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From Bryant Pond, the Hall of Fame adds another good hitting pitcher to its roster —Stan Farrar— whose career encompassed parts of five decades. Born in 1919, Farrar's name appeared at the age of 14 when he lost a 2-1 outing In 14 innings for the Woodstock town team. In 1937, as a senior at Woodstock H.S., Stan hurled a complete game, but lost 3-2 in the state final against Livermore Falls. in this losing effort, he slammed two triples. And this would be his trademark - "good pitch," "good hit". in 1938 and 1939 Stan played for the Woodstock town team and participated in Portland tournaments that featured the Worumbo Indians ——noted throughout the state. in one of those tournaments, Farrar gained all-state honors at third base with no errors and a gaudy .585 batting average. From 1942 to 1945, Farrar was in the Marine Corps and fought at Guadalcanal. Upon his return, he resumed playing for town teams. Farrar had a one-year fling In professional baseball, pastiming in 1947 for a Red Sox farm club, the Geneva, N.Y. Red Birds. The Geneva nine was managed by Charlie Small (HOF '75). Farrar pitched in 37 games, posting a record of 8-15. He also played 15 games in the outfield and occasionally pinch hit with a BA of .300 plus. in 1948, he returned to Bryant Pond to become postmaster, a job that he held until retirement in 1977. in 1952, Stan joined the Dixfield team in the Eastern Amateur Baseball Congress (ABC) tournament at Battlecreek, Michigan. It was Dixfield's third trip to Battle Creek, but the Maine club was described as a ‘lightly regarded team’. in the opener, Dixfield gained a 13-9 triumph over Oklahoma City with Farrar moving from first base to give 2 2/3 innings of relief: Oklahoma City was labeled "highly favored". in the second game, Farrar went 3 for 5 at the plate and hurled a 19-2 complete game victory over Huntington, W. Virginia. Against Louden, Tennessee, Farrar used the glove at first base to make a sensational grab to save game #3. For the first time a Maine team had progressed to the final eight. But that was to be the high spot as the Dixfield boys dropped two of the next three —beating Battle Creek 2-O— and finished a surprising third behind the NY City and Cuba entries. Farrar continued to play town ball until he was 51 —playing all nine positions at one time or another. His last appearance came when he broke a shoulder sliding into second base at an Old timers Game at the age of 62! When asked why he went in head first, Mr. Farrar replied, "It's the only way | know how to play baseball."

No history of Biddeford baseball could be written without a chapter devoted to Norman R. Faucher. A 1951 graduate of the former St. Louis High School in Biddeford, Faucher made an impact in Telegram League baseball while a schoolboy. He played shortstop and third base for Biddeford, and according to local historian Thomas R.Girard, batted 467 his senior year. Girard reports that Faucher had nine triples his senior year, a record that he says still stands in the Telegram League. Girard recalls Faucher being named to the All-Telegram League in 1951 as a utility player. Faucher went on to play four years of varsity baseball at St. Michael’s College in Vermont, according to Girard, Faucher played third base and shortstop again. during summers 1952 through 1995. Faucher has fond memories of playing in the Portland Twilight League. “I played for Benoit’s Contractors” Faucher recalls, “My manager was Pete Pompeo, and I had some great teammates like Willie Greenlaw, Frank Nappi, Neil Serpico and Dick Dutremble (all Maine Hall of Famers). Girard recalls Faucher being named, after college, to the “Goodall Sanford All Stars of Sanford, Maine.” That team was managed by Freddie Parent who played for the Boston Red Sox around 1920, Chicago White Sox 1899-1911 and was a Maine Hall of Fame original. Girard also says local legend has it that Faucher played for a Biddeford area alumni association team that faced off against a Kennebunkport summer squad that included a left-handed first baseman who had played at Yale by the name of George Bush. “In addition to his outstanding baseball ability,’ Girard wrote in nominating Faucher for the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame, “Norman is also an individual respected for his high character and community involvement. He served as president of his senior class at St. Louis, was parish council president at St. Louis, and was in the Biddeford Rotary Club for 30 years.” Girard reports that Faucher is a past president of the Rotary, also Faucher is admired for the manner in which he handled the difficult decision of closing St. Louis High School in 1970. Faucher had to hang up his spikes in 1956 upon entering military service.“I continue to love the game, and follow it daily.” Faucher says.He would have liked to continue playing but he has no regrets about giving up the game to serve his country. Norman is married to Doris, they have four children; Marc, Diane, Susan and Bill. From Portland Press Herald . https://www.pressherald.com/2012/04/30/theres-no-catching-this-record_2012-04-30/ "BIDDEFORD – During the Telegram League baseball season of 1951, more than a third of Norm Faucher’s hits were triples. The St. Louis High of Biddeford standout led the league with nine. Steve Broy of Gorham had six triples in 2010. That’s the closest to Faucher’s mark over that span. At the start of the 1930s, Portland High had a couple of speedsters in Yudy Elowitch and Keith Jordan. Like Faucher, they could speed around the bases. According to former coach Mike Rutherford, by way of statistician Peter Gribbin, Jordan had seven triples in 1930, only to be matched by Elowitch the next season. Simon Williams of Portland, a player Rutherford coached, had six triples in 2000. Portland, thanks to Gribbin, a former history teacher at the school, arguably keeps better records for its sports teams than any school in the state. “Nine triples,” said Rutherford of Faucher’s achievement. “I can’t remember anyone getting that many, and I’ve been involved with the league since 1987.” It obviously takes speed to hit a triple, but equally as important is a well-placed ball, most desirably splitting the outfielders or hitting it over