Hey Guys,
Today is one of the best sports days of the year for me. My favorite sports days are the first Friday night of High School football, the first race night at the local dirt track, and the first day of Dixie Youth Baseball. Tonight the teams will begin play at Collyer Park, and I get to be a big kid again as I will be broadcasting the games live on your and my favorite radio stations, the Wobble Legged Billy Goat! The teams have been practicing for a couple of weeks, the uniforms have been given out, and Albert and Steve have the fields in great shape. It is gonna be another great season at the old ball park.
This past Saturday the Laurens Dixie Youth Baseball folks dedicated field two to the late Tommy Powell. I can close my eyes and see him sitting on the Gator under the pear tree watching the kids play ball. Any time he was parked there it immediately became a meeting place for many folks as they would stop by and shoot the breeze with Tommy. I don’t know of anyone who loved Dixie Youth Baseball as much as Tommy did. He lived to get the fields just right for the kids. You want to get on his bad side, say something bad about his kids like they were bad ball players or they had no reason being on the field. He didn’t put up with that crap. He’d tell you right quick that baseball was for all the kids, not just the good athletes. He felt this way because he realized something that a lot of folks don’t. He knew that sports were good for kids, that when they were active in sports programs they were less prone to get into trouble. He also realized that a lot of his kids came from single parent families and needed a good male role model in their lives. In fact, to a lot of the kids that came through the Laurens Dixie Youth program he was their role model.
Well, now he’s gone on to Heaven, and we are left here to see his work continues. Tommy left a solid program to build on. For years to come the kids around here will have a beautiful park to play in, in a program that believes that all kids should get to play ball, even those that can’t afford to, and solid men and women as league officials, coaches, umpires, and supporters to help his dream live on.
It’s baseball season in River City now, and somewhere a little Marine is looking down and smiling because his park is alive with the sounds of happy kids playing ball, just like he was still there.
Tommy may be gone, but as long as the umpire yells “Play Ball!” and Collyer Park comes alive with the crack of the bat and the noise of the crowd, his legacy lives on.
Come on out to the old ball park folks!!!
God Bless,
The Big One
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tommy Powell Day
Hey Guys,
In my last post I told you I would post the details on Laurens Dixie Youth Baseball's Tommy Powell Day that will take place Saturday morning beginning at 10:00 a. m., weather permitting. Here is the schedule of events.
Tommy Powell Memorial Opening Day Ceremonies for Laurens Dixie Youth Baseball.
March 28, 2009
1. Welcoming Remarks by WLBG personality and former
Laurens Dixie Youth Baseball player Randy Stevens.
2. Invocation: King Dixon, National Director, Dixie Youth
Baseball.
3. Presentation of Colors by the Laurens District 55 High
School Junior ROTC.
4. The National Anthem performed by Wyatt Mattison.
5. Remarks by: King Dixon.
6. Remarks by: Ric Polson, Dixie Youth Baseball District
Director.
7. Presentation of Plaque from the Patriot Guard to the
Powell Family by Randy Stevens, Senior Ride Captain.
8. Presentation of Laurens Dixie Youth Baseball jersey by
Eddie Brouillette, Laurens Dixie Youth Baseball Official.
9. Unveiling of Scoreboard by Laurens Dixie Youth Baseball
President Albert Wilson and the Powell Family.
10. Singing of “Take Me out to the Ball Game.” ******
11. First Pitch: Members of the Tommy Powell Family.
12. Senior Dixie Youth Baseball Umpire Euell Boland opens
the 2009 Dixie Youth Baseball season with that timeless
baseball tradition: “Play Ball!”
******Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Take Me Out to the Crowd
Buy Me Some Peanuts and CrackerJacks
I Don’t Care If I Never Get Back
So It’s Root, Root, Root For the Home Team
If They Don’t Win it’s a Shame
For It’s One, Two, Three Strikes You’re Out
At the Old Ball Game!
Hope you can be there to help us honor a guy who gave so much to the young people of Laurens County.
God Bless,
The Big One
In my last post I told you I would post the details on Laurens Dixie Youth Baseball's Tommy Powell Day that will take place Saturday morning beginning at 10:00 a. m., weather permitting. Here is the schedule of events.
Tommy Powell Memorial Opening Day Ceremonies for Laurens Dixie Youth Baseball.
