The Major League was big time! We got full uniforms. Yes, they were handed down from a number of seasons before, but that didn’t matter because the caps were new. Jerseys, pants (usually ripped, sewn, or patched), and stirrup socks were handed out to all players, not just the tee shirts and caps that were handed out for the minor leagues!
I believe the team rosters were chosen by listing registered players by age and then divided into the eight teams. This prevented any team from having a higher number of older kids than any other, nor more first-year players. Of course, coaches were able to claim their own children. We found out which team we were on by reading the local once-a-week newspaper. Rosters for each of the teams, minor, major and Babe Ruth leagues, were published in late spring and the coaches would contact the players on their rosters. Practices were scheduled at one of the six fields around town at that time.
That first season, I was assigned to Team #3, the green team. I still remember some of my teammates, like Murray G, Greg G, Mike P, and Ron T. Like all rookies, I didn’t get a lot of playing time at first, but by the end of the season I was playing more that many rookies. I would later play with three of those teammates on the high school varsity team. We were a middle-of-the-pack team. It was great fun and I learned a lot.
The next year, I was on Team #4. I believe it was the Burgundy team. I don’t remember a lot from that team, a couple of teammates like Terry A, and Jerry B. We didn’t win a lot but we always tried hard. I think this was the year I was asked to wear the catchers equipment, known as “the tools of ignorance”! Our normal catcher caught a foul ball in the throat/clavicle area and couldn’t continue. I had mentioned I would like to give it a try some time. I just didn’t expect it to be so quickly and without any time to think about it. For the record, I loved it after I got use to keeping my eyes open when the batter swung!
The next two years were with the Black team, Team# 1. First year I was selected the same way as previous seasons, the second because the league decided to keep players with their previous team and just filling in where players had aged out, moved away, or decided not to play at all. The coaches for that team were Charles and Kenny B. They were brothers that did not have kids in the league but were truly interested in the communities youth. They knew little about baseball but were fantastic roll models and I will always remember them fondly. I made the All-Star team both years but got really sick the first year and the doctor suggested I didn’t play with the team that year. I did play the following year.
The next year should have been my first year at the Babe Ruth level. But there weren’t enough players to support a league, so it was cancelled.