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Ed Flaherty, who began his baseball career as a Little League pitcher in Portland, quickly rose to the top of his profession. On January 4, 1991, Flaherty was honored as national Division lIl coach of the year at the American Baseball Coaches Association convention in Dallas. Flaherty was voted Division III New England coach of the year 1989-1990-1991. His national honor was an appropriate climax to an outstanding year. Flaherty, 37, led the University of Southern Maine to the 1991 Division IIl World Series baseball championship at Battle Creek, MI. In six seasons as head coach of the Huskies, Flaherty had a record of 169-66, a winning percentage of .719. In 1991, USM was 38-6 including four consecutive wins in the world Series when it outscored four opponents 42-10. USM became the first college or university team in Maine to win a national championship in any sport. A Portland native, Flaherty progressed through Little League, Babe Ruth, American Legion baseball for Caldwell Post. He was the first 13 year-old to make the All-Star team. The Portland Babe Ruth All-Stars won state championships in 1967-68 and 1969. At Deering High he was a member of the Rams 1972 state champion under Fred Harlow (Maine Baseball Hall of Fame 1974). Caldwell Post won state championships in 1970 and 1972. At the University of Maine, Flaherty played for coach John Winkin (Maine Baseball Hall of Fame 1975) Caldwell Post won state championships in 1970 and 72. He led the Yankee Conference in hitting with a .389 average in 1975. That summer Flaherty played on the USA Collegiate All start team that finished fourth in the Division 1 World Series. His teammates included many future major leaders including Paul Molitor, Ron Hassey and Scott Sanderson. Flaherty concluded his active baseball career in the Twilight League. He twice led the league in home runs and was MVP In 1983. He began his coaching career at Lyman Moore School in Portland, compiling a 30-3 record 1978-1981. At Deering High 1981-1985, he coached the Rams to a 61-19 record, winning a state championship in 1983 and Telegram League titles in 1982-1983. From 1982-1985, he coached Caldwell Post. Flaherty's overall record was 91-14 with state championships in 1982 and 1984. At USM, he has led the Huskies to NCAA tournaments in 1987-1988-1990 1991. His overall coaching record 1978-1991 is 351-102 (.774). When USM won the national championship, one of Flaherty's assistants was Jeff Conley. Conley played for Flaherty at Deering High Schoo! and succeeded him as American Legion coach of Shop N Save, the successor to Caldwell Post. In offices related to coaching, he is serving the first term of a three-year appointment as President of the American Baseball Coaches Association. He is Vice President of the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association and will become President in 1993. Flaherty is a member of the ABCA coaching/teaching materials committee. He was a clinician at the ABCA 1992 convention. From University of Southern Maine https://www.southernmainehuskies.com/sports/bsb/coaches/Flaherty_Ed?view=bio Now in his fourth decade as the head coach of the University of Southern Maine baseball team, Ed Flaherty has firmly established USM among the nation’s elite NCAA Division III programs.  Flaherty has earned an outstanding reputation for his proven teaching ability, discipline and hard-nosed work ethic.  His instructional baseball camps are highly regarded and among the best attended in the New England region. Last season, Flaherty achieved a personal milestone when he became the 11th coach in NCAA Division III history to reach 1,000 career wins when the Huskies defeated Bates College on May 2.  In his 33 seasons as head coach, Flaherty has compiled an impressive 1,004-450-4 record (.690 W-L percentage), including 17 seasons with 30 or more wins.  Twenty-four times during his collegiate coaching career, Flaherty has guided the Huskies to a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament, including 15 consecutive appearances between 1987 and 2001. His career winning percentage at the start of the 2019 season ranks him 15th among active NCAA Division III coaches with five or more years of service, and his 1,004 wins ranks fifth.  All-time, Flaherty is ranked 24th in winning percentage and 11th in wins. Under Flaherty’s direction, the Huskies reached the pinnacle of the NCAA Division III baseball world in 1991 when they traveled to Battle Creek, Michigan, and claimed their first national championship.  That team was the first collegiate team from the state of Maine to win a national championship.  Six years later, the Huskies compiled a then school best 39-9 record en route to capturing the program’s second national title.  Among that season’s highlights were an 18-game winning streak, winning the first-ever Little East Conference championship, and hosting the NCAA regional tournament. The Huskies have made six other World Series appearances.  Their first trip came in 1989 when they finished fourth.  After winning the national title in 1991, they successfully battled their way through the regional tournament in 1992 for a shot at back-to-back titles, but fell short, finishing seventh.  USM also made back-to-back trips to the World Series in 2000 and 2001, and again in 2013 and 2014. “The University of Southern Maine is respected for its strong athletic tradition in several different sports,” said Flaherty. “I’m pleased that our baseball program has been able to carry on, and build upon, that tradition during my career at USM.  We take great pride in the fact that Southern Maine has one of the premier baseball programs in our region and the nation.” His oldest son Ryan is a major league ballplayer for the Baltimore Orioles organization. University of Southern Maine to Name Baseball Field in Honor of Veteran Head Coach Ed Flaherty on April 30 https://usm.maine.edu/athletics/university-southern-maine-name-baseball-field-honor-veteran-head-coach-ed-flaherty-april From Portland Press Herald https://www.pressherald.com/2017/04/30/special-day-at-usm-as-baseball-field-named-after-ed-flaherty/ “No, it was just a regular morning for him,” said Debbie Flaherty, his wife. “Really, what was most important to him is that he wants to win. He said this morning that this is a big game.” The Huskies defeated Western New England 4-1 to improve to 25-8 on the season. But Sunday was a special day for other reasons. For the first time, the Huskies played on Ed Flaherty Field. The field was finally given a name as university officials honored their longtime coach. “Wow,” said Flaherty, moments after the new name was unveiled on the left field scoreboard. “This is something I certainly didn’t expect. “I am honored and humbled. And I feel a little weird about it. I’m still coaching these guys, and if I stay healthy I’ll continue coaching them for a little more.” From YouTube . 800th win https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIqBLvurPh0 From WMTW 8 . 1000th win https://www.wmtw.com/article/usm-tops-bates-for-1-000th-win-1525314348/20129969

Paul Flaherty was the consummate athlete. Not only was he an excellent baseball player for Catholic High and Portland High during the 1920s, but he was also a three-year star in football and basketball. Flaherty captained the 1926 baseball and basketball teams at Catholic High, making the All-Telegram League club that season before transferring to Portland High the next year. He was All-Telegram for the Bulidogs too. After high school, the “Splendid Splinter,” a name given him years before Ted Williams played by late sports editor Bud Cornish, also excelled in three sports at Hebron Academy. He was All-Maine in prep baseball and basketball. He went on to play semi-pro baseball in Madison, Portland and Kennebunk. in basketball, he played semi-pro for the Portland Athletic Club. As a baseball manager, he headed the 1940 state champion semi-pro softball club and the legendary Westbrook Little League nine with Hall of Famer Pinky Watson. in later years, he served as a referee for high school and college basketball. He was president of the Western Maine Basketball Board of Officials for two years. One of only two Mainers to be made an Honorary Life Member of the international Association of Approved Basketball Officials, Flaherty also was the first Maine official to work the New England Basketball Tournament. Because of his tremendous all-around athletic abilities, he also had the nickname “‘Flash.”’

