LOVE OF THE GAME
Late Vince Muise remembered for contributions to baseball.
By most accounts Jim (Rico) McEachern is a baseball coaching legend in these parts but the celebrated senior baseball champion credits much of his success to early experience gained at the side of Vince Muise.
In particular, he noted the summer of 1972 when he and Muise, who died this week at the age of 87, helped guide an upstart team known as the Sydney Stars to the Canadian Beaver Baseball championship.
“He was such a key person for me when I reflect on my involvement,” McEachern said.
“As it evolved past ’72, I can actually trace my involvement and a lot of my successes back to my association early with him. He was just a pure gentleman and a great community leader in sport and recreation. It’s a sad loss to the community.”
A baseball manager can often find success as a motivator or a great communicator or as a teacher. McEachern said his mentor carried parts of every one of those qualities.
“He was very passionate and loved the game of baseball and being around the field and just enjoyed seeing the kids get such enjoyment out of participating in the sport.”
The level and scope of Muise’s commitment to sport through the years also inspired others to be more involved, he said.
The Cape Breton Sport Heritage Hall of Fame twice recognized his commitment to sport — as a builder in 2007 and again in 2016 as a member of that 1972 national championship team.
It was through his work with
“He was very passionate and loved the game of baseball and being around the field and just enjoyed seeing the kids get such enjoyment out of participating in the sport.”
Jim (Rico) McEachern
the hall of fame that Dave LeBlanc became very familiar with Muise’s commitment to sport in the community as well as his well-known characteristics of positivity and fairness.
He also saw it at field level one summer while Muise managed the Little League team of one of his sons.
“He was always around the field and always about the kids,” said Leblanc.
“And the kids loved him because he was one of those guys you would never hear raise his voice. It wasn’t all about winning with him, it was about playing the game the right way and being a good person.”
While most know Muise for his commitment to local baseball, Leblanc said he also served his community in many other aspects through the years.
“If he was on a committee you knew he was on the committee. He was good fellow and he was honest. If he told you he was going to do something, he would do it.”
Family came first for Muise but Little League was a pretty close second, according to the obituary prepared by his family.
All told, he coached Little League baseball for 52 years, the obituary reads, and will be fondly remembered by generations of young ballplayers as a positive influence on how to play the game and live life.
As a recognition of his dedication, the home field of the Sydney River Cardinals became the Vince Muise Field in 1999.
Mass of Resurrection for Muise will take place today at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Sydney River.