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I watched the youngsters in front
of my home playing sandlot baseball. Each afternoon the shouts
would be, pick me, no pick me, can he hit, run, and catch? Questions
that were never really answered only the hopes of a spectacular
catch or the wood bat making contact with a well worn Rawlings
baseball that was shared.
There was really no batter's
box, pitcher's mound or foul ball area. The imaginary base patches
were well worn and each base pad was no longer grass.
Baseball was a past time most
of us enjoyed growing up. Little League, organized in small town
America in 1939, and gave young men an opportunity to play in
an organized summer game that had been America's summer game
for the past century.
The same year the Baseball Hall
of Fame was dedicated in Cooperstown in upstate New York Carl
Stotz originated the idea for Little League Baseball. His plan
included a new ball for every game, team uniforms and real bats.
The idea for Little League Baseball
was simple yet inspired. Boys of the founding hometown of Williamsport,
PA aged eight to twelve would be able to play on a scaled-down
field. There would be good playing conditions, adult supervision
and no threat of rejection by older boys.
Cooperation was the cornerstone
of Stotz and the Bebble brothers, Bert and George who once played
semi-pro baseball. With a three-team league of thirty boys the
three men each agreed enthusiastically to manage a team. Playing
suits were purchased for $1.58 each at a chain store. The three
teams would share eight ball gloves and one $1.67 catcher's mask.
The first game was played on
June 6, 1939. Lundy Lumber faced Lycoming Dairy on the field
of the sandpaper plant where Carl Stotz worked. The Williamsport
Sun published the score of the first game in the history of Little
League baseball, Lycoming Dairy 8, Lundy Lumber 23.
The first season was under way
with a planned twenty-four games on makeshift fields, rule sheets
and a portable slate blackboard to record each game inning by
inning.
I was honored to be in Williamsport
for the 50th Anniversary of Little League Baseball and a special
guest at Mr. Stotz home where a handful gathered prior to a dinner
party with comedian Bob Hope. We were greeted at the small framed
home by a man of slight build who was a bit shy. Very graciously
he shared memories of the early days of Little League and how
proud he was to see it grow worldwide with each league having
its charter under the Charter of Little League Baseball.
The original playing field is
marked with a simple plaque and by most accounts Carl Stotz was
all but forgotten and was not formally included in the Anniversary
festivities.
Thanks to the pledge of Carl
Stotz and his nephews birth was given to Little League Baseball.
With the huge army of volunteers a community project will soon
begin its 70th season. The amazing thing about Little League
is it depends on volunteers to continue its grass roots operation
on an international basis. |
