Click here to send a letter to the editor.
I enjoyed the Gill Field article by Bill Horlacher. The first days of State College Little League as I remember them may add to his history.
The first Little League baseball organization was founded in Williamsport, Pa. in 1939. Nine years later, the very first Little League field in State College area was constructed in the Klinger dairy meadow on the site of the current College Township Building.
The founding fathers were Phil Gill, Bob Lindsay, Herb Tiffany, Floyd Hummel and others. The date was 1948, I was nine-years-old, and my brother was eleven. My brother played at Klinger Dairy Field, and I joined the Elks Club team that played at the Old Fort Little League Field in Centre Hall.
The fathers and the boys constructed the field at Klinger’s by digging the base paths, the mound and home plate area. They cut the grass with their home push mowers (no motors). There was no backstop.
Yes, there were cow patties in the outfield, and at times it was hard to find the ball in the high grass. There were no uniforms. The original field only lasted a few years before being moved the Gill Field site.
The Elks team moved back to State College, and I played two years at the new Gill Field.
The top team was Ferguson Township Boys Club with a third generation “Ham” Foster on the mound. The other teams were the Elks, Facer & O’Brien, VFW, Metzgars and Meadow Pride.
Two quick stories were memorable. A very boisterous father was giving the umpire a very tough time when he was politely asked to leave the field. He went up to the road high above the field. He stood behind the guardrail and continued to shout his insults. I thought his behavior was embarrassing to say the least.
The most memorable game I ever played in was against the Marengo team. We showed up with our spiffy uniforms. They wore blue jeans and plaid shirts. The field was a cow pasture with four bases, no backstop and long grass well-fertilized. Their pitcher was a girl. Her name was Ginny Harpster, and her dad had had a car dealership in Warriors Mark. She was the best pitcher I ever faced. I went 0-for-3 all strikeouts. They beat us soundly, and I learned one of life’s best lessons. Don’t be hasty to judge others until you get to know them.
The first girl to play Little League baseball in State College was probably Ann Lindsay. She recalls that in the summer the team would be depleted by the boys going to Scout Camp and on vacations. Her father would put her in right field to fill out the roster.
Everett Tiffany