Waldo R (Pete) Flinn, Hampton NH was a Bowdoin College Baseball captain in 1922 and coach of Westbrook highs' Telegram league champions in '23 and '24. He was a native of Island Falls, born in 1900. He played four years for Island Falls High, considered Northern Maine Champion in '17 and '18 and captained the latter squad. He had the same four year varsity and senior captain experience at Bowdoin which swept the 1921 State Series to cap what was believed to be the strongest schedule in Polar Bear history. From the fall of 1922 through the spring of '25 Flinn was westbrook HS athletic coach. A share of the Telegram league title in '23 was followed by outright crowns the next two years.

Robert C. Flynn It isn’t often that one Hall of Famer succeeds another. But that’s the situation at Bates College where Bob Flynn takes over as head baseball coach for William J. “Chick” Leahey (Hall, 1982) who retired this year after 35 years as head coach of the Bobcats. A Career .400 hitter, Flynn was a member of the 1951 state championship team at Lewiston High School. He played for the Auburn Asas in 1950-51, batting over .300. Signed to a professional contract, he was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 1952 and in 1955-57 after his Career was interrupted by military service during the Korean War. Flynn’s professional tenure included service in the Carolina league, Northwest League and Western Association. In his final season, Flynn batted .319. Because of his professional experience, Flynn was not eligible for college competition when he enrolled at the University of Maine. He was an undergraduate assistant to Jack Butterfield (Hall, 1980). Flynn graduated from Maine in 1960. He then began his coaching career. Flynn taught and coached at Thornton Academy 1961-62 and Lewiston High School 1962-65. Each of his teams had winning records. Flynn joined the staff at Bates College in 1965 as an assistant football coach. He was appointed assistant to Leahey in 1973. He is also assistant coach and offensive coordinator in football. Until 1990, Flynn was head coach of skiing. Among Bates skiers under his direction was Nancy Ingersoll Fiddler, an All-American at Bates who competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics. One of the twin cities’ most outstanding athletes, Flynn was named to the Auburn-Lewiston Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. During the summer Flynn serves as director of Camp Susan Curtis in East Stoneham, operated by the Susan L. Curtis Foundation to provide a Camping experience for underprivileged children from Maine. Flynn is a former chairman and secretary-rules editor of the NCAA Ski Rules Committee and former vice president of the U.S. Intercollegiate Ski Coaches Association. From Bates Archives https://www.bates.edu/news/2016/08/02/robert-flynn-three-sport-coach-with-iconic-bobcat-zen-who-elevated-bates-skiing-to-national-prominence-dies-at-age-83/ "Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates, he played minor league baseball from 1952 to 1957, missing the 1953 and 1954 seasons to serve in the U.S. Army in Korea. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine in 1960 and taught public school in Lewiston and Auburn before joining the Bates coaching staff." From Dignity Memorial https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/auburn-me/robert-bob-flynn-7032951 "Bob embodied the essence of Bates College Athletics and had a meaningful and profound influence on the people and student athletes that he worked with. In addition to his career at Bates College, Bob served as the director of Camp Susan Curtis for 17 years, where he positively impacted the lives of thousands of underprivileged Maine children. He also coached Auburn Suburban baseball and especially enjoyed working with the Little League All-Star teams.Bob received many accolades over the years. He was inducted into the Auburn Lewiston Sports Hall of Fame, Maine Baseball Hall of Fame, Maine Skiing Hall of Fame and Bates Scholar-Athlete Society. He was appointed Professor Emeritus of Physical Education at Bates College and Director Emeritus at Camp Susan Curtis. He received the Al Card Sportsmanship Award, Bates College Athletic Department Service Award, Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association Service Award, American Baseball Coaches Association Service Award and New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Award. "

William E. (Hooker) Foley was a pivotal part of successful Cheverus High athletic folklore 50 years ago, especially during his 1929-30 senior season when he captained three teams. He led the Fighting Irish clubs in football, basketball and baseball that season. In fact, Foley batted .393 to boost the Cheverians to a share of the Telegram League title. This sharp-fielding shortstop always topped .300 in a baseball career extending through the Portland Twilight League. He made the neat hitting conversion in fastpitch softball. Daring baserunner Foley termed baseball his favorite sport because, he said, it takes more ability. Foley captained the Fighting Irish (Stags became the official school nickname about 30 years later), to the school's first ever state title, a distinction soon withdrawn because of use of an ineligible player. Foley was named the state tourney’s most valuable player for scoring 41 points in three games after leading all area scorers during the season. He was among the State's most respected basketball referees in a 20-year officiating stint. In football, his speed was well-suited to quarterback. In 1929 Foley led Cheverus to a sparkling 7-1-1 mark, including a surprising 12-12 deadlock with mighty Portland. These were the only two touchdowns Portland yielded that season. Foley was a prominent factor in both scoring drives. Foley, who could hit the long ball and was feared as a clutch hitter, played under legendary Cheverus coach Walter Mulvihill. said Foley, “Of course, Walter Mulvihill was Our guiding light. He instilled in. us the will to overcome obstacles and win. He was to Cheverus what Knute Rockne was to Notre Dame.” And three-sport star Foley was Mulvihill's central character in stellar seasons of the late 1920s.