their heads. “I led off for most of my time playing for St. Louis,” said Faucher. “I got four or five cracks at the plate. I hit them all over. Some were over the fielders’ heads, some split the outfield. I let players like Dick Dutremble do the heavy hitting. We had some good coaches and players in that time. In the four years, I know we had winning teams,” he said. Faucher, who alternated between shortstop and third base, was selected to the 1951 All-Telegram League baseball team as a utility player. He also led the league in total bases with 49 and his .367 average was the third highest on the all-team. “I’m not surprised Norm’s nine triples is still the best,” said teammate Phil Xaphes, who lives in Scarborough. “Norm was a very reliable player who could really run. He could hit the ball accurately between the fielders,” said Xaphes, the team’s top pitcher that season. The Eagles finished fifth in the Telegram League that season. Faucher was the only Eagle to make the all-league team. St. Louis High closed after the 1969-70 school year."

Gracefully smooth, yet spirited -- baseball-wise all the way. That was Jack Feehan from his days as a Cummings School (Portland) diamond flash through Deering High, Navy, Bowdoin College and semi-pro stardom -- one of the finest infielders that Maine has produced. While he staked his claim to Pine Tree State undying fame primarily on his fielding skills, the wiry-tough little Irishman from East Deering was a timely operative with the bat, managing to get on base somehow and knowing his way around the sacks as a canny runner modest speed. Typical Feehan stint was the time he coaxed a walk from University of Maine ace Vic Woodbrey after being down 0-2 in the count, stole second and later scored as Bowdoin was en route to one of two State Series championships that Jack had a deft hand in. As time wore on, Feehan improved at the plate and batted a respectable .309 for his three seasons under legendary coach Danny MacFayden, HOF '71, at Bowdoin. Jack-be-nimble was primarily a shortstop but proved equally adept at second base. A partner's reciprocal joy from either side of the keystone sack, for exquisite timing and dexterity the double play had no finer exponent anywhere. His keen instincts, sure glove and gun of an arm or delicate force out peg were beauties to behold. Feehan starred at shortstop all four years at Deering, helped the Purple to the Telegram League title in '42, captained the '43 Rams and was All-Telly in '42, '43. Jack played short his first year at Bowdoin, '48, and second the next two campaigns. He was all-state in '48, '49 and captained the '49 Polar Bears. re spent two weeks in the training camp of the eventual 1947 National League champion Brooklyn Dodgers before receiving the judgment that he was too small for major league ball. re added several semi-pro credits along the way, starting with Beals Furniture in the Portland Twilight League, first of a bunch of Twilight affiliation, and included a stint in the renowned Blackstone Valley League (Whitinsville, Mass. entry) peopled by collegians from all over the country. From The Diamond of Psi Upsilon, Volume 36, Issue 1

You can add the name of Conant Feeney to the “All-Downeast” team- joining the likes of Cutler’s Neil Corbett, Eastport’s Omar Norton, Woodland’s Tony Tammaro, and Cherryfield’s Carleton Willey, among others – that legendary list of Washington County ballplayers who contributed mightily to the rich lore of Maine baseball history during the heyday of town team ball. Conant Feeney of Jonesboro was born in 1932, grabbed onto baseball at an early age with encouragement from his father Harland and Uncle Lawton, and never let go. “I think Coney had a bat in his hand from the day he was born,” recalls his sister Anne White. “It’s a wonder there’s a rock left in Jonesboro, I think he hit them all into the Chandler River.” Coney pitched for Jonesboro High School and the Machias American Legion team but it was the local town team – the Jonesboro Jets – where the talented southpaw left an indelible mark. The popularity of home-grown baseball teams providing a sense of pride and identity to the local populace was nowhere more evident than among the rural coastal towns of Downeast Maine – Machias, Cutler, Eastport, Cherryfield, Milbridge, Dixie – and Conant Feeney found his baseball home with Jonesboro at the tender age of 14. Coney pitched well enough to attract the attention of scouts from both the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers. In one three game stretch in 1951, he was on the losing end of a two-hit, 15 – strikeout effort against Woodland, and then bounced back with wins against Cutler (22 strikeouts) and Machias, a gaudy 2-hit, 22 strikeout performance. Coney got the call from the big show in 1952 when he signed a professional contract with the Dodgers. The local newspaper proclaimed this headline: “Jonesboro Hurler Signs Contract With Dodgers.” The article went on to say that a “husky 18-year old six-foot southpaw, Conant “Coney” Feeney of Jonesboro last night became the second Washington County pitcher in two years to sign a contract in organized baseball.” Coney was joining Cherryfield’s Carleton Willey who had signed a year ago with the Braves. The professional stint simply didn’t work out for Coney – “he had never been away from home and he was a home town fellow” – offered his sister Anne. Coney returned home, joined the Army and played service ball all over the country until his discharge in 1955. Stationed at Ft. Devens, Mass. in 1954, Coney nevertheless managed to continue his career with his beloved Jets. Coney would take the Friday night train to Bangor and catch a ride to Jonesboro, arriving Saturday morning. He would take the mound for Jonesboro for Sunday’s game and then hitchhike or grab a ride with a trucker back to Boston, making his 8 a.m. Monday check-in time back at Devens. “Coney would rather play ball for fun than money,” said Omar Norton, a fellow Hall of Famer, and close friend “He looked forward to those games on Sunday and really got a kick playing against Cutler or Eastport.” Coney died of a sudden heart attack in 1979 at the age of 46. The home town boy with the big curve ball now rightfully takes his place among Maine’s baseball elite.

