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Mike’s love for baseball began in 1960 in Norfolk, Virginia, a 9-year old playing alongside his brother Bob in the Norfolk Little League at the Norfolk Naval base. The family had just moved there from Manchester, Maine, as his dad was stationed there. When they returned to Maine three eventful years later, and after a good tryout at Augusta South Little League, he was selected to play for Nichols Pontiac. Coach George “Jonesy” Jones was stationed at the Naval base in Augusta. “He was the best coach I ever had; he taught me how to play, play it right, and how to really work hard. Little did I know back then, that I would look back at his mentoring as my role model on how to be a coach.” That team went 17-1 and won the league championship. Mike finished the season with a pitching record of 6-0 and threw a no-hitter in his final Little League game. The next 3 years as a player were spent on the Babe Ruth diamond at Augusta’s Capitol Park on Millionaire Field. “Those were three of the best years of my life. Having my dad and brother on the team with me was awesome! My brother and I always tried to outdo each other and getting to play in the All-Star games with him was the best.” Mike moved on to play baseball at Hall-Dale High School in 1966, but unfortunately, after one season an illness forced him to the sidelines and he was unable to continue to play. His love of the game, though, never died. Everything happens for a reason, and in the summer of 1969, after graduation, his coaching career began at the age of 18. His uncle, Robert “Lefty” Hill asked him to help coach the Wadleigh’s Little League team back at Augusta South. “Uncle Lefty and I coached three seasons together, and I haven’t missed coaching a season since.” In 1972, Mike moved up the coaching ladder to Babe Ruth Baseball in the Apple Valley League, winning several League Championships, before being hired as the Assistant Baseball coach at Maranacook Community School in Readfield, in 1980. Mike moved up to become head coach in 1984 and held that position for 11 years winning over 100 years along with five tournament appearances. Babe Ruth baseball continued to be a part of Mike’s coaching during those years at MCS. “Back in 1985, the then State Director of Babe Ruth Baseball, Dick ‘Sarge’’ McGuire called and ordered me to come over to the ‘war room’ at his home to discuss Babe Ruth Baseball. He needed a new President for Apple Valley Babe Ruth League (a position I would hold for 9 years) and also informed me that I would be his righthand man as Assistant Babe Ruth Director. Sarge didn’t ask, he just told you what was. Having known Dick all of my life, and almost getting thrown out of a Babe Ruth All-Star game while pitching in Winthrop by, then umpire, Richard McGuire, I knew not to argue, but simply say, ‘yes, Sir’! For 12 years, I assisted him and when he passed from cancer, I lost one of my best friends and mentors.” Mike became Head Baseball Coach at Messalonskee High from 1995-1997 coaching there for three years before serving as Harvey Shapiro’s assistant at Bowdoin in 1998. In 1999 Mike went back to Maranacook, this time as Head Softball Coach. “I had never coached softball but had played several years of modified fast pitch softball in Augusta. So, I took a baseball approach to the girls team and, along with Coach Ken Martin, molded our team into a state powerhouse, winning 3 Conference Championships, 2 out of 3 Regional Championships, a State Championship in 1999, and Runners up, against Erskine Academy in 2000. Our girls won over 80 games in 5 seasons, and I had the great pleasure of coaching my daughter, Morgan, during those years.” Serving the baseball and softball communities has been a priority for Mike. He was involved in forming the Maine Baseball Coaches Association, serving as Secretary/Treasurer for several years; and the Maine High School Softball Coaches Association, spearheading the Senior Softball All-Star game. In late 2003, Mike and his wife, Lynn, moved to Florida to start a new chapter in their lives. Mike was head baseball coach for 8 years at Out-of-Door Academy in Sarasota, while working there as Athletic Director and Director of Sports Facilities. His teams there won over 120 games, one District Championship, and went to two Regional Finals. He also coached 3 years at Braden River High School in Bradenton before being recruited to help start a new school called Inspiration Academy, also in Bradenton. Mike started the baseball team by developing the Second Chance program at the school. He called area coaches who had a cut policy at their schools. Since, Inspiration was not affiliated with any state high school sports association, he could invite kids who were cut from those school teams to become a part of Second Chance Baseball. Several of those players went on to play on scholarships in college. Coach Verrill has, during his years coaching in Florida, continued to summer in Maine and stayed involved with Maine baseball as Director of Baseball at Bridgton Sports Camp working with camp owner Brian “Koop” Kooperman, and as assistant to Bridgton Academy Head Baseball Coach Aaron “Izzy” Izaryk through fall ball. “My years at Bridgton have been some of the best times I’ve ever had coaching. Working with these great guys has been a highlight of my coaching career.” Currently, Mike is the Head Baseball Coach at Saint Stephens Episcopal School in Bradenton, Florida. This past season his team went 18-8 overall and reached the Florida State Regional Semi-Final game vs 3-time defending State Champions Canterbury, Fort Myers. Overall, through Mike’s high school baseball coaching career, his teams have won 355 games and his softball teams have won 150 games. “I want to thank my wife, Lynn, for her support over these 51 years of coaching. She always understood my love and passion for the game was there for me every step of the way. She took care of all that needed to happen behind the scenes; travel arrangements, meal reservations, stats, keeping score, writing letters, and most importantly, taking care the needs of our two girls, Michelle and Morgan. Both were very good students and athletes, who needed our support, and they too, supported me. Raising them with Lynn has been my greatest accomplishment. Together, we made it work.”

