Search
The Teachers' Softball Team
When I started my teaching career in the Plattsburgh City School District back in 1970, I was invited to play on their summer softball team in the City Softball League. In those days, I think it was officially called The Gentlemen's Softball League.
It was quite an honor to be invited, since the teachers had won the championship the summer before. I had to pass, though, that first summer, because I was serving my military commitment at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Somehow the team still did very well without me in the summer of '71.
When the summer of '72 rolled around I made my debut with the teachers' team. Baseball had been my strong suit in high school, so I figured hitting that big fat softball would be a piece of cake. How wrong I was. A baseball swing in a softball game will get you nothing but fly balls to the outfied. In softball, if you don't have the power to put it over the fence, you need to hit line drives. That took quite an adjustment.
But even though I only hit about .200 my first season, I had a ball. I also watched some of the top softball players in the North Country, guys who could hit a line drive up the middle with their eyes closed. My teammates Ray Lalonde and John "Nick" Nicotera were two of the best. They could look one way and hit it the other way. If the defense shifted one way, they just waited and poked a line drive to the opposite field.
I was mostly a fill-in at first base or right field. But I got to wear one of those orange jerseys with the black lettering of TEACHERS across the front. And I got to wash down some beers after the game with the boys. That was as much fun as the game. Maybe even a little bit more fun.
Our veteran pitchers in those days, as I recall, were Sal Righi and Mike Haley. Mal Cutaiar, another guy who could hit a softball, was an infielder, and Paul Dingman, former ace of the Plattsburgh State Cardinals baseball pitching staff, was Mr. Versatility, playing wherever he was needed.
Jack Baroody was a first baseman. He loved to mess with the opposition's heads. When his turn at bat came, he would stand just outside the righthand hitter's batter's box. When the pitcher would be ready to pitch, he would stroll to the left side, his natural side, so that the defense would have to hurriedly shift the other way.
Year-by-year, as all of us boys got older, it was tougher to compete against the 20-year-olds. The Teachers team folded and I moved on to play with several of my former high school mates on teams like Condo's and Homer Mayflower Moving. By the time I was in my thirties, I'd learned the softball swing and in some games could drive three or four hits up the middle.
Softball never stopped being fun, mainly because it was a throwback to the time when we were little kids. I had a lot of laughs playing softball with my colleagues on the Teacher's team, and later with guys like Mike Brodi, Johnny Mooney, Gerald Burdo, Mark St. Dennis, Mike Dodds, Kenny Leavine, and so many others.
Eventually the Gentleman's Softball League came to an end, and all the games headed west to the American Legion Field in West Plattsburgh. It's still a mecca for North Country softball. But make no mistake about it. If anyone of us old jocks gather to wash down some suds and talk sports, there are some great stories to tell of our days playing softball.
Comments
Mr. Gagnon,
No comment about baseball, Just wanted to say Hi. That is if you remember me as a student back in 79.
Disa Gander (Sveinbjornsson)
(Foxy's note: That was quite a while ago, but, believe it or not, I do remember you! Nice to hear from you after all this time. I will be in touch via e-mail.)
Posted by: Disa Gander (Sveinbjornsson) | May 1, 2008 8:36 PM
Gotta say the memories that Carver evoked regarding putting screws and tons of tape on broken bats are so telling of the days gone by. I also remember putting tape on baseballs when they started to fall apart.
Posted by: jh | April 30, 2008 8:36 AM
Thanks for the compliment on my memory, Carver, must be I don’t have that Alzheimer’s after all. Wish I could return the favor, but you must have mistaken me for someone else. The only real numbers I compiled over the Green Monster at Bailey Ave. were the homeruns I snagged from the great hitters and the foul balls that also made their way out of the Park during the dark of night. Keeping those balls in the face of Leo the Cop who had a bench warrant out for me for over 10 years was my only legitimate statistic.
Remembering a blog from over two years ago, now that’s an accomplishment. Too bad you were too young to get in on the action at Copeland Field. I can, however, recall the entire roster from my first year in Babe Ruth. A feat for another time……..tbi
Posted by: W | April 29, 2008 2:36 PM
Foxy, I remember well the teachers league, but also want to say I really enjoyed watching the volunteer fireman's softball league during the 60's and early 70's as well. I want to acknowledge a few notable names of the players on the West Chazy team, which is where I grew up. The pitchers were Roger Blake, and John Rigsby Sr., who also alternated at first. Other notable players were Harvey Goodman, Earl Parker, at short, and Brian Recor, at third. My Dad played right field. All were good all round players, and great defensive players. One of my fun things as a kid was being the scorekeeper at the games. I don't remember if they won the league, but I remember them being near the top every summer. Thanks again for bubbling up those old memories.
