1948 Crosby Mudhens
Front row: Rich Cunningham, Jim Cioffi, Fred Rossi, Louie Cappelliti, Joe Rossi, Bill McKearnen, Bob Faes, George Stanton, Ray Cioffi, batboy- Mike Mulvihill Back row: Albert Bond, Oliver Pettenati, Tom Weaver, Ken Johnson, Loyde Mulvihill, Creade Stamburg, Chet Billings, Cino Faes, Wayne Johnson (father of future Mudhen's star, Terry Johnson), Earl Geinolds
Ken Johnson and Joe Rossie are "Swede Johnson's uncles.)
This project has been sitting on the runway for quite a while. Maybe I was thinking that the miles between and all the years that have passed created a dynamic that I could no longer write comfortably or accurately about my hometown area.
It just took a little push from an unnamed friend to gain some confidence and start rolling forward a little. It was full speed ahead after a two hour conversation with former Mudhens' catcher and outfielder, Mike Tessena.
The last time I had spoken to Mike was four decades ago and it probably took place at second base after one of his doubles versus my team. I was playing shortstop and I'm sure we chatted then. I spoke with quite a few Crosby players that way-there always seemed to be one of them standing at second.
My apologies to Mike's wife, Carol, for holding him on the phone for so long, but it was a wonderful experience sharing memories of our playing days, former teammates and our lives after Alle-Catt baseball.
My talk with Mike reminded me of all the enjoyment that the competition of athletics brought then to all of us. In fact, it was the very definition of what sports are supposed to be at every level.
It's about fostering relationships with teammates, opposing players and all those who were attached to the game in some fashion; umpires, families, fans (kids and senior citizens).
Regardless how it was labeled, (town team, semi-pro, amateur or our "official" title of Alle-Catt baseball), it was competing each summer weekend, nine innings on Saturday and nine more on Sunday, and then going back to work on Monday.
The will to win was strong, but the determination to play was more powerful. We didn't need bulletin board material to prepare.
Sports reveal character much more than teach it. We discovered in ourselves the heart and soul that allowed us to go head to head with unmatched energy versus a team and gain respect for individuals as a player and a person
We live in a celebrity-crazed culture, one in which many people believe the only stories are those of the rich and famous. Some are famous for just being famous (Felicity Huffman, the Kardashians, etc.
Everyone has a story and many of those are meaningful. They can be enjoyable, heart-breaking, inspiring- creating a mountain of various emotions.
This is not a complicated essay. It's simply about something that was good in the lives of many and about a town that embraced a group of ball players every summer. The men who played for the Crosby baseball team created an atmosphere of enjoyment, entertainment and pride from April to September every summer.
Hopefully, this writing will convey the countless memories created during the years.
Chapter One
Jim Thomas, Denny Maynard and Terry Johnson
If there was one almost certain bet when gathering information for this writing through interviews, newspaper clippings or personal submissions it was this. If the two words mentioned were Crosby Mudhens, the next two words were Jim Thomas. It was that way in the 60's and still remains the response today. That's the kind of impact that Jim exhibited for his team specifically and the league in general.
I first saw Jim play when I was a teenager and my parents and I would make that 20-25 minute drive to Crosby many weekends to see the Mudhens play. Oh, occasionally we made the same type of trip over to Shinglehouse to see Dan Stavisky, Bob Dunsmore and our two Eldred boys (Johnny Oszustowicz and Tut Hanks) pitch.
But it was Crosby, with Thomas and his teammates that captured our undivided attention. It could have been a factor that I don't remember ever watching them lose a game, but it was more than just being a front-runner fan. It was the man in the middle of the field. Like a Hollywood movie, there were other actors (very good actors), but it was difficult to not focus on the picturesque, 6'2",190 pound lefty on the mound
Jim (Lefty) Miller, a 1966 graduate from Otto-Eldred High School, was an all-around athlete and also a fine pitcher for Eldred in a couple of adult leagues.Lefty commented. "I played many a game against the Mudhens, both as a kid in the McKean-Elk League and as an older "kid" in Alle-Catt (Allegany-Cattaraugus League)."
Lefty continued, "I remember most of the players on their very successful A-C teams. Which by the way, I don't believe we ever defeated, despite that being one of our main "spring training" goals. Jim Thomas was the ace for as long as I can remember. I was always impressed by his gamesmanship and consistency, as well as talent."
