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8 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, July 25,1990 Baseball's Hall of Fame is a Hit with Dedicated Fans Idf-' v \ > ^ x *-" ■ «V:, ?Sx. ^ ^ ■ ,, . ; r ôSfr ; «ë-;'™ ■ ■ XwWf--': ■ • . •• ■ '■' V ' V$ , ' ", * « ' a «>< v .'■>» » -< jî-r* ,i ' t < . . ; f V V ll|S§i8 , " • w</: WWWK> *»< 1 ' * , . : v:V V«< ' «>■ , <-. *- « tx , ,<m»' ***•««'■» ' „ if' / "-Si -* i.T t - It' ~~ - »*SBSSIB«w»S» ■ ■■4 ay-Ksysst-»»*» >--_»•• w»4«R.»;'.a a, Hi. - '%/ ., I av«. ~rsr--' r z ■ -. 8 55$~»* '«*■ mÊM/*??*. g mH .ï A -, v.„ ■■ ss^fip >>T<X!3Ïftr> From the outside, the Baseball Hall of Fame looks no different than Bowmanville's Central Public • There are baseball fans, i And then there are those ■ who are willing to travel 3 over 500 miles on a weekend ;■ baseball outing to Syracuse Ü and Cooperstown every • year. To call this assorted 3 bunch merely baseball fans « wouldn't do them justice. 3 They take the game of h baseball, and all of the nos- 3 talgia of America's favorite » pastime to a level that very l few others are able to attain. ■ For this group, the words to 3 the song "Take Me Out To • The Ball Game" serve as J more of an inspiration than - watching a Rocky movie. - From July 13 to 15,1 was 3 fortunate enough to be a - part of this group. J The trip was organized > 12 years ago by Bowman- J ville sports historian^ Bill » Humber, who was teaching 3 a night school baseball class ! at Seneca College. The class 3 thought it would be a great ""idea to finish the course off with a field trip. That's how the annual trip to Syracuse, home of the Syracuse Chiefs and Cooperstown, Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Baseball Hall of Fame, was born. The bus departed from the Seneca Collei parking lot at 8:30 a.m. on'Fnday. It lege day. would take us to a Chiefs game that night (Syracuse is the Jays' Triple 'A' affiliate) and then on to Cooperstown on Saturday for a tour of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The trip would conclude with an eight-hour bus ride home on Sunday. As the bus slowly made its way to the highway, it took all of about 10 kilometers kilometers to realize that this group of 48 men, women, and children were unique. For starters, they announced announced that this year, as in all the previous ones, there would be two awards up for grabs. One was the rookie of the year award, and the second second was an award to be shared by roommates. TMs being my first trip, I took special interest in the rookie of the.year award. I tried my best, but lost to a Paul Beeston look-alike who was handed an invitation to a wine and cheese party on Saturday, and actually went. I couldn't possibly beat that. A gentleman by the name of Dave was the first person to introduce himself to me, claiming that it was his job to see to it that everyone had fun. After all, he was designated as the 'Vice President President of fun' for the trip. Anyone who wasn't laughing or having a good time, was quickly straightened out by Dave. "Oh, oh," he would say. "Looks like the people at the front of the bus aren't having having a good time. I'd better change that." With that, he would amble up_ to the front of the bus, trying to negotiate negotiate his way through the narrow aisle. It wasn't until we were halfway to Syracuse, that I was told of the history behind behind the three sections' of the bus. Apparently, the front section section of the bus is occupied by the die-hard fans, and the middle was reserved for the light partiers. To get a seat in the back of the bus, you had to earn it by a graduation graduation process. Legend has it, that one guy took a seat in the back for the ride home before he paid his dues. Needless to say, he didn't return the following following year. Kina of like the Bermuda Triangle, don't you think? The ride to Syracuse seemed like a long one, and was highlighted by a loud chorus of "Scenery! Scenery!' every time we passed a lake. After checking into our rooms in Syracuse, we hopped back onto the bus for a tour of MacArthur Stadium, Stadium, the home of the Syracuse Syracuse Chiefs. . The stadium is just as you would envision a minor league ball park. It's small. Capacity is about 10,000, but it has a family atmosphere atmosphere that not many of today's today's parks have. You get a read every piece of literature that was tnere, and it still took me close to three hours to go through the building. The only disappointment about the hall was the fact that all but a few of the displays displays are behind glass. If for no other reason, it keeps people from reaching out and touching everything, but it limits the number of photographs you can take. The stores along the street are filled with every conceivable type of baseball souvenir imaginable. The biggest attraction was the baseball cards, which are fast becoming one of the biggest hobbies in North America. As the bus pulled up for the return trip home, you could almost see the wheels