“Mickey Foster is a legend of Maine baseball and his impact is lasting in the small town of Standish. His accomplishments in high school, semi-pro, and professional baseball both as a pitcher and hitter are still talked about in local circles. It is fitting that his legacy be recognized by induction into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.” - Will Sanborn Ronald “Mickey” Foster was born in Gorham, Maine on January 12, 1934 and was raised on a small farm in Standish. Mickey grew up a strong, rangy, young man with broad shoulders, strong legs, large hands, and a fierce love for our National game. He once said “baseball is, and always will be, the best game in the world.” When Mickey was young the boys of Standish played pickup ball before school, during recess, and after school. This was “no fins, no funs” baseball. In grammar school he became a “sandlot hero” because of his ability to “pull” a ball 90 degrees from home plate and break the window in the front door of the school. As one can imagine that made him pretty popular with his classmates! At Standish High School the enrollment was under one hundred students. Standish played much larger schools in the Triple C Conference such as Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Windham, and Gorham. During that era the Standish High teams won a number of Conference and State Championships in baseball and basketball under the legendary Rupert G. Johnson, a baseball master who was far ahead of his time. Over his career Rupe’s baseball teams had a record of 384 victories and 90 losses for a winning percentage of .810 – a record which has never been duplicated. Not only did Rupe coach, but in his bat shop in Sebago Lake village he produced bats swung by players from little league to the pros. It was under the tutelage of Rupe Johnson in the early ‘50s that the young and strong farm boy, Mickey Foster, became a local legend. In 1951 the Standish High School Lakers won the Class S baseball crown. Mickey pitched the title game. He didn’t have his best stuff on that day, yet struck out 14! A powerful left-handed hitter, he also hit two home runs and added a single to lead his team to victory with five RBI. As a right handed pitcher, he was undefeated for all four years of high school. As a left-handed batter Mickey was one of the most feared hitters in the state. His batting average for his four high school years: Freshman .202, Sophomore .422, Junior .415, and Senior .420. He was selected an Evening Express All-Star for all four years. At the tender age of 14 Mickey began playing town team ball with the Sebago Lake Chevroliers, a team comprised of High School, College, and seasoned adult men. This was how the promising young men of the day learned the great game. In the summer of 1951 he also played for “fearless Freddie Harlow” with the Portland Pilots of the Down East League. Following graduation Mickey labored in a Manchester, CT textile mill for a year. He then attended Jack Rossiter’s baseball school in Cocoa, Florida. Two hundred twenty eight hopefuls attended the school, fifty six graduated, and twenty six were signed. Mickey was one of the twenty six. Ronald “Mickey” Foster signed his professional baseball contract with the Washington Nationals in 1953 and was assigned to the “Kitty League” in Fulton, Kentucky. It didn’t take Mickey long to make his mark on the Kitty League. Just two weeks into the season he posted two victories on the mound in one day against Paducah, KY. In the first game he scattered 6 hits for a 10-3 victory and then came off the bench to shut down the opposition with two scoreless innings in the 8th and 9th frames to pick up his second victory of the day. His success continued as he became the first rookie to win 20 games in the “Kitty League”. He finished the year 21-13 and was chosen as a league All-Star. He not only pitched but also played the outfield and first base. Long before the “pitch count era”, in the last week of his first Kitty League season, Mickey either started on the mound or pitched in relief every day. In 1954 his contract was purchased by Charlotte, North Carolina, a Class A franchise. He was sent to Hagerstown, Maryland for “seasoning.” One of the highlights Mickey often spoke of was facing the great Mickey Mantle in a spring training game. Mickey was well on his way to a career in professional baseball. Perhaps he would have made it all the way to the big leagues. Unfortunately his career was cut short by a severe skin and blood disorder that eventually became debilitating. Many did not know that he had suffered with this condition throughout his high school, semi-pro, and professional playing days. Mickey often played the game he loved in pain, until he could stand it no more. Retiring from professional baseball, Mickey joined the United States Army in 1956, proudly serving his country until 1958. After his service in the Army, Mickey returned to the family farm in Standish. There, surrounded by his much loved cats and dogs, he began a new passion; raising, training, and racing harness horses. To make ends meet at the farm Mickey also drove a tractor trailer for several different companies, and worked for Gorham Public Works. In 1967 Mickey met the “love of his life” Cathy and they were married in 1972. Together they managed the farm until the final out was recorded when he passed away on May 11, 2016 at the age of 82. With his induction into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame Ronald “Mickey” Foster will forever remain a legend of Maine baseball. From Dolby Blais and Segee https://www.dolbyblaissegee.com/obituaries/Ronald-Mickey-Foster/ "I was living in Fulton and was 10 yrs old. My grandmother Pope was a part owner in the Lookouts team. I went to most of the games and I had two heroes Big Ned Waldrop the slugging first baseman and Mickey "the Kid" Foster. He not only could pitch but hit and play anywhere. He was always laughing and always had the girls around him. We had a victory party at my grandmothers house. I got a ball autographed by all the players and Mickey gave me his old dirty hat and said that was why the girls liked him and it was lucky. I was the happiest boy that ever lived that day! He was very special to me in my childhood. I am willing to bet he lived the rest of his life like he did that year. I am glad to have known him and wanted the family to know his value to me personally. Terry Pope June 08, 2016

