Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 9

Mattoon (111.) Journal Gazette Friday, July 12, 1996j Cubs top Cards B2 Areola coach to stay B3 Records B4 Posit 88 responds to wake-nip call Scott Lambert 1 "15' I Lambert is sports editor tor the 0 Ui.mnlAn'.AHA UWU1 1 Id) JCU.C7UO Not too By TIM BROZENEC StaffWriter MATTOON Twelve runs, 16 hits, no errors and one perfectly executed wake-up call. All were important in the Mattoon American Legion Post 88 baseball team's 12-4 victory over Stewardson-Strasburg at Lake Land Thursday. Jason Glosser pitched a complete nme-inning game in the contest, walked no one and struck out six. That gave lesser meaning to field. Despite all of the above, however, the win wasn't assured until Post 88 plated four runs, in the sixth to take a 5-3 lead that it never again relinquished.

And that wouldn't have happened without Post 88 coach John Logan giving his team the what-for before it batted. "I don't want to hear another word from the dugout unless it's about this game," he ranted to his players from his coaching box at third base. The bell had been rung and, this time, Post 88 answered it with a clank of its own "I think everybody just started concentrating a little better and a little bit harder," third baseman Kevin Wilson, who went 4-for-4, said. "He told us how it was." In the inning, Jason Kessler led off with an infield single and was sacrificed to second, inadvertently, on a bunt from No. 4 hitter Jared Brown.

"We're down two runs and he bunts the ball," Logan said of the play. "It was a perfect bunt, but it's not what I called. Itwasn'tthebunt sign, but at least I found out he could bunt. He did a nice job." Kessler advanced to third on a wild pitch from Stew-Stras' starter Brock Vonderheide, who defeated Mattoon 2-1 earlier this summer, and scored on an Adam Diepholz singla Kevin Wilson then singled and Kyle Hancock walked to fill the bases before Diepholz scored on an-other wild pitch. Lawrence brought in Wilson and Hancock one out later with a solid single to left to close out the inning's scoring.

Glosser, headed to play junior college baseball at a junior college in Paris, Tex. said the game wasn't one ofhis better efforts and credited the errorless play of Post 88's defense. "I pitched pretty bad," he said, "but the defense picked it up and Kevin got some good hits. I made them put it in play." "Glosser pitched pretty well," Logan said in the right-hander's defense. "That's the whole key.

Last year he walked quite a few batters and this year he's letting them hit the ball. "If they hit the ball, we've got a chance to field it. That's not always good the way we've been playing, but it was tonight." Vonderheide went six innings and took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits while striking Continued on B3 eany tor the 12 Stew-Stras hits. Meanwhile, Mattoon's shaky holiday wishes defense made nary a flop in the Professional baseball once flourished in Mattoon Here it is. middle of Julv.

The feather is perfect, I'm just back trom vacation and it hard to think of anything really bad going Mattooini amidl mimior-leagee memories on. It almost like Christmas in July. In fact, the only thing really By TTM BROZENEC StaffWriter missing is ice-cold temperatures and Christmas carols. They're easily replaced by jet skis and Jimmy Buffett though, so to all of you out there, Merry Christmas in July. so, in accordance with the sea MATTOON Ralph Carter, ever the ventriloquist, once got pitcher Chet Oste of son, I'm here to give a Christmas wish or two July.

Here we go: To the Mattoon Green Wave football team. A couple of wins. the Mattoon Indians Class minor league baseball team thrown out of a game. The losing streak is currently at 19, but head coach Ron Davis and bis young team has been spending Carter, then a high-schooler a lot ot time working this year. who served as a trainer for the Indians, remembers the incident as though it were yesterday.

Mattoon is still going to be over its I loved taking trips with the head the Big 12, but look for the Wave to show a marked improve team, but the one I remember ment over last year. To the Martinsville school board. A lump of coal. How any group of people could have the ab most we didn't win," the Mattoon native said. "We were at Centralia and we were If solute arrogance to are a coach that the people of the town were clearly behind is beyond me.

When a school superintendent, a princi pal, opposing coaches, and a host of getting beat something like 23-2. We were on the umpire really bad that night. townspeople rally around Randy Bishop, but can't sway a jealous group of people out to hie him for personal reasons, something has Hawley I was sitting gone wrong. Just remember, what comes around goes around. Hopefully the people from Martinsville will remember what happened the on the end of the bench and I called the umpire a meathead.

