Hadlock, Terry (1992)
The Hadlock name has long been significant in Maine baseball, and tonight Terry Hadlock joins uncle Edson, of the 76 entrants, in the Maine Hall of Fame. Terry, whose Dad, Edmund, was also a top-notch semi-pro player, was a hard-hitting catcher from Babe Ruth League through professional baseball in the U.S. and Canada.
The young Hadlock drew first attention as a slugging backstop In the 1962 and ‘63 State Rabe Ruth tournaments.
He was an outstanding performer on the Sebago Lake All-Stars, who captured the 62 title.
in 1963, his team lost in the final, but Terry slammed a two-run homer to account for his club's only runs.
Terry chose to commute from his Kezar Falls home to attend Gorham H.S., where he was the starting catcher for four seasons.
In his junior year, he racked up an .816 slugging average, with four “dingers*. And he only had one error behind the plate. This stellar performance helped Dick Beedys nine capture Gorham's first overall title.
Following graduation in '66, Terry was signed by Clyde Sukeforth, Atlanta’s Super scout and an ex-major league catcher. At the time, Terry was performing for the Yarmouth Townies in Twilight League. The townies lost 5 players - Jim Dumais, “Stump” Merrill, John Cumberland, Rick Swan and Hadlock - to organized baseball in that ‘66 season and manager Charlie Turner considered Terry a top prospect.
John Mullen of tonights' Hall Class was the farm director whose letter welcomed Terry into the Braves family.
Terry spent the '67 season with the Sarasota club in the Gulf Coast Rookie league, hitting close to .300 and making the All-Star team.
Expecting a promotion to a higher league, Terry was stunned when he was released in Feb., 1968. Terry was victimized by a reduction in the Braves farm clubs that cost over 30 players their opportunities.
Returning to the University of Maine Portland-Gorham. Hadlock assisted coach Dick Sturgeon with both the baseball and basketball squads, while continuing to play summer ball.
In '68, Terry caught for the Thetford Miners in Canada's professional Provincial League, but after being traded, he returned to the Yarmouth Townies.
1968-69-70 were outstanding twilight seasons for the stocky 5’10” slugger.
In '68 and ‘69, he finished 3rd in hitting and in ’70, his .403 trailed only Mort Soule.
in '69 when he hit .349 and led the league with 25 RBI's, he tied Dick Curry for MVP. In‘70, he tied Rick Swan for home-run leadership.
Terry continued to play Twilight League bail until the late 70's, but in the meantime he began a long teaching career at Sacopee Valley Junior High School in 1971.
He has coached varsity basketball and junior high basketball and cross-country and, for 12 years, served as junior high principal.
He is presently teaching and coaching JV baseball.
He has also coached numerous youth teams, including the 1990 Westbrook Senior Little League 13-year olders, who won the Maine District Six title.
Terry has 3 children now playing in the Westbrook school system.
From Tributes Page
"Sorry to hear about passing of Terry Hadlock, a tremendous person and athlete and somebody I looked up to as a boy in Kezar Falls. His father Edmund and uncle Harry were our bus drivers and older brother Jim a great golfer and friend. I watched Terry play baseball at Bonny Eagle (for Gorham) with my grandfather, Dr. Paul Marston and father John "Zeke" Garner, and he hit a home run and also played basketball with him. Deepest sympanthies from Garner and Marston families."
Posted by: John Garner, Jr. - West Yarmouth, MA - Childhood friend Dec 11, 2014
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