I had the pleasure to work for five major league clubs during my 26 year scouting career. Somewhere on our evaluation form, with each club, we were always asked, "What major league player does this prospect bring to mind?" Pre-video days, it was a way to give your front office personnel a "picture" of the player you were describing.
Jim Thomas reminded me of a player that none of us ever saw play but every true baseball fan knows his history and accomplishments. Physically, emotionally and as Lefty Miller mentioned, the "consistency" of his performance, game after game and year after year- Jim was my Lou Gehrig.
Lou Gehrig was a left-left guy, and until his tragic illness, a well-built athlete, always in good condition, durable, strong with above-average power at the plate, and the perfect makeup.
Makeup is a term that is thrown around, somewhat haphazardly, in professional baseball. 30 different clubs have 30 different definitions. I had my own. Does he come to play every day and does he make his teammates better?
Like Gehrig, Jim was well-liked, well respected and the perfect representative for his team and the league. Gehrig was nicknamed, "The Iron Horse," and Jim was the "Iron Man."
There was this guy named "The Babe" who gained most of the attention with his prodigious offensive numbers and his early professional years when he also was a dominating pitcher. Unlike Gehrig, Ruth added to his portfolio with some legendary antics off-the-field, that added to him overshadowing Gehrig in many ways.
Both Ruth and Gehrig played, almost every season, for an outstanding team filled with all-stars and above-average players as did Jim.
Someday, take a look at a photo of Gehrig and disregard the baggy, woolen uniforms and see a picture of an athlete with a combination of strength, fitness and athletic ability, who carried himself with dignity. That's Jim Thomas.
Ed Swanson was the Mudhen's third baseman for many years and the first word out of his mouth in describing Thomas was "unbelievable." Swanson was playing the "hot corner" during Jim's perfect game with 18 strikeouts against Lockport Bus in a 3-0 playoff win on August 16, 1975.
"It was incredible, but I was hoping they wouldn't hit a ball to me in the later innings," Swanson stated.
The talented Swanson was being modest as it was most likely he was going to field and throw any ball cleanly.
"Thomas could walk out to the mound right now in 2019 and still look like he could pitch now," Swanson stated.
Baseball statistics have always been a convenient, but not necessarily a comprehensive way of judging a player's success, but for this essay I wasn't really concerned with pitching and hitting numbers, but Thomas' feats are too numerous to casually overlook.
Along with the perfect game, Jim threw seven no-hitters, 12 one-hitters and 15 two-hitters with a 153-24 record through the 1991 season.
He averaged 12 strikeouts a game and nearly 2,000 in his career.
There were numerous times in his early years that he threw two complete games during a weekend and many examples of him starting one game and following it up with a relief appearance the next day.
The lefthander's combination of hitting and pitching earned him the honor as the Buffalo News Suburban Association's Player of the 20th Century's Second Half.
Jim was named to the Western New York Hall of Fame in 1998, only the second year of the Hall's existence.
Thomas is an advocate for Terry Johnson to be elected to the Hall in the future. "I know he was a better player than some of the guys who have been selected to the team." No disagreement here.
He was a all-around ambassador for the Alle-Catt League both on and off the field, taking over the role of president of the A-C Association in 1982.
Jim's role as Crosby's ace eventually faded and he pitched only three innings in 1991 at the age of 43. His son, Scott, picked up the mantle and threw the bulk of the Mudhens' innings that season. Jim played in the outfield and hit .577, the best in his career.
Below: Jim Thomas
Denny Maynard is a well-known figure in Smethport, Pennsylvania, not only because of his time as a Crosby Mudhens' infielder, but also as an outstanding coach in high school sports.
He was an assistant football coach and a big part of Smethport's two decades of dominating football in the Big 30 area. Head Coach and Pennsylvania Hall of Famer ,Carl Defilippi's staff of Maynard, Ward Baun, Rick Woodring and Jim McGuire was 107-16 through the 1990's and 186-37-2 during Defilippi's 21 year head coaching stint including a 67 consecutive game winning streak in the league.
Maynard's son, Woody was a part of that streak and in 1992 was a National Honor Society member and eventually an engineer.
Denny also coached girls' softball and boys' basketball for the Hubbers.
His abilities as a baseball player did not take a backseat to his coaching talents.
Denny was the starting shortstop for the Mudhens' and, like many of his teammates, had the athletic ability and versatility to play several positions. Occasionally, he would flip-flop with Terry Johnson at short and second.