Our pitcher, Chet Oste, was thrown out of the game for it. next time school board elections rnll around. When we got back to Mattoon, I was called to Joe Eccoppi's office To new Arthur High School principal Travis Wilson. Success in your new field. Wilson was one of the area best basketball (president of the team) and he asked me what was all this about Oste getting kicked out.

He wanted to know who yelled. I told coaches, coaching Arthur to a 108-104 record in eight years. He took him I did it. "So I went to Dutch Hoffman, the Knights to a super-sectional berth in 1992-93 and lost in the regional championship last year to Findlay. Not only was he a proven the league president, and I explained that Ted was not the one winner, he was the kind of coach that yelled meathead, I was.

So I was suspended for a week." who earned the respect and admi Carter and his brother George ration ofhis players, their parents, the town, and anyone who spent both helped the team as batboys. Norm Spear, who lives in Charleston and played third base and catcher for the team, remem any time around that program. He will be missed. bers the brothers' efforts. To all the rest of the area's coaches.

Perseverance and good luck I hope all of your teams are "He (Ralph Carter) was always great, I hope you get to play all of The 1 948 Mattoon Indians included, seated-Walter Dunkovich, Chet Oste, Art Sullivan, Dave Hill and Norm Spear; middle row-George "Red" Carter, Bill Passineau, Charles Luebbers, Bob Houseman, Joe Mattis, Ray Cassidy and Ralph Carter; and back row-Chuck Hawley, Don Breidenbach, William Herman, Andy Smith, George Murphy and Tom Dobrino. Exhibit, players to highlight anniversaries getting in trouble, saying the wrong things in the wrong place," Spear said. "But he was a good kid and he worked hard. He'd do your players, and 1 hope that you don't get yelled at by a single irate parent all year. (Hey, no one said my wishes had to be plausible.) everything and anything and so would his brother." To all the area's parents of athletes.

I sincerely wish that your Saturday, the team will cele By LENDELL FULLERTON FortheJGT-C son or daughter does well this year. I hope they work hard at get brate its 50th anniversary in style. At least seven former mem ting better, tnat they get all the The last time Mattoon had a professional playing time they can, that their bers of the team will be at the Cross County Mall from 2 to 5 p.m. to sign autographs, reminisce about the past and meet the team wins, and that we at the pa baseball franchise to call its own was 1957, when the Mattoon Athletics finished the season on the road. per give them the coverage they Then the fans observed helnlesslv as the If they don't, I hope that you Those expected to attend in franchise moved to Keokuk, Iowa in 1958.

and Athletics have returned to sneak a peek at their former field of dreams, the Mattoon Ball Park, located at the corner of Route 316 and Logan Street Itis nowalocal scrap irondealer. Saturday, several of the former Mattoon players will return to celebrate the 50th anniversaries ofboth the Mattoon White Sox and the Illinois State League, which is now known as the Midwest League. In addition, the Charles E. Heath Memorial Baseball Museum will display several items from the early years of the ISL at the Cross County Mall on both Friday and Saturday. The exhibit will be located inside the mall from noon until 9 p.m.

on Friday and again from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Between 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday, several former players from Mattoon's professional teams wul be on Tiave the patience and the common hand to sign autographs. Heath brought pro baseball back to Mattoon after a 39-year absence 50 years ago and founded the ISL.

The Charleston Evangelists" and the Mattoon Comers both competed in the Eastern Illinois League before it disbanded in August of 1908. The Mattoon Giants of 1907 captured Mattoon's only pennant as they took the EI League pennant behind the pitching of Grover Low-dermilk, who struck out a minor-league record 458 batters that year. Lendell Fullerton has been studying area minorleaguebasebaUfbroverl5yearsandhas a book in the works. He is largely responsible for the Charles E. Heath Memorial Baseball Mu-seumthatwuVbemdisplayFridayandSatur-day at the Cross County MalL ending an 11-year stay in the professional ranks, dense not to blame just the coach.

