Summer ball might be fading away
The Fourth of July holiday is just a couple days away, meaning fireworks, barbeques, the return of some pandemic-cancelled community events and celebrating the USA蘑菇视频 245th birthday.
In the wide world of sports, July 4 signals the MLB All-Star Game is about a week away, the annual Woodruff 5K is close, and the start of NFL training camps is just around the corner.
By the way, the dates for the aforementioned sporting events are July 13 (MLB All-Star Game), July 7 (Woodruff 5K), and Steelers training camp (July 21 or thereabouts). The MLB All-Star Game is in Denver now, not Atlanta, but the Woodruff still follows the same course around south side of Connellsville and South Connellsville.
Interested runners and walkers who have not already registered for the annual race can do so on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. during the early packet pickup at New Haven Hose Volunteer Fire Company, or the night of the race at Connellsville Stadium before the 7 p.m. start. It鈥檒l cost $25 to do so, but, if you happen to be 9-years-old or younger, the kids鈥� 800-meter run around the track is free (with some nice parting gifts) and starts at 6 p.m.
The Fourth of July also signals the end for most summer sports programs. Youth baseball, for the most part, has moved into the all-star portion of the schedule.
American Legion baseball has another week or so in the regular season, and the Fayette County Baseball League plays into the third week of the month.
My dad was a big fan of sports, especially the Big Four: baseball, hockey, football and basketball. Some find grabbing a fishing pole and heading to a lake or stream or chasing a little white ball around on a golf course the perfect way to spend a summer day.
But, for my dad, catching a baseball game was the way to spend a summer evening. My nephews played ball in Youngwood rec for years, and dad attended as many as his health permitted. Even after he lost his sight, he鈥檇 be on the sideline with my brother-in-law蘑菇视频 dad giving him play-by-play.
Dad was also a big fan of American Legion baseball. I鈥檒l tell folks that蘑菇视频 how I got my hours behind the wheel, heading off to some ball field (my dad knew how to find all of them) to watch Connellsville in the 1970s.
Some nights he鈥檇 just walk a block or so up the street, grab a swing and watch pick-up basketball games on the playground court.
Dad would have a tough time understanding how these staples of summer seem to be fading away.
I admire the work put forth by the managers and administrators attempting to keep American Legion baseball alive in the coronavirus world. But, their efforts seem to be an uphill battle.
Fayette County did not field teams in Connellsville, Farmington, Carmichaels and Colonial 3 this summer, largely due to low numbers. Uniontown, Belle Vernon, Waynesburg and Smithfield-Fairchance remained, and Charleroi rejoined the fold. Allegheny County teams needed a place to play, so the borders of Fayette County were extended to include Baldwin, South Allegheny, Elizabeth Forward and Bethel Park.
Benches have been pretty thin in the games I鈥檝e covered so far, and when coaches are asked why, the most common response is 鈥渢ravel ball.鈥�
Now, mind you, I don鈥檛 have any kids so I can鈥檛 speak from experience, but (spoiler alert, 鈥渟ounding old鈥� line coming) representing one蘑菇视频 school or community used to be pretty important.聽
Legion baseball in these parts displayed the best the region had to offer. Now, coaches often stand outside the dugout counting heads to see if they can put nine on the field.
The same can be said for playground basketball. Read memory lane stories about basketball, and, almost to a player, there will be some mention of playground ball.
South Side playground, just up the street from the house, was the place to be in the summer, but not the only playground court in town hosting a game on any particular summer night or weekend afternoon. No uniforms. No officials. No tweets or postings on Facebook about a game. Just show up, hope to be picked or hang around to take winners. I believe Grant Street was the place to be in Uniontown.
Good players discovered their games on those hot, steamy days of June, July and August. Not that there was much sun, wind or rain to deal with during the winter season, though.
(There was one spot on the south end of South Side playground the summer, evening sun was really brutal above the backboard. I鈥檓 sure every rec basketball court has similar issues.)
The neighbors near the playground, including the family of the Clarks鈥� Scott Blasey, would turn on the hose to keep players hydrated. There was also a little neighborhood grocery store across the street.
Playground life has also gone by the wayside. I鈥檓 sure dwindling tax revenues have played a part, but so has lack of participation.
Playground leader was the best college job ever! I worked three playgrounds over four summers when I was in college.
The job didn鈥檛 pay Anchor Hocking or turnpike summer job money, but I was paid to 鈥減lay鈥� for six hours a day. The late Sully Gambone was a wonderful supervisor.聽
I鈥檓 sure Sully was never able to quite figure out why a playground (Pinnacle) without a tennis court needed so many tennis balls. Well, it蘑菇视频 because the ball, with the fuzz razor-bladed off, was the ball of choice to play 鈥渇astpitch.鈥� I have the distinction giving up the longest home run in the game蘑菇视频 history, landing in the middle of Fayette Street (up hill, mind you). Houses with aluminum siding near the playground still have dings from balls ricocheting off the abodes.
I played a lot of checkers. (The younger readers out there can google 鈥渃heckers鈥� if you鈥檙e not sure of the game.) We鈥檇 play kickball and wait for the 鈥渋ce cream man鈥� so I could treat the patrons.聽
Graham Mini-Park, my last playground, actually did have a tennis court. One night, a woman and her daughter, I believe, entered the court without racquets or tennis balls. They proceeded to pantomime playing. How creative and entertaining they were.
My body appears to be right, I guess I am getting old. I just hope community sports don鈥檛 just fade away in my life as downtowns 鈥� and now shopping malls 鈥� have.
For those who are trying to keep the legacy alive, I applaud the efforts and hope they pay off for years to come.
And, if you鈥檇 like to be in the audience, check out the daily calendar for a game near you. The Legion region tournament will be hosted by Uniontown at Hutchinson Park in the middle of the month.
Bring a chair or grab a bleacher seat, and make a memory.