I had a very interesting sports career st the La Salle Academy. La Salle is a Catholic Christian Brother's Boy's School in New York City.
After all there was nothibg unusual about me. My grammar school was across the street from the tenement where i lived. Maybe they knew about the violent hone i was living in. My father constantly beat my mother. Neighbors would call the police, who would take my father for a walk around the block to cool down. Sometimes he would up in jail gor beating my mother. My guess was the Christian Brothers were concerned about my well-being. They wanted me under their control for my high school tenure. Looking back they realized i was heading down the wrong path. They didn't want that to happen.
I attend summer school after my freshman,sophomore, and Junior years. I was doing were poorly academicall. Tge same Christian Brothers who smacked me in gramma school and high school started giving me private tutoring. Most of my Saturdays were spent being tutored in the subjects i was failing. I really didn't know why they had this much concern for me. My only guess is they saw something in me that could be salvaged.
I am forever gratefull to them because i did graduate from an excellent high school. My grade average after four years was seventy-eight. Seventy-eight was needed to graduate. Did i earn that grade or were they still helping me along? I don't know, but someone was watching out for me.
Let's get into my Sports Career at La Salle. More spooky things occured to me while playing baseball and basketball at La Salle.
From an early age i had the ability to hit and catch a basebalk. I showed some promise in basketball, but my baseball wad my love affair. My basebalk idol was Ted Williams, who played for the Boston Red Fox. Whatever Ted said or did about hitting i would try to emulate. One of his daily habits was to squeeze a tennis ball to strengthen his wrist and forearms. I adopted the same routine as pong as i played the game.
My first year at La Salle i tried out for the freshman Basketball team. This is where a strange thing happened. I didn't know about the tryouts until the final day. Although i didn't have sneakers or shorts with me, i tried out anyway, wearing my black woolen pants and running around the court in my dress socks. With these socks on i was slipping and sliding all over the court.
When it was my turn to try out, the head basketball coach was already in his office. I saw he wasn't there and imagined he was not interested in evaluating any potential i might have.
I assumed i would not be selected. The next day on the Gym's bulletin board they posted the names of tge players who made the team. I was shocked; my name was there. How could they have selected me when the coach was not even there? I don't know. I am happy somebody was watching out for me.
In my freshmen year i made the varsity baseball team. Again, during my Junior and Senior years i played Varsity basketball. Senior, i was the team's leading scorer.
As i look back on making the Freshman Basketball team, i wonder why i was picked. Mayve they admired my desire to make the team since i was wearing woolen pants and running around in dress socks. The other kids trying out wore shorts and sneakers.
Sometimes talent and desire come in high school. When i started getting Varsity sweaters i became very handsome and desirable to the girls in my neighborhood. By the time i graduated i had received seven varsity sweaters: three in basketball and four in baseball. Yes, many young ladies were happy with my athletic ability. My childhood sweetheart received four of them.
When baseball tryouts came i was well informed as to where wnd when. They were held in the Brooklyn Parade Grounds.
It is unusual for a freshman to try out for the Varsity Baseball Team. I had enough confidence in my ability to give it a shot. Guess who is making the selection as to who would make the team? The same Varsity basketball couch who picked me for the Freshman Basketball team without watching me try out. At the baseball tryouts the best oppurtunities for showing their talents were giveb to the Upperclassmen. The team also had many returning players. I and another freshman were tgr last two allowed to demonstrate out abilities. I was a hitter, and the other kid was pitcher. I just sat around watching the tryouts. Finally the coach said to take a couple of swings. On the mound was the team's top pitcher. He was big, strong, and had a blazing fastball. I figured this pitcher would look to the plate and see a tall skinny freshman. He would figure he could just blow me away with his fastball. I guessed right and prepared myself to see his fastball. He threw it, and i hit a sharp single to Center Field. That obe swing allowed me to make the Varsity Baseball Team. I was the only freshman to make the team -- the pitcher didn't make it. Anyone who understands scholastic sports will know that it is unusual for a freshman to make a Varsity team.
During our third game of the season, we were facing the other team's best pitcher. In the first three innings thus pitcher was throwing a no-hitter. Note: this pitcher eventually pitched for the Chicago White Sox. I was sitting on the bench -- actually, i was on the last seat of the bench. All of a sudden tge manager called out, "Hey, skinny kid, go up and pinch hit!" The manager didn't even know my last name. I was just " the skinny kid."
I picked up a bat, took a couple of practice swings. As i stepped up to the plate i realized this bigger and stronger pitcher would simply try to blow me away with his fastball. He threw, and i hit a single to right field to break up his no-hitter. That one swing kept me in the game playing right field.
My one hit was the only one up till the last inning. The next time i faced this pitcher in this game i drew a walk. When my team's last turn at bat came around we were losing two to nothing. The opposing pitcher got the first two hitters out. Then he walked two straight batters, which brought me to the plate. The tall skinny kid (me) strides to the plates,our team's last chance. The pitcher didn't learn from facing me earlier. He let fly his blazing fastball. I hit a foul ball. Same scenario. He throws his fastball, and i hit a tremendous drive down the left field line. I knew i hit it good, and it was going to clear the left field fence for a three-run homerun. It cleared yhe fence, but at the last second it went foul. Now i had two strikes on me. To this day i can still see the next pitch to me. It was a fastball right down the middle. I timed it beautifully, swung... and missed. I swear there was such velocities on his pitch that when i swung the ball jumped right over my bat. I couldn't believe i missed it, but i did.
Still, getting that one hit got me a starting position on the Varsity Baseball team. I played two positions: short stop and center field. In my remaining years at La Salle i started ever game.
Note: i faced the same pitcher again later in my freshman year. I got two line drive doubles to the left field corner. They were the only two hits we got in that game.
There are just some pitchers who never learn not to underestimate the opposing batter. But after all i was just a tall skinny kid.
My junior year i had a great baseball season. My school newspaper gave me the nickname "The Cardinal Clipper." I am very proud of the title given to me.
Thanks for reading next chapter[ GOING TO LA SALLE ACADEMY]