Adrien “Drig” Fournier’s baseball career started with sandlot ball - “Red Fence” had a special meaning. “Red Fence” was his only ball field in the early days.The three bases were three large rocks. The outfield was strewn with poison ivy. Need I say more? “Drig” excelled as a kid and managed to polish his skills under crude circumstances. He went on to have a great career at Jay High School - a four-sport star athlete and a student of the sports, especially baseball. He was never satisfied with the “status quo”. He was always looking for ways to improve his game. “Drig” was primarily an outfielder, swift afoot and a great accurate arm. He could play any position with great skill - in the field, on the mound or behind the plate. Always thinking two plays ahead of what was happening, he had great baseball sense that few baseball players possess. He went about his business in a methodical and very efficient way. He hit from the left side, sporting a lifetime batting average of well over .400. Hitting was a science he perfected. He was truly a hitting machine. He hit to all fields but also had tremendous power when called on, often winning a game with one swing of the bat. He believed in the old adage “hit’ em where they ain’t, but when he got his pitch, power took over. Because of his uncanny sense he could steal a base by making things happen. He could rattle a pitcher to the extent he always seemed to be standing on the next base. He was truly a ballplayer’s ballplayer. “Drig” played for many teams - Chi-Liv Townies, Turner Townies, Dixfield Townies, Wilton Loggers plus Central and Southern Maine, and in 1960 played in the National Amateur Tournament in Battle Creek, Michigan. He had a long and successful career that finally molded him into becoming one of the most outstanding Board umpires in Maine. He commanded great respect and knew the rules of the game like no other. After 28 years of umping, “Drig” decided to devote more time to his great love - golf. Always a scratch or low handicap player, he played with great skill as he did in baseball. "Drig’ truly belonged in Major League Baseball but he had to choose work instead of a professional career. At 71 years of age he is still on the golf course as often as time permits. He and his lovely wife Rita now make their home in Lewiston. From Lewiston Sun Journal Posted October 6, 2006 Fournier scores an ace AUBURN – Adrien “Drig” Fournier registered a hole-in-one Wednesday at Fox Ridge Golf Club. He aced the #13 hole, 109-yards, using a wedge. Witnessing the feat were Bob Jordan, Dick Hurd and Ed Michaud. It was Fournier’s sixth ace of his lengthy career. From Uncle Andy's Digest https://issuu.com/uncleandysdigest/docs/uad_november_2012

Francis, a native of Corea, later of Boothbay, was a star southpaw pitcher for Higgins Classical Institute and Dover Foxcroft in the Eastern Maine League. He had made rapid progress through organized baseball wehn WWII intervene. He, like Weeks was knocked out of major league ball by the war. He was a feared lefty. From Boothbay Register https://www.boothbayregister.com/article/wilson-g-francis-jane-francis/30190 Wilson G. Francis and Jane (Blood) Francis "Posted: Monday, March 17, 2014 - 9:45am Wilson Guy Francis, 94, of Boothbay, died March 6, 2014. He was born April 4, 1919 in the small town of Corea, son of Guy Francis and Mara (Crowley) Francis, and attended school in a one-room schoolhouse in Winter Harbor for nine years. After one year at Winter Harbor High School, he transferred to Higgins Classical Institute in Charleston. At Higgins, he began a stellar career as a baseball pitcher. "Lefty" Francis continued his baseball career in the old Tri-County League, pitching for Dover-Foxcroft Sebec Lakers. He went on to play semi-pro baseball in the Virginia State League for Harrisonburg in 1940. In March of 1941, Wilson was drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. There he continued his athletic career, leading his company basketball team to a championship and pitching for the Fort Benning Doughboys. During the first season, he went 25-4, pitched two no-hitters and struck out 21 and 22 batters in two separate games. He was named Fort Benning Athlete of the Year in 1941. In December of 1942, he was accepted into Officers Candidate School and at graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. On July 4, 1943, Wilson and Jane Blood of Dover-Foxcroft were married at Fort Benning. In September of 1943, Wilson was signed to a contract to the Cincinnati Redlegs, but because of threats of war, his major league career had to wait. In March of 1944, his unit was shipped to England and three months later, he and his unit were headed to Normandy, France. While on a patrol through a small French village, Wilson was struck in the left leg by machine gun fire. Doctors wanted to amputate his leg because of the bad wound, but Wilson refused and, after much therapy, he recovered. He spent most of the rest of his war years duty in a V.A. hospital. Wilson was discharged from the Army in 1945. His promising major league baseball career cut short, Wilson returned to Maine and continued to play semi-pro baseball. Because he had to forfeit his contract with the Reds, they awarded him with a lifetime pass to any major or minor league baseball game. Wilson became a self-employed lobster fisherman in Prospect Harbor after the war. In 1960-61, Wilson, his father and son built the lobster pound at Hodgdon Island. After selling the lobster pound in 1965, Wilson eventually bought it back in 1973 after it had changed hands a second time. His baseball career was topped off, when on December 5, 1976, he was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.

