Bob Brown, President of Winchester Baseball, speaks during the ceremony
MY COMMENTS WILL FOCUS 0N EXPRESSIONS OF APPRECIATION TO THOSE THAT
HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MAKING THIS A HOF PROGRAM.
FIRST I WANT TO THANK PHIL LARCOM FOR RECOGONIZING A GOOD THING WHEN HE SAW IT, AND
NOMINATEING OUR PROGRAM FOR THE HOF.
THIS IS AN ALL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION, OF A TRANSIENT NATURE, AS PEOPLE MOVE THRU WITH
THEIR CHILDREN. I WANT TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO ALL OF OUR PAST VOLUNTEERS, AND
WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A FEW THAT WERE INSTRUTMENTAL, AT SIGNIFICANT PERIODS, IN THE
PROGRAMS DEVELOPMENT OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS.
YOUTH BASEBALL BEGAN IN WINCHESTER IN 1952 WITH 8 TEAMS, ABOUT 150 PLAYERS, AS AN
INDEPENDENT PROGRAM, THEN WITH LITTLE LEAGUE. IN THE MID 80`S IT BECAME AFFILIATED WITH
THE BAMBINO/BABE RUTH PROGRAM. CURRENTLY THERE ARE 24 TEAMS WITH 310 PLAYERS.
IN THE EARLY 9O`S A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS THAT BECAME KNOWN AS “WINCHESTER BASEBALL”
BEGAN TO FORM. ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT STEPS TAKEN AT THAT TIME WAS THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A SET OF BY-LAWS . WE HAD BEEN OPERATING BY THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS AT
THAT POINT. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT GLEN MOORE AND GARY CHRISMAN DEVELOPED A SET OF
BY-LAWS THAT SERVED US FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS. WE WANT TO THANK GLEN AND GARY FOR
GETTING US STARTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIOIN. GLEN IS HERE TODAY AND WE WANT TO EXPRESS
OUR THANKS.
IN THE EARLY 90`S THE PROGRAM BEGAN TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN BAMBINO TOURNAMENT
PLAY. WE WON OUR FIRST SE REGIONAL AND PLAYED IN OUR FIRST 12U WORLD SERIES IN PUEBLO,
COLORADO. AT THAT POINT WE WANTED TO MAKE OUR FIELDS CAPABLE OF HOSTING STATE,
REGIONAL, AND WORLD SERIES TOURNAMENTS OF OUR OWN. I MENTIONED TO ONE OF OUR
PEOPLE, BONNIE MERRYMAN, HOW NICE IT WOULD BE TO HAVE A PRESS BOX ON YOST FIELD LIKE
THEY HAVE IN STAUNTON. SHE SAID SHE THOUGHT THAT COULD BE DONE, AND PROCEEDED TO
SECURE THE DONATIONS OF MATERIAL, AND VOLUNTEERED HER HUSBAND SHERMAN, TO DO THE
CONSTRUCTION. THEY PROCEEDED TO CONSTRUCT A PRESS BOX ON BOTH YOST AND ROTARY
FIELDS. WE EQUIPED THEM WITH SOUND SYSTEMS, AND RC COLA , ED BRIDGEFORTH`S COMPANY,
DONATED SCORE BOARDS FOR BOTH FIELDS. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF MANY FACILITY
IMPROVEMENTS. BONNIE MERRYMAN WA S A VOLUNTEER THAT MADE THINGS HAPPEN. WE
WANT TO THANK BONNIE AND SHERMAN FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS. THEY ARE HERE TODAY.
THE MID 90`S WE OFFERED TO JOIN WITH PARKS/REC ON A PROJECT TO UPGRADE THE
FACILIATIES. OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS WINCHESTER BASEBALL DONATED APPROXIMATELY
$700,000 IN VOLUNTEER LABOR AND MATERIALS. A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE TAX PAYERS
OF WINCHESTER
---INORDER TO MAKE YOST FIELD TOURNAMENT CAPABLE THE OUT FIELD FENCES NEEDED TO BE
MOVED BACK TO 200`. RF WAS 165` AND SLOPED DOWN TOWARD A LOW SWAMPY, MESQUETO
INVESTED AREA . MIKE CARROLL, AND HIS DAD JIM CARROLL`S COMPANY, BUCKLEY LEGGES.,
PROVIDED THE LABOR AND MATERIALS TO INSTALL A STORM DRAIN ACROSS THE PARK FROM THE
YOST FIELD PARKING LOT TO THE ROTARY FIELD PARKING LOT, AND FILLED IN THE ENTIRE AREA,
ENABLING US TO MOVE THE FENSES BACK AS NEEDED. MIKE AND THE CARROLL FAMILY WERE
INVOLVED IN SEVERAL OTHER PROJECTS ALSO. MIKE WAS THE MANAGER OF OUR 13U TEAM THAT
PARTICIPATED IN THE WORLD SERIES IN JAMESTOWN, NY. WE WANT TO EXPRESS OUR
APPRECIATION TO MIKE AND THE CARROLL FAMILY FOR ALL OF THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS. MIKE IS HERE
TODAY.
