Posts Tagged baseball

      Fifty years later, we remember the 1951 Ellwood City Moose Lodge Little League Baseball Champions. Those pictured here in their Converse All-Stars include in the front row from left. Sam Pistachio, Jim Beatrice, Terry Macioge, Skip Friedhoff, Joey Sheeler, unknown, unknown, and Tom Butler. Second row from the left, Todd Heinz, unknown, Nick Frisk, Ron Mazzano, Ron Hughes, Jim Navolio, Bob Butler, and Jim Barry. The coaches pictured in the back row include Walter Feerst, Dick Freidhoff, and Grundy Volpe.
      If you know those that we have marked as “unknown”, please let us know so we can adjust accordingly. Also, if you remember this team or the players, we would love to here your memories. Please share in the comments section below or email us at info@ellwoodcitymemories.com

      I was flipping through a stack of old Ellwood City Ledgers that someone had let me borrow a couple of weeks ago and came to an article where they made a big deal about a certain Ellwood City baseball standout that was coming to the end of his career as a Wolverine and in his last days, hit a towering home run that not only cleared the fence but actually landed on the roof of the school. Of course this was in the days when the field was beside Lincoln High School, which a few of you might remember.    
      The way the article was written, it made the homerun seem to be a Babe Ruth-ian type of homerun that was typically reserved for movies like “The Natural”. Of course after reading this, I thought to myself that this would make a great History’s Mystery. The only problem I thought of at the time was that everyone would remember a spectacular homerun like this.
      I posted the question in the History’s Mystery section of Ellwood City Memories and it turns out, I had another problem. The home run was indeed a Herculean fete, but not that uncommon. I heard from a number of you including Bob Mallary who guessed Al Miller and Don Tindall who guessed Rich Potter. The article in the Ledger was about the drive off of the bat of Jesse Brown, but like I said, he was not alone. Jim Hockenberry, who grew up around the school remembers playing sandlot ball on the field a lot and also recalls that Mary Ann (Corigan) Caputo would easily hit baseballs onto the roof from home plate. Not only could she do it easily, but she did it regularly.
      If you know of anyone else that hit a drive onto the roof of the school from the old field, please share your memories below or email us at info@ellwoodcitymemories.com

      Once upon a time Ellwood City hosted a Sunday school baseball league here in town. The 1922 league champions was the pictured Immanuel Reformed Church team. Members included seated from the left third baseman Fred Sanders, second baseman Frank “Grundy” Volpe, and batboy John Sanders. Standing from the left is local baseball legend and team manager Connie Wardman. Left fielder Mike Cirelli, Pitchers Frank Falconie and Paul McConahy, First base Erwin “Nummy” Campbell, Centerfielder Edward Krupa, Right fielder Dave Mariani, and church pastor Rev. Schaffer. Ray Daellenbach is missing from the picture to go fishing.

            Can you remember all the way back to Friday June 17th 2011. That is the day that the Riverside Panthers boys baseball team won the schools third State Title in the 2011 PIAA Class AA Baseball Playoffs. After trailing 2-1, the Panthers fought back and won the title 5-2 on shortstop Ryan Finnegan’s three run “in the park” homerun.
      Congratulations goes out to the Riverside players, coaches, and entire school for their third title in six years. The Panthers also won the PIAA Class AA titles in 2005 and 2006.

      The 1995 Lincoln Hich School Wolverine Baseball Team from Ellwood City were crowned Section 10-AAA CHAMPIONS and WPIAL Quarter Finalists.  
      Pictured above front row, from left: bat boys, Santino Riccio, Mike Sharek, Jason Hazen, Steve Kimmel, Darin Sharek, Dave Ottavio, Kyle Blazin, Joey Bartolomeo, Kevin Ricciuti and Ryan Sulia. Second row, from left: Brad Welsh, Mike Pelloni, Joe Nardone, Curt Dominelli, Rody Polojac, Eric Meyer, Justin Zona and Sam Pelloni. Third row, from left: Ronnie Morrow, John Frisk, Blake Schilling, Larry Pasquale, Tom Nulph, Mike Hall, Ron Harper, Ryan Sudano and B. J. Boyle. Fourth row, from left: Ed Casciato, Kevin Stiles, Nick DeSanzo, Craig Radvansky, Mark Gardner, B. J. Guy, Matt Barberio and Joe Battaglia. Fifth row, from left: B. J. Neghiu, Ryan Venezie, Matt Haydo, Jeff Hall, Ron Walker, Adam Wehman, Neil Blazin and Corey Best. Sixth row, from left: Head Coach Jeff Fotia, Assistant Coaches Joe Ricciuti and Bill Baker; Players Eric Slevin, Travis Loccisano and Pat Wehman; and Dave Blazin, Vic Sharek and Vince Riccio. Some people were missing when the photo was taken.