“As a teammate for three seasons, I always felt victory was at hand with Thom on the mound. He controlled games with his pitching expertise and dominated hitters. A loyal team member and thoroughly respected by his fellow comrades, he was legendary.” -Howie Vandersea, Teammate and Former Bowdoin Head Football Coach “Chick Leahey was not just a baseball coach, but a truly gifted instructor in the fundamentals as well as the nuances of the game. Although I was fortunate to have a chance to play on after Bates, I can honestly say that at no time did I learn more about baseball and how to conduct oneself on the field, and as a person in general, than the three years I played under his guidance.” -Thom Freeman Thom Freeman was born in Boston Ma. He grew up in Arlington Ma, a town known for their tough high school hockey teams, rather than their baseball pedigree. He played two years in Little League, 4 years of Arlington Youth Association Baseball followed by 3 years with American Legion Post 39. As a 16 year old he made a guest appearance in the historic Boston Park league against the prison team at Walpole. A two way player in both basketball and baseball Thom was recruited by Bates College and matriculated in the fall of 1959. He was a four year member of the varsity basketball team. His 1960-61 team was selected to the Northeast Regional NCAA Tournament. They won the first game against Springfield College but lost the next game to Williams College. Thom was the captain of the 1962-63 team. Thom played varsity baseball three years at Bates under the tutelage of the legendary coach William “ Chick” Leahey. He would become like a second father to Thom and many others on the team. In those days the Maine State Series was the ultimate competition for bragging rights in all sports in the state of Maine. Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, and the University of Maine at Orono, the Goliath, coached by Jack Butterfield. The other 3 schools had equally remarkable coaches in Chick Leahey, Danny MacFayden, and John Winken. His Junior and Senior season were especially rewarding for the Bates baseball program. As a junior they won the State series, losing only one game to Colby. At season’s end, Bates was selected to the Eastern Regional NCAA tournament in New Jersey. Thom pitched a complete game 2-lvictory over Fairleigh Dickerson University. Before the game the Bates players heard the comment that they were “hicks from Maine and never played any real competition.” They lost in the finals to Rollins College. In his senior year Bates again won the Maine State series. Thom said it was “especially satisfying defeating the Maine Black Bears” in his three years at Bates. Although it’s been 50 years since graduating many of Thom’s records are still standing. Some of these are: innings pitched (68) in one season, strikeouts (77) in one season, strikeouts (181) in his career. He is also still 2nd in wins in a season (7), innings pitched career (186), and his career E.R.A was 2.47. For his body of work Thom was selected on the 1963 All American team. He was the first Bates player to receive this honor. Thom is perhaps one of a few Mainer’s to play in the NCAA Tournament in both basketball and baseball. Upon graduation in 1963 Thom signed with the New York Yankees. They promptly shipped him out to play with the Harlan Ky.Yankees in the Appalachian League. In 1964 with the Fort Lauderdale Yankees, Thom won 5 games mostly in relief. He pitched 124 innings giving up 101 hits, striking out 89 with a 1.52 E.R.A. In 1965 with the Binghamton Yankees in NewYork-Penn League, Thom won 5 games and had 75 strikeouts in 66 innings. Some of the future major leaguer’s Thom played with was: Bobby Murcer, Fritz Peterson and Steve Kline. Some of his coaches were Bobby Shantz, Cloyd Boyer and Gary Blaylock. After the 1966 season Thom returned to Maine and began a very rewarding sales career with IBM. His wife Claire of 52 years, is a Lewiston native and his oldest son was born in Maine. He now lives in Wrentham Ma. and Fort Myers Fl. His family has regularly returned to Maine to enjoy family and Maine’s natural wonders. Most of his closest friends and teammates from Bates are from Maine or have returned to work or retire in the state. Of special note are football All American, Howie Vandersea, retired football coach at Bowdoin College, roommate Web Harrison, retired Bates football coach, roommate and teammate Woody Woolson, now retired in the Boothbay area, baseball and basketball teammate John Lawler of Auburn, and John Lanza, friend and former teammate. Their have been many great athletes who have graduated from Bates College. Thom was their first All American in baseball. He attributes a lot of his success to his coaches and teammates. It is perhaps fitting that he is the first player from Bates to be inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. He is a welcome addition to the class of 2016. Baseball Reference . Stats https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=freema001tho From Bates College in the News July 2016 https://www.bates.edu/news/2016/07/21/bates-in-the-news-july-21-2016/

Frank "Pat" French of Bath, was center fielder for Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics team in 1916 . French was plunked from the University of Maine campus by Philadelphia A's manager Connie Mack in 1916 and was a centerfielder with tremendous range. French entered military service in 1917 and returned to play for Portland in the New England League after the war. He taught and coached at Portland's Deering HS and later played and managed Lewiston, Rockland, and Togus semipro teams. From Wikipedia Pat French Outfielder Born: September 22, 1893 Dover, New Hampshire Died: July 13, 1969 (aged 75) Bath, Maine Batted: Right Threw: Right MLB debut July 2, 1917, for the Philadelphia Athletics Last MLB appearance July 4, 1917, for the Philadelphia Athletics Philadelphia Athletics (1917) Frank Alexander French (1893–1969) was an American professional baseball outfielder with the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1917 season. He was born in Dover, New Hampshire and is buried in Bath, Maine. He attended the University of Maine, where he played college baseball for the Black Bears in the 1910s From Baseball Reference https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/frencpa01.shtml From UMO https://goblackbears.com/hof.aspx?hof=30 From FindaGrave memorials https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/60725682/frank-alexander-french Frank "Pat" French drew little attention at Dover High School in New Hampshire for his athletic prowess. That would change after his high school graduation in 1913, when he arrived on the University Of Maine's Orono campus that September. Although raw and untapped, he quickly gained respect by excelling in three sports, and as Captain in each; track, baseball, and football. During the New England Intercollegiate Outdoor Track and Field Championship meet in 1915, Frank came in first place in the 120 yard high hurdles events with a championship time of 15.6 seconds. In 1916 he broke the University of Maine's broad jump record with a leap of 22 feet, 9 & 3/4 inches. In 1916, broad jumper Frank “Pat” French and hammer thrower Harold Bailey made the 1916 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team intended to compete in Berlin, Germany. The games were canceled though, due to World War I. French held UMaine’s outdoor long jump record for 80 years, and to this day has only been bested by one. UNIVERSITY OF MAINE OUTDOOR TRACK University Men's Records EVENT: Long Jump RECORD SET BY MEET DATE 21' 9 1/2" Frank "Pat" A. French State 5/16/1914 23' 4 4/5" Frank "Pat" A. French Bates 5/8/1915 Frank received a degree in economics from the University of Maine. He was from the class of 1917, although records indicate it was made official in 1918, possibly because of WWI. His family was residing in Wappinger's Falls, NY at his time of graduation. French was 23 years old when he broke into the big leagues on July 2, 1917, with Connie Mack's the Philadelphia Athletics. He played in 3 games before leaving back to Portland, Maine, where he played in the New England league.

