Mickey Dolan could qualify for entrance to a number of athletic hall of fames because of his multi-faceted career. He was a standout three-sport performer at South Portland High where he was Valedictorian of the 1944 class. And he continues this versatility to the present by his coaching and officiating career that has embraced football, basketball and baseball. But tonight we honor him for his diamond exploits.
Mickey was a varsity baseball player under Coach Bill Curran from 1941 to 1944. Mickey was one of the sparkplugs on a pair of Telegram League titlelists in ‘43 and ‘44 and in both seasons he was selected All-Telly. He was a superb fielder and Curran used him at second, short and third, and also as a catcher. He could swing the Dat as attested by his two .350 plus seasons and a runner-up finish tor the batting title.
During the summer months, Mickey played semi-pro and Twilight League baseball - including a few appearances with the classy South Portland Shipbuilders.
World War II limited the Mick’s baseball activities to service ball in Georgia and Germany but the end of hostilities saw him attend West Point where he played second base. He can relate some interesting tales of the Cadets exhibition games against the Yankees, Giants and Dodgers.
After graduation from Bowdoin (he was a Polar Bear for one year), Mickey entered the coaching-teaching ranks and carved a very successful career. From 1952 to ‘54 he was a mentor of football and baseball at Biddeford and had Biddeford in the playoffs in 1954. In 1955, one legend succeeded another as Mickey Dolan replaced Freddie Harlow at the helm of Westbrook’s baseball program. The next 19 years were to see Dolan enhance on already rich diamond tradition in the Paper City. Mickey’s teams won three Telegram League titles and one Western Maine Class A crown. (This makes Mickey one of the few to achieve all-Telly status and later coach a Telly Champion.) Rarely was a Dolan-coached nine out of contention for the Telegram League championship - whatever The format.
Mickey was an outstanding teacher and handler of pitchers and Dolan era at Westbrook is replete with some of the top hurlers in Maine baseball annals: John Cumberland, San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees Don Douglas, Amherst College and Chicago Cubs system; Rick Swan, Pirate farm-hand; Dick Dolloff, a winning pitcher for UMO in the 1964 College World Series; Mike Mazerall, Red Sox system.
Joining Mickey tonight will be his wife, Frances, a very knowledgeable diamond devotee; his stepsons Gordon and Dan; stepdaughter Nancy and husband George Ferguson; and his son, Steve, and ‘chip-off-the-block” shortstop whiz at Cape Elizabeth High and Colby College.
Mickey Dolan 1943