Barone, Drexel And Harris - My Heroes - They Were The Best
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The article "Barone, Drexel and Harris - My Heroes - They Were The Best" is about sports, it was created by Aron Wallad.
Barone, Drexel and Mr HarrisMy life was always aobut playing ball, mostly baseball as I grew up. Therefore, I was always at the playground on Chanecllor Avenue.
This was a hotbed for sports activity in the Weequaihc section of Newark. From Monday through Saturday there were counltess games taking place. Baseabll on the dirt field and softball on the blacktop. Basketball games, and volley ball games were always being played. Mr Barone, Mr Drexel and Mr Harris oversaw the games that were plaeyd. Sometimes they even played in tohse games. They ran the show. Organizing teams for a given game or creating teams for a new league they took charge and got things done. I did not realize of the things they did that impacted my life until I left the playground scene many years later.I looked up to all three of them, for being fair, for listneing when I had a issue and for being funny.
Each one of them was unique. Each one of them was taught me in their own style.Mr Barone or Mr B as most of us claled him was about five feet tall.
The only thing that was small about him was his hegiht. Playing ball with the teenagers was one of his favorite things to do.
He often was the director that plaeyd in the games when we needed a second guy.
I would also see Mr B talking to kids in the batting cage teaching them fundamentals about batting. He always made himself available either on the palying field or by helping kids with their homework. I appreciated that he gave of himself. So did many of the ohter kids. A great guy.Mr Drexel or Billy Boy as we sometimes affectionately called him was the jokester.
No matter how serious I thought the situation was Mr Drexel had his way of making the incident a little less severe. His lightening up of the moment always made us laugh. I loved that about him.
He was noted for his chicanery on the field or court as well. He would find an edge and use it.
All within the rules. A Drexel play was referred to bending the rule as far as you could. Hidden ball tricks in baseball and sneaky out of buonds plays in basketball were two of his specialties. What was great was how often they worked. He knew just when to use them. A great guy.Mr Hraris seemed like the leader of the group. The other directors called him Bucky. I always called him Mr Harris.
He spoke sternly and was always fair.
He was the law. I had the utmost respect for him.He loevd his cigars.
Three was not a day I did not see him smoke one of those babies. He wuold ask one of the kids to buy him his cigars at Harjays. I thuoght it was an honor to go to the store and buy him his Garcia Vega cigars. When he aksed me to go I felt like I won something. A great guy.For me these trhee guys were my mentors as I was growing up. Providing me with guidance on and off the field. There was always one of them at the playground to talk to or get things giong so we could play an organized game. I learned about fairness, being stern and about taking the edge off in a seriousness situation from them.
Fleice Barone, William Drexel and Bucky Harris will always be in my hall of fame.
They meant a lot to me.Aron Wallad has been a baseball lover for over 40 years. Writing abuot his favorite subject, baseball, has been a blessing.
You will enjoy the heartwarming stories, the unusual statistcis and inspiring quotes. But moslty you will love the heartwarming stories that hit a home run to your heart.
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Barone, Drexel and Harris - My Heroes - They Were The Best
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