By Frank Benjamin
In 1969 the annual fast pitch All Star game was set to be played at the Hayden Schofield Park on Lawrence St. The league has been part of the City’s 4th of July celebration for many years and this year’s edition seems to have two evenly talented teams ready to go at it.
The players representing the North side of the City will be from 4 teams from Methuen and one from Prospect Hill and the South will be comprised of 5 teams from the other side of the City. Barney Farley the player manager of the Methuen Knights of Columbus will be at the helm for the North. Barney is a native New Yorker and is now retired from Andover’s Raytheon; he is still a Methuen resident.
Buddy Ralph will be his asst. The roster for the North: the K of C: Dick Reming who later becomes an Alderman for the City of Lawrence, Larry Klimas a tremendous athlete in any sport and later a teacher coach at Austin Prep and later at Methuen High. A high school Hall of Famer and a State coaches track Hall of Famer the Fieldhouse at Methuen bears his name today.
Connie Provencher, and former CCHS 3 sport superstar Fred Nader who still lives in the area; Bob Dziadosz a former CCHS hoopster and Methuen and BU great Dick Krauss who is in every player and fans mind, is one of the greatest pitchers to play at the park. This year he will toss three no hitters and Dick was no slouch at the bat.
The Howe Social club: Art Guptill, John Rizkallah, Don Holliday and former Woodbury High great Paul Sayers.
Concordia club: Joe Carter a former 3 sporter and hoop coach at LHS is retired from the LHA and now lives in Deny, NH. Joe still referees basketball in the area.
Billy Timmons still lives in So. Lawrence and another all time great softball player.
Dick Mc Carron now of Haverhill and formerly of Methuen. Pat Kilcourse came from No. Andover, Nick Carnett was a speedster for the “Conkies”; Dave Miller was a big time power hitter and is still hitting them long these days on the golf course. Bobby Keenan was a southpaw junk pitcher that could give the hitters fits.
The Sargent Club was sending Turk Mustapha a new England Power retiree this days: Al Strondak and power hitting perennial all star Eddie Aziz, Ron Bretton and Mike Pollizotti, Jack Allen and Dennis Homa.
The East End club placed Dick Rozzi now a retired principal at NA high school, Dick was a fine football player at CCHS.
The South will be managed by player manager George Simonian of the Chez When now retired from East Coast Aero Tech in Bedford Mass he will be aided by St. Michael’s manager Ray Tremblay and the Manhattan’s Gerry Beauchamps. The roster, Chez When: Don McLeod one of the league’s top pitchers, John Rimas also a hurler a former teacher coach at Methuen High.
John had a great career as a hoop player and coach at the suburban school.
Paul Countenance a CCHS Hall of Famer is retired from the sheriff’s department and now works part time at Pollard’s Funeral Home.
St. Michael’s sent Don Dowb, Don Ackroyd, Jimmy Pritts, Barney Reilly and Don Auger. For the Manhattans: Bobby Marchand a former star at CCHS, Fred Moriarty who later coached LHS hoop.
Jeff’s player were Don Lineman a former LHS catcher who had only one eye,
Chris Decesare, Tommy O’Neil retired now from the AAA, he lives in Salisbury these days, John Kelleher a teacher coach who helped start the Christmas hoop tourney that is still successful today.
Vic’s sent Tom Shann and John Morton.
Dick Reming walked and stole second and scored as the attempt to nab him stealing went wild to give the North an early lead.
The South answered in the second as Freddie Moriarty hits a line drive single to left.
Chez When’s McLeod a good hitter draws a walk and so does O’Neil of Jeff’s and also Barney Bouchard of the Manhattan forcing Moriarty to score to tie it.
Beau Wilson of the Chez When opens the 4th with a long triple and scores when Tommy O’Neil lashes a liner to center.
The lead is 2-1 South when in the fifth Courtemanche is hit by a pitch and St. Michael’s Pritts hit a potential double play ball and Paul is out at second and the throw to first is wild and Pritts slides in safely at third.
Buckshot Barney Reilly who had won the pre game home run hitting contest plated Pritts with the third run. Reilly retired as Director of the Council of Aging in the City and still resides in the City, a former City Councilor he was as good a playground athletes one could be, this in all sports, he also wrote a sport column for the Haverhill Gazette for some time.
Dick Auger of St. Mike’s won the throwing contest and Dick McCarron won the timed race around the bases. Reilly normally a left-handed hitter switch to the right side for the hr contest and amazes everyone the players and fans alike as he beat all comers.
A great crowd saw a hard fought game with the south picking up the win 3-l. These players who played in this game will now get ready to play and play hard next week against their teammates of today.
This was the Social League 4th of July All Star game of 1969.