When George Ferguson was two years old, his father, George senior, who played for the Boston Red Sox, threw a baseball bat on the ground and waited to see if George picked it up with his right or left hand. He was surprised when his son used his right hand as George senior was left handed along with George’s uncle, Arthur, who played for the St. Louis Browns, and George junior’s sister , Nancy. Thus began a rewarding baseball career for George that spanned many decades as a right handed power hitter. A lack of Little League baseball back then didn’t stop George and his friends from playing ball, and even though George was five or six years younger then most of his teammates, he held his own on a pick up team organized by Arthur Danse. Larry’s Little Lemons , an undefeated team founded by Larry Desjardin, was the next step up George’s baseball ladder. To highlight the team’s accomplishments, Kennebec’s store in Lisbon posted the team’s names and numbers on its storefront window and awarded 5 cent root beers for hits, 1 for a double, two for a triple and three for a home run. It wasn’t until later that the team found out that Larry was footing the bill for the “beers.“ George next played four years of varsity ball at Lisbon High School for MBHOF member, Stan Doughty. Lisbon won the state championship his freshmen year and George finished second on the team in batting average and slugging percentage. He led the team in all offensive categories during his sophomore, junior and senior years and finished his high school career with a cumulative average over .500. Coach Doughty took George to Augusta his senior year to try out for a position on the Hearst Publishing Company Team that was to play at Fenway park. That led to a position on the New England All star Team that played against the New York City All Stars at Shea Stadium. George had two doubles and drove in three runs in that game and was rewarded by being named to the U.S. All Star Team that would play at Yankee Stadium. George was second in MVP voting for the series. At age 14 or 15, George began playing legion ball for New Auburn, usually 40 to 50 games a year. His first year found him second in hitting while batting fifth. In his remaining legion years, he batted third and led the team in all categories. Legion coach, Jim Bouchles, stated that George was the best non-pitching player that he had ever coached. College was next. George wanted to sign a professional contract right out of high school, but his dad insisted that he go to college. At UMO, George batted .453 for the freshmen club and led the team in all statistics. His sophomore, junior and senior years found him playing third base and shortstop at the varsity level. His play earned him spots on the All Maine Conference team for three years and All Yankee Conference his last two years. He was drafted his first two years of college by the Baltimore Orioles but declined. The summer of his junior year in college found him playing for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League. He finished third in batting that summer behind league leader Thurman Munson. Drafted second in the supplementary draft by the Yankees, George first played for single A Oneonta and then double A Binghamton with…. Thurman Munson. His second year found him at Kingston, North Carolina, and it was there he made the decision over whether to continue in professional baseball or further his education. Education won, George enrolled in the grad program at UMO and became an assistant to baseball coach Jack Butterfield. Teaching and coaching at Lisbon High School followed. His baseball teams won Mountain Valley Conference titles during this time, and he continued playing as a member of the Roberts 88ERS. When he stopped playing he became a board umpire officiating games at the high school and college level for fifteen years. Like many others, George Ferguson found a love for the national pastime….or the national pastime found George Ferguson. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=fergus001geo Draft: Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 54th round of the 1967 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of Maine at Orono (Orono, ME), the Baltimore Orioles in the 5th round of the 1968 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase from University of Maine at Orono (Orono, ME) and the New York Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1968 MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase from University of Maine at Orono (Orono, ME). Full Name: George A. Ferguson From the Sun Journal https://www.sunjournal.com/2010/07/11/baseball-roads-fame-intersected-ferguson-roop/ Posted July 11, 2010 Baseball: Roads to fame intersected for Ferguson, Roop BY KALLE OAKES, STAFF WRITER What a difference an initial makes. George Ferguson will be inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in two weeks — future, then present tense. That’s bound to continue the head-scratching for those who already believed Ferguson was immortalized in the past tense. “My dad’s in it too. He went in probably 15 years ago. We both have the same name with different middle initials,” Ferguson explained. “Bitsy Ionta is my spokesman with the committee. He told me that my name has come up a couple of times and people have said, ‘He’s already in.’ It was my father. I think now we might be one of the few father-son combinations in there.”