March 28, 2009
1. Welcoming Remarks by WLBG personality and former
Laurens Dixie Youth Baseball player Randy Stevens.
2. Invocation: King Dixon, National Director, Dixie Youth
Baseball.
3. Presentation of Colors by the Laurens District 55 High
School Junior ROTC.
4. The National Anthem performed by Wyatt Mattison.
5. Remarks by: King Dixon.
6. Remarks by: Ric Polson, Dixie Youth Baseball District
Director.
7. Presentation of Plaque from the Patriot Guard to the
Powell Family by Randy Stevens, Senior Ride Captain.
8. Presentation of Laurens Dixie Youth Baseball jersey by
Eddie Brouillette, Laurens Dixie Youth Baseball Official.
9. Unveiling of Scoreboard by Laurens Dixie Youth Baseball
President Albert Wilson and the Powell Family.
10. Singing of “Take Me out to the Ball Game.” ******
11. First Pitch: Members of the Tommy Powell Family.
12. Senior Dixie Youth Baseball Umpire Euell Boland opens
the 2009 Dixie Youth Baseball season with that timeless
baseball tradition: “Play Ball!”
******Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Take Me Out to the Crowd
Buy Me Some Peanuts and CrackerJacks
I Don’t Care If I Never Get Back
So It’s Root, Root, Root For the Home Team
If They Don’t Win it’s a Shame
For It’s One, Two, Three Strikes You’re Out
At the Old Ball Game!
Hope you can be there to help us honor a guy who gave so much to the young people of Laurens County.
God Bless,
The Big One
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Baseball season is here......
Hey Guys,
The opening sentence of A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens is “It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times.”
This sentence best describes what is going to take place at the opening ceremonies of the 2009 Dixie Youth Baseball season at Collyer Park Saturday Morning.
It will be the best of times. It is springtime in the south. It is a time of renewal. It’s time to play America’s game. It’s baseball season. The grass will be green. The fields will be in tip top shape thanks to the hard work of Albert Wilson and Steve Patterson. The kids and parents will be excited about the start of another season of baseball at the ol’ ball park. It is indeed the best of times!
It will be the worst of times also. You see, my buddy Tommy Powell will not be there, well, maybe not in body but certainly in spirit. Tommy lived for this time of year. He worked long and hard on the fields, making sure they looked as close to miniature major league fields as he could. Just look around the park and you will see what I mean. He had major league style foul poles put in place. He worked hours upon hours for nothing making sure the grass was cut; the bathrooms were clean, that no trash or paper was lying around on the ground. He wanted the kids to love coming to the park and play baseball because he knew that if a kid got involved in playing baseball then there was a pretty good chance that that kid would not be involved in too much mischief. No matter how bad it might be at home for them, he wanted it to be a special time for them when they came to the ball park where they could forget their troubles and just be kids playing baseball. You see, my buddy Tommy loved baseball, and he also loved the kids who came through the Dixie Youth program, and the kids loved him.
He had a heart of gold. On the outside he might have looked like a tough little marine, but when it came to his kids at the ball park, and if you played Dixie Youth Baseball you were one of his kids, and if you were one of his baseball kids, he was a big ol’ softy. Time and time again I have seen a kid come in the office that had lost their hat, or socks, of glove and asked Tommy to help them. He might grunt a little about them needing to be more careful, but then he would get whatever they needed and send them on their way. You see, that was what he saw as his duty, he was to serve his kids and make sure they had whatever they needed so they could play baseball.
Well, Last month God must have decided that he needed a guy up in Heaven with Tommy’s talent to serve even the least of us as Jesus called the children, and someone who showed unconditional love to his beloved kids, so he called Tommy home. I like to think that Tommy is organizing a baseball league for the kids in Heaven, where all the kids have a glove, and nice uniforms, and everybody gets to play on fields as nice as Tommy made Collyer Park. That may not exactly be the way that the Preacher says that Heaven is, but I figure that God might just like to see a good baseball game once in a while, and who best to organize one but my buddy Tommy.
Later this week I will blog you the schedule for the opening of the 2009 Dixie Youth Baseball season and the ceremonies honoring the little Marine who loved his players and baseball so much. If you are a former player, coach, parent, or fan please make plans to be there Saturday Morning. It is going to be a very special time for all.
It’s indeed will be …… The best of times, and the worst of times.
God Bless!
The Big One
The opening sentence of A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens is “It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times.”
