The Old Ford Tractor

I don't remember when, early to mid 1960's I guess, I was too young to drive and I lived about 3 miles to Jordan or Memphis in the opposite direction.  It too a long time, but riding my bike to either town was the norm back then.  It was that or hitch hike and if you didn't get a ride, it was a long walk.

I don't know how it came about, but I remember suddenly having a gray and red Ford farm tractor to "drive" where I needed to go.  Back then, driving a tractor on the road in upstate New York was common place.  I recall my baseball glove and bat hanging from something... it was my first "vehicle".  My dad must have gotten it for me because it once got a flat tire while in Memphis near Barry Buck's parents house and one of my dad mechanics had to come to Memphis and "take care of it".  I can't remember his name, but it was the pissy one, he didn't ever care about having to help the bosses spoiled kid.  He was a jerk...  I'm sure karma got him.

A few weeks ago, driving in Massachusetts, I spotted the old Ford tractors twin sitting out in the middle of a farmers field.  I stopped, went back and grabbed a picture.

I sat there starring at it...  wanted to go jump on and take a ride, for old times sake.  I sent the picture to Barry's daughter (she's connected to the digital age, he's still out riding the tractor I guess).  Asked her to share the picture with him.  She later wrote: "My father had a wonderful chuckle and walked us down memory lane with that pic! He said to tell you "Good, times, my friend. Good times." He said that you drove the tractor around like a car".  She also referred to us as "hooligans" back then.

I did and we were.

The Memphis Mud Hens...

In the little hamlet of Memphis, NY, they had our version of of youth baseball.  I see to remember we normally had 4 teams... I have no clue how the teams were assigned, picked or any of that.  I recall we got colored tee shits and matching hats for uniforms.  I only remember 2 coaches ever....  All Hannam (always referred to as Mr. Hannam) and Adam Skorvinsky (always referred to as Ski).

I think there were many a Saturday's that with Ski or Mr Hannam played, coach, umpire and sometime pitcher for both teams playing.  We were major leagues and those coaches did it all for us.  As we got a little older, maybe into our teens, we (maybe me, I always was an entrepreneur) decided we should have a travel team.  I sold advertising to local businesses for 4 x 8 sheets of plywood with their company name on it so we could build a "home run" fence.  Quite a few were sold and somehow I finagled some snow fence from someone to complete the fence.  I know my dad and other dads had a big hand in getting the fence erected.  To the best of my knowledge, Ron Crouse was the only player to ever hit one "over the fence" and he did it twice in one game against a team from Jordan...  I was a runner on second base for both of those hits and recall them both going almost straight away center field, right over my head.  Funny how we remember things like that....  I wonder if that is how it really happened or if it is just how I remember it?

I hustled a deal with the old Elbridge Central School and obtained their old high school baseball uniforms after they merged with Jordan High School and worn the old Jordan colors.  Holy cow, we had real uniforms....  red pinstripes and we became the Memphis Mudhens.  I can't remember exactly how that came to be, I know it had something to do with what letters we could get to replace the "EC" on the uniforms. I seem to remember working a deal with Joe Charles, owner of Joe Charles Sports in Fairmount Fair Shopping Center for the lettering.  The guys wearing uniforms with just an "M" were the old Elbridge pinstripes.  The Memphis uniforms were the brand new uniforms we purchased once the adults knew we were serious about playing...  they came from Joe Charles Sports.

Got my dad to bring a small bulldozer to the field and we moved the backstop back about 10' from it's original position behind home plate...  we have a concession stand... we were living the dream many kids dream.  Pretty cool for little ole Memphis.

Obtained from Dennis Cooper, taken by Herbert Thomas, 1966: left to right: squatting: Mike McNeal, Joe Manion Jr., unidentified player3, Tommy O'Neil, Larry Crouse, Butch Burkart, unidentified player7.  Standing: Coach Al Hannam, Randy Muncy, Buddy Hannam, unidentified player standing4, Ray Slate, Pete Haske, unidentified player standing7, Dan Greeley, unidentified player standing9, Ron Crouse, Coach Joe Manion Sr., Rich Lewis, Rusty Mosher, Coach Adam "Ski" Skorvinsky, unidentified player standing15 — in the picture yet to be identified who is who: John Srewart