Reflections "Growing up in the 50s"- Chapter 9- The Battle of the Bulge

Nostalgia Tidbit: As a kid I could always find at least one other person and play some “one on one” basketball. We probably played basketball more than anything else because of how easy it was to step outside our door and play in the vacant lot next to our house. Back then no one I knew had aspirations of growing up to be a basketball player, never a thought of making a lot of money doing so. Of course the pros back then probably had to have a second job to make it. We played for fun!

                                                                           Chapter 9

The Battle of the Bulge

We had a vacant lot next to our house. The lot wasn’t  

very big but it was big enough to serve the

purpose of whatever sports season came around. We

had some great times there as we played tackle

football, had our own high jump pit with the sawdust

landing area, a boxing ring, and a basketball court. My

favorite was the basketball court, which consisted of

the goal being attached to a tall pine tree with a

home made backboard. 

We never had a net, so the greatest challenge was

chasing the ball down as it would often bounce off the

tree trunk or more often off a protruding root.

Basketballs were hard to come by in those days.

We might have been lucky to get a new one once every

couple of years. That’s not very often when you

consider just one bounce off the tree roots could give

you a ball with a bulge! Sounds bad, doesn’t it? The

seam of the ball would split a few inches so the rubber

tubing would balloon out. I think of all the times we

played with that weird looking ball with a big bulge,

just hoping and praying it would not “pop” that day.

 The battles on that basketball court will always be a

treasure of my memories, especially when we had to

battle with the bulge!

"TRAGIC DAY" a poem by Darrell Bassham (original January 28, 1986)

Today January 28, 2011 marks 25 years since The Challenger shuttle explosion. For many of us who observed it actually happen "in real time”, the vivid memory is embedded in us. I can easily remember standing in the parking lot of an office complex in Orlando with many others as we watched the Challenger rise in the sky and then suddenly explode.
I wrote the following thoughts later that evening:

TRAGIC DAY

By

Darrell T. Bassham

January 28, 1986

We hear so often about the peaks and valleys of life…
the times of peak excitement…the times of low disappointments…

Today, we as Americans, we as a Nation, experienced an ultimate
example of just that…
all within a matter of split seconds.

To be so excited and swollen with pride one moment in seeing
the shuttle blast off, only to be so saddened and physically
deflated the next moment in seeing the tragic death of all on board…

Yes, we as Americans have experienced tragedy before, but never
like this…
Never have so many of us viewed it live, first hand, all at the same time.

We ask ourselves…
What justice is there in this world for this to happen…Why?

We console ourselves in thinking perhaps there is a reason hidden
somewhere…Perhaps, it’s not for us to know, at least for now…

We must remember in our grief, that God has a purpose for all
events, though we may not always understand why.

Comfort must be found in the full belief that God is in control…
In control of those who lost their lives…
In control of their families,
In control of all our ultimate destinies.

It is through this realization may we, as proud Americans, find
the courage to look toward the future with the hope of a brighter
tomorrow…

Yes, we will vividly remember this tragic day for years to come…
But, let us also remember that God in his infinite wisdom has reason
for things that are done…

Let us lift up our shoulders, stick out our chest, and pick up our
spirits and go on!

America, if only we will live up to our motto and “TRUST IN GOD” we
will never, even through the worst of tragedy, be alone.

REFLECTIONS "Growing up in the 50's" - Chapter 8 -The Sunday Hitter

Nostalgia Tidbit: There was so little exposure to professional sports.  In the 50’s, if you even had a TV, you could only see one baseball game each week on Saturdays on one channel. The announcers were Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese. They were a couple of good ole boy former players. It was fun to watch. You may have had two or three camera angles. Otherwise, you could listen to a few games on radio. So, the thought of a real live pro baseball team coming to our little town was a BIG DEAL!

Chapter 8

The Sunday Hitter

The baseball park was only a few blocks away from

the house. The Birmingham Barons, a minor league

baseball team for the Detroit Tigers, were coming to

town for their spring training season. The big deal was

that they were going to play the Tigers in our little

town. Word got out that they would need bat boys. I

was one of the first in line. Can you imagine what an

honor to be a batboy for Al Kaline, Harvey Kuhen,

Rocky Colivito, and the “Sunday Hitter” Charlie

Maxwell!

 I made it. I was a batboy for the Detroit Tigers! I

remember it like it was yesterday even though it was

over 50 years ago.

That Sunday morning, the day of the game, I had

awakened early in anxious anticipation of what was to

come. In only a few short hours I would be in the same

dugout as those potential Hall of Famers. The morning

air was cool and crisp that February morning in Central

Florida. It was a short walk to the park. I got there way

too early- before the gates ever opened. As we

typically did in those cases I climbed over the fence

and there I was, the very first one in the park. I ran the

perfectly lined bases pretending all the while I was

being cheered on by the roaring fans. 