Teammate Fella Wright called him, "the most consistent hitter on the team." Ed Swanson remembers the team used to practice on Wednesday nights and "one time Denny showed up and he didn't even put on his baseball shoes. I think he hit with his sneakers or a pair of loafers on and hit about ten line drives with four of them going over the fence. I think he was ready for the weekend games."
Maynard was an important cog in the Mudhens' lineup that usually had five or six lefties in the order and sometimes as many as eight. The right-handed hitting Maynard's bat in the middle of the lineup provided some balance and along with other righties; Terry Hess, Fella Wright and Mike Tessena kept the opposition from automatically tossing southpaw pitchers out there.
John Russell of Coudersport was a former Alle-Catt pitcher and position player. The left-hander remembered his days versus Maynard and the Mudhens.
"I remember four players from the Crosby Mudhens; Ed Swanson, Eddie Faes, Jim Thomas and Denny Maynard. I personally always thought that Eddie Faes was a tougher left-handed pitcher to hit than Jim Thomas, but they were both very hard on lefty batters like me.
In 1975 I threw one of the best games of my life against Crosby at Coudersport. We took a 3-2 lead in to the top of the ninth and I had only given up three hits when Denny Maynard hit a line drive down the left field line that was about a foot fair and a foot above the snow fence with two men on and one out for a three run homer.
That made the score, 5-3 and it ended that way. Not a great memory for me, but it's funny how some times our best performances don't turn out as victories. Denny had also, earlier in the game, hit a rocket back at me that would have hit me in the face had I not gotten my glove up in time to knock it down."
Russell continued, "My recollection is that they were just a very solid, all-around baseball team. Great pitching, defense and offense, a combination that was tough to beat. Most of our games with them weren't this close, but on that day, we could have beaten them."
NOTE- John Russell retired from his work in the Arlington, Virginia/ D.C area a few years ago, but his overall baseball career continues. John is the director of one senior league and plays in two 60 or over leagues and soon a 65 or over league.
Maybe there were others, but for me, Jim Thomas and Denny Maynard were the trailblazers for the Crosby Mudhens' team that we witnessed during the late 60's and through the 70's. Their efforts and overall play started the revolution that lasted for multiple decades.
Jim and Denny, after their A-C playing days, continued their service in the community as teachers, coaches and officials.
I don't believe I played on a baseball team that ever got Terry "Swede" Johnson out. At least it seemed that way.
An all-around athlete at Smethport High, Johnson made his mark as one of the top players in the Alle-Catt League for many years as a middle infielder, one of the top hitters in the A-C and a general pain in the backside for the opposition.
Dykstra was an outfielder and Backman was a second baseman and they played an almost identical style of baseball. They were grinders, pesky, do-whatever-it-takes on either side of the ball to beat you.
Crosby, although they did maneuver their lineup around at times, had their own potent 1-2 combination with Terry Claypool in the one spot followed by Swede. There were quite a few RBI opportunities for the guys in the middle of the order with one or both guys on base a large percentage of the time.
Johnson had good hands and an arm that wasn't a cannon, but enough to execute the throws he had to make from second or short. There was never a problem for Terry Johnson leaving his feet and diving to knock down a ground ball or a line drive. He would draw walks, get hit by a pitch, come up with the clutch hit game after game and demonstrate pull power when that's what the situation demanded.
Swede played with a bounce in a step (natural for him), easy to pick out of a group of players as the guy who was packed with confidence and determination.
Fella Wright relays an example of Johnson returning to the dugout after facing Emporium's Randy Cooney, a former minor leaguer and named by many as one of the best pitchers in the A-C during his career.
"I was in the on-deck circle when "Swede" walked by after striking out on one of Cooney's fastballs. I asked him what he was throwing or how did he look and Johnson just said, "Wow."
Johnson's mindset wasn't one of 'This guy is great, I'll never hit him' or 'He was just lucky,' etc.
Terry Johnson respected his teammates and his opponents and my interpretation of his "Wow" was simply, "He got me that time, I'll get him the next." He understood how the game worked and he was never going to back down from a challenge and Cooney was definitely that.
My team was playing Crosby at our home field and we were down, maybe 4-2, 5-3, still a ball game in the top of the seventh.
The Mudhens had men on the corners with Johnson at the plate. I had played against him for several years and probably had seen him hit 18-20 times and never seen him hit a ball to the opposite field. He always pulled the ball, usually hard.