This sentence best describes what is going to take place at the opening ceremonies of the 2009 Dixie Youth Baseball season at Collyer Park Saturday Morning.
It will be the best of times. It is springtime in the south. It is a time of renewal. It’s time to play America’s game. It’s baseball season. The grass will be green. The fields will be in tip top shape thanks to the hard work of Albert Wilson and Steve Patterson. The kids and parents will be excited about the start of another season of baseball at the ol’ ball park. It is indeed the best of times!
It will be the worst of times also. You see, my buddy Tommy Powell will not be there, well, maybe not in body but certainly in spirit. Tommy lived for this time of year. He worked long and hard on the fields, making sure they looked as close to miniature major league fields as he could. Just look around the park and you will see what I mean. He had major league style foul poles put in place. He worked hours upon hours for nothing making sure the grass was cut; the bathrooms were clean, that no trash or paper was lying around on the ground. He wanted the kids to love coming to the park and play baseball because he knew that if a kid got involved in playing baseball then there was a pretty good chance that that kid would not be involved in too much mischief. No matter how bad it might be at home for them, he wanted it to be a special time for them when they came to the ball park where they could forget their troubles and just be kids playing baseball. You see, my buddy Tommy loved baseball, and he also loved the kids who came through the Dixie Youth program, and the kids loved him.
He had a heart of gold. On the outside he might have looked like a tough little marine, but when it came to his kids at the ball park, and if you played Dixie Youth Baseball you were one of his kids, and if you were one of his baseball kids, he was a big ol’ softy. Time and time again I have seen a kid come in the office that had lost their hat, or socks, of glove and asked Tommy to help them. He might grunt a little about them needing to be more careful, but then he would get whatever they needed and send them on their way. You see, that was what he saw as his duty, he was to serve his kids and make sure they had whatever they needed so they could play baseball.
Well, Last month God must have decided that he needed a guy up in Heaven with Tommy’s talent to serve even the least of us as Jesus called the children, and someone who showed unconditional love to his beloved kids, so he called Tommy home. I like to think that Tommy is organizing a baseball league for the kids in Heaven, where all the kids have a glove, and nice uniforms, and everybody gets to play on fields as nice as Tommy made Collyer Park. That may not exactly be the way that the Preacher says that Heaven is, but I figure that God might just like to see a good baseball game once in a while, and who best to organize one but my buddy Tommy.
Later this week I will blog you the schedule for the opening of the 2009 Dixie Youth Baseball season and the ceremonies honoring the little Marine who loved his players and baseball so much. If you are a former player, coach, parent, or fan please make plans to be there Saturday Morning. It is going to be a very special time for all.
It’s indeed will be …… The best of times, and the worst of times.
God Bless!
The Big One
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Spring has Sprung!!!
Hey Guys,
Happy St. Paddy's Day!!! I got to watch one of my favorite movies tonight, "The Quiet Man", with John Wayne. What a great movie! I love the fight scene at the end.
Sorry about the delay in posting a new blog. For Some reason I forgot the password, and could not get signed on until my feeble mind remembered it. Oh well, they say your mind is the second think to go on a man. On me, it may be the first.
How about this great weather! Don't you just love spring. The pear trees are blooming, the butterflies are out, the baseball fields are green and everybody seems to be in a good mood. I just love spring, well except for the occasional Cyphoons that come along. Don't like them cyphoons, not a bit! Hopefully the bad weather will avoid us this year.
Baseball season is cranking up and so is dirt track racing, two of my favorite sports. I hope the Mileback Speedway will get to run this season without a couple of folks trying to ruin the season for the rest of us. It's amazing to me that they could stop a racetrack from running in a county that has no zoning! What a load of bull $#!).
Things are going good for the Band my sons are in, Days Off Screen. They signed a management contract a few weeks ago, and their new manager already has a couple of labels looking at them. Man, to be young and a rock and roller! Hopefully they will have some real good news in late spring or the early summer. Don't know where my sons got their musical talent from. Certainly wasn't me, I can just barely play the radio.
Anyway guys, enjoy the spring weather, spend some time outside before the pollen gets real bad. The fresh air will do you a lot of good!
Til next time, God Bless!
The Big One
Happy St. Paddy's Day!!! I got to watch one of my favorite movies tonight, "The Quiet Man", with John Wayne. What a great movie! I love the fight scene at the end.
