Ec's north island recreation league

[Eugene Church]

MY LIFE IN 1951
EC's Just Having Fun in '51

Baseball has been one of the great joys of my life... I lived back-and-forth in my life in two Southern Association cities... Mobile and New Orleans...so I need to keep you updated on them... it's October and I'm living in New Orleans and going to C. J. Colton elementary school.... in the sixth grade.

My Mobile Bears did pretty well this season, winding up in 3rd place... the Little Rock Travelers ran away with the league title... however, my New Orleans Pelicans didn't do very well... 7th place... in '51 I lived in New Orleans... in Mobile '53 to '58... was a Bear Ball Boy in the Mobile bullpen, sitting with the relievers and chasing down foul balls down the right field foul line at Hartwell Field... and yes, EC was very well paid... $1 a game.

I remember listening to the "Old Redhead", Tex Andrews, call the Pelican games on WTPS radio... Jack Bitterman did the Bear broadcasts on WABB radio... I didn't know at the time that they were not actually at the road games...they would "recreate" road games by using the Associated Press newswire ticker tape for the game info... pitch-by-pitch... and sound effects, even the sound of the ball hitting the bat... and crowd noise... never even wondered about that sporatic ticking noise in the background throughout the game... but Ted Andrews and Jack Bitterman were at the home games live and direct from Pelican Stadium and Hartwell Field.

The Southern Association and Major Leagues have wrapped up the 1951 regular seasons... the big story was the National League where the New York Giants beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in a best two-of-three playoff series after tying for first place.... the Giants won it in game three with "The shot heard around-the-world"... center fielder Bobby Thompson homered off Ralph Branca to win the NL title.

Guess who was listening to that game on the radio?... yep, little darlin's and buckaroos, it was me, EC.

Here is one of the greatest moments in baseball history.. "The Shot Heard Around the World"... Bobby Thompson's historic homer... Russ Hodges makes the call:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...F51E&FORM=VIRE

(Thanks to Wikipedia)
His pennant-winning three-run home run for the Giants in 1951 is popularly known as the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" and is one of the most famous moments in baseball history. It overshadowed his other accomplishments, including eight 20-home run seasons and three All Star selections. "It was the best thing that ever happened to me", he said. "It may have been the best thing that ever happened to anybody."

[Eugene Church]

Monday, March 3, 1952

NIRL 2ND BEGINS 3RD SEASON
Sunday afternoon on the Island, the third year of baseball got started in the North Island Second Division with three games... on opening day yesterday Kinston nipped West Chester 4-3... Theodore outbashed Union Heights 11-8... and Stockdale slipped by Wafford 6-4.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Will post South Island History and South Island map here soon.

[Eugene Church]

Monday, March 3, 1952

WELCOME TO THE SOUTH ISLAND LEAGUE
Not to be outdone by their neighbors to the north, the folks on South Island now have a league of their own... the South Island First League and the South Island Second League... and play got underway yesterday at 6 ballparks around the island... the setup is identical to the North Island Recreational League with each team roster based on the town high schools... a player must have graduated from the local high school to be eligible.

Opening day for the inaugural South Island First League featured three games... the Bar Harbor Acadians powered by the Opelousas Lions 8-5... and in two squeakers the Des Allemands Eagles edged the Labadieville Pelicans 4-3... and the Claiborne Cardinals clipped the Mystic Mariners 4-3.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Monday, March 20, 1952

SIL 2ND LEAGUE IS OFF AND RUNNING
The fans of six more towns on South Island now have something to do on Sunday afternoons... the South Island Second League went into action yesterday with three games... on opening day the Bayou Bleu Blues whitewashed the St. Dominic Saints 4-0 and ended the day on a high note... the Guedon Gators feasted on the Delacroix Cubs 7-5... and the Meraux Tigers trimmed the Chitamacha Moccasins 4-3 by the skin of their teeth.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

MY LIFE IN 1951
EC's Just Havin' in 1951

Oh, my Lord!
September is back already... the good old summertime has just past in a flash... time flies when you are just having fun... the happy days of school are here again.

Boy, EC is a big boy now!... we now change classes... we have a home room in the morning and then we proceed to go to a different class and a different subject with a different teacher each hour... science class, math class, social studies class, physical education class and english class... we sixth graders are now getting all kinds of specialized instruction.. boy, we are going to get some smart at C. J. Colton School this year!

My good buddy and bodyguard from the fifth grade, Mitch Savoie, is in my class... it's always good to have some muscle when you are being bullied by seventh and eighth graders... along with the pretty little darlin's, Jo Anne Alexander and Anna Hoffman... and there is a new beauty, Felicidad Del Monte... not only is she pretty, she's a spitfire... nobody messes with her.... also got some new buddies, Charles Storch and Robert Mizell... they live in a new subdivision called Plum Orchard with model homes... subdivisions are a new thing in life and society... subdivisions and suburban life are the coming thing... but not in my life.

No longer live on Downman Road... we moved to a very little house on Chef Menteur Highway... just a very small living room, bedroom and a kitchen... I'm back to sleeping on the couch... lost my bedroom... it might be cheaper rent... my father, Johnny Church, is still selling used cars at Fairchild Motors... and not doing very well... he's not a landlubber... he's a sea captain... that's all he has ever done in his life... it's all he knows... but we are happy as far as I know... my father and mom really love each other... but times may be hard for my parents and you can't live on love... I suppose kids don't know when they are not financially well off... you learn that in later years after you grow up.

Actually, to be truthful, EC is not havin' a lot of fun right now in '51.

[Eugene Church]

Monday, March 10, 1952

KINGS, GIANTS ON TOP OF NIRL FIRST
After two weeks of play, the top teams in the North Island First Division are the Kofa Kings and the Joliet Green Giants... Joliet upended last year's champ Dutton 9-8 yesterday afternoon, while Kofa was edging out the New Yerby Yankees 4-3... two old rivals from the NIRL Second Division went at it again with the Jackson Jackalopes nudging out the Avalon Oldtimers 4-2 in 12 innings.

[Eugene Church]

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[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Monday, March 10, 1952

KINSTON CLIMBS UP ON TOP OF NIRL SECOND DIVISION
Just two weeks into the 1952 season, we already have a leader, the Kinston Firebirds... they are the only unbeaten team in the North Island Second Division with a 2-0 slate.

Kinston got there by sneaking past the Theodore Bobcats 3-2... in other Sunday afternoon action the Union Heights Hackers shut out the Stockdale Mustangs 3-0 and in a wild and wooly offensive show the West Chester Comets brought the Wafford Eagles down-to-earth 12-9.