Bill Cassidy's Fond Memories and Recollections

Bill Cassidy's Recollections

TRYOUTS

I too recall very vividly the day of our tryouts. My Dad always played ball with me and used to hit a zillion fungos to me at Alley Pond Park. That day someone hit me quite a few fly balls and the Hawk manager, I believe was Irv Fendel, was standing next to my Dad and said he was going to bid for me, and I was going to be a Hawk. So, I found out what color uniform the Hawk's had, etc. and was anticipating receiving my postcard assigning me to the Hawks...well I received my card and was assigned to the Eagles...who the heck were they? Well next day at P.S.191 I asked around and found out they were a very good team...and they were..a little too good...I eventually wound up playing for the Wings as my Dad was the coach with manager Charlie Hall, and between Bob Rabin, and Herman Dunsey they worked it out...and I always appreciated that break.

THE EAGLES

The first ball team I was on I remember things that I learned. I learned
how to chatter from Johnny Cronin, the second baseman who to this day I
think was one of the best hustlers, and chatterboxes I ever played with ,
always talking it up and all through my baseball career would try to
remember to chatter.

Bob Rabin had me play 3rd base for the first time..loved the position..it's
funny because then I was known a third baseman..played 3rd and outfield
throughout Little League, Pony League, and Babe Ruth.

There was a catcher, I believe with the Eagles, who used to keep yelling
"Swing Batter", and then if you swung and missed, or there was a called
strike, would shove the ball in your face "Here it is Batter, here it is"!!!
Well I picked up that act during my catching days in the Mid Queens Boys
Club Queens Alliance team. I caught in College ( Hartwick College, Oneonta
N.Y.) but never shoved the ball in anyone's face...oh how I matured!?!

The OVAL

The only negative, about the Oval, you may recall is they never had any
water fountains. Each year at the awards banquet there would be some
assemblyman promise next year we'll get a water fountain...didn't happen
during our time. Instead I remember the parents and managers and coaches
bringing basins filled with cool aid, or water, and we'd all use the same
ladel. If the other team forgot, they'd have to wait a few innings before
it would be shared...same ladel. The only other way was to run to the
laundry room in the garden apartments..there was more than one inning or two
delayed till we were all back on the field.

ICE CREAM SODAS

Remember, after winning a game we would usually go for an ice cream soda...
there was a place right on Union Turnpike where the coaches and parents
would treat the team..I want to say the usual place was Sandy's (?)...in the
Pony League same tradition, except we then would go to Stuie Fudderman's
father's deli.

FINALLY AN ANSWER

I always wondered why Tommy Fitzgerald was so slow on those pop flys behind
first base...with Pop Fitz dropping a ball down a building and Tom waiting
for an elevator to retrieve...and here's my
Dad hitting about 10 fungos a minute...I guess it kind of falls into place!!

THE TIMES

Let's face it, during that time Baseball was King. We were the last
generation of NYC kids that grew up with the Dodgers, Yankees and Giants.
We knew what that meant to each of us,our families, and neighborhoods... and
we knew what it meant to lose it...everything we ever did, whether, stick
ball, stoop ball, punch ball, spelling bees...it was always the Dodgers,
Yankees, and Giants...a great era...and a great era growing up in NYC. A
great era to play in the Glen Oaks Little League... where you were an Eagle,
a Tiger, a Hawk or an Oriole....not whether you were Irish, Jewish, Italian
etc.

Thanks Parents, Managers, Coaches, Volunteers, and Umpires ( I umped for
Little League and Babe Ruth League, and American Legion)...for all the
support, and the opportunity to learn the game and learn about teamwork..and
now to see our grandsons and granddaughters, learn about sports,hopefully as
we had...Great Stuff!!