Gazing out the living room window from his home on Washington Avenue in Portland, Frank Watson overlooks the baseball field built by John Haverty. It undoubtedly prompts reflection on a baseball career that spanned parts of 4 decades and achieved more state titles and individual honors at all levels than most of us can even dream of. Frank Watson’s baseball journey began on Bedford Street in Portland. His father George, who played college and Twilight League ball, would pitch BP and hit flies and grounders to young Frank, instilling in the lad a passion for the game that never waned throughout his career. Frank recalls having to try out as a 9-year old for the Portland Little League 4 team. Back then the names of the boys who made the team were published in the newspaper. After tryouts, Frank’s name wasn’t in the paper. After a day of inconsolable dismay, Frank was informed by his apologetic coach that his name had inadvertently been left out of the paper and he was indeed the first player picked for the team. Frank made sure his name didn’t get left out of the paper thereafter, blossoming into a young star in George’s footsteps. He was a 2-time Little League All-Star and played on a Portland Babe Ruth All-Star team that twice won state championships coached by the legendary Lou Tripaldi and assisted by Tom Dibiase and Rollie MacMillan. Frank credits Tripaldi with instilling a healthy respect for the fundamentals of the game. Frank played for another coaching legend at Portland High School. The stern demeanor and sage baseball mind of Edson Hadlock further shaped Frank’s baseball development and his career took off, culminating in All-Telegram and All-State selections in 1977 and two state championships for the Bulldogs in 1976 and 1977. Paralleling his success at Portland, Frank also played on two state championship teams for the Andrews Post American Legion team. Frank’s coach was the crusty Frank Archer whose memorable bunt signal was either a bluntly obvious verbal command, “make the third baseman field it”, or a thinly-disguised bunting gesture with his cane. In the late 1970’s John Winkin was developing a national-caliber team at the University of Maine. He was keenly interested in Frank and recruited the fleet centerfielder to come to Orono on a baseball scholarship. “I think Winkin saw a little bit of himself in me,” says Frank. “Being small in stature, we both had to scrap like hell to get noticed.” Frank was the starting centerfielder as a freshman in 1978. He hit .299 for the nationally ranked Black Bears and won the Bobby Winkles Hustle Award at the Riverside (California) Invitational Tournament. Following the 1979 season in which he batted .280, Frank decided to transfer to the University of Southern Maine. After sitting out a year, he finished his collegiate playing career under coach Dusty Drew, hitting over .400 in 1981 and 1982 and earning NAIA All-American honors. Frank was inducted into the USM Husky Hall of Fame in 1992. Frank enjoyed a long and productive second baseball career in the Portland Twilight League. He played from 1979 until 2003, and is acknowledged as having the longest playing tenure in league history, winning several batting crowns and league MVP awards and numerous (“I’m guessing 10, maybe more, maybe less”) team championships. He played for Sportsman’s Grill, Olympia Sports, Intown Portland Associates, Forest Gardens, and Coastal Athletics, and later sponsored teams under the Mortgage Network and Lender’s Network banner. At various times, Frank served as President, Commissioner and Treasurer of the Twilight League and was instrumental in keeping the league credible as a serious baseball option for over 30 years. “I can remember when the Twilight League was stacked with either ex-pros or Division 1 college players,” recalls Frank. Frank continued to contribute to the game even after his active playing days were over. He won 3 state titles with the Portland Babe Ruth All-Stars, making 2 World Series appearances and served as assistant coach at Deering High School, Nova Seafood American Legion, and most recently, with Ed Flaherty at USM from 2012 -2016, where he was part of two teams making College World Series appearances. USM Athletic Director Al Bean said: “Frank Watson has baseball in his blood and has committed a large part of his life to the game.” With his induction today into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame, Frank, along with his wife Jen and children Frankie, Matt, Katie and Lily, will really enjoy that view of Haverty Field.

A 1932 Bowdoin graduate has been known as "Mr Little League" since that brand of baseball came to Maine in 1951 . Plaisted Park on Shore Road across from entrance to Fort Williams and Portland Head Light was named in honor of Harris M. Plaisted, a founder of Cape Elizabeth Little League.

