Everett Little League
Class of 2016
Everett Little League baseball is full of great memories for me. I don’t know much about youth sports today since I have been far removed. I hear people talk about youth sports today and I am amazed at the competitivenes and the emphasis put on winning or training for a Division I scholarship at such an early age. To me, this shouldn’t be a focal point of youth programs of any sport nor is this any part of my recollection of the Everett Little League. I have seen signs posted at little league fields reminding us that baseball is just a game, the umpires are human, the coaches are volunteers and that nobody is playing for the Yankees. This should be common sense, but I guess it needs to be a reminder for those who lose focus on the purpose of little league. My memories of little league baseball still lay very clear in my mind because they are great moments that I cherish and refuse to let go. My memories are split between minor league and major league, which were great in many different ways.
I was five years old and tipped the scales at an impressive 40 pounds when I started little league. In the first game in my last at-bat, I gained enough courage to swing the bat. I hit a seeing-eye single that made the outfield. After running as fast as I could sliding into second, third, and home, I hit what I would call an inside the park home run. We won’t count the errors because in my book, it was a home run. To a five year old, that’s all that matters. My coach wrote in black magic marker under the bill of our hats our team nickname. Mine was “Macho Man.” To this day, I’m not exactly sure why, but I sure thought it was macho. The first time I got drilled by a baseball, my coach taught me to spit on it and the pain would go away. I continued to write motivational sayings under the bill of my cap through varsity. I also did the spitting thing, which is a little rediculous, but all mental. In addition to the previous experience, my friends played little league. In fact, most kids played little league. Little League provided an opportunity for kids to socialize, exercise, and gain athletic muscle memory and most importantly to have fun.
The next step was the major league draft and I waited apprehensively to find out the team I was to be drafted on. Everyone always wants to be drafted on the current winning team and I was no different. My family talked to me about it and we determined that it didn’t matter what team I was drafted on because I loved baseball, and I would enjoy my little league experience no matter who drafted me. I was drafted on the Legion team, which was coached by an old man who has volunteered his time coaching and mowing the grass for several years. Don’t quote me, but I think he coached for something like 16 years and never won a championship. The good news was that I was drafted with many of my minor league teammates who all played well together over the past several years. We went to practice to get better, we played games hard, and we had fun. My coach taught me how to deal with losing, which was something that I wasn’t very good at. He had great humility and handled himself very well. If we got a big lead on a team, he would make the whole team bat opposite hand. If we were on the other side of the coin, he would send a message that it’s not about winning or losing, but getting better. Not bad thinking for a volunteer little league coach. Fast forwarding to sixth grade, our first practice was in a field beside the Dalco Sewing factory on the summit leaving north on Route 26 out of Everett. I can remember my coach’s excitement for the season as he was talking to me after practice. He told me “Sammy, this is going to be a special season because we have all the horses.” This was my last conversation I had with him. The next time I saw him, it was when the Legion team and I wore our uniforms to his viewing. That season, we went undefeated and won the league championship. The only reason I mention this is due to the fact we were inspired to persevere in memory of our coach. Again, this is just another life lesson gained from playing little league.
I interviewed Dan England on his experience playing little league at Everett. Dan England is a Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame member who played professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs. He said that he lived for little league games, that he was disappointed at God when it rained because He didn’t want him to play baseball on that day. Dan remembers his dad holding farm chores over his head to play baseball. He always got his chores done on days of games. Dan also noted that his coaches instilled in him that there is more to gain from losses than from wins. He also played in the first All-Star tournament played at Everett. Dan attributes playing professional baseball to his passion for baseball attributed by his inspiration for the game starting at the Everett Little League fields.
I am living proof that a little league program run correctly can inspire great memories building outstanding character all at the same time. My memories aren’t filled with turning double plays, the perfect crow hop, pitching mechanics, or advanced base running because that all came later. Little league builds life skills that carry our youth way past the sport of baseball. We can’t be so narrow-minded and let our families’ happiness be determined by a win or loss, but look at the big picture and be thankful for little league programs and all the volunteering adults who do great things for our youth. In conclusion, I leave the little league pledge that I recited before every game I played: I trust in God, I love my country, and I respect its laws. I will play fair and strive to win, but win or lose I will always try my best...Play Ball!!
Note: The Legion team referred to in this article is the late Chuck Robine, loved by his team.
Brief History
After finding photos of youth baseball teams from 1894 and 1899 in the newspaper archives, a 1994 Shoppers Guide article reported that Everett has had youth baseball for 100 years, thus making the activity at least 122 years old to date. Known teams were the Little Potatoes, Bloody Run, Tecumseh Indians, Haiti, and Earlston.
In 1946, Everett High School organized a little league program with six teams. In 1953, they joined the National Little League Organization (NLLO) with four teams, the Lions, Legion, Rotary, and Elks. The Lions became the first league champions. In the 1960’s, Everett chose to have its own tournaments, leaving the NLLO.
The first games were played at the Riverside/Legion Park fields and later moved to Memorial Park where they remain today.
