BY
BILL JOHNSON
; SAY YOU SAW IT HERE ...
Herman Thomas deserves the lofty honors of
being named "Manager of the Year" in the
popular Triple County Semipro Baseball League. .
It would be most fitting and proper if the league
would single out this hard-working young gentle
man with the highest honors it has to offer.
Thomas has won the league's regular season
championship and he most likely will add the
league's playoff series title to his trophy chest.
He and his team have also given the league a
tremendous amount of publicity and improved
status with their showing in the National
I^seball Congress tournament in Lenoir earlier
iirthe season.
Thomas is more than ·
just a manager to his
young Morris Field
Rangers. He's father,
counselor and he some
times serves as the
soothing medicine for
their needs outside the
baseball field.
As manager, Thomas
was at his best Thurs
day night at Harding
High School's athletic j
**VIU TT11V1 b IIIO UUUglllJ
chargers encountered
the always dangerous
Herman Thomas
...Rangers manager
Hoskins Giants in the
third round of the current Triple County Lea
gue Championship Play off Series.
Baseball has not produced a more bitter
rivalry. -
The Giants, who had not tasted the sweet
nectar of victory over the Rangers in their last
five meetings, sneaked out in front and were
leading 1-0 when Thomas went into tas act alone
the third base coaching box. He is one of the best
master-minders seen this side of the major
leagues. And his beloved Rangers, who respond
to the demands of his signals with the fond
assurance a pet lion gives his cagemaster, were
ready for the challenge.
The unusually large crowd was not ready fpr .
the performance. Neither were the Giants.
Thomas gave the bunt signal to his first batter,
who expertly placed the ball down the firstbase
line and raced safely to first. Everyone in the
ball park, Hoskins included, anticipated another
bunt, moving the runner up to second. They
guessed right, but Thomas gave them just a bit
more than they had suspected. The batter also
got the ball in good position and he, too, was safe
at first. And when pitcher Benny Little hesitated
in fielding the ball, the runner at first scooted all
the way to third on what appeared to be a simple
sacrifice bunt.
With runners camped at first and third, and
the very clever Londell McClary coming to bat.
Thomas again crossed up Giants. He again gave
the bunt signal. McClary played the "squeeze"
perfect and the Rangers' first run of the game
crossed home plate to tie the game at 1-1.
The runner at first continued to third on the
play, placing Rangers at first and third. McClary
promptly stole second and Hoskins's manager
James Berry promptly removed Little for
southpaw Floyd McDowell.
S) Thomas apparently liked what he'd been
oing. So he call for still another bunt and two
Rangers came home on the play. An assessment
revealed that the Rangers produced four runs
enroute to a big six-run inning without hitting a
ball out of the infield. Hoskins chipped in two
errors and Thomas had led his Rangers out of
danger.
It was a masterpiece of coaching in a league
"'here knocking the ball long distances is the
ogue and poor management isjcommonplace.
ψ
Here Saturday
Charlotte Chiefs To Meet
Ranger» F or TCL Championship
The Morris Field Ranger*
and the Charlotte Chief· will
square off Saturday afternoon
for the Triple County Semipro
Baseball League's champion
ship.
The contest, which will be
played at the Harding High
School Athletic Field, is sche
duled to begin at 3 p.m. It will
climax a playoff series that
began a little over a week ago.
If the Chiefs win, a second
game will be necessary to
determine the winner. It will
be played at the same time
Sunday afternoon.
Both teams advance to the
finals through a field of eight
tough teamS. The Rangers
have wôn four straight game·,
including a triumph over the
Chiefs, who have posted three
wins in four starts in the
tournament.
The Chiefs whipped the
Charlotte Red Birds, 11-2, Sa
turday afternoon before los
ing, 13-4, to the Rangers Sa
turday night. They returned
Sunday to edge the Charlotte
...Rangers leader
Bummers, 15-12. . .
David Yost limited the Red
Birds to four hits while strik
ing out five batters while
Nestar Valesquez and Steve
Helms were leading the
Chiefs' 13-hit barrage against
Emmett Cherry, the losing
pitcher, and Foxie Davis.
Valesquez went 3-for-4 at the
plate while Helms was getting
four hits in four plate appear
ances.
Young Kevin Staley, a bul
let-throwing righthander, si
lenced the Chiefs' bats in the
nightcap, allowing only six
well scattered safeties while
fanning eight battere. Staley
also provided the punch that
■wept the Rangers to the 13-4
win. He hit a homerun with the
bases loaded in the first inning
to give the winners a wide
margin they never relinquish
ed.
Bill Whitmire and Tim Mor
ris also helped to rough up
pitcher Jim Erwin and Bill
Williams. Whitmire had a two
run homer and Morris came
thrpugh with a triple and a
pair of singles.