Carroll Plourde is a native and life-long resident of Waterville, Maine and his impressive record of accomplishments in baseball, while largely generated from his hometown, extends through the State. Plourde’s outstanding career as a pitcher for Waterville High led to his being drafted by the Boston Braves in 1952 and a handsome signing bonus of $2,000.00. Following a season of pitching for the Class D Welch Miners in the Appalachian League, Plourde was drafted again – by the U.S. Army. During a 3-year military stint, Carroll played service ball at army posts in Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania and overseas in Germany where he joined fellow Mainer Carlton Willey on a division All-Star team. Plourde entered the University of Maine on the G.I. Bill in the fall of 1955 and graduated in 1959 with a degree in education. Plourde then embarked on a teaching career of nearly 30 years at Benton Elementary School and Lawrence High School that paralleled a long and productive tenure of playing, coaching, umpiring and promoting the game of baseball. Carroll played for several of the storied town teams that dotted the Maine baseball landscape in the 1950’s including the Fairfield Merchants, Waterville Giants, Pittsfield A.C., and Farmington Flyers. “Any team that needed a ballplayer, I was available,” recalls Plourde. Plourde umpired high school and college baseball games well over 25 years. He was instrumental in organizing the Kennebec-Somerset Umpires Association. In addition to becoming one of the most respected umpires in the State, Plourde was also instrumental, along with Richard “Dick” McGee, in starting the PAL program in Fairfield. He later moved on to become athletic director at Unity College where he coached basketball and organized that school’s first-ever baseball program. Carroll was an eager benefactor of the Waterville American Little League where he coached all three of his sons playing for Harold Alfond sponsored teams, winning two city championships over a 5-year period. Following his service to Little League, Plourde devoted countless hours and experience to the Waterville American Legion program and later recruited the esteemed Wally Covell to assist in organizing a Waterville entry in the Portland Twilight League. For his meritorious service in the promotion and support of baseball in the Elm City, Carroll Plourde was inducted into the Waterville Hall of Fame in 2004. With an enviable record that includes a distinguished playing career and several decades of “giving back” through his tireless support of youth baseball leagues, Carroll Plourde is, in the words of fellow Hall of Famer Al Card, “a man made for the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.” Posted July 26, 2013 MAINE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME: Plourde lived the dream BY TRAVIS LAZARCZYK STAFF WRITER https://www.centralmaine.com/2013/07/26/maine-baseball-hall-of-fame-plourde-lived-the-dream/ It was just one season, but Carroll Plourde’s time as a professional baseball player still makes him proud, 60 years later. “I’m a baseball fan,” Plourde said. “I’m fortunate I had the chance to play.” Plourde played in the Boston Braves system in 1952. After a standout career at Waterville Senior High School, Plourde received his invitation to the Boston Braves minor league camp in Myrtle Beach, S.C. after a tryout in Waterville. Hundreds of hopeful players worked out in Myrtle Beach, trying to earn a spot on one of the Braves’ minor league clubs. “They kept 120 (players) and sent the rest home,” Plourde said. “I got a small bonus.” “I’m thankful I lived in Maine and learned to play baseball here,” Plourde said. “My lifelong dream was to play professional baseball, and I’m one of the few who made it from here.” From Legacy Pages https://obituaries.centralmaine.com/obituaries/mainetoday-centralmaine/obituary.aspx?n=carroll-j-plourde&pid=168192482&fhid=29092 Carroll J. Plourde, 80, Dec. 13, 1932 - Nov. 25, 2013 Carroll's contributions to the local sport scene began as a young athlete drafted out of high school, and participating within the Milwaukee Braves farm system (later known as the Atlanta Braves) in the early 1950s. He later returned to the Waterville area where he participated for several local town teams. His accomplishments earned him recognition and induction into the Waterville Area Sports Hall of Fame and recently into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.

DALE PLUMMER INDUCTED INTO MAINE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME; UMO STAR AND PRO PITCHER FOR 8 YEARS Baseball is many things--and one of them is happenstance. A guy excels at every level he plays at from youth ball to college to minors. He is poised for his shot.He waits for the day to come, the year to come, or the spring training call up where he hopes to prove himself--finally. And what happens? A million things. Team needs change. Coaching personnel change. Personalities come and go. Arms get sore, rest is needed. Balls hit pebbles in the infield. Instead of 4-6-3 and out of the inning, it is now runners at second and third, and a bloop hit, an HBP, a walk, a bad call, and you are reaching for the Lifebouy soap with a loss hanging around your neck. If it only took talent or hard work or a lifetime of accomplishment on the ladder to the top, Dale Plummer would be finishing a brilliant Major League pitching career. A l987 graduate of UMO, the hard throwing right handed was a solid member of the Black Bear team that went to the College World Series for the last time in l986. He went on to a great career in the New York Mets organization; the Bath native was a Met draft pick in June l988. He pitched for the Mets organization, and later the Boston Red Sox organization, from l988 to l996.  