Sandlot ! Little League ! Down Memory Lane !

     Drove by the old neighborhood yesterday. Hadn't been there in a couple years. Funny how time has changed things back on Davis Street.

     Saw that old field next to the house we lived in. There is a house on that lot now. I became a star, in my own mind, on that old field. I think I pitched at least 10 no-hitters, pounding that tennis ball against the foundation of the house.

     I surely wore out several bats, pinging those rocks from the driveway towards the back of that field. I'm sure the neighbors yard had to be over run with my home run rocks back in 1948 or so.  I wonder of any kids do that nowadays/

     Remembered our old neighbor, Eddie Ward. He was a former high school star in the area. Used to come over some evenings, and play toss with me. That was a real thrill when I was 10-years old. He could even make the ball curve. I wonder of neighbors do that nowadays?

     Drove further down the street, to the end, corner of Mitchell and Davis streets. Straight ahead was Melchers Field. We practically lived there back then. From 8:00 in the morning, with one break for lunch, till dark. That was our life, playing baseball.

     Old man Melcher owned that piece of land, he let us play there, but insisted that we stay our of the apple orchard, and the corn garden that surrounded it. I can still recall my first actual Homer, it landed in the corn patch. I was thrilled, but scared to death to go get the ball. But, I had to have it, it was my first round tripper. Mr. Melcher caught me, and chased us out of the field. That was a bad day for the Davis Street gang.

     I got out of the car, and just stood there, with memories flooding back. Life was good back then. I remember Blimps flying overhead. Air Raid warnings. Traffic jamming our street when the local Shipyard workers started home around 4:30PM. And all those long hours I spent learning to play the Catchers position.

    It all paid off in 1949, when I made the  Mitchell Road Tigers sandlot league team. The first game of the season was right there, on Melchor's Field. I had my brand new Tigers T-Shirt and Hat, green as I recall. And they even furnished five new bats. As I stood there, I could see that old field, and all my friends, many of whom have passed away.

     The baseball field is long gone. There are three beautifull houses on our old field. Melcher Field is just a memory, one that I shall never forget.

      Around the corner, I made another stop. I sat there gazing at what once was Willard School.  We had many great games, and lots of problems there, back around 1950. The schoolyard featured a hard surface, with plenty of rocks. And it tilted down hill towards the busy street.

     Our home plate was right beside that street. There were no backstops in those days. And it seemed we were prone to hitting lots of foul balls. Every one of those Foul balls  seemed to find a passing car. Needless to say, the local motorists were not happy with us back around 1951.                                                                                                               I was never a power hitter, but I did put one in the window of that school one afternoon. And then we had to run like hell so we didn't get caught. The neighborhood police officer became very familiar with each of us back then, how could I ever forget Officer Murphy?

     Willard School is long gone, It has been demolished. They have created a nice neighborhood park in its place. But is is kind of sad, the children can't play ball there. I can't help but wonder, where do the kids plays pick-up baseball nowadays? Or do they even play neighborhood ball nowadays?

     My next stop was down the hill, about a quarter-mile away. There it was, Brown Field. Played my first official Little League game there in 1952. We were 12 years old, the first kids to play Little League in Maine in 1950.

     We felt like stars. There were only four teams in the entire State. And there I was catching that first pitch, on old Brown Field. That was the day I found out that I might now be the next Ted Williams. The other team had a left hander, named Tommy. He had a curve ball that came straight for my head, then curved over the plate. I shall never forget that guy, or Brown Field.

    Brown Field remains as a Little League setup to this day. A very nice field. Unfortunately, the neighborhood kids are not allowed to use it for pick up games. It is considered a game night field only.

     I took a right out of the parking lot, and headed down Broadway to Henley Field. It was there that we graduated to Babe Ruth Ball. I had now been consigned to right field, and still struggled with those curve ballers.

     My clearest memory of Henley Field had to do with a kid named Lefty. He was our top hitter. One night we got into a contest, pinging rocks off the adjoining school building. Lefty, as usual, was the winner. But in the process, he put two rocks through  the school windows.

     Minutes later, there was our old nemesis, Officer Murphy. We were now 13-years old, and Officer Bill felt that we should learn a lesson. We were hauled off to the local police station, and our parents were summoned. It wasn't a pretty scene, but one that I shall never forget. They didn't use the term "grounded" in those days, but there were many chores to be done to clear our names back in 1951.

    Henley School and field are now part of a condominium package, again, another old ballpark lost to progress and the passing of time.

     I had filled my quota of memories for the day, and headed across the bridge, towards home. along the way I passed the Stadium field, Deering Oaks park, Payson Park, and several more sites that were once sandlot baseball parks. The big fields have No Trespassing signs posted. The smaller ones are mostly overgrown, or have been turned into housing developments.

     It just made me wonder?  Where do the kids play sandlot ball nowdays?  Or do they play sandlot ball?  They don't know what they are missing!