From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curt_Fullerton Curtis Hooper Fullerton (September 13, 1898 – January 9, 1975) was an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Fullerton played his entire career for the Red Sox (1921–25, 1933). Listed at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 162 lb., Fullerton batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Ellsworth, Maine. In a six-season career, Fullerton posted a 10–37 record with 104 strikeouts and a 5.11 ERA in 115 appearances, including 43 starts, 18 complete games, three saves, 45 games finished, 211 walks, and 423.0 innings of work. Fullerton died in Winthrop, Massachusetts at age 76. From the Society of American Baseball Research . (many thanks!) https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/7dc219a9 Curt Fullerton This article was written by Bill Nowlin The city of Ellsworth, Maine, is the county seat of Hancock County and the self-proclaimed “heart of Downeast Maine,” named after Oliver Ellsworth, one of the delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention that led to the founding of the United States of America. He was later a United States senator and chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The city of Ellsworth is the easternmost city in the United States. Right-handed Boston Red Sox pitcher Curtis Fullerton, a native of Ellsworth. pitched for the Red Sox in 1921 through 1925, and then again quite a long time later, in 1933. Fullerton batted left-handed. As a major leaguer, he was an even 6 feet tall and listed at 162 pounds. Though he pitched in parts of six seasons and in 115 games, he never had a winning record. Curtis was born on September 13, 1898. His parents were Charles L. Fullerton, a sea captain, and Marian Letitia (Hooper) Fullerton. Charles was born in 1870 and Marian was born in 1871. Charles and Marian had two children, Frances and Curtis. Not long after the 1900 census was taken, Charles became a painter but he died in Ellsworth of diabetes on April 2, 1901. Marian remarried, in Ellsworth, on September 5, 1905, her second marriage, to Eugene H. Fullerton (b. 1867), his first marriage. We don’t yet know the relationship between Eugene and Charles – perhaps they were cousins. Sometime after their marriage, they moved to the Noddle Island district of East Boston, Massachusetts, and by the time of the 1910 US census, he was working as some kind of engineer working in lightering (transferring cargo from one vessel to another). He later became a stationary engineer in a machine shop. Eugene and Marian had a child of their own, Edwin, born in 1907. Curtis graduated from Emerson Grammar School and then from Mechanic Arts High School, playing baseball – pitching – in his junior and senior years. He’d played in grammar school for the Wood Island Seniors. It was with Mechanic Arts High that Curtis first pitched at Fenway Park. On June 20, 1917, he pitched his school to an 8-3 win over High School of Commerce, winning the Boston city baseball championship. Fullerton, the captain of the team, scattered six hits and it was only due to deficient defensive support (five errors) that the Commerce boys scored so many runs.1 Fullerton graduated in 1918, the final year of World War I, and spent 1918 and then 1919 working as a mechanic at a shipyard in Brooklyn. While in New York, he pitched for a semipro team headed by Guy Empey.2 By the time of the 1920 census, Fullerton was back in East Boston working as a sorter for a poultry wholesaler. Fullerton took the train to Red Sox spring training in early March 1921, traveling out of Boston with new manager Hugh Duffy. He was described by the Boston Globe as “the young pitcher recommended by Jeff Tesreau.” 3 That would be a recommendation worthy of consideration, Tesreau having won 119 major-league games for the New York Giants and pitching in three World Series – 1912, 1913, and 1917. Tesreau headed up an independent baseball team in New York, and Fullerton pitched for Jeff Tesreau’s Bears in 1920.4 Fullerton’s big-league debut was on April 14, 1921, with two innings of relief in an 8-2 loss to the Senators in Washington. He faced 10 batters, giving up just one hit but walking two, hitting a batter, and being charged with two earned runs. He pitched two more innings the very next day, with the same result – two earned runs, this time on four hits, one of them a home run. He pitched twice more for the Red Sox, on May 20 and then – after spending most of the rest of the season with the Toronto Maple Leafs – on October 2. Both were disappointing experiences – four earned runs in three innings in the May game in Detroit, and then a complete-game 7-6 loss in New York, giving up seven runs in 8? innings. Fullerton’s ERA for the year was 8.80. For Toronto, he was 14-10 with a 2.78 ERA. Perhaps. The Boston Herald reported his record as 17-8.5 When Fullerton arrived for spring training in Hot Springs in 1922, it was thought from the start that he’d make it. As players were still arriving for camp, Melville Webb wrote, “There seems no question that Fullerton, who finished so well with Toronto last fall and then looked so good in a game with the Yankees, will be retained, for he is going along in splendid style.”6 Indeed, he made it – and appeared in 31 games for Boston in 1922, three starts and 28 in relief. In none of the three starts was Fullerton able to complete three innings. Two of the three resulted in his being charged with losses; he was 1-4 for the season, the one win coming in the second game of a May 29 doubleheader against the visiting Washington Senators. He pitched the final three innings of the game, giving up one run in the top of the 11th, but happily seeing his teammates put across two runs in the bottom of the inning, with RBI hits by Del Pratt and Shano Collins. Fullerton’s ERA for 1922, over the 64? innings pitched, was 5.46. The Red Sox finished in last place, at 61-93. The staff ERA was 4.30, and Fullerton’s was the highest of anyone working more than three games, but he was still brought back for 1923. They needed an arm. Fullerton