He appeared in more than l,450 professional games, compiling a 38-19 won-loss record with 29 saves. He made it up to the big club for MLB spring training in l995, but Lady Luck did not smile on him. He called it quits a year later. “Dale was a great player,” said Mike Pearson, who nominated him. “He has taken the same professional attitude he employed on the athletic fields to the workplace today.” Plummer’s pro honors included: *Webster Award from Mets minor league system for on and off field accomplishments, l993; *Mets AAA Baseball Team Most Inspirational Player Award, l993, for overcoming health challenges; When Plummer returned to Maine, he established Professional Baseball Experience Inc., a corporation to teach baseball to kids. He coached baseball at Gardiner High from l996 thru 2000, then at Bowdoin from  2001 to 2005. He later signed on for impressive years of coaching with Colby College. Meanwhile, he holds down a fulltime job, and has, at Bath Iron Works, since l998 as Procurement Program Manager. “Dale’s success does not surprise me,” former UMO Coach John Winkin said during Plummer’s pro career. “He was a great pitcher and great leader for me at Orono in the l980s. You don’t forget guys like him. He was a good one. A class act.” Plummer is the latest of several UMO Black Bears from the l980s to be inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=91827 The Greatest 21 Days ~ April 5, 2011 http://www.greatest21days.com/2011/04/g21d-interview-dale-plummer-good-thing.html Dale Plummer's Colby College Mules gathered around their coach for their post-game talk. Colby had just had a tough day at Hartford, Conn.'s Trinity College, losing by a score of 19-8. "The good thing about this," Plummer quoted himself as telling his players, "is we get to go home, take a shower, get a good meal and then come back and do it again tomorrow." While the Colby College Mules could count on coming back to do it again, there was once a time in Plummer's life when tomorrow was far from a certainty. Before his college coaching career, Plummer played seven years in the minor leagues, for the Mets and the Red Sox. But, in 1992, in the middle of his fifth season, third with time at AAA, Plummer felt a pain in his midsection. That pain, turned out to be cancer. He had gone from being a pitcher on the brink of making the major leagues, to a cancer patient, unsure of what would happen. But he made it back, eventually signing with his childhood team, the Boston Red Sox. He went from not being able to run between two telephone poles, to being told by his manager he'd gotten called up to the major leagues. But call-up came with the realization that he couldn't go - an injury meant he couldn't pitch. He also couldn't realize his childhood dream of playing for the Boston Red Sox. "It's going to be with me for the rest of my life, it really is," Plummer told The Greatest 21 Days. "I try to make the best of it. The game's a tough game. I had the baseball rug pulled out from underneath my feet more than once." "I tell them the game's the same," Plummer said. "It really is. Instead of competing against the pitcher, or competing against the other team, you're really competing against yourself." "I had a lot of faith in God," Plummer said of that time. "When you find out something like that, there's nothing you can do, so I just gave it up to Him. Because there was nothing I could do. "Life was on hold for a while, until we got through the treatments." Plummer got through the treatments. But the treatments took their toll. He recalled trying to run between telephone poles. He couldn't even do that. Those telephone poles, he recalled, became the benchmark for his come back. "It was tough," Plummer recalled. "It was really tough to come back. But I worked every day. I made sure I went at least one more telephone pole every day. That was my goal." "I had nothing to lose," Plummer added a short time later. "I was out of the game. I almost died. I had nothing to lose. That's why enjoy each day put the uniform on." His come back earned him a slot back at AAA for 1993. He went 7-3 with four saves and an ERA of 5.16. After that year, Plummer was released. He went unsigned for 1994. Plummer returned for spring 1995, with the Red Sox. He also became a replacement player. It was a decision that Plummer said was an easy one. He knew several union members. He'd roomed with Mo Vaughn years earlier in the Cape Cod League. He also knew big league guys he'd played with at AAA. But Plummer wanted to play baseball. He also had bigger plans than simply playing in the majors. "Coming from Maine, being a Red Sox fan lifelong, I just wanted to win the World Series. And that was my goal," Plummer said. "And if those other guys in the clubhouse didn't want to win the World Series, then so be it. But, if I got called up and they wanted to give me crap, then too bad on them. "The game had been taken away from me a couple times, and I battled back, taking advantage of any opportunity I could get," Plummer added. "I just wanted to win a World Series for the Sox." After his retirement, Plummer started his coaching career. By 2001, he was an assistant at Colby rival Bowdoin College. In 2006, Plummer moved to Colby as an assistant. In 2007, he took over the top job. He joined Colby the year after the historic program didn't win a game, going 0-27. By 2008, Plummer's Colby Mules were 18-14. "I tell the guys that come to Colby that they've got to love the game, every recruit that comes in my office, that if you don't love the game of baseball, then it's not going to work out for you at Colby," Plummer said, "because you've really got to love it." The goal, Plummer said, isn't just to be good, it's to win. "They're definitely here to get their education," Plummer said, "but this enhances it. This baseball opportunity enhances their education. Hopefully, it's gonna get them through in life, when things don't go their way."

The late Peter Pompeo, who grew up in a land of baseball plenty in Portland’s East Deering section, never lost his love for the game. Long past his sandlot playing days, Pompeo remained active in his favorite sport as coach, scorekeeper, and personnel recruiter. He was handed the manager title on such Portland Twilight League title teams as Eastern Oil, Yudy’s Tire and Benoit’s of Biddeford, but his chief reward was closeup contact with the finest of athletes and athletics. Pompeo had more individual success in a brief fling at fighting, but the team spirit and sidelines camaraderies were more important. Too, the association of his youngsters, namesake Peter and “baby” Bobby, with the gentlemanly likes of peerless veteran Merv Kilgore and the East Deering duo of Portland High three-sport stars Willie Greenlaw and Frank Nappi provided an ideal sports setting. Brothers Ken and Tom MacMillan, also part of East Deering’s rich baseball tradition, naturally were pleased to play under the Pompeo banner. Ticking off the parade of talent assembled by Pompeo in more than two decades of Twilight ball runs the risk of skipping several standouts, but coming to mind quickly were such as pitchers Mel Ike Parker, the brothers Jack, Dick and Dave; Frankie Rivers, Dick Harrington, Lin Southworth, Dick Dutremble and Norm Faucher.

