Legion Home Tonight

Tonight's Legion game game has been postponed until another date can be set.  That also includes Wednesday trip to Cary on Wednesday.  Both Cary and Rocky Mount have had high school teams in their districts playing in the State playoffs.  Post 58 will start this weekend at Mount Olvie College in a Wayne County Tournament.

Coleman Pitt Post 58 will open their 2013 summer baseball season tonight at the Rocky Mount American Legion Field.  First pitch is scheduled for 6pm.  Cary will be in town as tonight's opponent.   If there is magic  with this team this year as has happened a couple of time in the last five years or so  then Post 58 just might qualify for the State Tournament which this year will be in near by Fleming Stadium in Wilson.

Earlier this summer I made an afternoon run to Murfreesboro to Chowan College to the Whitaker Library there where I went on their Microfiche machine to look up old copies of the Ahoskie paper the News- Herald which are now stored in the library.  I went there to look back at the 1963 American Legion season for Ahoskie Post 102.  This year is the 50th anniversary of that team winning it's only legion title ever when they won the North Division.

I was there every step of the way that season as a ten year old bat boy.  I have talked to all 14 surviving players and asked them of their experiences  that summer and have written 10,000 words which I turned over to the News-Herald in Ahoskie.  They are trying to decide now what they can do with it if anything as part of Post 102 50th anniversary that they are going to have sometime this summer.

Ahoskie and Rocky Mount met four times that season.  The first one was in Rocky Mount and Post 58 won 3-2 in ten innings.  The second meeting was in Ahoskie and Post 102 won 1-0 in ten innings. Game three was the only blow out as Ahoskie won in Rocky Mount 11-5.  The final game of the season was played in Ahoskie with both teams tie for first and Post 102 won in the bottom of the ninth innings 4-3.  They played four times in 1963 and three of the four games went down to the last pitch of the game.

All four games Post 58 started Jim Best and Post 102 started Jim Hunter.  Danny Talbott was on the mound for Post 58  in  the ninth inning of the last game.  Ahoskie beat Rocky Mount three times in 1963 and I don't think they have beaten them three times since.

Cousin Lauren Doughtie got her second pay day on the LPGA Tour Sunday.  She finished tied for 53rd which is her best finish so far on tour.  The golfing tours most of the time on weekend play with the top 70 and ties.  This week those 70 and ties make for quite a few extra players who cashed in on the money.  Earlier this season when Lauren finished in the high 60's she collected more money than yesterday .  The good news is she got a check.