Randolph County to represent N.C. in Southeast Regional

GASTONIA - After forcing a final game with a 10-5 victory Saturday afternoon at Sims Park in the North Carolina American Legion State Tournament championship round, Cherryville finished as state runnerup in a back-and-forth 7-4 loss to Randolph County Saturday afternoon and evening.
The outcome sends Randolph County (40-12) to Thursday's Southeast Regionals in Shelby where Post 45 will face Leesburg, Ga., at 5 p.m. and ends another spectacular Cherryville season at 43-8.
It marks Randolph's third state title all-time - and first since 1978. Randolph also won the crown in 1966.

First two teams stamp their ticket to Regionals

S.C., Alabama champs crowned

Two teams have earned their ticket to Shelby for the American Legion Southeast Regionals scheduled for VeteransField and Keeter Stadium Aug. 14-18.S

Sumter (S.C.) Post 15 defeated Goose Creek, 9-7, Sunday night to win the South Carolina crown.
Also, Tuscaloosa, Ala., Post 34 won its state crown for the fourth time in six years over the weekend.

Those two will join host Shelby Post 82 along with five other state champs for regional play Aug. 14-18.
-- Alan Ford

1931 squad was the first representing Post 82 in Shelby

The 1931 American Legion team was the first to represent

Warren F. Hoyle Post 82 in Shelby. The team was organized and

coached by Dr. B.M. Jarrett, standing at left on top row.

By Alan Ford

The history of American Legion baseball in Shelby spans everything from the Great Depression, World War II, the Vietnam era, and on up and past the turn of a new century. Championships, big crowds and future major leaguers have made the sport a big deal in Shelby.

The program has never lost site of its heritage, however. The 1931 team in Shelby stands as the first American Legion squad to represent the town and Warren F. Hoyle Post 82. Many folks wouldn’t believe its origin if it weren’t true.

Dr. Buford Martin Jarrett was an avid sportsman at that time. To start an American Legion baseball team, he simply began asking for players in the Sunday School class he taught at First Baptist Church in Shelby to get involved. They did and became the nucleus of the team. One of those players, R.K. Wilson, in 1965 in The Star, spoke of Dr. Jarrett’s contribution.

“(He) was the whole thing,” Wilson said. “He was the athletic officer, coach, manager and furnished transportation fo for the boys. There were 10 or 12 boys on the team including the bat boy.
"Shelby was eliminated by Charlotte that first year but really started to build up a good team later. They managed to get uniform from somewhere, used old patched up (base)balls and taped bats.”

In another story from The Star, Jarrett spoke of those early years.
“We played with make-shift (base)balls that were sewn up by Perry Sellers at his shoe shop,” he said. “When one would bust a seam, we’d take it to Perry and he’d sew it up and we’d get a lot of play from it, although it was dirty, scarred and hard to hit very far.”

Dr. Jarrett’s daughter, Patricia Jarrett Phifer of Shelby, remembers baseball being a big part of her family’s life at that time, as does her sister, Mary Sue Jarrett Wall, who now lives in Florida.

“He attended every baseball game and in the 1940s, we went with them (Post 82) to the World Series,” Patricia said. “In the early 30s, he would take his car and pick them (the players) up. They’d ride on the running board.
“Dad was an active sportsman. He would get out and walk years before that became popular. He loved to breathe to the fresh air.”

Dr. Jarrett wasn’t the only one connected to the American Legion. His wife, Mary Sue Pruett Jarrett – who passed away five years ago at 97 – held national office in the American Legion’s women’s auxiliary. She served as the national president of that organization in 1973-74.

“She was very active in veteran’s causes,” Patricia said. “She was make visits to the hospital down in Salisbury.”
Contact Star Sports Editor Alan Ford at alanford@shelbystar.com.

Ex-Yankee to speak at Regional Tournament banquet

By Alan Ford
Bobby Richardson found a niche in his post-baseball days as a motivational speaker.
He’ll be the guest speaker for the Southeastern Regionals premiere banquet on Aug. 13 at Shelby City Park. The former Yankee second baseman also served in that capacity for the 2002 Southeast Regional in Shelby as well as the 2004 North Carolina State Tournament banquet here.
Richardson’s abilities at the microphone may make some folks forget that he was quite exceptional at his first career. During his 10 years (1957 to ‘66) with the New York Yankees:
The Sumter, S.C., native was voted the Most Valuable Player in the 1960 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates (though he admittedly would trade the honor for the Yankees winning that dramatic seventh game decided by Bill Mazeroski’s landmark home run)
He played in seven World Series in his career
Five times he won the Gold Glove for being the best fielding second baseman in the American League
In 1962 he led the league in hits and finished second to teammate Mickey Mantle in the A.L. Most Valuable Player voting
Seven times he was selected for the Major League All-Star mid-summer classic
In three seasons (1964-65-66) he was rated the most difficult player in the American League to strike out
In 1963 he was given the Lou Gehrig Award, presented every year by the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, to the major league player “who best exemplifies the spirit and character of Lou Gehrig, both on and off the field.”
In the 1964 World Series vs. the St. Louis Cardinals, Richardson’s 13 hits in a seven-game series has yet to be surpassed
Following his playing days, Richardson served as the head baseball coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks and later made an unsuccessful run for the U.S. Congress from his home state.

Games we play and watch came at a very high price

If you’re over 40 years of age, you probably remember the car commercial jingle that went: “…baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and Chevrolet!”That sentiment — regardless of your preferred brand of automobile — is especially pertinent today, July 4.

