The Big Train Beacon Fifth Issue – August 15, 2020 Table of Contents A Message from Bruce Adams Summer College Baseball History ............. 3 Safe at Home Tuesdays ........................... 5 GM’s Corner ............................................ 6 To Our Big Train Community: Top Ten Thursdays: #3 & #2 .................... 7 The Greatest Game in Big Train History .... 8 It has been an eventful ten weeks since our Bethesda Community Base Ball Club retook stew- Meet the Staff ........................................ 9 ardship of Big Train baseball. There are lots of people who deserve thanks. Meet the Board ...................................... 10 Thank You to Our Donors ....................... 12 I want to begin by expressing appreciation to the more than one hundred individual, family, and foundation contributors to our BIG susTRAINability campaign. With your support, we are Bethesda Community closing in on our goal of raising $60,000 this summer. If you have not yet given, please go to Base Ball Club www.bigtrain.org and hit the DONATE button. We have Big Train face masks left for the next Founder & President seven donors of $100 or more. Bruce Adams Vice President Thanks to the members of our extraordinary board who are committed to building a strong Eric Cole and sustainable organization so our children and their children will be able to enjoy the community jewel that is Big Train baseball at Shirley Povich Field long into the future (please Secretary-Treasurer read their bios here). My deep appreciation to Dick Walker who has contributed his nonprofit John Daniel capacity building skills as our senior advisor as we stood up this new organization in record Board Members time. Congratulations to Chris Rogers who really rolled up his sleeves and went to work to Rebecca Crowley earn his promotion as our general manager. And thanks to our Hall of Fame director of base- Katelyn Engen ball operations and field manager Sal Colangelo who has guided us every step of the way. William Hickman Manny Hidalgo Marjorie Lane I am very grateful to our six Tim Kurkjian Sports Journalism Fellows – Erin Byard, Alex Richard Lipsky Drain, Alex Murphy, Shaun Salehi, Patrick Sanderson, and Noah Ziegler. As Chris Rogers Ramin Nejaddehghan notes in his inaugural GM’s Corner on page 6, this could have been a lost summer for our Rachel Northridge six journalism interns. Instead, we created bigtrain.tv and produced five issues of our online Alex Thompson magazine, the Big Train Beacon. With their hard work, we were able to provide our Big Train Emily Waldman fans with three nights of entertainment each week for June and July. It was terrific to see the Donnie Wright former players and coaches and interns and general managers reminisce about the twenty-one Senior Advisor seasons of Big Train baseball. What a treat it was to relive the ten greatest games – out of 900 Richard Walker – in Big Train history. Director of Baseball Operations Sal Colangelo After this difficult year, it is really important that we bring the fun back to Shirley Povich Field General Manager for our fans in 2021. This fall, we will be scheduling Zoom Fan Fest focus groups to brainstorm Chris Rogers ideas for 2021. We are recruiting now for a new group of volunteers to enhance the welcoming environment at Povich Field. And we are planning a virtual auction event for November so you www.bigtrain.org @GoBigTrain can do your holiday shopping while supporting the Big Train. Mailing Address If you are interested in getting involved, I want to hear from you. Please send me an email at 7211 Exeter Road [email protected]. Bethesda, MD 20814 Shirley Povich Field Stay well. Be strong. Roll train! 10600 Westlake Drive Rockville, MD 20852 Big Train Beacon Credits Editor ................................... Chris Rogers Bruce Adams Layout & Design .................... Chris Rogers Founder & President Writers ................................. Bruce Adams Erin Byard [email protected] Bill Hickman Alex Murphy Note: The cover photo on the top left is of the 1962 AAABA champion Federal Storage of Patrick Sanderson Washington. The legendary Griffith League manager Joe Branzell is on the far left in the second Noah Ziegler row. The other two cover photos are identified on pages 3 and 4. 