There is an old saying that in the spring, a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of love. Well, it is spring and this old man's thoughts turn to baseball, track and other spring memories.
n I miss Little League baseball, the way it used to be. It seems no one really plays Little League anymore. It used to be that you played Little League in your area and you played with and against your friends for a team sponsored by a local grocery store, restaurant or car dealership.
Saturdays in Little League were really special because after you finished your game you hung around the field in your dusty, dirty uniform and watched all of your friends play. You spent the whole day at the field playing your game, watching your friends play, eating hot dogs, Chick-o-sticks and Dilly Bar ice cream.
In many places it's no longer that way. Neighborhood sandlots and Little League fields here sit empty as everyone goes out of town and is playing travel baseball, travel soccer and AAU basketball on the weekends.
I miss the simpler way it used to be when I was mesmerized by the smell of a new baseball and all the games were local and free of charge.
n I enjoy Facebook for reconnecting with old friends, but I'm not sure social media have been good for parents. In the era before Facebook, it seemed that sports parents had a lot more humility about their child's athletic involvements. I miss those days. Now everyone wants a picture to put on Facebook, like it's the first time we have ever seen someone swing a bat, shoot a jump shot or run a race. I call it the era of embellishment.
Several years ago, an overzealous parent posted a picture of her son signing to play men's lacrosse at WVU. Guess what? WVU does not have men's lacrosse. It is a club team, not a varsity sport. Big difference.
n No offense to the current voices of baseball today, but I miss Curt Gowdy on the Saturday afternoon Game of the Week. I also miss Joe Nuxhall on Reds broadcasts, Chuck Thompson on the Orioles, Harry Kalas on the Phillies and Lanny Frattare on the Pirates. I also used to like the NBC telecasts of World Series games when they would use the home team radio announcers. In 1972, '73 and '74, we all got introduced to Oakland A's broadcaster Monte Moore.
n I miss the days when athletes in the area ran track. It used to seem that a meet took place every Saturday at Laidley Field. Teams came from all over the region to run and gear up for the state meet in late May.
Surprisingly, many coaches discourage their athletes from running track. Today, it is all about specialization. Many coaches and parents are too shortsighted to realize that track is a great way of cross-training for any sport. Former NFL star Carl Lee often credits competing in track for giving him the opportunity to make an NFL roster.
n Speaking of track, I miss the spring days of watching sprinters Mike Tyson of Charleston High and Tom Reid of Woodrow Wilson go head to head. Tyson was our state's version of Carl Lewis as he also was a long jump champ and record holder. Crowds used to gather in the area of the stadium known as "Woo Corner" when Reid and Tyson would run the turn in the 220-yard race. Cinders would fly on the old track and the crowd would stand and let out a loud "woooooooooo" as the two sprinters raced down the final stretch. It was incredible competition and great athletic drama.
n Friday night was a very pleasant night to be outside at the Dick Dunlap Classic track meet at Winfield. Among the area sports personalities I got to chat with were former Barboursville High football star Robbie Hanna, former Winfield boy's basketball coach Pat McGinnis, former Poca boys basketball coach Allen Osborne, longtime area football coach Harry Wallace and former Winfield and Kentucky baseball standout Jim Lett.
Lett was a multi-sport star at Winfield before graduating in 1969. He played both football and baseball at Kentucky and was an All-SEC baseball player in 1971. He recently retired after a 32-year career in professional baseball, 24 of those years with the Reds. He looks like he can still play.
Reach Frank Giardina at flg16 @hotmail.com.