sink into the ground as the suitcases were loaded. People People seemed to be struggling a little bit with the weight of their luggage. It's something that wasn't evident when we left on Friday. The trip was easily one of the most fun, and educational educational ones I have been on in a long time. It's hard to describe describe just how sacred the game of baseball is to those on the trip who follow it religiously. religiously. One thing I learned from the trip was that no matter how much you think you know, there is always someone someone out there who knows more. The trip proved that theory theory time and again. Upon onlorinc the Dnaobnll Hull of Fnmo, ono of the first items on display is this wood enrviny of Now York Yankee logond, Babe Ruth. School. But don't let it fool you. Once inside, the Hall takes on a whole new appearance. feeling of being right at home in the park, something that you don't feel at the Skydome. We were met by the assistant assistant general manager of the team, John Simone, and given a brief history of the team and the stadium. Un- fortunately.'we couldn't take a tour of the clubhouse because because some of the players were beginning to arrive for the game later that evening against the Louisville Cardinals, Cardinals, an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The first player to appear on the field to limber up was . pitcher Steve Cummings. He talked to a few of the kids before we left, and the gleam they had in their eyes afterwards was a sure indication indication that he had won over some new friends. When we arrived back at the stadium that evening for the game, I made a dash to the souvenir stands. There were only two, and there wasn't much of a selection at either one. It only made me realize how spoiled we have it when we go to see the pro's. The game was entertaining, entertaining, as the Chiefs won by a narrow 2-0 score. Paul Kil- gus, who was sent down at the beginning of the season went the distance for the win. Based on his performance performance that night, look for him to be one of the call-ups to the Jays in September. Following the game, it was announced on the bus that Luis Sojo had been called up, and was to meet Toronto in California the next day. "Get me to a phone," I thought to myself, figuring that I could scoop all of the baseball writers on this one. Saturday began with a 9:00 a.m. departure for Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame. The ride, approximately approximately two hours, was consumed consumed with a game that has become a ritual for the annual annual trek. Counting road kills. Now, I know that it may sound a little horrible, but you would be surprised how many dead animals there are on the road for such a short journey. And it did pass the time rather quickly. quickly. In case you're wondering, tne count totalled 25 - a new record for the trip. Copperstown was not anything the way I had envisioned envisioned it in my mind. There were no subways or streetcars. streetcars. For that matter, I don't even remember seeing a taxi. The town is basically ono street that includes countless baseball memorabilia memorabilia stores and restaurants. The town reminded me of n John Cougar song. The Iiall of Fame looked no different than the outside of Bowmnnvillc's Central Public School or the Community Community Hall in Newcastle Village. It's nn old building, that signifies what baseball is really all about: tradition. There are no bright spot lights, or laser light shows out front to enhance the building. The structure is ns simple ns the game itself, which is probably by design. Onco inside, it's easy to become swept up by the his- toiy and nostalgia of the game. The curators at the museum leave no stones unturned unturned in their quest to give the paying customers value for their dollar. It's something something that is often forgotten in today's society. If there is anything that contributed to the game of baseball, or signifies a special special event fi'om any ora, chances arc you'll find it in the Uni) of Fnmo. I didn't Packing up ForBaseball Adventure The following is a list of the top five items you should take along with you should you make a trip to Cooperstown. 1) Money - There is no limit to the amount of money one can spend at the souvenir shops in Cooperstown. Ana it's quite easy to get caught up in all of the excitement excitement that surrounds the street. One word of advice, advice, though, if you plan on going down there, try to keep focused on only a few items you may want to buy. Decide what it is you're looking for, and shop around for the best deal. 2) Money - There is so much free time to look around, that I often found myself making pic stops at local taverns for a quick snack. With the price of beer at $1.65, it's relatively easy to acquire a thirst at various times in the day. 3) Money - One of the stores has batting cages set up that can become become addictive. There are four cages to choose from, that will throw you a knuckleball, curve, slider, and screwball. You get 10 balls for $1.25, but it doesn't seem to be enough. More often than not, the machines seemed to throw no-hitters to the batters. 