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On May 16, 1976, the Brookline Little League held an opening day parade, celebrating 25 years as a chartered organization in the Williamsport Little League Association. With the United States of America celebrating the Bi-Centennial and just about everything that year being dedicated to the "Spirit of '76", the local Little League held a special dedication for two of it's own founding fathers, Joe Powers and Bud Auen, both 25 year members of the neighborhood organization.
In keeping with the Bi-Centennial spirit, a police escort led the way down the Boulevard, followed by an honor guard dressed in traditional Revolutionary War clothing and playing the fife and drums. The parade began at the firehouse and ended at the Community Center fields. All of the league's eighteen teams were present, with the Minor Leaguers, Little Leaguers and Senior Leaguers all joining in the celebration. The Boulevard was lined with cheering residents, who came out on this special day to cheer on the community's young ballplayers. Once the uniformed throng arrived at the fields, they all lined up along the Little League outfield fence for the special dedication. Mr. Auen, a former coach and longtime umpire, and Mr. Powers, a 25 year manager, were both awarded special gifts and allowed to throw in the first pitches to start the new season. I had played for Mr. Powers with the B.Y.M.C. team during my four years in Little League and remember how thrilled I was at the time to see him honored for his service. He was not just a skilled manager, but a friend and mentor, one that I would never forget. The same can be said for Mr. Auen, a man who umpired behind the plate nearly every game for as long as I could remember. He was a fair man who had a special way of dealing with the kids. He was respected by everyone and his contributions to the league and the children of Brookline can never be understated. Today, the parade is an annual event, marking the start of another season, and I am sure that in the distant past, the Brookline Little League held other similar parades. However, in 1976, as a fourteen year old in the Senior League, this was the first parade that I could remember in my first six years with the league. Below are a few pictures taken by Joe Brendel documenting the 1976 Little League parade. It seems like only yesterday that this took place. Of all the things that have transpired in my forty-something years on this earth, playing Little League baseball at the Community Center will always be one of my greatest memories.
Click Here to see a short sequence of photos from the first game played on opening day, featuring B.Y.M.C.'s Chris "Fritz" Brendel scoring the first run of the 1976 season. The photos show a lot about what Little League baseball was "back in the day." |