Few aspects of everyday life in the U.S., beyond our religious beliefs, are treasured more than our attachment to athletics. It’s splattered across the media, through the recreation department and YMCA fields, the huge stadiums in larger cities, and shows up in our choice of shirts, caps and other clothing.
I sometimes wonder if those brave souls who went ashore during the D-Day invasion of 1944 had an inkling of how American society would evolve as a result of their efforts?
This is a day for pondering such things.

I can’t help but think about our military folks in Iraq and other places at the moment. I’ve had close friends who have had or still have immediate family in harm’s way.I know their loved ones would much rather be watching their own sons and daughters play Little League baseball and soccer, getting in a round of golf or tennis, or simply plopping down on the couch to watch the Yankees and Red Sox with friends or family. They’d like to be there arguing face-to-face with their fellow fantasy league participants.

Everyone has his political opinions about our involvement in wars far from home. What we can agree on, though, is that the men and women serving our country in uniform are doing it so we can continue with this kind of lifestyle, sports and all. Those soldiers know what sacrifice is and how fragile life can be in places where freedom and opportunity for fun an games don’t have deep roots.

As corny as it sounds, the next time you go to a game and stand for the Star Spangled Banner, reflect a minute on just how fortunate we are to enjoy such activities. Our military families have given up a lot to make sure the first pitch does get thrown on time at places like Veterans Field and Keeter Stadium.
Be sure to say thank you to them when you get the chance at the ballpark or anywhere else. They’ve earned it.

Star Sports Editor Alan Ford can be contacted online at alanford@shelbystar.com. His father, Bill Ford, and granddad, Lester Ford, served in the U.S. Army.

Post 82's Tisdale throws no-hitter vs. Lake Norman

Gabe Whisnant
gabewhisnant@ shelbystar.com
Shelby Post 82’s Jacob Tisdale followed many of the golden rules of pitching Saturday night against visiting Lake Norman — work ahead in the count, mix up your pitches and let the defense work behind you.
The formula proved effective as the righthander from Crest High tossed a seven-inning no-hitter in Post 82’s 10-0 triumph at Veterans Field and Keeter Stadium.

Records: Shelby 11-4 Area IV West, 17-11 overall; Lake Norman 3-11 division, 6-12.
The tally: Tisdale, a rising junior, struck out eight and retired the first eight Post 501 batters he faced. After issuing a walk to Logan Rowe in the top of the third, the righty sat down 13 in a row to finish off the first no-hitter at any level of his playing career.
Tisdale recorded eight flyouts or popups and got five groundouts as Post 82 made the plays behind him.

From the pitcher: “I was just hitting the corners and able to put the fastball where I wanted it,” Tisdale said. “There’s nothing like it … especially to be able to do in a brand new stadium. I wasn’t even thinking about the no-hitter, I just went out and pitched.”
Three-inning outburst: Shelby scored early and often and took a 9-0 lead after three innings to get its pitcher plenty of run support. In a balanced effort, eight different Post 82 players scored during the early rally. Post 501 starter Chase Ervin lasted just two innings and got the loss.

Post 82 offense: Jordan Robinson (2-for-3, 3B, 3 RBI); Brett Mabry (1-for-3, 2 RBI); Seth Canipe (1-for-3, 2B, RBI, run); Julian Ridings (1-for-3, 2B, run); Brett Wease (1-for-2, RBI); Kyle Kendrick (1-for-2, RBI, 2 runs); James Gold (1-for-2, RBI); Adam McFarland (1-for-4, run); Corey Cline (2 walks, 2 runs).

Finishing touch: Mabry knocked in Kendrick with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh to seal the win and Tisdale’s no-hitter. Kendrick singled, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch.

From a coach: “There’s not pressure on one or two to come through, any of them can step up and get the big hit and get us some runs,” Post 82 assistant Steve Gold said. “We’ve been swinging it well the last few games.”

Next: Shelby hosts a day-night doubleheader today. Post 82 takes on Rock Hill, S.C. at 2 p.m., then faces Denver at 7 p.m. Both are non-division contests.

New roof on ballpark passes first test from the weather

I plead guilty to using the words of Yankee Hall of Famer Yogi Berra too many times … especially since this marks the second time in a week I’ve relied on one of his quotes.
Yet at the debut of the newly renovated Veterans Field and Keeter Stadium on the Shelby High campus, one of his infamous expressions got stuck in my mind: “It’s déjà vu all over again!”

The unexpected heavy rains that hit the ball park in the second inning of the Post 82 game with Cherryville was a reminder of the 2002 Southeast Regionals at that location. On that occasion, while in the midst of a record drought, the first night of the tournament brought the kind of rain that hadn’t been seen in months.

Some may think that’s just bad luck but, actually, the storm Thursday night allowed the fans in attendance to marvel over one feature of the park’s additions. Several hundred baseball enthusiasts were able to crowd under the new roof that adorns the seating areas behind homeplate and be spared the effects of the weather.

Even though the elements put a damper on
Post 82’s first opportunity to play on its home field in 2008, the evening was really a win-win situation for all those involved in the legion program and the upcoming tournaments in August. Consider:
The crew working in the new Jim Horn Concession Center was pumping out burgers and hot dogs as fast as it could go before the rains hit.

Joseph Tallent’s catalog of music blared out over the new speaker system, which is still not completely hooked up.

One of the large new fans attached to the stadium canopy generated a good breeze even before nature provided its own.

More ballpark features are still to be finished in the coming days. Post 82 has home games each of the next three days and if you haven’t had a chance to go see the park yet, now you do. The facility is taking the shape of something this community can be proud of for a long time to come.
Oh by the way, there’s some pretty good baseball to watch as well.

Contact Sports Editor Alan Ford online at alanford@shelbystar.com.