Best Wishes to the Cape Cod Baseball League and Its Fans for a Terrific Season | 72 | ��Orleans Coaching Staff in mid-1980’s - Top Row - Assistant Coaches Dave Littlefield, Jim Bagnall and Tom Yankus. Bottom - Manager John Castleberry ORLEANS FIREBIRDS 2017 YEARBOOK OrleansFirebirds.com up one hit and of course, looked very impressive. He lasted a week in Orleans before he signed with Baltimore. The day before he accepted a million dollar bonus, he was raking the infield for $3.75 an hour. That first night in the bullpen in Yarmouth, Ben had asked, “Where can I get squirrel?” I told him they were all over the place, look in your backyard. No, he said, to eat. “Where do I get squirrel to eat?” I said you don’t get it around here. Are there any memorable plays at Eldredge Park that stick with you to this day? Well, the centerfield fence at Eldredge is 434 feet, a bigger park than even Wareham. There was a pitcher from Chatham, Chuck Rodgers. He’s the only guy I ever saw hit one over that part of the fence. It was an amazing shot, a Mickey Mantle shot, had to be over 480 feet, high over the 434 sign and rising. The other play was in ’05, when we won the CCBL championship. It was against Chatham in a playoff game. Emmanuel Burriss, one of our infielders, was on 3rd base, either in extra innings or the bottom of the 9th. It was a tie game. There was a foul pop up, over by first base, near the far end of the dugout. I’ll never forget this moment. Burriss tagged up and beat the throw home. On a pop up to the first baseman. Game over. You’ve been around Orleans for many years now (“I haven’t missed a summer since 1962”). It’s been a big part of your life. What does this town mean to you? It’s just small enough or large enough, that I know more people here than I do at home (in Wallingford, CT). I feel more a native of Orleans than I do of Wallingford. It’s a small town atmosphere that grows on you. You’ve spent over 50 years now at this wonderful jewel known as Eldredge Park. On game nights you’re usually sitting in a lawn chair “on the deck” (band shell), with friends Ron (Conte) and Dave (Mitchell), eating popcorn and peanuts. Do you ever reflect on what this setting means to you, what it feels like? I go back to the first time the lights went on (1979). It was a special time for me. I remember the game was against Y-D. I just stood there, it was like magic. And I still have that same feeling today. Sitting on the deck, the sun’s behind you, and the field is lighted naturally, it’s such a beautiful scene. Then slowly the lights blink on, dusk comes, and then nightfall. It’s that changeover I remember so vividly, from the first time we had those lights. It’s always a wonderful time to be alive on a warm July night with a ballgame to watch. ������������������-Stu Murray Photo credit: SportsPix curry college MILTON • PLYMOUTH Excellence in Education • Kenneth K. Quigley, Jr., President www. cur ry. edu
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