Home / Weirs Times / Baseball, Lakes Region Style

Baseball, Lakes Region Style

Posted by abohan Rabu, 11 April 2012 0 komentar

This week the baseball season began. The Red Sox have won just one of six games they've played. And former manager Terry Francona, the only person to ever lead the Sox to two championships, will not participate in a celebration of Fenway Park's 100th anniversary because he feels managment treated him somewhat disrespectfully on the way out last year.

Too bad Francona didn't accept this offer when it was tendered to him last fall.

PRESS RELEASE:

The Laconia Muskrats have formally offered Terry Francona their managerial position for the 2012 season. Francona was released from his contract with the Boston Red Sox after eight seasons and 2 World Series titles.

“We know Francona will be a hot commodity and we wanted to convey our offer to him first,” said Muskrats General Manager Noah Crane. The Muskrats have faxed a contract to Francona’s agent Pat Rooney at SFX Baseball. Crane added, “Our hope is that he will trade Red Sox Nation for Muskrat Nation.”

In addition to a $6000 salary, the contract includes many perks for Francona. He will get a host family to live with during the summer, a free membership at Laconia Athletic & Swim Club, a personal parking space at Robbie Mills Field, 25% discount at Burrito Me, and 25 token cards at Funspot.

2011 Muskrats manager, Matt Alison, will be reassigned on the coaching staff should Francona accept the position. Former Gilford High School star, Luke Demko, will remain the pitching coach.

The Muskrats won the NECBL Eastern Division Championship in 2011 and the quest for a championship begins June 7 2012.

- from the Laconia Muscrats website, LaconiaMuskrats.com

(BTW, there's a wonderful photo-shopped image of Francona in a Muskrats uniform in the archives section - look at the Oct. 13, 2011 edition - of the Weirs Times' website, www.weirs.com)

Now the Muskrats owners could have picked a better nickname - e.g., "The Lakes Region Winds," with a sailboat as part of their logo - but General Manager and All-Around Good Guy Noah Crane deserves praise for giving us a little national attention - as well as the fun of imagining a classy guy like Francona coaching the local entry in the New England Baseball League. (Tito may have figured out a way to beat the Keene Swampbats in the championship series last year!.. Now if ever does come it up here, he'll probably be enjoying an ice tea on the deck of Jerry Remy's home.)

But our near-miss with Francona does not mean the Lakes Region is without any significant baseball history.

Long before Roy Campenalla and Don Newcombe became pioneering black professional players with the Nashua Dodgers in the mid-1940s, Laconia made John “Bud” Fowler the first Afro-American captain of any American professional baseball team in 1887. "He knows more base ball than any man that struck this town before, and he plays for all his worth every game,” a local newspaper crowed.

And in October, 1911, the famous sporting goods manufacturing firm Draper-Maynard of Plymouth invited players from the World Series-winning Boston Red Sox to visit the area for a little rest-and-relaxation (which, in those days, meant hunting and fishing - not dining out or shopping at the Tilton Outlet.) The group, including pitcher Babe Ruth, came. And the Laconia baseball team at that time challenged the Sox to an exhibition game. Since Major League Baseball rules forbade the Sox from playing as a team, Ruth played for the Laconians. He smashed a homer and the local guys beat up the champion Red Sox, 8-6.

And then there's Helen Nordquist, an outfielder and pitcher for various teams - including the famous Rockford (IL) Peaches - in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League in the early 1950s.

"Nordie", as she was known to her teammates, lives in a charming little house in Alton. When I visited her several years ago, she signed a reissued baseball card.

She's a wonderful lady who still has what used to be called "spunk".

(BTW, she said that although she enjoyed the film "A League of Their Own," the racy stuff never happened in real life. The "girls" were always treated respectfully wherever they went, she said.)

BTW, opening day for the Muskrats is one month, three weeks and four days away.

But who's counting? Well, anyone who's had the joy of watching some very good baseball up close and personal at Robbie Mills Field the last two years.

TERIMA KASIH ATAS KUNJUNGAN SAUDARA

Judul: Baseball, Lakes Region Style
Ditulis oleh abohan
Rating Blog 5 dari 5

Semoga artikel ini bermanfaat bagi saudara. Jika ingin mengutip, baik itu sebagian atau keseluruhan dari isi artikel ini harap menyertakan link dofollow ke https://celebrity-homess.blogspot.com/2012/04/baseball-lakes-region-style.html. Terima kasih sudah singgah membaca artikel ini.