OGDEN 1948 BASEBLL TEAM

 

In 1948 My Senior Year there was a new coach hired at Ogden and He was a Baptist Preacher who loved sports. He coached Basketball and in the spring He, Mr. Peel the Principal, My Dad the School board Member had a grand meeting and discussed starting playing baseball.  Other Schools namely Fort, Baskin, Central and Wisner agreed to start also. Winnsboro, Crowville, and Gilbert already had teams and there would be more than one new team starting, making it sort of even start in the Parish.

Now, none of us had had much experience except playing a little Cow pasture ball so at least our team members all stared out in the sane boat.  Then we found out that we were going to be the only new team: the others chickened out.  Our first game was with Delhi and they had won the State Title for their Class the year before and lo and behold it was their first game and our first game, the big difference was they pitched a player who made all State as Pitcher against Me who had never played a game in My life.  They turned out school the last period until the busses started running and our cheering section was our team. It was pitiful.  At the end of five innings the score was 36 to nothing and the Sun was sinking in the west.  I went over to the Coaches who were classmates and played on the Louisiana College team and told them, didn’t they think it was about time to quit that I had to milk the cows when I got home and did not like to milk our old “kicking cow” after dark.  One cow was very gentle the other a “kicker” most of you know what I mean. Coach Green our coach looked at Coach Coats their Coach and decided they could finish their conversation the next game. So it was agreed to just end the game at five innings.

I will tell you readers about some more exciting games in the next little note. I am sorry I am unable to describe the game but just use your imagination and you will probably picture the mess up that took place. I will discuss one more regular game and the State Tournament held at La Teche.  The final game at Teche had all the refinements a beginning team could have. We only lost 3 to 0 though.