It was a good time to fall in love. World War II was over, America’s game was beginning to rekindle the fervor of its pre-Pearl Harbor days and little boys discovered the wonder and glory of baseball. Pete “Buster” Pompeo was the four year old batboy for Pallotta Oil, a team managed by his father, Peter, Sr. in the Twilight League. “I used to love catching equipment,” said Pompeo. “I just fell in love with baseball.” Pompeo’s fascination with the “tools of ignorance” never wavered during his playing days through Farm League, Little League, Babe Ruth, American Legions and the Twilight League. He was also a catcher at Portland High School under the legendary Edson Hadlock. Pompeo was a center and middle linebacker on the football team coached by Bobby Graff. During his senior season, Pompeo was cocaptain with Dale Rand. One of his high school memories concerns Deering star Mort “The Immortal” Soule. He threw Soule out on an attempted steal. “He always reminds me,” said Pompeo. “He says, ‘You’re the only catcher to throw me out.’” After graduating in 1963 (his classmate and football teammate Bruce Glasier is also one of today’s inductees) Pompeo completed a tour with the Marines, then learned the trade of upholstering from his father at the Portland Furniture Company. Eventually Pompeo joined the Portland Fire Department. He served for more than 30 years, retiring in 1998. During this time Pompeo began umpiring, averaging more than 100 games a season. Now, in his 33rd year behind the plate and on the bases, he has reduced this schedule to “60 or 65.” Most of his assignments have been high school or American Legion with some minor league games in Winter Haven, FL, spring training site for his beloved Red Sox. Pompeo prefers to work the plate, an influence he believes can be traced to his days as a catcher. “I’m a plate man,” he says. “I’ve been involved in a lot of arguments.” One involved Bill “Spaceman” Lee, the former Red Sox pitcher who was on a barnstorming tour with the New England Gray Sox. On a tap in front of the down first base line, Pompeo ruled the ball foul. Lee disagreed. So obnoxiously that Pompeo excused him for the rest of the day. Enter the promoter who came out wailing about lost revenue if he were forced to refund ticket money to enraged fans. 
Pompeo thought about it. He changed his mind. He didn’t like it. But there it was. He the Spaceman back in the game. Over his long career behind the plate, Pompeo said he has seen some changes both in the variety and quality of pitches high school players throw. “I’ve seen a lot of good players come out of Portland,” Pompeo said. “The coaches have done an outstanding job. Sometimes I’ll ask a catcher, ‘What (kind of a pitch) was that?’” “And once in a while I get an answer like that was a sinker with a little split on the side,” he laughs, shaking his head. Through it all, Pompeo’s love affair with baseball has never wavered. He has been known to cry when the Red Sox lose and when they win. Pompeo treasures the memories that began so many years ago and today joins his late father, Peter, Sr. a 1982 inductee to the HoF. “I’ve made a lot of friends including coaches, umpires and fans,” he said. “I don’t regret one thing. I’d do it all over again.” From Legacy Page Peter A. Pompeo, 71 May 27,1945 - July 14, 2016 https://obituaries.pressherald.com/obituaries/mainetoday-pressherald/obituary.aspx?n=peter-a-pompeo&pid=180700549&fhid=18577 An important part of Peter's life was baseball. Peter was a player and coach for many years with the Twilight League in Portland. He was also an umpire with Babe Ruth, Twilight League and Legion baseball. There were times that he also umpired college level games in the area. Peter had the honor of being inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. He is one of a handful of individuals that could say that he was a member of the Hall alongside his father. Peter also had a brief boxing career. Peter had a long standing love affair with the Boston Red Sox. For many years, he would head to Florida for spring training with family in tow. It would always end up being a three-week adventure. He became a member of the BoSox Club and enjoyed meeting many of the players over the years.

Shirley Povich, Bath native and veteran nationally syndicated Washington Post sports columnist . From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Povich Shirley Lewis Povich (July 15, 1905 – June 4, 1998) was an American sports columnist and reporter for The Washington Post.Having grown up in coastal Bar Harbor, Maine (then known as Eden), far from a major league team, the first baseball game he ever saw was a game for which he wrote the game story. Povich joined the Post as a reporter in 1923 during his second year as a Georgetown University law student, and in 1925 was named Editor of Sports. In 1933, he became a sports columnist, a responsibility that continued until his death, with only one interruption. In 1944, Povich took on the assignment of war correspondent for The Washington Post in the Pacific Theater. Following World War II, he returned to his sports desk. He was the sports editor for the Post for forty-one years. President Richard Nixon once told Post publisher Phil Graham: "Shirley Povich is the only reason I read your newspaper." He celebrated his retirement in 1973, but continued to write more than 500 pieces and cover the World Series for the Post. He would write about both the modern game and memories of years past. At the time of his death, he was one of few working writers who had covered Babe Ruth. His final column was in the Post the day after his death at age 92. Povich served as a contributor to the Ken Burns series Baseball that first appeared on PBS in 1994 by sharing memorable baseball events. Povich is the author of The Washington Senators (G.P. Putnam Sons, 1954) and All These Mornings (Prentice-Hall, 1969). A collection of his columns, All Those Mornings...At the Post was published in April, 2005 (PublicAffairs). Honors Among his prestigious honors: the National Headliners 1964 Grantland Rice Award for sports writing, the Red Smith Award in 1983, and election to the National Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 1984. In 1975, he was recipient of the Baseball Writers' Association of America's J. G. Taylor Spink Award, the Baseball Hall of Fame honor for sportswriters. He was President of the BWAA in 1955. Povich's first name accounted for his listing in Who's Who of American Women in 1958. He recalled in his autobiography that "Shirley" was a common name for