The Rangers started the
week's play by walloping the
Hoskins Giants, 14-7, last
Thursday night, behind the
pitching of Larry Wright, who
struckout 16 Giants while giv
ing up three hits and as many
bases on balls.
The winners put together six
hits, three walks and three
Giants and produced nine runs
to break the game open in the
second innino
Hoskins eliminated Kings
Mountain, with a 8-5 victory
Saturday afternoon. Strong
pitching by Willie Dixon and
timely hitting by Pete Gwinn
and Jerry Alexander provided
the margin of victory. Dixon
whiffed nine batters while giv
ing up seven singles. Gwinn
and Alexander each contribu
ted a double and a single to the
Giants' 10-hit attack on Char
ley Barnes and Marshall.
Barnes was the losing pitcher.
The Charlotte Bummers put
Hoskins out of the tournament
Sunday afternoon with a 5-4
triumph. Melvin Latta, one of
the tournament's most out
standing pitchers, gave up
only three hits and struck out
16. He walked only two men
With the scores tied at 4-4,
the Bummers broke away to
the victory when an Hoskins
error, a stolen base and a
single produced the winning
margin in the last of the
seventh inning.
The win also set the stage
for the meeting of the Chiefs
and the Bummers in the se
cond part of Sunday's double
header The Bummers could
not pull the upset, losing 15-12
before a large crowd.
Hoover, Carr train Fosf s
"Players of Week" Honors
tsy james cuttibertson
Post Staff Writer
With Melvin Convell Hoo
ver returning punts well with
in enemy territory and his
cousin, Gerald Carr, sending
aerial bombs zig-zagging a
cross enemy defensive pat
terns for explosive touch
downs and long yardage
gains, the North Mecklenburg
Vikings appears to be the
team to beat in the Southwes
tern 4-A Conference.
Friday night in a 29-0 vic
tory over Mount Airy's Bears,
the Charlote Post's Co-Foot
ball Players of the Week set
the stage for future exploits.
Six foot, 160 pound Hoover,
the son of Mr. and Mrs. James
Withers of Brown es Roaa,
returned punts for 35 ana 40
yards setting up (-orte~Viking
touchdown and gamed a total
of 115 yartts for the illgfit.*"·**
Six-foot-two inch, 168 pound
Gerald Carr passed for 164
yards, completing 6 of 16
passes including a 57-yard
strike for a touchdown to Gary
Poole, and engineered 138
yards rushing.
seventeen-vear-ûld Hoover
plays basketball and base
ball. With his eyes set on
professional football as a ca
reer, he wants to attend Geor
gia Tech, or a big "Top Ten"
or "Tçp 20" school.
The former All-County Foot
ball Teamér likes Lynn
Swann, Mary Lowery, Coach
Herb Pattera, O.J. Simpson,
Blue, Black, Yellow, Washing
ton D.C., ping pong, swim
ming, tennis, dancing, the
O'Jays, The Ohio Players,
George Benson, Earth, Wind
and Fire, Wild Cherry and
Beef Steak.
Carr, the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Orlando Carr of David
son, likes baseball, basketball,
football, serving as Student
Council treasurer, O.J. Simp
son, Chris Evert, Rochester,
Minnesota, all athletes, and
traveling.
we are some 10 œ numoer
one," said Carr, who wanls to
pursue a career in business,
adding, that to finish number
one "we must beat East and
South."
Melvin agrees, explaining
that "I ain't worried about
East. I believe we'll take it all
the way."
Other prep stars included
Curtis Wilson, Myers Park
halfback, who ran for a 10
yard touchdown and carried
12 times for 52 yards in a 35-6
Mustang victory over Olym
pic...Aaron Cunningham of
South, who completed five or
seven passes for 74 yards and
engineered 167 yards rushing
in South's 14-7 victory over
Gastonia's Ashbrook... Fran
cis Forney of North, who ran
for 35 yards down the right
sideline for a score of 7-16 at
' the first quarter..'.Dale Mun
day, David White and Gary
Berry of North, who anchored
the Vikings defense in the 29-0
victory over the Bears.
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Triple County Baseball League
CHAMPIONSHIP CONTEST
Harding High School Field
3p.m.
Saturday, September 11 ^
MORRIS FIELD RANGERS |
v. j
CHARLOTTE CHIEFS |
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ADULTS - $1.50 CHILDREN - 50 ||
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JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY
(GOLDEIS BULLSf Λ ' -j
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LENOIR RHYNE COLLEGE
(BEARS)
SATURDAY NIGHT, SEPTEMBER 11
8 PM.
CHARLOTTE MEMORIAL STADIUM
Eddie McGirt
...Athletic Director and Head
football coach
V I '
Charlie Cox
...Assistant football coach
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