Casey At the Bat: My Dad, Baseball, Big WAGI, and Raymond Parker

  Janet Belvin, a daughter of early 50s  FBC Gaffney SC pastor Frank Morris, has had some nostalgic stories  in the Chronicle about Gaffney and her short stay there. She is author of a  Front Porch milieu book and retired English Teacher. 

    My Dad came later and was in Gaffney from 62-78 at the mission of FBC, Bethany about three football fields down Wilkinsville Rd from the Union Hwy split. Like Frank he was a good friend of Raymond PArker and would visit the radio station often and go on air during Carolina in the Morning.

    He Called in from Portland Oregon once from a Baptist Convention. He roomed with Bobby Crocker of the Draytonville BC on that trip. Crocker was a High school football star in Union in the 50s, had a scholarship to Furman but his days ended early when Doctors discovered a heart condition.

     At the weekly preacher's breakfast and after they got back from Portland, one of the brethren asked Crocker if he was able to sleep given my Dad's snoring. Crocker said it wasn't a problem at all. Said they got to Portland without motel reservations and ended up in a king size bed about ten miles out of town. Crocker said first night we had our Bible Reading and Prayer and got in the Bed. Crocker said I just turned over and Gave Sweet Billy a kiss on the cheek and he didn't make a sound the rest of the week.

    Daddy loved Baseball growing up in a Mill Village in Rome Ga. His Mother had nine brothers and they had their own team in Wears Valley outside Pigeon Forge Tn. And my Dad claimed his sister Aunt Virginia almost married Leon Culberson, the grandfather of the Braves clutch player Charlie Culberson. Culberson subbed in for Joe Dimaggio's brother Dom in the 6th game of the 46 World Series between the Bosox and the St Louis Cards. Look up the Mad Dash on wiki.

     So over the years Daddy memorized the first verse of Casey at the Bat. In the 70s about every year the first day of baseball season he would drop by Big Wagi to do some poetry which Parker would start anouncing late March. Next week he would say, we should have Rev Billy Fox drop by to open Baseball season.

    So Dad third year in or so got to thinking he could do the second verse. Raymond would tell Daddy Billy that was great on the first verse you ready for the second. And Daddy would get about three lines into the second, start hemming and hawwing. Raymond Would say Keep working on it Billy , Maybe next year.

    As hinted above, Daddy's team was the Red Sox. I was watching the All Star game early 80s right after Yazstremski retired and was announced Coaching Third Base. The announcer is working it strong: "And now Ladies and Gentleman, coaching Third Base for the American League, the Legend, the thirty year left fielder for the Boston Red Sox, the Great Carl Yazstremski. Camera's on Yaz, he's clapping and breaks down crying. Daddy's standing up in front of the TV Clapping, and he loses it, basket case crying too  like a Baby for his hero.

   I tell friends the fat guy at bat , end of the movie MoneyBall Brad Pitt is watching on film. That's my Dad. You can find the clip online.

     One more Gaffney inflected anecdote. My Gaffney High Friend Grady Sizemore became the father of consensus greatest MLB player of the first decade of this century Grady Jr. He was a 30 30 guy one season, batter and base stealer. Developed serious problems with his knees but the Red Sox picked him up in 2014. First day of Baseball I was in the Sears in Gadsden Alabama and Grady comes up to bat, first time with the BoSox.

     He hits a home run in Fenway Park. I started crying that time. Wish my Dad coulda seen it.