boys where he came from, but many who read his column thought Povich was a woman; in jest, Walter Cronkite even proposed marriage to "her." Shirley Povich Field, located in Bethesda, Maryland, is the home of the Bethesda Big Train (a team in the Cal Ripken Summer Collegiate Baseball league) and of the Georgetown University baseball team. The Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland on November 2, 2011, announced the creation of the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism, to expand its highly popular sports news program into a national leader in sports journalism education. "Most important, the center will serve as a launching pad for students to learn, actively participate in and develop the journalistic skills they need to meet the challenges facing them as the next generation of sports journalists", said George Solomon, the former Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor for Sports who will become the Center's director. The center is made possible by a $1 million challenge gift from Povich's children, Maury, Lynn and David. The University of Maryland maintains the collections of Mr. Povich, including memorabilia, the documentary "Mornings with Shirley Povich", personal papers and work from his career at The Washington Post. Family He is the father of attorney David Povich, American television personality Maury Povich, and editor Lynn Povich. He was fond of giving Louisville Slugger baseball bats as birthday presents to his friends' children. His wife, the former Ethyl Friedman, died in 2004. Povich died of a heart attack on June 4, 1998 at age 92. A column he had already written appeared in The Washington Post the next day. https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/07/sports/shirley-povich-dies-at-92-washington-sports-columnist.html?mtrref=www.google.com "In his unobtrusive manner, and with a quiet New England way of speaking that this Maine native never lost, Mr. Povich was also considered one of the finest gentlemen in the sometimes inelegant world of sports. He was known, read and enjoyed by a wide range of people -- including Presidents, starting with Calvin Coolidge." "The name Shirley for a boy was not uncommon in Maine. He was born on July 15, 1905, in Bar Harbor to parents who were Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Lithuania. His father later owned a furniture store in Bar Harbor. Mr. Povich was the eighth of 10 children and was named for a grandmother, Sarah, or ''Shirley,'' as it was loosely translated into Yiddish. As a youth, he got a summer job caddying at a country club that catered to wealthy vacationers who owned mansions in Bar Harbor. Edward B. McLean, then the Post's publisher, suggested that Mr. Povich, 17, come to Washington where there would be two jobs for him, one as caddie on McLean's personal golf course at $20 a week and the other as a copy boy at the paper at $12 a week. Mr. Povich, who had never been on a train, had never been out of Maine and had never owned a pair of long pants, accepted"

A high-profile career at Wells High School and the University of Southern Maine earned Bob Prince a bushel full of superlatives at the conclusion of his playing career: Maine Gatorade High School Player of the Year – 1987 3 – Time ABCA All – American team while at USM – 1990-1992 Sports Illustrated 50 Greatest Maine Sports Figures for 20th Century – 2000 As a precocious 15 year old, Bob pitched and played the outfield on the 16-18 Senior Babe Ruth team out of Wells/York/Noble and won MVP honors at the State Tournament. Bob played four years of varsity baseball at Wells High School, tossing a no-hitter as a freshman. He compiled a regular season pitching record of 28 – 2 during that span and tacked on 5 more no-hitters. For his dominant mound accomplishments and thunderous hitting performances for the Warriors, Bob was named the Maine High School Gatorade Player of the Year in 1987. Prince arrived at the Gorham campus of USM in 1988, having been recruited by Eddie Flaherty, and made an immediate impact on the Huskies’ baseball fortunes. During his stellar four-year career playing for Coach Flaherty, Prince helped the Huskies make three appearances in the NCAA Division III World Series (1989, 1991 and 1992), including winning the school’s first national title in 1991. In addition to being named to the ABCA All-American team three times, he was named to the All-Northeast and All-New England teams all four seasons. He was named the ECAC Division III New England Player of the Year in 1991 and was on the All-ECAC team four times. One of the finest hitters in school history, Prince still holds the career record for most doubles (63) and batting average (.414). His career record for most hits (253) stood until 2001, and his RBI mark (177) stood at the top of the chart until 2003. He remains amongst the single season and career leaders in many offensive categories. Prince recalls the camaraderie of playing with teammates Jim Broughton, John Collins, Mark Caron, Gary Williamson, Tim Curley, Bob Aceto and others in the national title quest of 1991, but is also proud of the ’92 team that battled injuries and adversity to earn one final appearance in the College World Series that fell short. After his playing days at USM were completed, Bob played professionally in Holland for one season. After a series of coaching positions, as an assistant at St. Joseph’s, hitting coach with the Sanford Mainers and head coach at Traip Academy and Wells High School, Bob re-united with Flaherty and joined the Huskies baseball staff in 2003. He serves as the primary hitting coach and also works with the outfielders. Prince, who also serves as the athletic department’s equipment manager and intramural director, received his degree in communication from USM in 1992. He and his wife, Jenn, have three children and reside in South Portland, Maine. For this USM Husky Hall of Famer (inducted 2001), the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame is proud to confer more well-deserved plaudits on Bob Prince, the man who put up not just statistics, but superlatives in an unmatched career. Prince sets USM record May 11, 1991 6:00 am GORHAM – Bob Prince set a school record for total bases and a tied an RBI mark to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 24-2 baseball win over Bates College here Friday. Prince slammed two, 2-run homers, a double and two singles for 12 total bases, breaking the record of 11 he held with three other players. He drove in a total of 9 runs, which tied a mark set earlier this