My mother got her second Covid-19 vaccine shot recently, so I stopped by her home to check on her. She was doing fine and after we exchanged stories about what was going on in our lives, she mentioned that she had something for me. She had found a Standard Times newspaper clipping back from when…
Read more Uncovering The Truth About George Nixon – Rhode Island’s One Season Wonder
I was so blessed as a young Boston Red Sox fan to watch three incredible players roam the grassy outfield of Fenway Park. Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, and Dwight Evans were generational talents and consistently in the same lineup from about 1975 to 1980. In those years, Fred Lynn was a perennial All-Star and thrilled…
Read more Dream Outfields Only Happen Once In A Generation In Boston
A few years ago, at Comic Con in Providence, I walked by a vendor booth that had a giant pink fire truck. The fire truck had a ton of signatures on it. There were a few men dressed in pink shirts and there was a lot of activity at this particular booth. My son and…
Read more Rhode Island Pink Heals – My Mother’s Day Book Charity of Choice
Hats are a standard issue piece of equipment for baseball players of all ages. Hats serve so many useful purposes – marketing, blocking out the sun, keeping the hair out of your face, team building. According to the internet, which is never inaccurate (tongue in cheek), National Hat Day has been observed for almost 40…
Read more You Don’t Need To Ask Me Twice to Celebrate National Hat Day
In the fall of 1990, I along with fifty or so 18-22 year old baseball players tried out for the Springfield College baseball team. I remember seeing a familiar face or two, one of them being Bobby Bigelli from Johnston High School, whom I had just played against in a Rhode Island All Star game…
Read more My Springfield College Baseball Cap And The Legend Who Handed It To Me
“Do your best Ang, that’s all we can ask of you and that’s all you can ask of yourself,” said Alvin Danger as he pulled up to Prospect Field. “I’m going to be thinking of you whiffing those loud mouths and,” Alvin paused for a second before saying “throw one past Coach Larry if you…
Read more Scenes from the Ball Park – The Pigtails vs the Pigsties, Lady K Pitches
Larry Ferguson was drafted in the 14th Round by the Texas Rangers after his sophomore year at State. State was a powerhouse in the Appalachian Conference and Larry pitched well enough to get some regional and spotty national attention. Many in Westfield applauded his accomplishments on the mound and Larry received tons of local and…
Read more Scenes from the Ball Park – The Pigtails vs the Pigsties, Larry The Optimist
Bonnie Danger backed up just far enough so she could swing her car left and out of the parking lot overlooking the worst baseball practice she had ever watched. She got up to the edge of the driveway leading onto Post Rd and saw cars left and right in her way. She looked over at…
Read more Scenes from the Ball Park – The Pigtails vs The Pigsties, Home Cookin’
The Westfield District All Star players and their families signed a commitment letter to 10 practices in 14 days – rain or shine – no vacations, no skipping practice, no excuses period for missing practice or not participating in practice. Fairly standard procedure for a youth baseball organization who wanted 100% commitment from players and…
Read more Scenes from the Ball Park – The Pigtails vs The Pigsties, First Practice
“Let them pass, back up over there next to the bleachers,” yelled Coach Larry Ferguson of the Hammerheads. Ferguson, a Double A All Star with the Texas Rangers organization, was about as loud as he was tall. Needless to say at 6 foot 8 inches, Ferguson was an imposing figure without even having to utter…
Read more Scenes from the Ball Park – The Pigtails vs the Pigsties