From Dignity Memorial Mr. Ferguson was born in Lewiston, July 19, 1922 the son of Valerie and Hugh Ferguson and the brother to Arthur, Helen and Francis Ferguson. He was educated in local schools and remained a lifelong resident of this community of Lisbon Falls. In his younger days he loved and played baseball for many of the Lewiston teams, especially the Mohawks. His competitive spirit and baseball skills attracted the attention of the Boston Braves, but his career with them was cut short due to a serious knee injury. In 1981 George became a proud inductee into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame and also recently witnessed the same honor being bestowed upon his son. Mr. Ferguson was a proud Veteran of the Military having served his country in the U.S. Army until his Honorable Discharge in 1944 and was a Lifetime Member of the American Legion Post 158 in Lisbon. Portland Press Ferguson used Lewiston High play under Coach Hyme Shanahan as a springboard to semi-pro ball. He and fellow townsman Harry Lizotte campaigned for Bradford Pa. Ferguson played all nine positions for several Maine combines. He is best remembered for hard and accurate throws from a shortstop post.

“One of the best I ever played with,” was William (Doc) Doherty’s assessment of the late Mike (Donk) Ferguson of Sanford. That takes in a heap of territory. Doherty, an early Maine Baseball Hall of Fame entry, touched first base as a fancy fielder for the Philadelphia Athletics and a dozen semipro clubs in a brilliant career spanning 20 seasons. Donerty managed the Boston Twilight League team which in the late Twenties Spent a half-season of weekend ball at saint John, N. B., after hosting the crack Canadian combine from that city the first half of the season. Doherty took the job in part because of the presence of slick-fielding shortstop Ferguson. Ferguson later played for Portland of the New England League. Doherty was Lewiston's first baseman. The much-traveled Ferguson spent many a summer in a Canadian club's uniform, and also played with Springfield, Ohio, of the International League. Portlanders, while pleased at the appearance of Ferguson on the local nine, puzzled at lack of major league interest. His glove and bat spoke volumes, though he had to beat back the charge that he'd become a bit gun shy at the plate after being hit by a pitch. Certainly, he never lacked fielding ability, as Rogers Hornsby's All-Stars would attest after Ferguson ranged far and wide to take away ticketed hits. Ferguson had such speed, mobility and good hands that the Council Fraser Post team of Lynn, Mass., in a four-game series at Sanford's Goodall Park, couldn't get the ball out of the infield. Line drives, balls hit sharply up the middle, every type of slash was fair game to Ferguson. Leo Durocher, who while with Lowell, Mass., Of the NEL, played against Ferguson, was complimentary of his counterpart in somewhat sulphuric tones. Ferguson was a perfectionist with tremendous enthusiasm. He coached Sanford Junior Legion ball with a critical eye, but was quick to applaud player progress. Much of the success of Sanford baseball in a 20-year span was said to be the reSult of Ferguson's unflagging efforts. "Iron Mike" was as durable and as driving a force in community activities ranging from work with the Masons to fire fighting. His yeoman efforts as a York County fire warden during Maine's 1947 forest fires were cited in a history of that frightening period by Joyce Butler.  Is this Mike (Donk) Ferguson?