4) Money - By the end of the weekend, some of the people were beginning beginning to run low on funds. If they're friends, it's always always a nice gesture to spot them a few bucks until you get home. Chances are, though, that your own wallet will be a little thinner than it was when you left. 5) Good Shoes - It's incredible when you realize realize just how much walking walking you do over the course of the weekend. If you don't have a pair of comfortable shoes, and have paid heed to suggestions suggestions one through four, you can always buy a pair. Photos Story by Brad Kelly Ask Bill Humber how hard it is to get a seat on his baseball trip, and he'll tell you that it's a lot like trying to get season's tickets for the Maple Leafs. You have to wait your turn. "The trip is a sell-out every every year," he began to explain to me as we were on the bus ride home from Cooperstown to Bowmanville. "You have to know someone to get on this trip now." That wasn't always the case, though. Back in '79 when a group of his night school student's first made the trip, there were only 30 people who went. 'Hus year, that number blossomed to 48. For the past 12 years, the agenda for the three-day trip has remained unchanged. unchanged. Friday night the group takes in a Syracuse Chiefs' ball game, followed by a tour of the Baseball Hall of Fnmo on Saturday. The only exception was last year when the Chiefs didn't nave any homo games during during n weekend in July. The trip was re-routed to stop in Rochester to watch thorn play there. As Bill points out, the repetition of the trip is wlmt makes it so popular. "Wo tiy to do nothing different different each year," said the Bowmanville resident. "The more repetition the better. It's almost as if we try to stop time." There have boon a lot ol memories for Bill over the past dozen years, but three stand out in his mind. "Ono year wo got to Syracuse Syracuse and the management was boasting that the stadium stadium had all now seats." "During the game Mike Card Collectors Stock Up During U.S. Trip It will probably go down as one of the biggest baseball baseball card purchases in the history of the Syracuse trip. Gord Kirke (left), and Ian Hamilton display the 570 packages that contained 8,550 cards. The purchase totalled totalled $500. After sifting through my share (570 cards), I didn't get any John Olerud cards. "Eight-thousand five hundred hundred and fifty bottles of beer on the wall, eight-thousand five hundred and fifty bottles bottles of beer..." That song is by far the biggest top ten hit for bus rides. And we did our best to preserve the tradition. ' But we added a little twist. Something that will make the song survive throughout the '90's. If you were to insert the words baseball cards, instead instead of beer, you would arrive arrive at the new number one hit for the Syracuse baseball trip. Because that is exactly how many cards we carried out of a shopping mall on the way home Sunday. Eight-thousand five hun dred and fifty. Without a doubt, collecting collecting baseball cards - or any sports card for that matter - is the fastest growing hobby to hit North America in years. The old 'got him, need him, got him, need him' line that we used to use as kids in the schoolyard has become become a multi-million dollar business for the serious card collectors. And besides, we could recognize a good deal when we saw one. Throughout the weekend, the cheapest price for a package of Upper Deck cards, the biggest on the market right now, was .990. At this particular store, the salesman offered us three boxes, which contained 36 Orioles Lose 11-4 packages of cards for $100. That translates into $33/ box, or .920 a package. A great deal, right. And what made the deal even better was the fact that the salesman mis-counted, and everyone ended up with 38 packages. Fifteen of us jumped at the deal, and $500 later we were back on the bus with our purchase. Now, with our proximity to the Blue Jays, everyone wanted a John Olerud card. For one thing, he's only in his rookie season so the value value of his card will increase over his career. In Cooperstown, Cooperstown, his was the hottest selling card of this year's rookie crop. The price range was anywnere from five to six dollars, but many of the stores were sold out. As an example of how big the rookie card business is, here is a list of players and the value of their first card (price quoted in American currency) Nolan Ryan's 1968--$1,100; George Brett's 1975--$125; Rickey Henderson's Henderson's 1980--$65; Fred McGriffs 1986-$16; Ken Griffey Jr.'s 1989-$9. After opening 38 packages, packages, and sifting through 570 cards, I didn't get an Olerud. It would have been nice to have received a Wayne Gretzky rookie.card in my purchase by mistake. His rookie card is currently selling selling anywhere from $550- $650. And I'll bet there are a lot of his cards floating around the garbage dump, after moms made their sons clean out their rooms and throw out shoe boxes full of cards. J If only we had known. j You'll Have to Wait Your Turn to Make Cooperstown Trip Sharperson lined a foul ball into our section that ripped a hole in one of the seats. Luckily the person from our group who was sitting in that sent had gone down to get some food." Another story that came to mind was when one of the guys on the trip couldn't get into his hotel at 4:00 a.m. Seems the front doors had been locked at 11:00 p.m. Earlier in the evening he had met a volunteer fireman at a local tavern, and the fireman was trying to help him get in through - the window. window. Next thing they knew, there were flashing lights all around them ns the State Troopers had shown up to investigate. The third stoiy ho recalled recalled involved Gord Kirko, who is the team counsel for the Blue Jays. Prior to the trip Mr. Kirko had packed a hag of snacks for his son and himself himself to enjoy on the bus ride down to Syracuse. When he opened the bag on the bus, ho realized ho had grabbed the wrong ono. Instead of sandwiches and snacks, ho found himself with six peeled potatoes. The biggest change in the trip that Bill lms noticed, is in Cooperstown. "Cooperstown lms really become more commercial over the years," ho said, "Ton years ago there wore three stores that carried baseball souvenirs, and now there are 1C." "I often refer to Cooperstown Cooperstown ns being a nice, little, perfect American town." Tlio same can bo said of the trip on which Bill works so diligently year after year. It's nice, little, ana perfect, perfect, by Brad Kelly The Whitby Junior base- ' : ball team took Ma Bell's advertising-to advertising-to heart at Soper Creek , Bark last Sunday night. They got that long distance distance feeling' while belting six home runs against Oriole pitching en route to an easy 11-4 win in an E.O.B.A. Junior Junior League game. The rains brought the game to a halt with Whitby batting in the top of the seventh seventh inning. It was the second loss of the day for the Orioles, as they were defeated by the Ajax Juniors in an afternoon contest by an 8-5 score. If not for one of the most unusual plays you71 ever hear of, the score could have been even more lopsided than it was. The scenario conjures up the question of when is a home run not a home run? The answer is when the batter who hit it, doesn't touch home plate following his home run trot. Which is probably why the phrase "touch 'em all" was created. "He just missed the plate. I guess he was too busy giving giving everybody high fives," was the version that centre fielder Jeff Laird gave of the unheard of miscue. Troy Harness, who was the catcher at the time, was the first Oriole to notice. "I learned to always watch and see if they touch all the bases," he said with a grin following the game. "I just waited for the umpire to yefi "play bull" and appealed Whitby also had another home run that won't go in the record books. A solo shot in the seventh inning won't bo recognized because of the rain-shortened game. The final final score was regressed back to the last completed inning which was the sixth. It was n blessing for the Orioles, because Whitby had pushed four runs across in their half of the inning. Bowmanville hold a brief lend in this game, ns they bunched three singles together together in the bottom of the first inning for a 3-1 advantage. advantage. 'Hint load lasted until the third inning when Whitby hit a grand slam homo run to move out in front 5-3. They added four more runs in the fourth inning, and ono run in each of tho fifth and sixth. Bowmanville scored their only other run in tho third inning. "Wo wore up on thorn, but then they started hammering hammering the ball." That's how Laird, who lmd a single and n double, summarized tho game. "We've got to start getting getting some more luck. We've cut down on our errors, but tlm other teams seem to bo coming up with the clutch hits." Chris Smith started on the mound for the Orioles, but he was pulled in favour of reliever Nick Dennis. Derek Derek Zander was summoned to the mound when Dennis faltered faltered in the seventh, but after after facing one batter, the game was called. Whitby out-hit the Orioles Orioles 12-5. • The Orioles havé completed completed their schedule, but nave three games that were rained out to make up should time permit. Their playoff opponent for the first round will be Belleville. Dates and times for the games have not been announced. Happy 25th Anniversary Laverne and Reta r* a rare bird- frtMKtafnrllf* * 14 4 1 DCNCI CLINIC Wednesday, August 1st at the Lions Centre -- Beech Avenue 12 Noon until 8:00 p.m. Free Transportation to the Clinic will be provided ' on the day of the Clinic by telephoning 623-9010 ■ LIONS CENTRE WELLINGTON ST. CHURCH ST. KING ST. S HWY, NO, 2 Tills message provided by Newcastle Lumber 361 King St. E., Newcastle