In 1954, After Every Game
I Looked For My Name In The Bay City Times
June 10, 2009
By: O. J. Cunningham
When I played Little League baseball in 1954, I wanted to see my name in the paper
Dateline: Southend Little League
Bay City, MI -- 1954
I played baseball every Summer from age 8 through age 23.
Little League, PONY League, American Legion, NEMC -- Summer baseball was a way of life for me as well as my parents -- who were always sitting in the outfield watching the game.
In 1954, I was an 11 year-old pitcher/catcher/third baseman for Jennison Hardware in the South End Little League. We played our games at Valley Welding Field deep in Bay City's South End.
The day after every game, I could hardly wait for the Bay City Times to be delivered to my house.
I wanted to see the "coverage."
I wanted to read about our game but I also wanted to read "
Sports Stew by Jimmy Donohue."
Why?
SILLY QUESTION!
Of course, I wanted to see my name (O. J. Cunningham) in print. Call it ego. Call it whatever you want. Every athlete, at any age, loves to see his/her name in print.
Fifty-five years later, if you "Google"
Sports Stew by Jimmy Donohue you won't find nary a reference to the former Bay City Times sports writer that covered the local recreation baseball circuit when I played the games as a youngster. (That's a tragedy)
I think Donohue cared about kids and understood what the "coverage" meant to the young players.
In 1954, I pitched and also played sometimes as catcher so my name was there in the box score -- win or lose. But, when my name was in the article, I always felt good about it . . . proud.
Mr. Donohue loved clever headlines. Mr Donohue tried hard to get as many kids' names into the articles. My Favorite headline of all time:
O.K. O.J. Pitches
Two-Hitter in Win
Over St. Joe's.
My mom cut it out and had it laminated.
In 2009, Little League is a different ball game.
If you're following MyBayCity's coverage of Little League, you might have noticed that we're ONLY using first names for the young players.
Broken homes, single-parent families, foster kids -- These are the reasons that we have been asked (by Little League officials) not to use the last names of the kids in our articles..
I don't think Jimmy Donohue would understand.