The park was expected to be at capacity, and then

some, for the very first time in the history of Connie

Mack Field. Capacity would be at least around 100 or

so! Now don’t laugh, in Auburndale, Florida in the late

50’s, that was a major part of the local population and

they would be there for this historic sporting event.

 Finally the time came for both teams to come out and

warm up. Each team had two batboys and I was one!

As the Tigers came out of the locker room, I couldn’t

believe I was actually there. It felt like an out of body

experience. It didn’t take me long to realize we had

been tricked. I didn’t recognize any of the Tigers. Then

I saw Charlie Maxwell, known in those days as the

“Sunday Hitter”. 

During that time in his career he was on a home

run rampage the previous season and hit a bunch of

those home runs on Sundays. There he was, bigger

than life, taking a few swings. Later I learned that this

was the Tiger’s B Team and Charlie was with them

because he was nursing an injury. They said he might

pinch hit but that would be it. I guess the A Team had

more important places to be that day rather than play

before a capacity  crowd of over 100 at Connie Mack

Field.

Even though everybody was disappointed that the big

names didn’t make it, the crowd got into the game and

seemed to enjoy every minute of it. I truly enjoyed it as

I chased bat after bat.

Charlie was on the bench, so I got to stand near him

and actually talk to him. He was a good guy!

Finally in the top of the ninth inning, Charlie Maxwell

came to the plate to pinch hit for the pitcher, Johnny

Tifton. The crowd was eager to see Charlie show why

he was known as the Sunday Hitter. It was as if all the

disappointment over the A Team’s no show had faded

and finally all would truly get to see one of the best

home run hitters of the time step to the plate. I handed

him his bat. He stepped to the plate. The first pitch

came down the middle. He swung ,barely tipping the

ball into a looping popup to the first baseman. It wasn’t

even a major league popup.

So much for the Sunday Hitter that day at Connie

Mack Field!

Watching Charlie on TV after that experience gave me

a feeling of having been part of the big time for a brief

moment in the life of, at that time, one of the greatest

home run hitters in major league baseball. Do you

recognize his name?   

Check the record books! He really did exist!

REFLECTIONS "Growing up in the 50's"- Chapter 7- Caffeine Junky

Nostalgia Tidbit: Drinking cola was a big thing for me as a kid. All you could get was either a 6oz Coca Cola for 6 cents or a 10oz Pepsi or RC Cola for 7 cents. There were a variety of other flavored drinks but I usually stuck with the big three. Certainly there were not many flavors in the 50s compared to today. Back then no one would have ever believed that people would actually pay for water one day! Wow, I wish I had thought of it!

                                                                            Chapter 7

Caffeine Junky

I can not remember how young I was when I got

hooked! Hooked on the incredible addiction called

caffeine. As an adult I used to brag about the fact that I

really never drank coffee, except on a few breakfast

occasions, until I was in my 30s. One day as I reflected

on early childhood, I remembered I was not exactly

truthful. While it is true that I didn’t drink coffee all

those years,  as a young kid I did intake a decent

amount of coffee. I didn’t drink it! I ate it! You might

ask…”how on earth could you eat coffee?” It is

simple. Almost every weekday morning as a young

kid, I had “biscuits and coffee” for breakfast! 

“biscuits and coffee” ? Simple… take coffee in a cup

and crumble up biscuit in it and add a teaspoon or two

of sugar and stir it up. Eat it with a spoon! I must

admit, it really doesn’t sound very appetizing now,

does it? It was then. It was my favorite breakfast for

years. I don’t remember at what age I quit eating

“biscuits and coffee”...probably around 10 or so. Even

after I gave it up, my caffeine craving accelerated. I

became a real fan of cold caffeine in the form of Pepsi

Cola and RC Cola. For many years to follow, cola

played a key role in my life. As a matter of fact, back

then, I probably held some kind of an all time record

for cola consumption when in one day I drank 10 ten

ounce colas.

 Still to this day, I drink too much…colas of course!

REFLECTIONS "Growing up in the 50's"-Chapter 6- Sense of Smell

Nostalgia Tidbit: When you read this little reflection, you will probably think we must have had a lot of time on our hands. Usually, we did! Kids today have so many mass produced diversions. In The 50s we had to make up our own games and create our own diversions.

                                                                            Chapter 6

The Sense of Smell

The thing that always fascinated me about the sense of

smell was not only how it allows you to detect and

recognize odors but how without that sense, your taste buds

don’t function. As kids, my brothers and I would often play

this game of “guess what you are tasting”! I can’t actually

remember what we called the game but you get the idea.

This is the way it worked. You would close your eyes and

hold or squeeze your nose tightly to remove your ability to

smell. Another person would place something in your

mouth, hopefully food. You had to try to guess what

you were eating. It was tough to do!

First of all, this game required a lot of trust.

 When you think about it, the fact that you are going

to close your eyes…..so, now you can’t see 

anything… and then hold your nose…now you can’t 

smell  anything…and actually trust older brothers not

to  stick something really bad in your mouth! Thank

God, I had two honorable brothers. What could

have  been a character altering experience turned out to

be a pleasant and fun memory of games we played.