2 | The Big Train Beacon | Fifth Issue – August 15, 2020 Summer Ball history Summer College Baseball in the Washington-Baltimore Region ity until the proliferation of leagues in the EDITOR’S NOTE: Bill Hickman is the Baltimore area in the middle of the twenti- Big Train historian and Bruce Adams is eth century. the founder and president of the Bethesda In 1936, we started to see a superstructure Community Base Ball Club. This is a sum- that would govern the leagues through the mary of an article titled “Summer College middle of the century. That same year, two Baseball in Maryland” by Bill Hickman rival associations united to form the Mary- and Bruce Adams from the July 2020 issue land Amateur Baseball Association. In 1944, of The National Pastime (SABR Publica- the Baltimore Amateur Baseball League tions). came under the aegis of this association. The Society for American Baseball In 1953, a key team, Leone’s Café, joined a Research (SABR) is a wonderful organiza- league under the Maryland Amateur Base- tion that offers a rich variety of opportuni- ball Association. Future Hall of Famer Al 1946 Griffith League Championship Game on the ties for the serious baseball fan to engage in Kaline played with Leone’s that year. Ellipse in Washington, D.C. in-depth explorations of baseball history, either through participating in research Impact of Walter Youse The sponsorship of Youse’s teams changed or by taking advantage of the reading over the years, and the team name changed materials or presentations offered by other Leone’s first manager was Ray Muhl. In accordingly. While he was in charge, the members. If you are interested in joining, 1956, Walter Youse joined Muhl as co-man- team was known variously as Leone’s Café, visit sabr.org and click on “Join SABR ager. Youse was at the helm for the next 47 Johnny’s, Corrigan’s, and Maryland Orioles. Today!” years. For much of that time, he held the title For more on this topic of summer college of general manager, but in reality he was on Clark C. Griffith Collegiate Baseball baseball in the Washington-Baltimore the field making the in-game decisions and League region, view the July 7 episode of “Safe at the men holding the title of manager took Home Tuesdays” on bigtrain.tv, a conver- their cues from him. In the Washington area, the history began sation featuring Bill and Bruce with guests As renowned Baltimore sportswriter Jim with the establishment of the National Dean Albany and Ben Trittipoe. Henneman told us, “There was no question Capital City Junior League in 1945. The about who was running the show.” Although games were played on the Ellipse behind By Bill Hickman and Bruce Adams Youse was in civilian clothes, he was always the White House, and had the full support on the bench or in the dugout and gave ev- of Clark Griffith, owner of the Washington For more than a century, summertime ery sign and made every critical in-game Senators. When Griffith died in 1955, the baseball has been a significant part of the decision. league was renamed in his honor. In the late lives of young Marylanders. From the Mary- It was a highly successful enterprise as 1960s, the league moved its games off the land Amateur Baseball League founded in his teams’ record exceeded 3,000 wins with Ellipse to northern Virginia because of de- 1909 to the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball fewer than 500 losses. Youse’s teams won teriorating field conditions. League of today, outstanding young ball- the Baltimore city title 46 consecutive years. The Griffith League was a charter mem- players have sharpened their skills on Mary- At the AAABA tournament in Johnstown, ber of the AAABA in 1944. The Washington land ballfields. Pennsylvania, his teams won the tourna- franchise won the AAABA national cham- The quality of baseball in the region has ment 19 times. Youse was inducted into the pionship ten times – Marx Jewelers (1947), been exceptional. Teams from the Baltimore AAABA Hall of Fame in 1998. Federal Storage (1956, 1960, and 1962), Res- and Washington areas have won 39 of the 75 More than fifty of Youse’s players went on ton Raiders (1986), Prince William Gators titles at the iconic All American Amateur to become major leaguers. One of his most (1997), and Arlington Senators (1998, 1999, Baseball Association (AAABA) champion- famous, Reggie Jackson, had been torn be- 2001, and 2002). ship played each year at Johnstown, Penn- tween playing baseball and football at Ar- Legendary Griffith League Managers Joe sylvania with 68 Baltimore alumni and 67 izona State prior to joining Youse’s team. Branzell (1995) and Chuck Faris (2004) as Washington alumni making it to the major The summer with Youse clinched the deal well as Coach Jake Jacobs (2003) have been leagues. for Jackson and gained him wide exposure inducted into the AAABA Hall of Fame. Joe Of the early leagues, the Baltimore Am- to major league scouts at the AAABA tour- Branzell’s teams won a total of 13 titles in the ateur Baseball League founded in 1918 was nament. He ultimately became the second Griffith League, including 12 in a row at one the most significant as it provided continu- overall pick in the 1966 MLB draft. point. Fifth Issue – August 15, 2020 | The Big Train Beacon | 3 Summer Ball History Rockville Express, and Youse’s Maryland Orioles to establish the Cal Ripken Colle- giate Baseball League named to honor for- mer Baltimore Orioles manager Cal Ripken Senior.