      The massive facility known as the Shelby Social Club or the Shelby Clubhouse was built only a very short walk from Shelby Works Park located on the corner of First Street and Fountain Avenue. Mrs. Thornhill shared with us that she remembers the park had an outside swimming pool, tennis courts, playground, a place to wash automobiles and a rooming house.
      The clubhouse on the corner of Pittsburgh Circle and First Street was home to an Olympic size indoor swimming pool, a meeting room, a gymnasium, a six lane bowling alley, billiards, an auditorium, a soda grill, lounge room, cafeteria and a basketball court among other things.  The one thing it was missing was a baseball field, but the tube mill already had one; Shelby Field in the Shelby Land Company’s Plan (later to become Ewing Park.)
      Situated directly beside the P.H.B.&N.C. trolley tracks (today Joffre Street) and Foch Street, the tube mill already owned perhaps the most popular recreation of the time, a baseball field.
      An excerpt from “Hack” written by Bob Boone; “People frequently walked far out of their way just to pass Shelby Field to watch Lew (“Hack” Wilson) bat out long home runs and slide on his belly around the outfield. Careful coaching from (Connie) Wardman combined with Lew’s natural talent produced a ten-year-old who played as well as boys many years older. Most of the adults who came to watch this talented youngster also noted that he did little to conceal his pleasure at playing before an audience.”
      When you combine the Shelby Clubhouse, Shelby Park, and Shelby Field; there is not a popular recreation that is not accounted for. The large recreational plan was all within walking distance of work at the tube mill and the employee’s homes in the Shelby Land Company’s Plan.
      We would enjoy hearing from anyone else that remembers Shelby Works Park. There is very little evidence of it’s existence today except this photograph that simply says “Ellwood City” across the back and the memories of but a few. Please share below or email us at info@ellwoodcitymemories.com

      This picture is from a collection of pictures that were recently shared with us. The picture is of the former tube mill taken from the grounds of the old baseball field known as “Tunnel Field”. In the immediate background of the picture is the small village of Burnstown.

      Burnstown is located along the south side of route 488 between Ellwood City and Ellport in the third ward. The area was built up upon the Burns farm that stretched from the Northeastern edge of Ellwood City, east, and included parts of Ellport, Rock Dell, and Wurtemburg Heights. When Merrit Greene was purchasing land for the Pittsburg Company, Burns refused to sell any of his property to the group.

      Burnstown was home to many large homes as you can see in the pictures, and was largely made up of families that worked in the tube mill. Burnstown also housed a number of business including corner grocery stores and barber shops and even had its own school.

      When the Ellwood City Little League baseball league started in 1950, it was made up of six teams including a team many, many Ellwood City youth played for over the years – The Kiwanis. Sixty years later, the Kiwanis team took the field for the last time.
      The Ellwood City Amateur Baseball Federation recognized the Kiwanis Club during the team’s final game and expressed their gratitude, on behalf of thousands of players and coaches, for their outstanding contribution to the Ellwood City baseball program over sixty seasons. The Ellwood City Kiwanis Club had disbanded in September.

As reported in the Ellwood City Ledger…
    The Wolves jumped out to 6-1 lead and held on to defeat the Kiwanis, 6-5, in Ellwood City Little League playoff action at Freidhoff Field on Tuesday night. With the victory the Wolves advance to the Blue Division bracket final against the Rotary on Thursday night. The game marked the end of the Kiwanis sponsorship after 60 years in the Ellwood City Little League.

      The Ewing Park Bridge originally opened as a toll bridge connecting the tube mill to the houses the mill built for its employees in what would become Ewing Park. “Old Big Blue” stood until 1998 when it was torn down and the current Ewing Park Bridge was built in the same location.

Growing up in Ellwood City, we always heard the story of Mr. Foley jumping off the bridge as a bet for a case of beer. For some reason though, the person telling the story always would leave out the part about the dam still being in use at the time and it was not quite the drop it is today.

      We have heard a lot of different memories that involve the old Ewing Park Bridge. Wheter it be riding your bike across to baseball practice, how nervous you felt driving across it with the narrow lanes, or even dropping things on the old steel roof of the abandoned building below the bridge. We would like to hear your memories of the old blue bridge with the tunnel under the northeast end. Please email us at info@ellwoodcitymemories.com or leave your comment below.

      The first annual Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, and Food Festival was a two day event that stretched all over the town. On that Fourth of July weekend back in 1981; Ellwood City hosted bicycle races, hot air balloon rides, a 10K race, a car show, and a parade.

      As you can see in the picture here Lawrence Avenue was still a one way street with parking on the south side of the street. Also, there are a number of buildings that are no longer part of the Ellwood City landscape and business like the Ellwood City Hardware and G.C. Murphy that are also but a memory. The old firetrucks taking part in the Saturday afternoon parade are also quite impressive.