impressed in spring training, earning a headline or two, but his 1923 season saw him win only twice as many games as the year before – two – while he lost nearly four times as many: He finished 2-15, though with a slightly improved earned-run average of 5.09. He worked in 37 games, starting 15, and threw a total of 143? innings. The Red Sox had a new manager in Frank Chance, but still won the same number of games as the year before – 61 – and still finished in last place, 37 games behind the pennant-winning Yankees. It’s not really clear when it happened, but in May 1923 Nick Altrock told of a time he had seen an impressive Fullerton pitching in Boston for the House of David team. Apparently, the famous bearded traveling baseball team was short on pitchers and borrowed Fullerton from the Red Sox. Altrock didn’t know that he was on loan, and recommended him to Clark Griffith of the Washington Senators – only to find Fullerton, sans fake beard, pitching against the Senators just two weeks later in D.C.7 It was a better year for Fullerton in 1924. He lost his first decision, despite giving up just two runs, a 3-1 loss in Washington. His next two starts were complete-game wins, 7-2 and 8-2. He seemed to have been pulling it together. In mid-July, the Globe wrote, “Boston has held Fullerton for a long time, waiting for him to arrive as a contestant. …” Speaking of him and Oscar Fuhr, the article continued, “Fullerton and Fuhr have plenty of stuff – there’s no doubt of that. What has been the trouble, if the truth be told, is that neither has been quite ‘mad’ enough or serious enough to go out to deliver the goods at hand.”8 They were starting to show some fire. August 23 was “Curtis Fullerton Day” at Fenway and he was showered with gifts from East Boston friends and admirers, including a diamond ring and a large floral horseshoe, but he got neither good luck nor sufficient support from his teammates; the Indians jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and he was replaced after three innings. The game ended 8-6, and Fullerton was charged with the loss. As the season progressed, he had added a few more wins and through the end of August was 7-5 with a 4.22 ERA. Then came September. Fullerton started seven games and lost every one of them. The team was 9-19 for the month. Fullerton’s ERA increased a bit, to 4.38, but not all that much. During the offseason, Fullerton lived in Boston. To keep in shape, he bowled about a dozen strings every afternoon, worked out at the East Boston YMCA, and typically ran at least a mile and a half each evening.9 Fullerton appeared in just four games in 1925 and lost three of them – despite a 3.18 ERA for the stretch. He started on April 15 and May 3 and relieved in two games in between, on April 24 and 28. On May 9 he was unconditionally released to the St. Paul Saints. The next day’s Boston Globe reported, “Pres Quinn decided it was useless to hold him longer. Going over the records he found that Fullerton had won only six games for the Boston club in the three years he has been with it, and he came to the conclusion that some of his recruits could do better than this.”10 It may have taken a change in ownership for a more open mind. Quinn owned the Red Sox until early 1933, when Tom Yawkey purchased the team. To be fair, Quinn wasn’t necessarily as negative as this sounds; the Boston Herald reported that Quinn hoped Fullerton would find himself in the minors.11 Fullerton found St. Paul a good experience, going 15-8 in 1925. This despite a major stumble in his May 13 debut for the Saints – when the Saints came from behind to tie the game, 5-5, in the bottom of the seventh, but then Fullerton hit four Toledo Mud Hens in the top of the eighth, and surrendered four runs before the inning was over. He was rated the “truck horse” of the Saints in 1925.12 Fullerton signed with the New York Yankees late in 1925, but the New York Times suggested that the Yankees had pulled a bit of a fast one, thanks to their close ties to the St. Paul club, that the transaction had “all the elements on a ‘wash sale,’ designed to cover Fullerton up and prevent another club from drafting him from St. Paul.”13 The Yankees never invited Fullerton to spring training but let him know on February 23 that they wouldn’t be needing his services in 1926. In March he was released to Hollywood in the Pacific Coast League. The transfer to Hollywood was seen as partial compensation for Tony Lazzeri.14 Fullerton was 10-17 with a 4.34 ERA in 1926 (the Stars seemed to have trouble scoring runs in the games he pitched), and in 1927, he was 13-19 for the Stars. He pitched most of 1928 for Hollywood, too, then was traded to the Portland Beavers in early August for Elmer Smith and Johnny Couch.15 He was a combined 15-20 for the two teams, with a 3.45 ERA. Fullerton had two full seasons for Portland in 1929 (19-18, 4.50) and 1930 (11-18, 5.90). It didn’t appear that minor-league ball was truly producing much better pitching. In 1929 he was fortunate to survive an automobile accident in San Clemente, one that took the life of Denny Williams. The Oregonian said Fullerton was one of Portland’s main three pitchers in 1929; the paper said he was “big and good-natured, easy-going and a little lazy, but when he gets hopped up he can surely pitch.” He chewed tobacco, “the bigger the quid the better the result.”16 Fullerton began 1931 with the Beavers, but was traded to Jersey City near the end of June for pitcher Kinner G. Graff, another right-hander.17 Veteran Portland sportswriter L.H. Gregory called him “Professor Fullerton” because of his “Harvard accent” and said that Fullerton was glad to be headed back East.18 Fullerton was 1-6 for the Jersey City Skeeters in 1931. He was released on September 1. He returned to Boston and left the ranks of Organized Baseball. Semipro baseball in Boston sometimes outdrew the Red Sox. The Red Sox averaged 3,607 per game at Fenway Park in 1933, and the Boston Braves averaged 6,725 at Braves Field, but Fullerton pitched before a crowd of 9,000 at Fallon Field on August 11. Pitching for Roslindale, he threw