Sorry about the delay in posting a new blog. For Some reason I forgot the password, and could not get signed on until my feeble mind remembered it. Oh well, they say your mind is the second think to go on a man. On me, it may be the first.
How about this great weather! Don't you just love spring. The pear trees are blooming, the butterflies are out, the baseball fields are green and everybody seems to be in a good mood. I just love spring, well except for the occasional Cyphoons that come along. Don't like them cyphoons, not a bit! Hopefully the bad weather will avoid us this year.
Baseball season is cranking up and so is dirt track racing, two of my favorite sports. I hope the Mileback Speedway will get to run this season without a couple of folks trying to ruin the season for the rest of us. It's amazing to me that they could stop a racetrack from running in a county that has no zoning! What a load of bull $#!).
Things are going good for the Band my sons are in, Days Off Screen. They signed a management contract a few weeks ago, and their new manager already has a couple of labels looking at them. Man, to be young and a rock and roller! Hopefully they will have some real good news in late spring or the early summer. Don't know where my sons got their musical talent from. Certainly wasn't me, I can just barely play the radio.
Anyway guys, enjoy the spring weather, spend some time outside before the pollen gets real bad. The fresh air will do you a lot of good!
Til next time, God Bless!
The Big One
Monday, March 2, 2009
Snow..... Finally!
Hey guys,
How about the snow! After a couple of teases Mother Nature finally gave us a pretty good dose of snow. At our house we got about four and a half inches, which seems about what everybody in the area got. Just think how much we would have on the ground if it had not rained so much Friday and Saturday, making the ground wet and not so cold.
This was the good kind of snow. Not a lot of sleet or ice in it to make things really slick and dangerous. We have not had a snowfall like this in a few years. I really enjoyed watching it snow Sunday, but I am glad it is melting because lets face it, it's March 2nd, it's time to start thinking about baseball.
I for one am ready for some baseball. It's funny, when basketball season starts I am all gung ho for basketball but as spring approaches basketball turns to drudgery and baseball seems like it is almost heaven on earth. I don't care what you do, gyms all smell a little bit like sweaty feet and are stuffy. Baseball is played outside in a park, with the gentle breezes carrying the smell of fresh cut grass blowing. Baseball means spring!
Although, there was that one time that Ben Dukes and myself had to broadcast a Thornwell softball game in a wind storm. There was a front coming through and the winds were blowing 25 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph, and did I forget to mention that the high that day was 44? We very nearly froze to death. I had two sweat shirts and a coat on and was cold. Ben was dressed like an Eskimo and I swear I looked over there at him once and he looked blue! I had an extra coat in my truck and wrapped him up in it like a big ol blanket and he still shivered. It's hard to do play by play when you are shivering. I sure was glad when that game was over!
Oh well, that was a time. Anyway enjoy the snow!
Til next time, God Bless!
The Big One
How about the snow! After a couple of teases Mother Nature finally gave us a pretty good dose of snow. At our house we got about four and a half inches, which seems about what everybody in the area got. Just think how much we would have on the ground if it had not rained so much Friday and Saturday, making the ground wet and not so cold.
This was the good kind of snow. Not a lot of sleet or ice in it to make things really slick and dangerous. We have not had a snowfall like this in a few years. I really enjoyed watching it snow Sunday, but I am glad it is melting because lets face it, it's March 2nd, it's time to start thinking about baseball.
I for one am ready for some baseball. It's funny, when basketball season starts I am all gung ho for basketball but as spring approaches basketball turns to drudgery and baseball seems like it is almost heaven on earth. I don't care what you do, gyms all smell a little bit like sweaty feet and are stuffy. Baseball is played outside in a park, with the gentle breezes carrying the smell of fresh cut grass blowing. Baseball means spring!
Although, there was that one time that Ben Dukes and myself had to broadcast a Thornwell softball game in a wind storm. There was a front coming through and the winds were blowing 25 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph, and did I forget to mention that the high that day was 44? We very nearly froze to death. I had two sweat shirts and a coat on and was cold. Ben was dressed like an Eskimo and I swear I looked over there at him once and he looked blue! I had an extra coat in my truck and wrapped him up in it like a big ol blanket and he still shivered. It's hard to do play by play when you are shivering. I sure was glad when that game was over!
Oh well, that was a time. Anyway enjoy the snow!
Til next time, God Bless!
The Big One
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