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Little League teams still slugging away after 50 years

by Tim Troglen

Reporter

Maple Heights -- In 1958 baseball was still America's pastime, Ty Cobb, the Hall of Famer who starred nearly a century ago, was still alive and Roger Maris had yet to break Babe Ruth's all-time single-season home run record.

That same year, a piece of local baseball history -- the Maple Heights League -- was born with three firefighters as coaches and a handful of young players.

This year the league celebrates its 50th anniversary.

"They started with eight or 10 teams," said League President Ken Mack. "The high point was the late '70s and early '80s when there were 50 teams and close to 900 kids playing."

And while the numbers may have dropped a bit, Mack estimates there will be 14 teams this year, and the game goes on.

But, as the players dwindle, Mack said he is not sure what the future holds for the league.

However, in his 35 years with the league as coach, co-manager and president, Mack has seen his share both good and bad times and has a file of memories in his mind's eye that "I will take to my grave."

"It's been a good league," he said. "There have been two mayors [Santo Incorvaia and Michael Ciaravino] come out of it."

The league has had players who made it to Council like Paul "Goose" Priebe and George Hasenohrl.

"You name it, we had it," Mack said of the players who strapped on the cleats for the city squads.

He said years ago players were taught to play baseball by their parents and siblings, unlike today's kids who are more interested in video games and music videos.

But while the future may be blurry, Mack's memory is sharp.

He said one of the funniest moment of the past 35 years came during a game at the old Council Field on Warrensville Center Road.

The game involved two teams of 7- and 8-year-old players. Mack said after a batter hit the ball, the coach yelled at a player "go home, go home."

"This kid gave him a funny look and instantaneously busted out into tears and left the field," Mack chuckled, remembering the incident.

The player was asked if he had been hurt, Mack said.

"No," was the answer.

"The coach doesn't like me," the player said. "He sent me home."

Mack said he likes when a former player walks up to him after years of being away from the game and asks, "Do you remember me?"

"Who would have thought the league would have lasted the long?" Mack asked.

His involvement started shortly after he moved his family to Maple Heights.

One of Mack's sons came home from practice and said his team needed a coach. After some loving cajoling by the son, Mack agreed to join.

And, as he said, "the rest is history."

George Kahoun, who was an umpire and co-manager for about 15 years in the '60s and '70s, used to send the stats into the local newspapers. He said he enjoys when people see him and remind him about their playing days or when they say, "Mr. Kahoun, you put my name in the paper."

"It makes you feel good when somebody remembers that you were nice to them and associated with them," he said.

One former player said some of the best coaches he played for, including high school and college, were from the Maple Heights Little League.

"It was one of the best experiences I ever had," Hasenohrl said. "I have just a ton of great memories from it."

Hasenohrl, a teacher at Garfield Heights High School, played on two city championship Boys League teams. He said playing Boys League baseball can help build both character and a sense of community.

"The Boys League is an important part of the city and something that should be maintained and hopefully re-ignited," he said. "Besides the obvious fact that playing a sport is excellent for your overall well being."

Another former player, and former teammate of Hasenohrl's, both on the field and in Council chambers, was Priebe, who was the District 1 Councilor before retiring last year.

Hasenohrl and Priebe were on the 1985 Boys League World Series baseball team.

"I was a sidearm pitcher and loved playing under pressure," said Priebe, whose brother, Dave, also played. "I was the guy that the coach called in for relief so many times to pull us out of a bind and win the game, thus giving me the nickname 'The Goose.'"

It was an obvious reference to Hall-of-Fame relief pitcher Rich "Goose" Gossage, who starred with the New York Yankees.

Priebe said playing helped instill in him confidence, courage and "a drive to be the best."

"The last two seasons that I pitched, I was undefeated," Priebe said. "And every year my brother and I played, we made it to the World Series. We were a good team."

And as a memento of those days on the field of dreams, Priebe said he still owns a baseball autographed by Hasenohrl in their days of youthful glory.

As a way to capture the memories of other players and keep the history of the teams alive, Mack said he wants to begin putting together a history of the league and teams.

He wants anyone who played, coached or taken part in the league in any way to contact him with their memories at 216-663-6785.

E-mail: TTroglen@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3165