a two-hitter that day against the Rosebuds. He threw four games in seven days for Roslindale and won three of them. On August 21 Fullerton was signed by Eddie Collins of the Red Sox and headed to join the team in Chicago. The Red Sox were in seventh place at the time, 28 games out of first. Just two days later, Fullerton pitched a complete game, on his first day in the majors after missing seven full seasons. It was underwhelming, a 12-1 defeat, with every one of the 12 runs earned. Fifteen hits, six bases on balls, and one hit batsman spelled defeat. Four days later, he bore another complete-game loss, this time by a 5-3 score. The two starts were his only decisions of the year; four times in September, he appeared in relief roles. He finished the season with an 8.53 ERA and the 0-2 record. The last time Fullerton had won a major-league game was August 28, 1924; he’d been saddled with an even dozen losses since that time. His big-league career ended without another win. The Red Sox had a working agreement with the Kansas City Blues (American Association) and in December 1933, Fullerton was one of five Sox players sent there. He was released by the Red Sox in January 1934. The Associated Press seemed to have been unaware of his history; it called him “a rookie of promise.”19 He was 10-17 that year (4.76 ERA) for last-place Kansas City, and 9-11 (5.33) for the third-place Blues in 1935. In October 1934 he married Mary Mildred McGilvery. Fullerton pitched in the Texas League for the Dallas Steers in 1936, and had a very good year (20-8, 2.72) at the somewhat lower level (Class A1, below Double-A but a notch above Class A). His 20 wins led the league. Tulsa beat out Dallas in the playoffs. From first to worst, the 1937 Steers finished last in the league. Fullerton pitched for Dallas in 1937, but on the day the team fired manager Firpo Marberry, they also released Fullerton. He’d been sitting on the Dallas bench before a game when he learned of Marberry’s firing – and then his own release – over the loudspeaker in the park. “Did he say me?” Fullerton asked the player next to him.20 He caught on with the Galveston Buccaneers; he was a combined 8-15 (4.46) in 1937. In 1938, now age 39, Fullerton pitched his last year in Organized Baseball, going 3-2 for the Monroe (Louisiana) White States in the Class C Cotton States League. He also appeared for the Marshall Tigers in the East Texas League and the Shreveport Sports in the Texas League. After baseball, Fullerton returned to the Boston Naval Shipyard, where he worked as an electrician and welder. Fullerton died in Winthrop, Massachusetts, on January 9, 1975. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mildred McGilvery Fullerton, and survived by his sister, Mrs. Frances Chase of Waltham. He is buried in Winthrop Cemetery. Sources In addition to the sources noted in this biography, the author also accessed Fullerton’s player file and player questionnaire from the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Retrosheet.org, and Baseball-Reference.com. Thanks to Dick Beverage for some of Fullerton’s Pacific Coast League data. From Baseball Reference https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fullecu01.shtml From Boston Public Library https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:b5644t00h

LIONEL GAGNE A combination of disheartening and untimely injuries kept Winslow’s Lionel (Nell) Gagne from ever playing major league baseball despite his slugging exploits in the minors. His first two times up for the Boston Bee's farm team in Evansville, Ind., lefty Gagne, a three-sport standout at Winslow High, rocketed two doubles off the wall, despite his 5-9, 170 size. He was leading the Nebraska League in hitting (.372) at Beatrice, a Brooklyn Dodger affiliate, until pulled ligaments in his legs put him on the shelf. Later signed by the Boston Braves, Gagne was again drawing the attention of scouts in Hartford, Conn., when a form of acne broke out on his arms and shoulders curtailing another fine season. Once that cleared up, and he was Starring again, this time for Drummondville in the Provincial League, a trick knee, the result of a torn ligament, proved his undoing. Told by doctors that the ailment could only be remedied by an expensive operation, Gagne abandoned his pursuit of a major league career. Nonetheless, he gutted it out for years On various semi-pro teams, earning his entrance into this year’s Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. Among them was Maine’s Worumbo Indians, where his big bat helped them to a state championship. He also played for the Winslow Tacconnets, leading the league in hitting before joining the service for three-and-a-half years, being stationed in Europe and playing on service teams. Not quick, this outfielder, mostly center, would be off with the crack of the bat saving countless games with spectacular catches. Owning a good batting eye it was only natural that Gagne batted lead-off most of the time. He worked for the Waterville Sentinel for 17 years before joining the Waterville Window Co. Today he is president of Care Free Homes. Gagne enjoys a care-free life himself now, spending the winters in Florida, mostly on the golf course. From Lewiston Sentinal WINSLOW -- Lionel "Nel" J. Gagne passed away with his family by his side on Jan. 24, 2006. Nel was born on Sept. 7, 1915, in Winslow, son of the late Ernest and Annie Gagne. He graduated from Winslow High School where he was a three-letter sports standout and was one of the players of Winslow's 1939 championship basketball team. He attended Coburn Classical Institute in Waterville. Nel was drafted by major baseball farm leagues, the Brooklyn Dodgers and later by the Boston Braves. He also played for various semi-pro leagues in Maine. In 1981 he was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. He was an avid golfer and bowled on many leagues. He served his country in the Army during World War II in North Africa and Italy and was deployed to the Pacific campaign when the war ended. He was a member of the Winslow VFW and the Waterville American Legion.