Little Leaguers Wearing Jerseys to Honor Vermont’s Past
From Molly Walsh at the Burlington Free Press on May 1, with an appearance by SABR member Tom Simon:
The familiar clink of a bat hitting a baseball deep into the outfield Saturday signaled the opening of another Little League season at Burlington’s Calahan Park, but with a twist.The players who trotted onto the diamond in the crisp sunshine wore jerseys emblazoned with the names of ball teams from Vermont’s past — sometimes going back to the 1800s.
The youngest children in the Burlington American League played in shirts bearing the names of old Vermont town teams — such as the 1924 Goldfish from Montpelier. The oldest took their places on squads named for Vermont pro teams — the Reds, the Mariners and Burlington A’s. The kids in the middle played in jerseys with names taken from the Northern League, a college summer league that operated in Vermont from the 1930s to the 1950s.
“We thought it would be nice to honor Vermont’s history by picking names from the past,” said Tom Simon, a Burlington American board member, parent-coach and Vermont baseball buff who has written several books on the topic.
Read the full article here: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20110501/SPORTS/110430015/Time-Play-Ball
Originally published: May 1, 2011. Last Updated: May 1, 2011.