The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE
Renovations made to venerable youth sports venue Westover Restaurant to host little league fundraiser
WEST NORRITON» In 1961 Connie Mack Stadium was the home of the Philadelphia Phillies and nearing the end of its glory days as baseball’s first steel-and-concrete stadium.
Miles away, at the corner of Burnside Avenue and Marshall Street in Jeffersonville, the infield dirt and the green turf of the West Norriton Little League (WNLL) field had barely begun to spark the countless dreams of kids like Dale Hood.
Now 65 and a top dog on the over-50 senior softball circuit nationwide, Hood was just starting, at age 8, to nurture a lifelong love of the game.
“When I played at the West Norriton Little League field, we really thought it was Con-
nie Mack Stadium,” Hood said, laughing. “Even today, when I’m putting my spikes on and putting pine tar on my bat and getting ready to play ball at age 65, West Norriton Little League still comes into my mind. Those memories are so fresh in my mind. I play competitive softball all over the United States, from Vegas to Virginia Beach, and I have friends from Rhode Island to California. I play ball 17 or 18 weekends a year and I’ve been blessed, health-wise, that I can still play and still slide into base at this age. And my memories of ball and my Little League coaches like Joe Heim and Mr. Peters all started with West Norriton Little League. It was a great place to play then and it’s even better today.”
It’s the “today” chapter of the 66-year-old WNLL, which recently saw major renovations to its home base, that led Hood to organize and host a fundraiser at The Restaurant at Westover Golf Club, 401 S. Schuylkill Ave., Jeffersonville, on March 29.
From 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., 20 percent of proceeds will benefit West Norriton Little League.
“The renovations are done but there are always bills to pay,” said Hood, who was also a WNLL dad and coach during the era when his son Ryan, now 31, and godson Roddy Vaughan played ball.
“I went to (restaurant owner) Vince Piazza about raising money and the result was that the Piazza family will graciously be donating a portion of the proceeds on March 29. Vince’s son (Baseball Hall of Fame inductee) Mike Piazza once played for West Norriton Little League and the family has some warm memories from those days. I have a million friends here in Norristown,” Hood added, “and I hope that they will come out and support this thing. And if they can’t come that day that they would be willing to write a check payable to West Norriton Little League and mail it to me at 4006 Ashbrook Drive, Limerick, 19468.”
The Westover event will not be the first time Hood has rallied his friends around a good cause.
For many years he reached out to his old chums from the sports world to let them know that it was time to get together for a night of camaraderie, food and drink to help out one of their own — local luminaries like Whitey Mellor, Buddy Miley, Bill Werkeiser, Pete Scheetz — who was going through some rough times.
Five years ago Hood switched gears a bit and hosted a fundraiser at Chap’s Taproom & Sports Grill in Jeffersonville to raise money for a family facing astronomical medical bills. After reading in The Times Herald about the Vivian children Eli and Ella and their ordeal fighting a rare disease, he decided they would be the beneficiaries of a Winter Sports Night. The children’s father, Steve Vivian, had left his mark with a memorable athletic career at Bishop Kenrick High School, as did his brother Mike.
“I don’t even know the Vivians very well,” Hood said at the time. ”But when I read about the Vivian family, it just clicked and I said, that’s who we’re going to help this year.’ The Vivian name is a strong athletic name in this area. I’m trying to bring the Central Montgomery County sports community of yesteryear and today together for a nostalgic night, to come out, have a few beers and have a good time for a good cause.”
Whether his friends show up for lunch or dinner on March 29, chances are that Hood will be on hand, the reminiscences will flow, and maybe some friendships will even pick up where they left off.
“I had a friend through junior high and high school, Alan Treisbach, and his child got involved with West Norriton Little League the same time as my son Ryan, and we renewed our friendship all those years later, all because of Little League.”
One of Hood’s favorite memories goes back to 1997, when the WNLL hosted the Anderson Monarchs, a sports-based youth development organization from South Philadelphia.
The teams played a cordial game of baseball that ended in a tie, 5-5.
“Those kids were great,” Hood recalled.
“I grew up in a strong baseball family, and West Norriton Little League has given me such wonderful memories. I remember my grandfather, who would be over 100 years old if he was still alive today … I can still see him sitting in the bleachers on the third base side of West Norriton Little League field, watching me play, like it was yesterday.”