As American as Apple Pie - Time Out #240

With Covid-19 causing sports to be placed in the pause position, the unique situation has caused many human minds to wander, and wander, and wander.......

My mind this time every year remembers many things, too, and especially for this particular moment in time, baseball. More specifically, dear readers of Our Town and far beyond, my limited little league baseball career.

Like most youngsters during those simpler and gentler times of the late 1950's and early 1960's, I was fascinated by what was termed then "America's Game", and, of course, then it absolutely was the best! Football and basketball were certainly important, but the national pastime, at that time. was played outdoors, on a field called a diamond, with 4 bases, and 9 players participating on each team at a time. The entire little league baseball program in Our Town was administered by our city's parks and recreation (p&r) department, and many local boys (different times then, folks) played the sport. I don't remember any "drafts" being held to decide the specific team players would be on, just the coaches would ask individual boys if they would be interested in playing for his team? There was no t-ball nor coach pitch teams, only player pitch. Some teams had fancy uniforms with the team sponsor's name in big letters across the front and/or back of the jersey. I don't remember any individual player's name being placed on any game uniform. There were 3 main groups of teams, 10-and-under, 12-and-under, and 14-and-under. I think a participant could not be 11, 13 or 15 (regarding each of the 3 main age groups) by a certain date, or the boy would have to play at the next higher age level. There might have been some 16-and-under teams, too, but most of those age boys played for the high school team, until school was over in late May. Once school was out, these fellows played for one of the American Legion sponsored teams. There were few, if any, organized "traveling teams" in my memory bank back in those days.

Revisiting my personal playing days memories.

I was an average player at best. I played 2nd base, outfield and catcher, being a much better fielder than hitter. I liked the game, but probably would have loved it had my skill levels been better. I practiced on my own a fair amount of time, bouncing a tennis ball off a solid wall, playing catch with my father or a buddy in my front yard, or catching fly balls someone would launch high overhead. I would occasionally play pick-up games with my buddies, and sometimes try to improve my batting skills when a friend would swing that rope-through-a-baseball gadget at me to see if I could hit it or not. I also remember playing hour after hour of Whiffle ball (a very light, hollow plastic ball).This method produced lots of "Home Run Derby" blasts in my front yard! Anyone. including me, could blast a home run like Oklahoma's own major league slugger, Mickey Mantle, when hitting a whiffle ball.

What about organized team practices? Those were usually once/week at a variety of locations; the northwest corner backstop on the Westwood Elementary School playground, the old Cross Field backstop just north off West 12th Avenue, or possibly where we played our scheduled games, at Recreation Park. Recreation Park, now called Strickland Park, near Hall of Fame and north Main Street, had a metal World War II quonset hut that housed a basketball court and an inside storage area for p&r supplies, This building was located on the west side of the turn in off north Main Street, and east of the metal structure, was the little league baseball field. When we played our games, there were no refreshments sold, so each team was responsible for their own drinks and/or snacks. My father, Col. C.H. Breedlove, was always one of the parents that brought a cooler full of drinks for our thirsty Pontiac Chiefs players, and our nice coach, Wayne Huffine. Another absolute necessity was mosquito repellent, as those insects were flying everywhere during our games!

Well, I could certainly go on, and on about the great lifetime friends I made playing this popular sport. I hope I have jogged your memories just a little about your baseball experiences. May this American treasure continue on forever!