Post 75 champs honored

How about we talk some midwinter baseball?

The Middletown Sports Hall of Fame inducted the 1982 state championship Middletown American Legion Baseball team at its annual induction dinner Thursday. No one knew that would be the last time — to date — that the 75ers would win a state title. After all, Middletown won titles in 1965, 1968 and 1979, so most figured this team would usually be a contender.

But it will be 35 years since a pennant has been won and the boys of summer of 1982 are now 51, 52 and 53 years old.

“It was great to see everyone,” said Rick Romano, who was the team’s ace pitcher and who won the state championship game 10-2 over Willimantic in front of 1,500 fans at Palmer Field.

“We had 14 of the 18 there, including the family of [the late] Keith Thigpen, plus all three coaches. It was wonderful. Thirtyfive years; how time flies.”

Back in the day, as they say, it was common for crowds of 300, 400 and 500 to watch regular season games. Crowds of 1,200 to 1,600 were not uncommon at state tournament games at Palmer Field. No more. In fact, that happens nowhere.

There are a lot of reasons. Times change, technological changes, tastes change. But methinks that there are two other reasons. One is that Middletown is no longer a factor on the state scene. In fact, it often does not compete for a zone title, let alone state honors.

But more than that, the state Legion has been its own worst enemy. Folks with long memories will remember that there was a rhythm to the season. The regular season was much longer. It would run until early August and Middletown home games were every Wednesday and Saturday nights. A pennant race would build during the summer, often climaxing with big games late in the year.

They were big because the only way to advance to the state tournament was to win your zone. In the one-site, double-elimina-

tion tourney, the eight best teams faced off. It was wonderful, exciting baseball played at a very high level.

“Fighting for the zone title was everything,” said Romano. “It made every game so meaningful. We had to beat such good teams. Meriden was always tough, we had great games with Portland. Every game was important which made the regular season mean so much more than it means today.

“We went 19-4 to win the zone and every win was big.” All of that is gone. There are almost no big regular season games because to get to the state tournament is easy. Just be in the top five or six teams in your zone and you qualify. It is called rewarding mediocrity.

“Since every game was big, the games were really community events that drew big crowds,” said Romano. “It meant so much to be playing in front of so many people who cared. It was an advantage to play in front of big home crowds.”

Last year Middletown qualified with a bad, sub.500 record. To be honest, that team was undeserving. It won a couple of tourney games, but that does not validation make. Middletown had a couple of good pitchers, got a couple of big hits and knocked off two good teams. Only families went to the games.

Instead of being a team with widespread local interest, it became a niche sport.

I know, times change and youth sports just do not draw like they used to draw. Then explain why high school football draws. Explain why when MHS has a big boys basketball game, the Blue Dragons fill the joint.

If there is no interest, explain the 20,000 that show up for the girls and boys basketball championships at Mohegan Sun.

That the 1982 Legion team was honored is a good thing. Romano remembers the wins, the bad loss to Cromwell in the regular season finale — a loss he said woke the team up as it ran through the state tourney and finished third in the Northeast Regional in Montpelier, Vt. — but mostly the closeness and friendships built through that championship season. It was a most deserved induction.

Sadly, my guess is those summer days and nights at Palmer Field with great community support may be lost forever.

Kids in college

Middletown High boys basketball coach Rick Privott reported that alumni Caylen Williams is playing for Long Island University, Makai Hunter is playing for Pine Manor college in Massachusetts, Emmett Riddick is playing at Emmanuel College and Antonio White is playing at Becker College.

Cromwell boys coach John Pinone reported that Jaucsh Green is playing at Western Connecticut, Matt Turkington is playing at Bentley and Kevin Francis and Amel Cecunjanin are playing at Rivier College.

Kids going to college

Student-athletes are making commitments/receiving acceptances to college. Middletown High’s Tyshaun James is going to Central Connecticut State University for football. Xavier’s Glenn Cunningham is going to Fordham for football.

Middletown High’s Stephen Lombardo, a swimmer and baseball player, has been accepted at Penn State. It didn’t hurt his chances that he is in the National Honor Society, is Treasurer of that organization, writes for the student newspaper, Blue Prints, and is a member of the crackerjack MHS band.

Here and there

Middletown rolled over Hartford Public Saturday 80-58 ... see Sports Editor Jimmy Zanor’s story in these pages ... but the sobering note is that Markevious Snead has been dismissed from the team for academic reasons, according to coach Rick Privott ... teams at every area high school have dealt with player issues ... kids get bounced for disciplinary reasons, injuries happen, life goes on.

But academic reasons demonstrate yet again that school is a place of learning ... sports are privileges, not rights ... will MHS still be a formidable team? ... yes, but to make a run at a title, other kids will have to step up ... I feel bad for a talented kid who always gave 100 percent on the court ... but MHS demonstrated that first, last and always, it is a place of learning with standards ... tough lesson to be learned.

Jeff Bagwell didn’t show up for the local Hall of Fame dinner ... I’m told he didn’t bother to respond to repeated inquiries ... here’s a bulletin to Mr. Bagwell: the great ones, the truly great ones, remember from where they came ... perhaps he may remember that he wasn’t drafted out of high school and there weren’t many colleges who were interested ... in short, out of high school he was a nonprospect.

If not for Legion ball and not for UHart giving him a shot, he might be a footnote ... to blow off the folks trying to honor him is classless ...this town, this Hall of Fame, these local folks deserved better ... maybe in the end, he doesn’t deserve us ... it’s not my line, but there is an old saying about not forgetting those you met on the way up as they will be there on your way down.

Mercy High will hold its first-ever cheerleading competition dubbed ‘The Mercy Tiger Cheer Challenge’ on Feb. 11 at 10:30 a.m . ... some 14 schools will participate including Middletown High and East Hampton ... “As a Middletown High cheer alumna, I’m so happy MHS is coming,” said Charmaine Lane, the Mercy cheer coach.

Hillhouse is still undefeated, but its chances of repeating as LL champion took a hit when stellar guard Joey Kasperzyk broke his wrist ... Middletown keeps winning games with big second halves ... the first halves are usually close and oftentimes, the Blue Dragons fall behind before turning on the jets ... not a good idea against good teams, and ya know, the longer lesser teams hang around .... against Windsor — the team’s biggest win to date — they came out on fire ... coach Rick Privott would like to see more of that.

Xavier (5-7) needs to win three more games to qualify for the LL tournament ... that is certainly doable, but Hillhouse, Fairfield Prep and Hamden are on the schedule ... Middletown’s girls just might run the table and — I know, here’s the jinx — finish 19-1.

Read a great book ... “One Chance at Forever” about a high school baseball team from a small town reaching the promised land of a state title game ... it will make you think about all the coaching philosophies about hard-nosed discipline so many hold dear.

Best movies, in order ... Manchester by the Sea, Moonlight, La La Land, Fences ... all very good.

In Florida, they have such a thing as cold weather alert ... in Seminole County, just north of Orlando, if the temperature is below 60, an alert is issued and all schools must bring their kids inside ... heck, in Connecticut, when it hits 60, we think about the beach.

Speaking of the beach, Yankee pitchers and catchers report in 14 days.