While living my younger years at Prospect St., I have never forgotten how the street in front our home was the playing field for all games. Across the street in front of our home lived the Covill family with 12 or 13 kids! I could never get their names right! But I can never forget Mrs. Covill. She would come out on the porch to call them in for supper, from the oldest, George, to the baby, Herbert, all in one breath! We played baseball and football on the street, and kick the can, and hide and seek, sometimes with as many as 20 kids or more!
I like to think I was a normal youngster, and loved most sports- earned letters in baseball and football at East Providence High School, from I graduated in 1936. The president of the dramatic society, Charlie Viall, whom I had known from first grade invited me to join his group when they needed a “coach” for one of their plays. I made my debut on the stage, and later had parts in more plays, and in one I got to sing the National Anthem on radio! I also took part in a couple of productions for our church- in one Passion Play and also sang a solo in one minstrel! I played sandlot baseball in a twilight league while I attended Providence College and Sunday Catholic Youth Organization ball with our church team. I also played softball as a member of the East Providence Fireman’s team, having been induced to become a “volunteer” fireman so as to be eligible to play in a league comprised of teams from different branches of the town government. In July of 1940, the year I graduated from Providence College, I broke my left leg while sliding into a base during a game while playing with the firemen. I was on crutches for several months, even after I started my studies at Boston College Law School. I spent the first two weeks in a 3rd floor room about three blocks from the Law School, near Copley Square. What a time I had on crutches! Luckily I met two former Providence College classmates and they found a larger apartment on Newbury St. on the first floor and we roomed together for two years until I was drafted into the Army.
I have never forgotten one incident as a ballplayer – David mentioned the Red Sox “Buckner” incident that brought it to mind. In the CYO State Semi-final championship game, playing second base, an apparently easy ground ball to me went through my legs allowing the winning run to score and eliminated us from the championship tourney- we lost 3 to 2. I had some consolation (?) however, I scored one run early in the game and later batted in our second run before I made the error!
I like to think I was a normal youngster, and loved most sports- earned letters in baseball and football at East Providence High School, from I graduated in 1936. The president of the dramatic society, Charlie Viall, whom I had known from first grade invited me to join his group when they needed a “coach” for one of their plays. I made my debut on the stage, and later had parts in more plays, and in one I got to sing the National Anthem on radio! I also took part in a couple of productions for our church- in one Passion Play and also sang a solo in one minstrel! I played sandlot baseball in a twilight league while I attended Providence College and Sunday Catholic Youth Organization ball with our church team. I also played softball as a member of the East Providence Fireman’s team, having been induced to become a “volunteer” fireman so as to be eligible to play in a league comprised of teams from different branches of the town government. In July of 1940, the year I graduated from Providence College, I broke my left leg while sliding into a base during a game while playing with the firemen. I was on crutches for several months, even after I started my studies at Boston College Law School. I spent the first two weeks in a 3rd floor room about three blocks from the Law School, near Copley Square. What a time I had on crutches! Luckily I met two former Providence College classmates and they found a larger apartment on Newbury St. on the first floor and we roomed together for two years until I was drafted into the Army.
I have never forgotten one incident as a ballplayer – David mentioned the Red Sox “Buckner” incident that brought it to mind. In the CYO State Semi-final championship game, playing second base, an apparently easy ground ball to me went through my legs allowing the winning run to score and eliminated us from the championship tourney- we lost 3 to 2. I had some consolation (?) however, I scored one run early in the game and later batted in our second run before I made the error!
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