quote:Originally posted by L.A.:quote:Originally posted by tychco:
Were you guys swinging the hickory bats and wearing wool uni's?
My first bat boy uni was wool! I didn't care that it was hot, just as long as I could run the bases after the game and SLIDE!!!!!
It's amazing how summer baseball has transformed from Kips, Mavericks, Dallas Police Association, etc. into what it is today. When my dad started up the Mavericks in the mid 1960's, (they were not called that until 1976 I believe...I do remember the meeting where they picked the team name though), he had no intention of making money, which he didn't at all. Denny Dixon and B.J. Dixon both played on the team. At first he had a sponsor who would help pay for the uniforms. Then he would put a old wooden box at the gate with a sign that read "Admission is free. Donations are appreciated". You could do that back then in McKinney because people liked seeing good baseball and no one would ever steal that money either. Mom would keep score in the book, sell drinks out of an old wash tub PLUS keep an eye on me and my sisters. That was at the old McKinney high school field that directly behind the east side of the football field (Ron Poe Stadium). When the present day location was built, they put in a concession stand and that's when mom really got involved by selling her famous sweet tea. I asked my dad why he did it, start the summer baseball team and not ask for money, he told me he wanted to give something back to the community that helped keep him out of trouble and provide good baseball. He also wanted to give young men a chance to play baseball past high school. He didn't have tryouts to choose his players nor did they have to pay to play. He made up his team from the McKinney kids as well as players he had seen while umpiring in the rural towns around the area. Those that were good enough got a chance to play in college and they never went any further than Dallas, Ardmore,or Durnat, Oklahoma to play. No showcases or fall leagues, just summer baseball. That's the way I did it and I got to play in college. There weren't as many college baseball programs out there either, but it seems that people have to try harder and harder to get a chance to play now a days.
Times have sure changed.
Awesome stuff right there.
Not one comment from anyone until now.
Doesn't surprise me.
I enjoyed your post and just for a minute, a short minute, I reflected on what the game was and should still be.