Last February we moved our offices to our current location in East Newark , and during the move I found a baseball that was nestled in the back of a large drawer. I glanced down, and there was that famous signature, I remember when I asked him to sign it, he graciously did, and it brought back so many memories.
The year was 1981, a hot sultry August Saturday night under a full moon with over 12,000 cheering fans crowded in to Don Edwards Babe Ruth Baseball facility. Baseball players 19 years old from all over the
United Sates that were selected by a sophisticated tryout program orchestrated by the (United States Baseball Federated) and (IMBIA) a division of the Olympic Committee were standing at attention as the National Anthem played.
As the National Anthem faded into the night the fans went wild as they cheered for boys that they had grown to know during the last seven days. They came from all over the world to play in the world’s first World Friendship Baseball Series.
Across the field stood the opposing team standing in a regimented format looking almost military like. The Korean music began to play and the entire ball park stood at attention as we listened to the words and music to their National Anthem. The Anthem came to an end and again the standing room only baseball facility went berserk as the United Stated cheered and welcomed the team from Korea .
The evening was the highlight of one of the largest "all volunteer" events ever organized in Newark , Ohio .
Let’s go back in time…..
It’s the summer of 1979 several months after our Second Babe Ruth World Series, we were campaigning and using every contact from the Governor to local business leaders for their support in hosting the first ever World Friendship Baseball Series to be comprised of 11 teams from almost every continent in the world and a team from the United States.
Our community organized many people and businesses during the two Babe Ruth World Series,so we were the first choice by the United States Baseball Federation” and “IMABA,” a branch of the world Olympic Committee, to host the first ever World Series for 19 year olds. .
During lunch at Annarino’s Center Cafe, Don Edwards, Roger Balding and Tom Newman approached me to be the “Host Chairman” of the first ever International World Baseball Series ever held for 19 year olds. This series was to be the format for selecting teams and players to play baseball in future Olympics.
Now, I’d been part of a few who worked to bring all the Babe Ruth Series together, but working on a world stage was a different challenge. The first thing in my mind was how I can get out of this predicament. My first thought was my Dad. I had already taken too much time away from our company during the two Babe Ruth World Series, so this will be an easy out for me.
My response to this group was “thanks for asking, but no thanks” my father would have no hide nor hair of me taking off any more time. Well, about this time these guys laid it on my Dad, and he said I could have the time off if I chose to accept this position. After nearly passing out, my response was, “I’ll think about this challenge as it was going to be the biggest thing I had ever encountered. I’d give them my answer after some thought.”
After a lot of soul searching and discussion among people who’d be part of this “epic event” I accepted this community wide, and I mean “community wide” project.
The United States Baseball Federation and “IUMBIA” sent me to Tokyo , Japan to present this first ever 19 year old baseball series event to a world congress of baseball officials. It was just like the United Nations all the countries had little head phones listening to him being interpreted to their language while sitting behind a sign hosting the name of their country.
My interpreter and I spent the next several days meeting other baseball officials from about 40 countries who committed to the possibility of coming to Newark , Ohio in a little more than a year to play in our world series.
Soon after the Japan trip, it was decided the countries who were going to be invited to our ‘World Friendship Series.’ This was the beginning of probably the biggest committee of volunteers ever assembled in our community.
Our biggest problem was how to or orchestrate such an event and host 11 different countries. I specifically chose 40 community people to be committee chairpersons, most of whom I had never meet. They recruited approximately another 1,200 1,400 volunteers.
I can remember in rather large meetings with well over 50 people in attendance, Jerry Nethers said, “What the heck are you doing running an international baseball tournament. You don’t the difference between an ERA and an IRA.” I told Jerry, one of my closet friends, “I don’t need to know. I’m a team builder and have assembled people a lot smarter than me.”
Fast forward to a Saturday night in August, 1981, and the second game of the 3 game wining series. Korea is up one game. I was standing on the first base line with a nationally known baseball player who was a team mate of Babe Ruth. I spent the better half of the afternoon with other baseball officials listening to stories about the “Babe” by none other than left hander New York Yankee, Lefty Gomez. How could it be any better, A full moon, standing room only, and our USA home team playing for the championship? We were being televised to South America and being radio broadcast all over the world from Newark , Ohio and here I was, standing beside Lefty Gomez. It couldn’t be any better.
Then it happened Korea won game two and took home the first ever “World Friendship Baseball Series” Championship.
I looked down at the baseball in my hand, autographed by Lefty Gomez, to Dave and Tim. I remembered their father handing me the ball and asking me to get it autographed, which I did. In all the excitement of the moment I forgot about the ball. I wonder if anyone knows of their whereabouts. Dave and Tim, where are you? If anyone knows, please contact me on Facebook or at 1st Response.