A native of Brewer, Ferris compiled a 16-3 record during three years of varsity competition at the University of Maine including 9-0 in 1964 when he was selected as MVP of the College World Series. Maine won the Yankee Conference with an 8-2 record, then defeated Northeastern in a two-game playoff at Fenway Park. Pitching with a fractured glove hand. Ferris went eight innings in a 9-5 Maine win in the first game. There would be bigger wins. As a sophomore pitching in the Black Bears first World Series, Ferris defeated Seton Hail 5-1, and defending national champion Southern California 2-1. He was credited with a save with 2(1/3) innings of relief against Arizona State, striking out Sal Bando with two on and two out in the seventh Inning. His ERA was 0.89 for 20 innings. Ferris was named to the all tournament team and his 9-0 record was the top winning percentage in the nation for Division | pitchers. That summer he played In the Cape Cod League. in 1965, Ferris was selected Maine Athlete of the Year by the Augusta Rotary Club. He was 4-2 for Maine that year as the Bears missed a chance to tie for the Yankee Conference championship with a loss to New Hampshire on the last day of the season. As a senior, Ferris got off to a shaky start, but finished 3-1, pitching mostly in short relief. He holds school records for most consecutive games won (nine in 1964) best winning percentage In a season (1.000 in 1964) and best career winning percentage (.842, 16-3, 1964-1966). In 1988 he was inducted into the University of Maine Hall of Fame. After college, Ferris was neither drafted nor signed by any professional team. He had a tryout with the Philadelphia Phillies in the spring of 1967 but was not offered a contract. With exception of a few years of summer baseball in the Portland and Bangor areas, his baseball career ended in the early 1970's. But, his professional growth didn’t. Ferris graduated from the University of Maine Law School in 1970 and he has practiced since in his home town. Ferris is active in community organizations. “I had the great privilege of coaching American Legion baseball for parts of three summers In Orono-Old Town with Stump Merrill and Gabby Price,’ he said. From UMO GoBlackBears https://goblackbears.com/news/2019/5/13/joe-ferris-former-college-world-series-mvp-to-be-honored-on-baseballs-wall-of-legends-on-may-18.aspx ORONO, Maine – The University of Maine baseball team has announced that 1964 College World Series Most Outstanding Player Joe Ferris '66, will become the latest honoree on the team's Wall of Legends. Ferris' name and number 29 will be unveiled on the outfield fence prior to Maine's final home game of the season on Saturday, May 18 against Binghamton. Saturday's festivities will begin at approximately 10:35 a.m. prior to the 11:00 a.m. scheduled first pitch. Ferris, Maine's only College World Series Most Outstanding Player, still holds records for win percentage in a season (9-0, 1.000 in 1964) and career (16-3, .842). Ferris' 9-0 record included two wins in Maine's first College World Series appearance, as the Brewer, Maine native held Seton Hall to just a single run in a 5-1 win in the opening game. He was called upon in relief in Maine's third game of that World Series against No. 2 Arizona State. With the Black Bears leading 4-2, the Sun Devils put two runners on base with two out. As Ferris entered the game, he would face future big leaguer Sal Bando, who would go on to knock 242 career home runs with the Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers. After getting ahead 0-2 in the count, Ferris would throw three consecutive balls. In one of Ferris' biggest moments of his Black Bear career, he got Bando to swing over a sinker below his knees for the third out of the inning, as he earned a save in two-plus innings of work. Maine would go on to face defending champion USC in game four, in Ferris' second start of the CWS. Maine would end up winning 2-1, as Ferris would retire 17 consecutive batters after allowing the one run. USC threatened in the eighth inning, but Ferris would strand the bases loaded. In the next game, Maine would fall 2-1 to No. 1 Missouri, as the Black Bears would finished third in College World Series that season. Ferris posted a 9-0 record with a 2.23 ERA in 1964, including an 0.87 ERA in the CWS to earn win most outstanding player. "Joe has been part of the Black Bear family through it all," said head coach Nick Derba. "He was one of the greats in the program's first College World Series appearances and has been a major supporter of the program since then. Every player that has come through these doors since 1964 has seen Joe around. Not only is he a huge fan of baseball but he attends and supports all Maine athletic events. Joe is a legend and deserves a place on the Wall." Ferris went 4-2 in 1965 and 3-1 in 1966 for an impressive career record of 16-3. Ferris will become the sixth Black Bear to have his number honored on Maine's Wall of Legends, joining fellow Black Bear standouts Mike Bordick (3), Bill Swift (8) and Mark Sweeney (12). Ferris's coach, Jack Butterfield (21) and the Black Bear's all-time winningest manager, John Winkin (5) also hold a spot on the Wall of Legends. From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Ferris Joe Ferris was an American college baseball pitcher who won the 1964 College World Series Most Outstanding Player award while a sophomore at University of Maine. He is the only player from University of Maine to win that award. He was inducted into the University of Maine Hall of Fame in 1988. He was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 From the Bangor Daily News https://bangordailynews.com/2014/05/16/sports/the-darlings-of-the-tournament-umaines-1964-college-world-series-team-returns-to-orono-for-50th-reunion/ “It was bigger than we we thought, to be honest with you,” Merrill said of the reaction to the team’s accomplishments. Ferris headlined a group of front-line players in 1964. He finished the season with a 9-0 record and still holds UMaine’s season (1.000) and career (16-3, .842) marks for winning percentage. “He probably accomplished something that will never be done again. He went through a season without a loss, and he was the MVP of the tournament,” said Merrill, who later became manager of the New York Yankees. From Portland Press Herald https://www.pressherald.com/2014/05/01/former_umaine_pitcher_will_be_honored_/ "THE ROAD TO OMAHA