season by Mark Caron. Prince was 5-for-5 and was walked intentionally .https://www.pressherald.com/2017/04/30/special-day-at-usm-as-baseball-field-named-after-ed-flaherty/ "Bob Prince, a three-time All-American and a member of the 1991 national championship team, is now the head coach at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, one of the Huskies’ top rivals. He spoke of the life lessons that Flaherty – a renowned storyteller – taught him and all the Huskies. “Every story is wrapped around education, family, doing things the right way, respecting people,” said Prince. “Those are ingrained in this program and have been since 1985 plus. It’s evidenced from the kids who play for this program.” Prince, in his sixth year at UMass-Dartmouth, said he often incorporates much of what he learned from Flaherty in his coaching. “One of the smartest things I did when I went to UMass-Dartmouth is I took one of his former players, Marc Ouimet, with me,” said Prince. “And I always talk to him, ‘What would Coach do right now?’ We have that conversation all the time. Just the way he runs his program … it’s always about respect, always about appreciating the moment you’re in, appreciating your opponents …. those things have certainly resonated with me and (I) really model our program after this one.” Prince said naming the stadium after Flaherty simply means more stories will be told. Mentioning USM senior Paul McDonough, Prince said, “Fifty years from now, your kid’s kid is going to come in here and see Ed Flaherty Stadium and ask your son who Ed Flaherty is. He’s going to tell him and they’re going to start talking about those stories. And that’s going to be passed down years upon years. “It’s almost like a great band that put out a great CD and it’s there for everybody to listen to the rest of their lives.” Turning to Flaherty, Prince said, “This is your greatest hit.” https://www.corsairathletics.com/sports/m-basebl/coaches/prince_bob?view=bio "In just six seasons at the helm of the baseball program, Bob Prince has created a winning culture that has restored UMass Dartmouth to its contender status in the strongest conference in Division III. Prince has compiled an overall record of 122-127 (.490), including three 20-win seasons and pair of appearances in the finals of the Little East Conference Baseball Championship."

Pat’s impressive career in organized baseball began in his sophomore year at Waterville High School, where he earned the starting shortstop position for the Panthers. For the following two years, he and second baseman Ted Shiro (HOF ’94) teamed up to create a very talented double play combination for excellent Waterville High teams. His strong bat and good glove soon attracted the attention of local semi-pro teams, and in the summer of 1943 he and Ted, the only high-schoolers to make the team, played for the Winslow Taconets. It was during this summer that Pat and Ted impressed a Pittsburgh Pirate scout, who invited them to attend a workout for the Pirates later in the summer at Braves Field. As a result of this workout, they were both invited to attend, following their graduation in 1944, a baseball school in Hornell, NY. However, after an outstanding senior year at Waterville High, Pat enlisted in the U.S. Navy. In 1946, Pat returned to Waterville after a two year hitch in the Navy and was soon playing shortstop on the American All-Stars in the Central Maine League. The following year, he went to work for his brother Real in Presque Isle, where his outstanding play for the Presque Isle Indians convinced his brother that Pat should give professional baseball a try. In the spring of 1948, Pat went to Hot Springs, AR to attend the Rogers Hornsby baseball school, where he signed a contract to play Class D ball for Odessa, TX in the Longhorn League, an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. He moved up to Class C in 1949, playing for Roswell, NM in the West Texas-New Mexico League. It was one of his finest seasons in organized ball, leading the league in batting as late as mid-August. He again excelled at shortstop and finished that season with a .337 batting average, along with 38 doubles and 12 home runs. With the promise of being moved up to Class B the next season, Pat returned to Presque Isle to work for his brother over the winter. However, before the 1950 season began, Pat was persuaded to stay in Maine and to play for the home town Indians in a new high level semi-professional league that would feature top college players from the New England area and the Maritime Provinces --- the Maine-New Brunswick League. Pat powered the Indians to the league championship, leading them in average (.330), home runs and runs scored. Another great experience came in the fall of 1950 against the Birdie Tebbetts All-Stars, which featured Walt Dropo, Johnny Pesky, Vic Wertz, Phil Rizzuto and Whitey Ford. Pat still remembers getting two hits off Yankee right hander Frank “Spec” Shea. Although business interests and family commitments limited his play for the next two years, Pat bounced back with one of his finest seasons in 1953 with the Indians. Described by manager Freddy Harlow (HOF’74) as the “heart” of the team, he once again sparked Presque Isle to the Maine-New Brunswick League title, batted .343 and led the team in almost every offensive category. It was during this 1953 season that a Presque Isle newspaper seemed to really capture Pat Proulx the ball player, “he is playing more for the love of the game of baseball than for” anything else! Pat’s final year of baseball was 1956. Although the Maine-NB League had folded, the Indians decided to play independent ball, travelling all over Maine and New Brunswick to face the best teams in the area. Pat Proulx lived and worked in Presque Isle for sixty years, has three children, Patrice, Real and Holly Ann, and two grandchildren – Jessamyn & Tristan. Two years ago, Pat moved to Portland, where he now resides with his wife Joyce. From Legacy Pages PORTLAND - Patrick R. Proulx, 88, of Portland, April 6, 2014 https://obituaries.centralmaine.com/obituaries/mainetoday-centralmaine/obituary.aspx?n=patrick-roland-proulx&pid=171003601&fhid=11597 "Baseball was one of the enduring passions of Pat's life. He played shortstop for the Presque Isle Indians in the Maine/New Brunswick league and on Class D and C teams at the professional level in the West Texas/New Mexico league. In 2009, he was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. A devoted Red Sox fan, he was elated to see the team win three World Series titles."