THRU THE EFFORTS OF LENNY MILLHOLLAND, AND HIS ASSOCIATION WITH RICKETTS
CONSTRUCTION, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE AND EQUIPE A NEW $100,000 CONCESSION/RESTROOM
FACILITY. LENNY WAS INTERESTING TO WORK WITH AS HE MARCHED TO HIS OWN DRUMMER. I
WOULD ACQUSE HIM OF FLYING BY THE SEAT OF HIS PANTS AT TIMES. WHEN THE PROJECT WAS
COMPLETED, LENNY GAVE ME A PLAQUE OF THE SEAT OF HIS PANTS, WHICH I STILL HAVE. WE WANT
TO THANK LENNY AND RICKETTS CONSTRUCTION FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN. LENNY IS HERE TODAY.
WINCHESTER BASEBALL CONTINUED TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS:
INSTALLED CONCRETE PADS FOR THE GRAND STANDS TO SET ON, ON BOTH FIELDS
PROVIDED 5 BATTING CAGES
PROVIDED WALK PATHS THRUOUT THE BASEBALL COMPLEX
GRASSED THE INFIELD ON BOTH FIELDS
CONSTRUCTED A PRESS BOX, NEW DUGOUTS, AND EQUIPED WITH A SOUND SYSTEM ON HENKLE
FIELD
CONSTRUCTED T-BALL FIELD BY CARROLL CONSTRUCTION , MIKE`S BROTHER AND SISTER,
ANOTHER $100,000 PROJECT
IN THE MID 90`S WE NEEDED TO MAKE SOME ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES AS WE STRUGGLED TO
KEEP UP. WE ESTABLISHED THE POSITIONS OF VP BASEBALL TO SUPERVISE THE BASEBALL
OPERATIONS, AND VP OF ADMINISTRATION . WE WERE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT KYLE SIBERT
TOOK OVER THE ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION AND MADE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT. SHE ALSO INIATED
THE CASH PARTY FUND RAISER AND, MADE IT A GREAT SUCCESS. SHE SERVED MANY YEARS AFTER
HER SON MOVED THRU THE PRORAM. WE ARE THANKFUL FOR ALL OF THE YEARS KYLE GAVE US.
-GOOD FORTUNE CONTINUED TO SHINE ON US AS SCOTT WOLFORD BECAME OUR VP OF
BASEBALL. SCOTT BECAME THE MAIN SPOKE IN THE WHEEL OF THE BASEBALL OPERATIONS. HE
COACHED REC BALL, TOURNAMENT BALL, AS WELL ATTENDED TO ALL OF THE VP DUTIES. SCOTT
GAVE US MANY YEARS OF SERVICE PAST HIS SONS TIME IN THE PROGRAM. WE ARE VERY GRATEFULL
FOR SCOTT`S TIME WITH US.
NATALIE LOUDON REPLACED KYLE IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION , AND ALSO BECAME ONE
OF THE DRIVING FORCES OF THE PROGRAM. NATILE DIRECTED AND COORDINATED OUR EFFORTS
WITH PARK/REC TO SUCCESSFULLY HOST TWO WORLD SERIES EVENTS IN 2011 AND 2014. SHE
SAYS HER DREAM JOB WOULD BE TO PRESENT THE CAL RIPKEN WORLD SERIES IN ABERDEEN, MD.
WE ALSO ENJOYED NATALIES SERVICE FOR MANY YEARS AFTER HER TWO BOYS MOVED THRU THE
PROGRAM. WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL.
LASTLY, STEVE BAKER HAS BEEN OUR TREASURER FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, AND I
HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS , WE WANT STEVE TO KNOW WE APPRECIATE ALL OF HIS
HARD WORK.
WE CONTINUE TO BE FORTUNATE WITH IVY TYSON AND BRIAN THOMPSON CARRYING ON
TODAY IN THE IMPORTANT VP POSITIONS. WE ARE IN GOOD HANDS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE UNUSUAL CHARASTERIC OF THIS PROGRAM IS THE EXTENDED YEARS OF
SERICE BY MANY OF IT`S VOLUNTEERS. I HOPE THIS GIVES YOU A PICTURE OF SOME OF THE PEOPLE
AND, SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS THEY HAVE MADE IN OREDER FOR THIS PROGRAM TO BE
RECOGNIZED FOR THE HOF. WE ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL.------THANK YOU.
Bob Brown, President