It was a time before baseball players got scholarships or fancy facilities. Ferris recalled living at home and paying $225 per semester to attend school. Maine’s ballpark didn’t have a fence, scoreboard or dugouts. Just some portable bleachers that sat about 60 people. And the players had the time of their lives. “We thought we had all we need,” Ferris said. “We were all a bunch of sophomores (freshmen couldn’t play varsity college sports in those days). I knew we had a good shortstop and a good catcher. I don’t think we knew how good the pitching was going to be." Thanks largely to Ferris, it was more than good enough. The season opened in Maryland and Ferris was summoned for his Black Bear debut in the second game against Dartmouth, with Maine nursing a big lead. Ferris, known for his excellent control, promptly walked six batters and allowed four runs. So imagine his surprise when he was selected to start the next game, against Hampton. Ferris allowed two hits in a 9-1 victory, followed it up by holding Columbia hitless until the seventh inning of another win, and soon found himself as Maine’s designated Friday pitcher for weekend series in the Yankee Conference. Ferris went 6-0 as Maine won its league. That earned the Black Bears a trip to Fenway Park to face Northeastern in a best-of-three series, with the winner earning a berth in the eight-team College World Series. Merrill heard his teammates talking about Omaha on the bus ride home. “I thought that was the team we were going to play. That’s how naive I was,” he said. ONE FOR THE ‘POTATO-PICKERS’ Ferris said many of the Black Bears had never been on a plane, in an era when men actually put on suits and ties for air travel. But the Black Bears arrived to find many signs they weren’t expected to actually compete with the likes of Missouri, Minnesota and Mississippi. Other teams stayed in downtown luxury. Maine was relegated to something called the Hill Hotel, a fleabag outside town. “We changed at the hotel and we’d walk down through the stands and the fans were saying, ‘Don’t even unpack; two and out,’ that type of thing,” Merrill said. “They put the teams from District 1 in the Hill Hotel because they weren’t expected to be there that long. “Then we became the darlings of Omaha.” Maine won the opening game of the double-elimination tournament with Ferris beating Seton Hall, 5-1. Comeuppance came in the next game when Minnesota dismantled the Black Bears, 12-0. Thompson had Maine’s lone hit. “That was the low point of the season. I was so bummed that we were going to embarrass ourselves,” Ferris said. Arizona State, up next, was ranked second in the nation. But Maine took a 4-2 lead into the seventh inning. Ferris was called on with two runners on, two outs and Bando – who would be the MVP of the next year’s College World Series before hitting 242 home runs in the majors for the A’s and Brewers – digging into the batter’s box. Ferris threw two strikes, then three balls. “I remember that pitch like it was today,” Ferris said of what followed. “It was a sinker below the knees and he swung right over it.”

The common thread running through Pat Feury’s distinguished five-decade career in baseball is indisputable: winning championships. Pat’s athletic pedigree was rock-solid. His mother was an All-State basketball player at Skowhegan High School, once scoring 45 points against Cony. His father played football for Portland High and Georgetown University where he butted leather helmets with Frankie Frisch, one of Fordham’s “Seven Blocks of Granite.” Pat’s introduction to baseball, however, came at the hands of Eric Kalkbrenner, a German immigrant carpenter who passed on his love of the game and a hand-made wooden bat to young Patrick. Pat’s career in organized baseball was highlighted by playing on an extraordinary number of dominant teams. From Little League 2 in Portland, where he played for Chick Embleton, to Pony League under the legendary Leroy Rand, to Babe Ruth baseball under crusty Frank Archer and Walt Jordan, to Cheverus High School skippered by Jack Dawson and Hank Stillman, and to the Andrews Post Legion team under the incomparable Sonny Noel, Pat played on 15 championship teams by the time he graduated from Cheverus High School in 1962. He was a starting outfielder for two Telegram League championships at Cheverus and one American Legion state crown with Andrews Post, and, along with Stag immortals Dick Joyce, Paul Sullivan, Joe Cloutier and Tom Thornton, played during a 1960-61 two-season span for Cheverus/Andrews that won 66 consecutive games without a loss. Pat continued his baseball career at the University of Maine Portland, where he compiled a .300 career batting average and was the school’s first four-year player. Pat was inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame in 2008. Following his graduation from Cheverus in 1962, Pat embarked on a two-decade stint as player and coach in the Portland Twilight League. During his first year, while patrolling the outfield for Eddie Griffin’s Peaks Island ball club, Frank Nappi of Charlie Turner’s Yarmouth Townies launched a prodigious drive off Griffin that Pat miraculously snared a la Willie Mays 1954 World Series, and prompted the suitably impressed Turner to beseech Pat to join the Townies. The next year Pat began a 15-year association with the Townies as player, coach and captain. During the 1960’s Pat’s teams won six Twilight League championships and the first-ever Carlton Willey Invitational State Tournament at Lamoine in 1963. Another state championship for the Townies in 1972 at Auburn’s Pettengill Park and two more Twilight League championships in 1975 and 1977 assisting Alan Livingston concluded an enviable body of work. By the time he hung up his spikes, Pat had played or coached on 25 championship teams. Pat took up umpiring after his playing days were over and was a member of the Western Maine Board for 15 years. Professionally Pat has been a teacher at Portland High School for over 30 years, specializing in cooperative education and creating incentives and opportunities for kids to find jobs, finish high school, and become productive citizens. With a stellar career that included playing with or against some of the greatest players of his era and a productive record of contribution to the storied Twilight League, “Captain Pat” of the Townies is a welcome addition to the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.