Posted by: sparcat | April 29, 2008 9:31 AM
We had a softball team composed of other drivers that played in the Peru Softball League, which was a fun league which only lasted a few years, and while we didn't win any championships we certainly had fun and also celebrated post-game the way that you did. To me, the softball played at the Legion is too competitive.
Posted by: UPS Dave | April 29, 2008 7:20 AM
Foxy,
Mr. Baroody doing that, in the batter's box, doesn't surprise me at all. He has been known to do some other things to keep people on their toes, too. In my business math class with him, he would walk around the room carrying a potted plant that couldn't be any taller than maybe six inches tall. He would hold this little plant directly in front of his face and walk around the room. Occasionally he would stop next to someone's desk and very slowly pull down one of the leaves and peer at the person. When you looked up at him, from your desk while taking a test, he would say, "I'm looking for cheaters." (grin) He has also been known to be at the board, in the middle of writing down an example of something, when he suddenly spins around and throws a chalk board eraser at a poster of Khadafi. There was never a dull moment in one of his classes.
On the other hand, I find it hard to imagine Mr. Dingman doing anything other than sitting behind his desk and raising his voice.
Posted by: Kathy | April 28, 2008 3:31 PM
I see good ole "W"'s memory is still sharp as a tack! ...Glad to see he finally busted his way out of St. Lawerence (and I don't mean,The University of"!)
I think he still confuses the 1960's with 1970's, (but most of you from "The Egg and Machine Shop/ Brodi's Era probably do!)
That roster sounds more like the squad mentioned in one of your 1st blogs...when you talked about neighborhood ball fields, his being on Cumberland Ave near the oil tanks!
I do remember "W" posting some pretty good Babe Ruth numbers back in the day at Bailey Ave's Green Monster.. I had the honor of being bat boy for all teams in those days, wow if I had a nickel for all the broken bats I accumulated, tacked up and taped for reuse back then!
I enjoyed a few years in the City Softball League .. Our proud sponsor was LUCAS AUTOBODY.. had some great players on that team...all star pitcher Irv Waite, former hockey great Dave Taylor, the Raville Brothers,and Glen Lucas to name a few. Looking back over the years If I had to name the best players .. Benny Haley would have to be considered the Babe Ruth of the league. Best all time fielder..the crafty Don Woodward and of course The Montcalmers had some great players like Wayne Ducatte, Tim and Paul O'Connell, Tom Herlihy, Les Lucas, John Fountain and the infamous southpaw Mike Mannix . Good days, good times!
Posted by: The Carver | April 28, 2008 2:08 PM
I’m not sure if it’s senility or you’ve contracted the syndrome of ‘the older I get the better I was’, but either way you’ve got it wrong this time. I played on the league winning team from the Gentleman’s Slow Pitch softball back in 1971, and there wasn’t a teacher on the team. Rod Collins, a postman, was our pitcher and mastered the art of lobbing the ball in such a manner that it blinded the batter. You may, or may not recall, we played our games in the field (literally and figuratively) behind the VFW on Boynton Ave and the batter stared directly into the setting sun at 6PM, game time. Dennis Mooney was behind the plate, no square at this time for the pitch to land in to determine balls and strikes, an umpire was hired for each game. His bro. John, played center field, and his cousin, Jack Lavalley took turns with Ken Leavine at third base. Bruce Stevens had, arguably, the strongest arm in the league at shortstop and John Bordeau was a solid second baseman. Dan Sullivan played first and Gordy Coryer, possibly the best athlete on the team played whatever position was open when he finally showed up for the game which was never in the first inning. It seems that the city work ethic spilled over to his recreational endeavours. I was a short fielder and Doug Dutilly played right when he wasn’t doing roofing. Dale Mooney was our manager and sponsor for the team and we played under the Condos name.
The second year of the league saw the teachers, adept at recruiting city-wide, and notorious for their after-game parties, start to dominate the league with their tailored uniforms and regimented rules, but not the first year. The league went down-hill from that point as it evolved and eventually dissolved. I’m disappointed in your facts and hope you don’t apply that poetic license to all your blogs in such a manner. I’m sure any of the above fox-hillers will verify the story and accept your apology for mis-reporting ………..tbi
(Foxy's note: Thanks for setting the record straight, W, but I wasn't on any team in 1971. I was preparing for war at Fort Dix, New Jersey, while you and the boys were winning the championship. Who won the city championship in 1969? And 1970? I didn't get to play until 1972. The records may show that the Teachers won it all in '70. When I was asked to be on the team in '70 that was in September of '70, in anticipation for the '71 season, which, as previously noted, saw me wear Army fatiques instead of a softball uniform. Hope you'll keep reading, just to keep me on my toes!)
Posted by: W | April 27, 2008 9:47 PM