Visitors to Southern Aroostook Community School in Dyer Brook don’t have to question if the baseball field bears a name. It is difficult not to see the huge sign to the left of the school designating the complex “The Murray W. Putnam Baseball Field”. Since 1968, including pre-season, regular season, exhibition, pre-playoffs and state tournaments, Putnam’s teams have won more than 480 games, a winning percentage of .830. This includes games in all state classifications. (Southern Aroostook is now Class D under the formula devised by the Maine Principals’ Association.) Equally impressive is Putnam’s record for “countable” games – 350-89, a winning percentage of .800. His teams have won 10 Eastern Maine championships in Class C and Class D and five state titles. He was voted “Coach of the Year” by the Maine Baseball Coaches Association in 1989. “If Murray coached in Southern Maine with more media exposure, that distinction probably would have been repeated several times,” said Fredric V. Stone of Casco, a Maine Baseball Hall of Fame inductee in 1993. Putnam combines dedication to and knowledge of baseball with a kind, low-key personality that creates a bond of loyalty and respect among former players. The is evident when the Warriors play at St. Joseph’s College in Standish for a state championship. “Legions of former players and fans come out to support him,” said Stone. “If Murray were not tucked away up there in the County, he would be a legend. He ranks alongside of Edson Hadlock (Portland High) and Fred Harlow (Deering High) and other great coaches whose accomplishments have been recognized and who have had fields named after them.” The 56-year-old Putnam is a native of Houlton. He graduated from Ricker College in 1968 and earned a Master’s degree in education administration at the University of Southern Maine in 1990. After five years at Oakfield High School (1968-1973), Putnam moved to Southern Aroostook as athletic director and baseball coach. Since 1986, he has added the responsibilities of assistant principal. The school’s baseball field was named in his honor in June, 1979, the same year Southern Aroostook won the Northeastern Maine League (abolished in 1985) and the Eastern Maine Class C championship. Putnam’s success is no accident. He devotes his summers to coaching and teaching baseball to age-group teams including pee wee and Babe Ruth. In 1996, he coached the Houlton-area-all-star team to the Babe Ruth championship. Each year he takes his high school team to Cape Cod for a week of pre-season practice and competition. Putnam’s winning statistics have elevated the Southern Aroostook coach to the top of his profession. But they don’t define the man. He is more than a remarkable record. “Anyone who has been associated with Eastern Maine athletics knows and respects Murray for his dedication to the game of baseball,” said Jonathan Porter, a physical education teacher at Southern Aroostook.

Legend has it that Vern Putney was weaned on baseball, so it was only natural that he start the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. Combine this baseball background with Putney’s sensitivity for acknowledging athletic achievement and it 1s no wonder the former sports writer for Guy Gannett Newspapers was able to pull the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame through its stormy beginning. “Stormy is the right word,’ Putney said. “One stormy January night in 1969, the first edition of the Portland Press Herald proclaimed in a banner headline eight charter choices for the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. ‘The managing editor demanded to know by whose authority Fred Parent, Bill Carrigan, Harry Lord, Del Bissonette, Louis Sockalexis, John (Jack) Coombs, Don Brennan and Clyde Sukeforth were vested in such royal raiment. “Frankly, I had no answer. Someone had to start the ball rolling, I did’ With the help of baseball promoter John J. (Magnate) Haley and sportswriter Dick Doyle the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame held its first banquet and now entering its 15th season and holding its’ annual dinner at Portland's Italian Heritage Center, the Hall owes Putney, more than any other person, its’ lofty status. Although Putney stepped down from overseeing the Hall two years ago, leaving the job in the capable hands of Leroy Rand, he still helps out diligently behind the scenes. In a world overloaded with takers Putney is a giver, unconcerned about recognition, satisfied to work in anonymity. “I love working on the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame,” Putney said. “The people who go into the Hall value it. For many, it’s the highlight of their baseball career. I enjoy giving people their just due.” Weaned on the national pastime in Lynn, Mass. and Portland Vern saw the first night baseball game ever played in 1926 and knew all of Lynn's ballfields by the time he was 3 years old’ by his father Elbert, a great pitcher. It is now due time for Putney’s just dues. No journalist in the state has done more for baseball or, in fact, other sports. A smile. a good word and endless help for anyone, that’s Vern Putney. Legendary Maine sportswriter and Golf Course News Contributing Editor Vern Putney passed away in December. On short notice, we published his obituary last month. The GCN staff has written the following addenda: When it launched in 1989, it was Vern Putney and me — a lick and a prayer, not necessarily in that order. He had spent 40 years covering golf and other sports, oftentimes more as a crusader than simply a reporter. He gamely pushed for space on the sports pages for women's sports — especially female golfers and runners like Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, a friend of his... because it was right. He started a semi-pro football team in Portland, Maine — yes, Portland, Maine... because it was right to have one.