in victory and they most likely realized this was a better team than the one they defeated in 4-plus innings a few weeks ago.
When Devils’ catcher Treavor Hall almost made a sliding catch on a foul ball between the visitor’s dugout and the fence, the Fairfield coaches and fans acknowledged the effort. They did the same for third baseman Devin Gardner, who snared a line drive and fired to second base for a double play to end the bottom of the third inning.
Likewise, North Adams fans applauded when Lions first baseman Tyler Campbell almost took down the right field fence in a hustling effort to catch a long foul ball.
Simply put, this was one of the more entertaining and enjoyable SHL baseball games I’ve seen in several years. Good players. Good coaches. Good fans. And a great little ballpark.
As Mel Allen used to say, “How about that!”
* * *
On one final note, as always, it was good to see Mike Moses, who was umpiring the first game, and John Wend, who managed stadium operations for the doubleheader in addition to serving as the public address announcer.
And we’ll forgive John, who referred to North Adams as “Eastern” a time or two, as the evening wore on. That’s OK, John. I was getting tired, myself.
You can hear John Wend all summer long as the voice of the Chillicothe Paints. For ticket information, go to www.chillicothepaints.com or call (740) 773-TEAM.
You can also read John Wend’s 2011 Paints preview on our website at www.highlandcountypress.com. If you’re a baseball fan, a Paints game is certainly worth the 35-minute drive from Hillsboro.
Rory Ryan is publisher and editor of The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]