High school coaches put in an aw- The memories of the professional baseball lotoftimetryingtodotheirbest clude Spear, Walter Dunkovich (outfield, pitcher and bus driver), Bob Houseman (outfield), Chuck Luebbers (pitcher), Andy Smith (catcher), Glenn Runge (pitcher), Dean Rothrock (pitcher) and Francis Hawley, the widow of dubs in Mattoon seem to be virtually forgotten among its residents, but to most of the players who played here, their dreams of a major league career began and ended in Mattoon. at what they perceive their job to be. Some of them are very good, some aren't. But no matter the coaches' level of incompetence, manager Chuck Hawley. Over the years, many former players of the don't believe foraminute that they In addition, for the viewing Mattoon White Sox, Phillies, Indians, Reds public, the Charles E.

Heath Memorial Baseball Museum, which will be set up by baseball aren doing what they think is best Surejustabouteverycoachhas tome tough decisions to make. Should they play the school board member's son or daughter, even if historian Lendell Fullerton, will be on display Friday and Saturday at the mall. Heath founded the Mattoon White Sox and the Illinois State League in 1946. Spear was signed by the Chicago Cubs organization, but chose the Mattoon route for financial reasons. "Back then you paid your own "As you get older and responsibilities change, heeds and necessities prevail," Spear said.

"The family comes first. Plus, the money then wasn't too great." Mattoon was the home of the White Sox Class team in 1946-47, the Indians from 1948 through '51, the Reds in 1952, the Phillies from 1953 through '56 and the Athletics in 1957. Play began in 1947 in the Illinois State League, but saw time as the Mississippi Ohio Valley League and finally the Midwest League. Today, the Midwest League is home to Class A minor-league baseball. Current New York Mets manager Dallas Green played in Mattoon when it was in the Phillies organization.

Houseman played in Mattoon from 1948 through '49, posted a .286 average and even made the All-Star team both years as an outfielder. He made it as far as Class A ball in his four-year professional career. Now residing in Medina, Ohio, Houseman said he remembers his years in Mattoon for two main reasons. "For the few years I spent there, Chuck Hawley was sort of the inspiration for all of us," he said. "With him being around there was always a laugh.

"And I got married in 1949 when I was making 150 a month. I borrowed 100 from my cousin to do it. Now, some guys can spend that at a meal." Forget about troubles with the law and $1 million insurance policies. Baseball back then was a little more laid back and a lot less dangerous. "Most of the games were night games," Spear said.

"After the games, other than having a root beer'or a bite to eat, you hit the hay." "I remember one time at Padu-cah Ky there was an egg-tossing contest," Ralph Carter said. "Chuck Hawley and myself were teamed up with each other. Hawley kept throwing harder, then I threw one hard and hit him in the chest with an egg and it broke. "He chased me over the mound, over the diamond and threw an egg that hit me in the head. We had a lot of fun." Houseman said the fun was integrated with hard work, something that isn't always at the top of the list for major league players these days.

But the memories make it all worth it. "They don't go all out like we used to go because they've already got all their money in the bank," Houseman said. "Like I always say when people ask me if I'm sorry that I didn't make it (to the majors), I say no. I got some great things out of it and I got to do what I wanted for four years. I got to travel, meet some people and I met my wife.

"A lot of the guys I knew on the sandlots of Cleveland never had that chance." The Carter brothers put together the team's first reunion in 1983. For a while, the team was getting together every year, but now it's every other year. Community support was great back ihen and Spear said he hopes many will come out to greet the past "The community was very supportive and very helpful," he said. "(At that age), you don't really have a clear picture as to what you want to do except that you want to achieve. "We had quite a team and by virtue of our get-together, the team is quite a fellowship" arrangement." that player is not deserving? They see what happened to Randy Bishop in Martinsville if they don't.

But, believe it or not, most coaches will make the same decision Bishop made. They'd rather put their best team on the floor and what happens. To all the area athletes about to embark on their first year of collegiate sports. Good luck. You are about to enter a world completely different from the one you're leaving.

It can be both exciting and scary as heck. But this is what you spent so much of your time doinginnopesof getting there. Now that you're there, enjoy every minute of it, Continued on B3 expenses," he said, "so I came to the closest team to my home (La-Grange) and had a working arrangement with the professional team. Expenses back then were a big thing." Spear, who said meeting his wife Marjorie was the highlight of his time with the team, made it as far as what he termed a Triple A cup of coffee." Then he was called into the service. When he got out, he went to work for the Phillies.

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