Initially rescheduled due to a scheduling conflicts with the Lawrence County Baseball League Tournament of Champions Playoffs, the 75th Anniversary Game has now been rescheduled a second time due to pending inclement weather.
The 75th Anniversary Game and ceremonies will now take place Tuesday, July 8th at 7:15 p.m.
The Moose and Lions are still scheduled for Game One for the Ellwood City Little League Championship Series tonight at 7:15 PM at Freidhoff Field, weather permitting.
The 75th Anniversary ceremonies will be held before Game Two of the Championship Series on Tuesday night at 7:15 PM.
For more information on the 75th Little League Anniversary Celebration, comments from past players, and to view historic photos, visit www.ellwoodcitybaseball.com
In 1950 I tried out for the Ellwood City Little League and was selected by Moose team I was only 8 years old was proud and excited to have been chosen. Shortly before the first game of the season Dick Friedhoff took me aside and told me that there weren’t enough uniforms to go around and that the uniforms would be going to the older boys and he gave me a tee shirt instead. He said he would call me during the summer if an opening became available. During the summer of 1950, every time the phone rang in my home I would run to answer it, but the call never came
I am sure that it pained Mr Friedhoff to give me the bad news but he made the right choice by giving the older boys the opportunity to play. I did not realize it at the time but my time would come.
Ellwood City was a wonderful place for a young boy to grow up in during the 1950s. The little league program was made possible by the unselfish contributions of time and effort of so many adult men in the community. Accolades are due to Denny Schill and others who brought Little League to our community. Little League in Ellwood began for me in the garage of Carl Meise of Ewing Park in the late spring of 1952. He was the coach of the Lions little league team. When he handed me my little uniform I thought it was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen. It was grey with yellow trim with the number 4 on the back. It became my prized possession. This yellow hat and uniform meant that I had “made the team.” It was positive proof that I had achieved something in my young life.
I mentioned earlier that many adult men contributed their time and efforts to make this league possible. Here are some that I remember after all of these 70 plus years
Coaches of Lions: Carl Meise; Al Ruhe
Coaches of Moose: Dick Friedhoff; Walter Firestone,Grumpy Volpe
Coach of Elks: Mr Patterson
Coach of American Legion: Norm Pack
Two of my favorite coaches in the Knee High league on the Eagles team were Bud Campbell and Dee Magnifico. Their practices were more like clinics than practice an and I soaked them up like a sponge.
I also enjoyed playing for Mario Moroni on the Auto Dealer team in the American Legion team.
Another great coach was Don Schaly who went on to coach at Marietta College in Ohio.
And then of course there was Bill Spellman who gave me a master class in how to play the game 57;58 and 59.
Everything was done for us in order to play our games. All we had to do was show up with our gloves and spikes and play. We had our field drug and smoothed out. Adult umpires like Joe Ferruche,Mr Tammaro and Mr Frazier and the lime was put out around the batters box and base lines put out, as well as the bases put down. We also had plenty of lighting to play our night games. A belated Thank You, Thank You, Thank you!!,,