In celebration that baseball is back...post your favorite Little League pic/stories

[triwak]

Me as a Firebird, c. 1968 (not Facebook)! With Trixie.

[GaryPassamonte]

No team pictures, but still have this PONY League memory.

[AustinMike]

The 1965 Pirates at Anderson AFB Guam. I'm on the front row, far right. Middle of the pack finish with no famous people. We had to run a lap around the field after practice. The manager and coach thought it was a good idea that I run with the shin guards on since I was the catcher. The only problem was that whoever finished last had to run again. Since I've never been accused of being "fleet of foot" in my life and having to run with the shin guards on after catching a full practice, guess who almost always came in last. This was my last year of catching.

[carlsonjok]

All these league champions here. Let me tell a story from the other end of the standings.

I started out playing youth soccer (specifically Little Guy Soccer in Chili, NY) back in the early to mid 1970s when leagues were just starting upin the US. I was a horrible soccer player, so after 6 years I finally convinced my mother to let me play baseball. I wasn't very good at that either. My first year, I was on the worst team in the league. I mean really bad. We would lose by scores considered blowouts in football. There was one game where we were down by something like 24-0 after 4 innings. After our turn at bat, I grabbed my glove and headed out to my position at first base. After I got there, I turned around and realized I was the only one out there. All my teammates were sitting in abject misery on the bench. They did eventually take the field, but the game didn't get any better afterwards.

Also, in one of the games I actually got on base, I managed to get fooled by the hidden ball trick. 40 plus years later, I still remember it was Tim Abel that got me.

Thankfully, high school was just around the corner and I got involved in track and cross country, which I had some success at.

[OldSchoolBaseball]

Originally Posted by AustinMike

The 1965 Pirates at Anderson AFB Guam. I'm on the front row, far right. Middle of the pack finish with no famous people. We had to run a lap around the field after practice. The manager and coach thought it was a good idea that I run with the shin guards on since I was the catcher. The only problem was that whoever finished last had to run again. Since I've never been accused of being "fleet of foot" in my life and having to run with the shin guards on after catching a full practice, guess who almost always came in last. This was my last year of catching.

That’s funny and cruel at the same time. Sweet, giant LL logo on those shirts

[OldSchoolBaseball]

Originally Posted by GaryPassamonte

No team pictures, but still have this PONY League memory.

That’s a lot of Ks....great memory as few could top that

[OldSchoolBaseball]

Originally Posted by triwak

Me as a Firebird, c. 1968 (not Facebook)! With Trixie.

The dog and sweet ride across the street are bonus features of the shot!

[triwak]

Originally Posted by oldschoolbaseball

the dog and sweet ride across the street are bonus features of the shot!

+1000!!

[jpop43]

So, here is a pic from when I was in Little League (wearing Mattingly's # of course), then one from my high school team, later on playing as an adult, and most recently...coaching my sons' State Championship Little League Team.

Posting this was like listening to the radio..."playing the hits from the 80's, 90's, 2000's, and today!"

Great thread...this is what its what its all about...what its always been about.

Jon
www.dugouttreasures

This is a signed ball from my entire pony league Pirates championship team. The glove trophy we received for the tournament inspired me to get the ball signed. I'm glad I did. I cherish this ball as three of my best childhood teammates and one coach have passed on. Bobby Norch was my best friend, best teammate and fellow baseball card collector up until we graduated high school together. He was killed in a car accident traveling back home from college not long after we graduated. His favorite player was Freddie Patek. I left a Patek card on his gravestone the last time I visited his resting place. RIP Bobby.

[HexsHeroes]

Sometime around 1972, my league winning team advanced in the Michigan State Little League tournament. In my team's last game, we were the home team. I started in left field. First two batters out, the third batter hit one deep into left field. I ran back, focused on the ball in flight. I stretched outwards and squarely caught the ball at the same moment I collided with the outfield chain-link fence rail. Took the impact square across the mouth, with my teeth cutting the inside of both lips. And impact caused the baseball to pop out of my glove, as my hand was extended over the fence. Home run for the opponents. I was removed from the game at that moment, and watched my team lose 1-0 and see our season end.

Post Script: last year was a tough year as two of my three coaches both passed away in 2020. Third coach had died in 2014. So happens I went to visit that third coach at his home in 2014 but he was not there. Turns out he would die within 24 hours after that attempted visit, in hospice care. I waited too long to reconnect.

[the-illini]

My son, who loves baseball

[emmygirl]

Wow has it been 63 years since my days in little league. I was 12 in 1957 and how I loved to play baseball. My final year I batted a whopping .227 with 3 doubles. We wore wool uniforms and were they super warm on those summer nights. Yes, I was one of those kids from the 50's that bought baseball cards and enjoyed flipping them for fun. I can still remember trading my Mantles for Frank Malzone and Jackie Jensen. It made me very happy in 1957. Best to all, Jim MacCord (I'll be 76 in a couple of months) Collecting has made my life so much better.