By the way, if you have never tried it…now close your

eyes…squeeze your nose tightly…open mouth

widely…I hope you chose a trustworthy person!

REFLECTIONS "Growing up in the 50's"- Chapter 5 Field of Dreams

Nostalgia Tidbit: It only took a hand full of us and an open field of some kind for us to play some baseball. We even had neighborhood versus neighborhood games. Everybody was always ready to play. So few of the “toys” we know today were available in the 50’s. Besides, our Moms didn’t even have to make us get out of the house. We were in our element.

 Chapter 5

Field of Dreams

As I grew up we had a ballpark convenient to the

neighborhood. We lived on a dead end street of about

twenty houses. At the entrance to our street just across

the main highway was our “field of dreams”. It was

built and we came! It was called Connie Mack field.

While school was in session it was used for all the

junior high and high school football and baseball

games. During the summer it was used for Little

League and Pony League baseball.  

We spent many hours inside those fences whether it be

organized baseball, football or the unorganized games

we often played. The most special times were when the

whole gang of us would shimmy over the six foot high

fence during the summer while no one else was there.

The whole gang could have been anywhere from four

or five to nine or ten of us. Whether it be a few of us

or several, we always found a way to have a baseball

game. We would always use second base as home

plate, hitting the ball toward the outfield. That way

some of us or I should say some of them would have a

chance of hitting the ball over the outfield fence.

 Throughout those years, I don’t think I ever put one

over the fence. Often we would play three on three or

whatever we had to do in order to make it a game. 

We chased a lot of balls in Connie Mack Field. Even

though nowadays, many would question the fact that

baseball is “America’s pastime”…there is no question,

in those days it was definitely our major pastime and I

truly believe it was America’s pastime. I loved every

minute of it and often recall those great moments spent

at Connie Mack Field with the ole gang. Nowadays

and for many years now, the former location of Connie

Mack Field is covered with commercial storage

buildings. Unless you are old enough and lived there in

the 50’s you would never know it had been the sports

center of our community for many years. 

Even though I moved from that area many years ago, I

still, often ride by what used to be our “field of

dreams” and can catch a glimpse of the old oak tree

still standing. This tree is all that remains from

those days. It was just outside the park, behind the

home plate bleachers. We spent a lot of time

resting in the shade of that tree after some hard fought

competition.

That old oak tree is almost like an old friend. To this

day as I give it a passing glimpse, it sparks my fond

memories of those great moments at Connie Mack

Field.

Somewhere, under all that commercialization, remain our footprints never to be erased.

See recent responses from some of those who read my book "REFLECTIONS GROWING UP IN THE 50's"

"Thanks Darrell.  I read the book.  Very nice.  It brought back many memorites for me, even though I'm a child of the 60's."
  Barry

Darrell:

"I finished the book today. I LOVED it!!! Sure did bring back a lot of good memories and some I never knew about."

 Bren

"Thanks for sharing that part of your life with us.

Loved it....felt like I was right there with you at the "Saturday afternoon at the movies!!!"

Patricia

"It came through just fine. I am enjoying reading it. I certainly can identify with a lot that you are saying. The "family dipper" being one of them!!  I can't wait to finish reading your book. Thank you so much for sharing it with me." 

Teresa

Darrell,

"Even though I have read it before I read it again today.

Very good. Thanks again for the wonderful memories.

Great idea to do it as an Electronic Book.

I guess I can go find a Pepsi.  It is still my favorite."

Love you brother,

Gene

"Thanks Darrell, I am on page 20 I wish that I had time to sit and read it all today.  Your question about what is the first thing you can remember really brings back a lot of memories."

Jo

"I received your book via email today.  I started reading it and could not stop.  Enjoyed it thoroughly."

   Clint

"Thanks Darrell. This was so much fun to read the first time. I look forward to reading it again."

Rachel

Donna wrote: "Yes...I just finished your book and it was so enjoyable and some of those types of things we did as kids also so it was almost like reminiscing. I enjoyed it greatly, very nice job. Thanks Darrell"  

Dan wrote: "Hey Darrell I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy reading your book. It brings back great memories of our coming to age. Just a great job!!"

"I am in Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee part....great and thank you so much....never knew you lived on Webb Lane. Were you there when Roger lived there?"

PH

"Just wanted to say thanks, it brings about long ago memories. 

I can remember when you were on Webb's lane, My family used to visit yours, long ago.

My parents were from Tennessee also, don't remember if it was the same town, My parents lived in Lawrenceburg and Leoma area. 

My oldest brother was born in Tn. they moved to Auburndale around 1943, I was born at home in Dec. of 1944, I also had a younger  brother.He taught at Auburndale High School for 30  years, before retiring. 

Sure brought a lot of memories, I remember Connie Mack Field, and quite a bit of other things you mentioned.

I will be an Auburndale girl, I guess as long as I live. "

Thanks again,

Would look forward to more of your writing.

Judy