      The free hot air balloon rides for children were to take place at the baseball fields in Ewing Park. A large crowd gathered as the balloon was unfolded but were disappointed when officials decided that due to the weather, the balloon was not erected. The picture of the balloon sprawled out on the field is the only picture we at EC Memories have of the old Helling stadium football field.

      It was estimated that 1,500 people walked through Helling Stadium Saturday and Sunday to view the eighty vehicles entered in the Arts, Crafts, and Food Festival Auto Show. It was sponsored by the Woman’s softball league at Stiefel Park.

       As for the festival itself, it was not quite like the festival we are used to today. In this section of the park, the crowd is walking to the various displays while children are playing on the park’s outdoor equipment. Most, if not all, of the playground equipment in the picture including the three swing sets, the tables, and the slide are no longer in the park.
One thing that has not changed from the first Arts, Crafts, and Food Festival to today was that on that first Festival, Saturday’s crowd was smaller because of rain.  We would enjoy hearing your memories of the festival in the park. Please leave a comment below or email us at info@ellwoodcitymemories.com

      Perhaps one of the most enduring records in all of baseball belongs to Ellwood City native Lewis “Hack” Wilson. The professional legend of Hack began in 1926 when the New York Giants sold the 5-foot-6, 190 pound, barrel chested, thick limbed Lewis “Hack” Robert Wilson to the Chicago Cubs. Hack would go on to lead the league in home runs three years in a row; 21 in 1926, 30 in 1927, 31 in 1928. In 1929, Hack hit 36 home runs (third in the league) and drove in 150 runs.
      Then in 1930, Hack Wilson set a National League record with 56 homeruns (10 more than Babe Ruth) and set the record that still exists today of 190 Runs batted in, leading the Cubs to the World Series with a .356 batting average. He was not only a homerun hitter though, as he compiled an impressive lifetime .307 batting average over twelve seasons and drove in 100 or more runs six times in his major league career. A few other remarkable feats accomplished by Hack were the two homeruns he hit in one inning in 1925 and three in a single game in 1930.
      During his career, the boy from Ellwood City that everyone in town walked to Shelby field to watch smack the ball compiled 244 home runs and 1,063 RBIs in the Majors. He established the Major League record of 190 runs batted in and the National League record of 56 homeruns in 1930. The homerun record stood for sixty eight years before being broken* but the RBI record remains to this day.
      Hack played hard and aggressive with his long blasts and head first slides and he lived his life the same way. He was believed to have been paid more than any other player except Babe Ruth in 1930, but he died penniless in Baltimore in 1948. Hack Wilson was inducted into The National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.

      There are a number of books written about Hack Wilson, but one in particular paints a clearer image of his life in Ellwood City – Hack – written by Bob Boone  click HERE for an exerpt

 If you would like to share any memories you have, please leave a comment below or email us at info@ellwoodcitymemories.com

      On the 24th of October 1968, the Beaver County times reported that Councilman Dom A. Viccari revealed plans for a municipal park in the abandoned limestone quarry bordering North Sewickley Township. The area that was commonly referred to at the time as the “brick yard” would be called Limestone Park. A number of legal battles ensued following the announcement including a claim by North Sewickley Township Supervisors who declared that the land belonged to them as it was in their township. The final ruling was however that the land had been annexed to the borough five years earlier.
       Plans were drawn up immediately for a paved road to be built to the area of the park where several large caves are located. Viccari, who served as the chairman of the parks committee at the time hoped to preserve the caves for their natural beauty and interest along with all seventy six acres.
      Construction of the “new highway” or “four lane highway” had not yet started and it was believed that this new road would make access from the east to the park easier. Today, access is only possible at Brighton Road to the west onto Hack Wilson Drive that goes through the park. Hack Wilson Drive is the sole acknowledgement in Ellwood City of the Major League Baseball Hall of Famer who was born and raised in our town.  
      In 1978, Ellwood city borough obtained Federal Funds through the State Department of Community Affairs to install four lighted tennis courts, a soccer field, and two softball fields in the now forty four acre park. It was then Mayor Sam Teolis who came up with the idea to re-name the park Stiefel Park in honor of Ralph C. Stiefel (re-inventor of Ellwood City with his patented process for making seamless tubing). Today, the park is home to four various size softball fields with lights, lighted soccer field, roller hockey rink, a small playground, and the entrances to the caves have been blocked off.
      Depending on who you are talking to, the park still goes by a number of different names. Stiefel Park still gets called Limestone Park but more commonly we get people calling it the brick yard or even Brickyard Hill. The entire area the park now resides was once an operating coal mine called Kirkman’s Coal Mine.