South Portland resident Fitzpatrick, a native of Meriden Conn., started a long Maine baseball association when he joined Portland Highs faculty in 1921. A southpaw, Fitzy pitched in East Millinocket, the Bangor Brewer area and the Coast League. He retired as Portland High coach who logged. 45 years of sports service to the school. From Society for American Baseball Research https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/may-9-1921-collegians-versus-pros-bcs-jimmy-fitzpatrick-stymies-boston-braves Fitzpatrick, a native of Meriden, Connecticut, was a remarkable athlete who lettered in four varsity sports at Boston College: baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. He played center and guard for the basketball team, and goalie for the hockey team. Fitzpatrick had a punting average of 65 yards per kick, and in his sophomore year he faced the legendary Jim Thorpe in a punting competition in Canton, Ohio. “I don’t really remember if he beat me or I beat him. I know we got off some pretty good shots,” Fitzpatrick recalled. Fitzpatrick’s football career ended when he broke a shoulder in 1920. After graduation from BC in 1921, Fitzpatrick joined the faculty at Portland High School, where he remained until he retired in 1966. He stayed active as a player in semipro baseball, and once faced Babe Ruth at Bayside Park in Portland. Ruth had come to Portland to do batting exhibitions. “I pitched the whole game,” Fitzpatrick recalled. “Ruth popped twice to the infield and the other two times, I struck him out, and when Babe didn’t speak to me after the game I knew he was mad and I was some shook up.” Fitzpatrick coached the Portland High School football, baseball, basketball, and golf teams. In 1947 he became the athletic director, a post he held until he retired. He was inducted into the Boston College Hall of Fame in 1970. The Fitzpatrick Trophy, nicknamed the “Fitzy,” recognizes the best high-school football players in Maine each year. From Maine Irish Heritage Trail http://www.maineirishheritagetrail.org/sites/link.php?action=detail&id=53 Fitzpatrick Stadium, home playing field to generations of football players and their fans, was named for Connecticut native James J. “Jimmy” Fitzpatrick, a 1921 graduate of Boston College. Together with the Expo, Hadlock Field (home to the Portland Seadogs baseball team), and the Portland Ice Arena, the stadium is a part of a large sports complex. Jimmy Fitzpatrick was an outstanding football player at Boston College; his exploits on the field became legendary as he drop-kicked the ball to countless wins over Ivy Leaguers such as Harvard and Yale. After graduation, he became a coach and teacher at Portland High School and did not leave until his retirement 45 years later. Fitzy brought the Bulldogs’ football, basketball, and baseball teams to many championships over the years. His 1923 football team was undefeated and unscored upon. His coached his last team during the 1946-1947 season. Fitzpatrick was named to the all-time Boston College football team in 1965. He spent the last twenty-two years of his career as Portland High School’s athletic director. In 1971, in recognition of his service to the school, a Fitzpatrick Trophy was created, which is awarded annually to the best Maine football players in Classes A, B and C. It is known affectionately as the Fitzy. Jimmy Fitz was also a local semipro baseball player in his younger days and was said to have struck out Babe Ruth twice in a Bayside Park exhibition game. For many years he was a professional golfer and instructor at Larry Rowe’s Golf Course in South Portland and taught golf at PHS. In 1936, with Rowe as instructor at the Purpooduck Country Club, and Fitz at Rowe’s course, the two gave a “terrific shellacking” to their respective links (“Fitzy and Rowe Burn Up Links,” 14 Jun 1936, Portland Sunday Telegram). Lawrence V. “Larry” Rowe was a native of Portland and the son of Canadian Irish parents. He won the Maine Open Golf Tournament in 1937 and operated Larry Rowe’s Golf Course (now the South Portland Municipal) from 1934-1971. He and his brother Raymond were the founding owners of Rowe Ford Sales, still a successful auto dealership in Maine. Coach Fitzpatrick died in August 1989 at the age of 93. In 2001, one of his former players, John “Giant” Conroy, himself a sports legend, fondly recalled him. “Jimmy Fitzpatrick was a wonderful man. He had good success at Portland and was well-liked by everyone.” A local newspaper staff writer called Fitzy “a class act as an athlete, coach—and a man,” (see “The Man Behind The Trophy,” Tom Chard, 14 Jan 2001, Portland Press Herald). From Maine HS Football . The Fitzpatrick Trophy https://m.leaguelineup.com/miscinfo.asp?menuid=36&url=mainefootball