Everett Youth Baseball will be inducted into the Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame in June, 2016.
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I was five years old and tipped the scales at an impressive 40 pounds when I started little league. In the first game in my last at-bat, I gained enough courage to swing the bat. I hit a seeing-eye single that made the outfield. After running as fast as I could sliding into second, third, and home, I hit what I would call an inside the park home run. We won’t count the errors because in my book, it was a home run. To a five year old, that’s all that matters. My coach wrote in black magic marker under the bill of our hats our team nickname. Mine was “Macho Man.” To this day, I’m not exactly sure why, but I sure thought it was macho. The first time I got drilled by a baseball, my coach taught me to spit on it and the pain would go away. I continued to write motivational sayings under the bill of my cap through varsity. I also did the spitting thing, which is a little rediculous, but all mental. In addition to the previous experience, my friends played little league. In fact, most kids played little league. Little League provided an opportunity for kids to socialize, exercise, and gain athletic muscle memory and most importantly to have fun.
The next step was the major league draft and I waited apprehensively to find out the team I was to be drafted on. Everyone always wants to be drafted on the current winning team and I was no different. My family talked to me about it and we determined that it didn’t matter what team I was drafted on because I loved baseball, and I would enjoy my little league experience no matter who drafted me. I was drafted on the Legion team, which was coached by an old man who has volunteered his time coaching and mowing the grass for several years. Don’t quote me, but I think he coached for something like 16 years and never won a championship. The good news was that I was drafted with many of my minor league teammates who all played well together over the past several years. We went to practice to get better, we played games hard, and we had fun. My coach taught me how to deal with losing, which was something that I wasn’t very good at. He had great humility and handled himself very well. If we got a big lead on a team, he would make the whole team bat opposite hand. If we were on the other side of the coin, he would send a message that it’s not about winning or losing, but getting better. Not bad thinking for a volunteer little league coach. Fast forwarding to sixth grade, our first practice was in a field beside the Dalco Sewing factory on the summit leaving north on Route 26 out of Everett. I can remember my coach’s excitement for the season as he was talking to me after practice. He told me “Sammy, this is going to be a special season because we have all the horses.” This was my last conversation I had with him. The next time I saw him, it was when the Legion team and I wore our uniforms to his viewing. That season, we went undefeated and won the league championship. The only reason I mention this is due to the fact we were inspired to persevere in memory of our coach. Again, this is just another life lesson gained from playing little league.
I interviewed Dan England on his experience playing little league at Everett. Dan England is a Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame member who played professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs. He said that he lived for little league games, that he was disappointed at God when it rained because He didn’t want him to play baseball on that day. Dan remembers his dad holding farm chores over his head to play baseball. He always got his chores done on days of games. Dan also noted that his coaches instilled in him that there is more to gain from losses than from wins. He also played in the first All-Star tournament played at Everett. Dan attributes playing professional baseball to his passion for baseball attributed by his inspiration for the game starting at the Everett Little League fields.
I am living proof that a little league program run correctly can inspire great memories building outstanding character all at the same time. My memories aren’t filled with turning double plays, the perfect crow hop, pitching mechanics, or advanced base running because that all came later. Little league builds life skills that carry our youth way past the sport of baseball. We can’t be so narrow-minded and let our families’ happiness be determined by a win or loss, but look at the big picture and be thankful for little league programs and all the volunteering adults who do great things for our youth. In conclusion, I leave the little league pledge that I recited before every game I played: I trust in God, I love my country, and I respect its laws. I will play fair and strive to win, but win or lose I will always try my best...Play Ball!!
Note: The Legion team referred to in this article is the late Chuck Robine, loved by his team.
Brief History
After finding photos of youth baseball teams from 1894 and 1899 in the newspaper archives, a 1994 Shoppers Guide article reported that Everett has had youth baseball for 100 years, thus making the activity at least 122 years old to date. Known teams were the Little Potatoes, Bloody Run, Tecumseh Indians, Haiti, and Earlston.
In 1946, Everett High School organized a little league program with six teams. In 1953, they joined the National Little League Organization (NLLO) with four teams, the Lions, Legion, Rotary, and Elks. The Lions became the first league champions. In the 1960’s, Everett chose to have its own tournaments, leaving the NLLO.
The first games were played at the Riverside/Legion Park fields and later moved to Memorial Park where they remain today.
Everett Youth Baseball will be inducted into the Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame in June, 2016.
-.
Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Opening of the Caro Price Field in 1971 with a flag raising ceremony.
Pictured left to right - Jim Shippey, Kirby Norris, Mark Shippy, John P. Caro, Kermit Norris, and Richard Myers. (Courtesy of the Bedford Gazette file photo)
Pictured left to right - Jim Shippey, Kirby Norris, Mark Shippy, John P. Caro, Kermit Norris, and Richard Myers. (Courtesy of the Bedford Gazette file photo)
Bedford County Sports
Hall of Fame
Class of 2016
