Ec's north island recreation league

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, March 28, 1953

CUBS, ACADIANS CO-LEADERS IN SIRL SECOND
It is a tight-knit, well-balanced league with close games aplenty... at the end of the first month of play, the Delacroix Cubs and the Bar Harbor Acadians rest on top of the standings of the South Island Recreational League Second League... but the truth be known, it's anybody's ball game... any of the six teams could very well take the title by season's end... the Meraux Tigers and Chitamaca Moccasins are running second, followed by the last place Mystic Mariners and Bayou Bleu Blues.

Co-leading Delacroix (3-1) is the highest-ranked club left over from last year... the Cubs came in a close third place after the teams that got promoted to the SIRL First League, champ St. Dominic and runner-up Guedon... however, the other teams were right on their tails... Delacroix was just 2 games out of first place last season, Meraux, Chitamaca and Bayou Bleu were just 3 games off the pace... it looks like more of the same this season... no one is heads-and-shoulders above the others.

[Eugene Church]

Delacroix is pretty much the same team as last year... they have five new players, but none have gotten much playing time so far... the Cubs top the SIRL Second League in scoring, hit well (.267 BA) with good power (5 HR) and the pitching is better-than-average (3.57 ERA)... the defense is solid with a .968 FA... Raymond Foret (2-0) has taken over the starting spot with two of his three starts good ones... other than Foret the hurlers have not been very effective.



Games have been going co-leader Bar Harbor's (3-1) way this year with three extra-inning wins... the Acadians don't hit well (.204 BA)... pitching is a little better-than-average with a 3.46 ERA... and the Cajun defense is the best in the league at .982 FA... rookie right-hander Andrew Moneypenny has looked good in his two starts... not a lot of quality arms on the club.



The Meraux Tigers (2-2) could easily be unbeaten... they lost two close ball games... left-hander Mario Michelli (2-2) has given them 4 good starts... a good, consistent pitcher weekend-after-weekend is a big plus in the Island leagues... Michelli has three complete games with a solid 2.83 ERA... the Tigers don't have a lot of offense... only hit .236 so far... but with 5 homers... defense is not so good with a .939 FA... errors have hurt the team... Meraux may be better than their record... shoring up the defense would help a lot... but the weakest defenders, catcher Ike Barbier and Steven Pascal, are pretty fair hitters... hard to take them out of the batting order.

[Eugene Church]

The Chitamaca Moccasins (2-2) have awful pitching with a 5.75 ERA, worst in the league... they don't hit much for average (.232 BA), but they hit homers (5) and score well (27 runs)... defensively the Mocs are not so good with the gloves (.945 FA)... bad pitching, coupled with poor defense is not a good formula for success... there are four newcomers on the squad this season, but none have stood out enough to get into the lineup.



The Mystic Mariners (1-3) have solid pitching anchored by Liam McLoughlin (1-2), but they can't hit a lick (.210 BA)... can't score at all (9 runs)... no power (1 HR)... but the 2.80 team ERA is the second-best in the Second League, trailing only Meraux (2.68 ERA)... if the Mariners can get a perkier offense, it would do wonders for them in the standings and the pennant race.



It's been a helter-skelter season for the last place Bayou Bleu Blues (1-3)... they do a good job at the plate with 23 runs (3rd), .274 BA (1st), 7 home runs (1st), but the pitching is bad with a 4.46 ERA (5th)... and the defense is absolutely atrocious with an .895 FA (19 errors)... so there will be a bunch of new names in the starting lineup this weekend... Barrett Bienvenu (1-1) will continue to be the number one starter... he has started all 4 games this season and has done a decent job.

[Eugene Church]

Monday, March 30, 1953

1ST PLACE YANKS WIN THRILLER IN NIRL FIRST DIVISION
The New Yerby Yankees remained on top of the North Island Recreational League First Division with a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Stockdale Mustangs in play yesterday afternoon... the Jackson Jackalopes and Dutton Coyotes remained on their heels, just one game back... the Jacks spanked last place Wafford 5-1 and the Coyotes clipped Joliet 4-3.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Monday, March 30, 1953

KINGS ON THRONE IN NIRL SECOND
Three games were played in the North Island Recreational League Second Division this past Sunday... Kofa took care of Avalon 2-1 and are sitting all by themselves on the top of the league standings... Theodore trashed Union Heights 11-2 and climbed up into the second spot... and West Chester got a 5-4 win over Kinston... four clubs are tied for last place.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Monday, March 30, 1953

LIONS SPOIL GATORS' UNBEATEN STREAK
Yesterday afternoon in the South Island Recreational League First League the Guedon Gators finally bit the dust and lost a game... the Opelousas Lions outlasted them 8-7 in 11 innings... it was the Gators first defeat this season... the Lions are now tied with them for first place... the St. Dominic Saints rallied past the winless Des Allemands Eagles 7-3 and climbed up into the third spot in the standings, one game behind the co-leaders... and the Claiborne Cardinals got the best of the Labadieville Pelicans 7-6.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Monday, March 30, 1953

CUBS ALL ALONE ON TOP OF SIRL 2ND LEAGUE
The Delacroix Cubs copped their fourth straight victory and gained the top spot in the South Island Recreational League Second League... the Cubs took over undisputed possession of first place with an 11-2 triumph over the Mystic Mariners, while former co-leader Bar Harbor lost to Chitamaca 10-6... and the Meraux Tigers trounced the Bayou Bleu Blues 9-3.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

MY LIFE IN 1953

Did y' all know that in 1953 we were so starved for things to do that we would just git in the family car and just drive around the town for something to do... yep, that was life back then... just a simple life that was neato keen.

It was a very exciting time when the new cars came out in September each year... we would head down to each car dealer's showroom and take a gander at them... no... no... no... we didn't have the money to buy one... we just went to look at them... just like my Mama and I would go look at the model homes at the new subdivisions on Sunday afternoon... and no, no, no, we definitely weren't buying them, either... just window shopping.... we also did that, too... just go downtown and do some window shopping at the stores on Dauphin Street in Mobile or Canal Street in New Orleans.

Thought y' all might want to see all of the new 1953 cars... note the vivid pastel colors... and note the white sidewall tires... and two-tone paint jobs... and fender skirts.

1953 Plymouth Belvedere

1953 Ford Customline

1953 Studebaker Starlight Coupe

1953 Oldsmobile Rocket 88

1953 Lincoln Continental