Fixaris has broadcast varied Maine diamond action the past 20 years. He was Maine's man on the scene in the 1964 College World Series At Omaha Nebraska. Through Fixaris' eye and incisive comment, Pine Tree Staters followed every pitch as UMO reached the tournament finals. From The History of Broadcasting in Maine, the first 50 years https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Bookshelf/History/The-History-of-Broadcasting-in-Maine-1990.pdf From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Fixaris Frank Fixaris (May 6, 1934 in Torrington, Connecticut – January 13, 2006 in Falmouth, Maine) was an American sportscaster, anchor, reporter, and disc jockey, spending the majority of his career at WGME-TV [in Portland, Maine. He also, along with partner Dave "Shoe" Schumacher, co-hosted a morning radio show on WJAB after his television run. "Shoe" continues to co-host the show, known as "The Morning Jab", with present partner, Joe Palmieri. Fixaris attended college in Boston, Massachusetts and graduated from Emerson College in 1956. He then worked at several radio stations early in his career before taking the job as a sports anchor at WGME in 1965 (then WGAN) and continued there until 1995. He served as sports director there from 1967 until 1992. Coincidentally Fixaris' cousin, former Major League Baseball player Jimmy Piersall, also worked as a sportscaster. He was the color commentator of the Maine Mariners and later the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League. Although offered several network positions (particularly with CBS, as well as the New York Islanders), he chose to remain in Maine. He was co-awarded one of the James H. Ellery Memorial Awards by the AHL for his outstanding work in 1978. In honor of his many years of work with the Mariners/Pirates, the press box at the Cumberland County Civic Center bears his name as a memorial tribute. A 2006 inductee into the Maine Association of Broadcaster's hall of fame, Fixaris is also remembered annually with an award in his name issued by the Portland Fire Department, as well as two scholarships for students studying communication science at Saint Joseph's College of Maine. The Fix Cup, a former annual high school hockey tournament in Portland (modeled after the Beanpot tournament), was named after Fixaris. He was known as having an encyclopedic knowledge of all things sports, especially at the local level. Popular broadcasters Mike Emrick, Dale Arnold, Tom Caron, Scott Wykoff and J.J. Jeffrey considered him as being instrumental in their development. Fixaris died in a fire at his home on January 13, 2006. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and a son, Michael. His brother, Richard, died in December, 2013. He is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Portland, Maine.

Dick Flagg is representative of a close-knit fraternity of umpires who came of age professionally in the 1960’s and 70’s and provided the authority and integrity essential to the thriving high school, legion and college baseball scene of that era. Carroll Rines, Sonny Noel, Jack Redmond, Eddie Ainsworth, Hal Loubier and Leroy Rand – all “Men in Blue” who worked with Dick Flagg during his 48 years (and counting) of umpiring. An impressive list of veteran arbiters who took their job seriously and, although missing occasionally on a call, never failed to let you know where they, and you, stood. Dick interest in baseball was life-long, although his actual playing days were limited to the 1946 Saco Valley League season. Dick graduated from Deering in 1947, served in the Army from 1947-48, came home and was recalled and served again from 1950-52 during the Korean conflict. He developed an interest in umpiring while in the Army. In 1960, at Jack Redmond’s urging, Dick took and passed the umpiring test and a career was launched which shows no sign of ending anytime soon. Dick started out with JV and frosh games, gradually working up to high school varsity contests in the Triple C and Telegram Leagues and the Twilight League in the summer. One of the more memorable games that found Dick behind the plate was the 1963 Twilight League Championship. Holy Cross (by way of Cheverus) phenom Dick Joyce took the mound for Peaks Island, opposed by Deering’s Dick Densmore, then attending Duke, who toed the slab for Harris Oil. Joyce bested Densmore 1-0 in a game that did nothing to tarnish the sterling reputation of both pitchers. Dick’s rapid development into a top-knotch umpire caught the eye of Sonny Noel who recommended Dick to the college teams. Dick started working the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin series in 1968 and added several other Maine colleges to his resume in the 1970’s. At the height of his productive career, Dick would often work 5 games a week and doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday. In those days, umpires were more collegial and would often drive to the games together. (“Whoever had the plate would drive”). A close camaraderie developed among this band of brothers who would dissect that day’s game on the drive home and sharpen their game calling skills. Dick began to pare back his arduous schedule in the late 1970’s but still, at the age of 78, manages to do 25-30 games a year. He jokingly vows to catch long-time friend and mentor Jack Redmond’s record of 50 years of umpiring and, now in his 48th year, is poised to accomplish that soon. By his own conservative count, Dick figures he has umpired over 2,000 games. Dick went to work for Northeast Airlines (which later became Delta) in 1956 and retired in 1991. Dick and his wife, Patricia live in Portland as do Dick’s three children. Dick regrets only that the commitment to umpiring did involve a lot of time away from his family. The life-long friendships and the quiet pride that comes from serving as a true steward of the game’s rules and traditions provide priceless consolation as does the recognition of his contributions today by the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.