It was a league started for kids who had outgrown Little League and the local Lions Club took the challenge and enlisted sponsors throughout the City and the surrounding suburbs.
The following is some of the roster players:
For Prospect Hill, the Manager was long time baseball man and pitcher Frankie Harrison and his coach was Tommy Sullivan.
The following young players were named to the team roster. Harrison was a long time photographer and when he died he left us great sport pictures.
Horace Coco was a pitcher named to the squad. Jimmy McCarthy a fine hoopster in the future was a sure handed in fielder. Ralph Bellarado was an outfielder. Alex Czcarpa was a sure footed outfielder whose bat was amazing even at this young age. Fred Garon made the team and so did ss Dick Camuso who would make track records that still stand at CCHS; Dave McCabe, Jack McCarthy, now the manager the great Van Otis chocolates in NA; Bernie Ralph, who later captained the CCHS gridiron team, Rick Danahy, now retired from the Voke School; Nick Turco and “Speedy” Sam Torrisi. “Punkie”, as Harrison was called, says his charges are ready for opening day.
South Lawrence East, the Manager was Ray Barry and Ray Mitchell, his coach.
The players: Kenny Hendricks a catcher now retired from the Voke and living in Methuen; Joe Conley, Moe Ferris, whose dad was a longtime Lawrence cop; Larry Halloran, whose brother Archie was a Lancer baseball captain and as a golfer now has 4 hole in ones in golf; Johnny McParland nicknamed “Pineapple” passed away as a teenager shocking his many young pals; Joe Poliot, Paul Twomey, now a lawyer; and a former great CCHS and college hoop star, Vinnie Di Pietro, Paul Higgins, Jim Sullivan, Joe Trepanier, Tommy O’Neil a captain of baseball at LHS and a great outfielder. Tom and his family are living at the beach after a long career at the AAA. Ralph Wolfendale would become a famous name in Lawrence sports. Benny Guzzone moved to Florida after getting a taste of the great weather when playing end for Ed Buckley’s State championship team played in that State.
That’s a couple of the Lions Jr League Teams. There will be more coming and a bunch of names of sponsors who went to the hip to make this venture a success.
