In a time not so long ago, fast-pitch ruled men’s rec, making household words of names such as Eddie Feigner, “Shifty” Gears and Grand Islander Jon Roth. Lesser leagues accommodated those for whom “fast pitch” was relative. Base Paths never got above Class C and remembers a tardy team mate later reporting: “I knew Doug was pitching when the other team’s leadoff batter hit his … [Read more...] about Base Paths ponders fast pitch of day’s past
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Base Paths returns home
Base Paths last week defied Thomas Wolfe’s enduring lament, “You can’t go home again,” tagging up to Northern New Jersey, site of his unprincely birth 78 years past. Although shopworn and lived-in, the house stands in much better shape than he, valued at more than a half-mill – in Niagara Falls, maybe $200K. No historical plaque marked the site. “Wow,” noted the … [Read more...] about Base Paths returns home
Base Paths in the woods of Caroline
By Doug Smith Courtesy of the Niagara Gazette A Durham Bulls Athletic Park crowd of nearly 10,000 cheered last Saturday as Wilson High (Niagara County) grad Steve Geltz stilled the Norfolk Tide, a strike and an out away from closing out the game. Then Oriole prospect L. J. Hoes ripped a drive that ricocheted off him into the hands of the third baseman, who fired to first … [Read more...] about Base Paths in the woods of Caroline
Base Paths confirms baseball still has a pulse
Courtesy of the Niagara Gazette By Doug Smith From computers to cars, new kids on the block are always way ahead of Base Paths, so he was only dismayed, not surprised, to read in one of Tonawanda News Sports Editor Matt Parrino’s first columns that baseball is dead Still, how could he have missed that? Okay, it did take an out-of-town comic-strip author to tell him … [Read more...] about Base Paths confirms baseball still has a pulse
Base Paths sounds off on Utica
Courtesy of the Niagara Gazette By Doug Smith It’s gotta’ be better in the New York Collegiate Baseball League’s West than East, where one of the leading teams left the league with four games to play. Minor- and collegiate-league baseball is always subject to the vagaries of attendance and enthusiasm. The minor-league encyclopedia is littered with notations “Hornell … [Read more...] about Base Paths sounds off on Utica