Long before it became an standard move for clubs, I shifted from my normal shortstop position and moved five or six steps to my left, slightly to the second base side of the bag.
I thought it was a smart decision to make considering the circumstances until Swede hit this slow (I can't really say "dribbler")- it just wasn't hit very hard. The ball rolled exactly through the spot I had just vacated. Johnson had his RBI, Crosby still had runners on the corners and eventually picked up another W.
I looked over at Terry, standing on first base. I may have been shaking my head, wondering how he had foiled my plan.
Terry just looked at me and laughed, "I got you that time, Jimmy."
The tighter the game, the more dangerous performer he was and he demonstrated that skill set every year.
Ultimately, Terry Johnson was easy to describe.
Swede was a ballplayer.
In this particular case, Terry tried to barter for a new fishing boat, but a previous attempt with fishing buddies, Terry Claypool and Bill Murphy was not entirely successful.
It reminded me of the Sheriff Andy Taylor episode when he seemingly let a criminal escape by boat, knowing the thief would not get very far because of the hole in a boat. Son Opie knew the plan all along.
The theme of the AC tale is a reminder of the sacrifices the players and their families made. It was a fun and glorious atmosphere each summer, especially for the outstanding clubs like Crosby and Olean Bradners, but individuals and families had important decisions to make every summer.
Chapter Two
Crosby-the town
Usually, when you start talking about a village, town or city, many would begin with the population. Let's put the Crosby figures on hold for a minute.
Crosby is located five and a half miles, south/southeast of Smethport. Smethport is the county (McKean) seat, but with a population of slightly over 1,600 ranks only fourth in the county. Bradford, Kane and Port Allegany are the top three.
When you look at the 2010 census figures or go back even further and compare it to the 2019 numbers, you'll see almost all the populated areas of the county have dropped, some as few as a couple of dozen, but others, like Bradford have a dramatic loss of citizens.
It's not an exclusive occurrence in northern Pennsylvania, but it's a continual trend in all the "Rust Belt" states. The closing of plants and the loss of job opportunities have hit McKean County especially hard.
Crosby falls in to that grouping, but it offers a exceptional recognition that no one else carries.
I saw a 1991 newspaper article that pegged the population of Crosby at near 500. The most recent number I saw was 96. The post office remains in operation, but the Bucktail Inn and Maple's Restaurant are no longer in service.
The American Legion remains active and is the home of the majority of trophies and awards the Mudhens have accumulated through the years.
I was tempted to ask someone back home if they could act almost as a census-taker and come up with a close to stable number of residents in Crosby.
I decided to make a somewhat educated guess and call it 150 for the sake of this essay. Whatever the number truly is, multiply it by at least 30 and you will come up with an estimate of how many people know about the town of Crosby.
Maybe non-residents are not exactly sure where it is located, but they've heard of it. The Mudhens are the reason why. The year after year success of this amateur baseball team, the frequent appearances against western New York teams in the playoffs and the recognition of several of their players are synonymous with the town of Crosby.
The original design of this writing was pretty clear cut. I was going to take a period of 10-12 years (1967- 1979?) and stay within that time frame. I wasn't surprised when the years began to stretch away from the initial plan, on both sides.
Eventually, the years had no limit on either end. That meant a lot more information to include, but it also created many opportunities for unintentional omissions and accidental errors. I traded those inevitable and hopefully, excused mistakes for the chance to add more names in the project.
Third baseman, Ed Swanson, called weekend games at the Crosby field "an event." The weekend format usually called for one game at home and one on the road. 2:30 was the standard start and if the Mudhens played at home on Saturday or Sunday, you could expect a majority of its citizens at the ballpark.
Two occurrences at home games were parking or the lack of it and "The Zoo." Cars lined both sides of the highway creating a lane up the middle wide enough for only one car. For the "big" game (Emporium, Olean Bradners, etc.) the line of cars seemed to stretch halfway to Smethport. Actually, every game was a big game (the only game in town)-some games had a few more fans in attendance, especially if the matchup contained a stronger and deeper rivalry.
"The Zoo" was a group of Mudhens' loyalists who cheered mightily for their home team and maybe voiced different thoughts toward the opposition. They may have been fueled by liquid refreshments, but at the game's conclusion, everyone (including the opposition) were invited to stay and be a part of the day's activities.
NOTE: Some of the "Zoo Crew" fans and For Sale Items.
I'm not sure this attempt at labeling the Crosby supporters is tongue-in-cheek or someone's actual idea that the Mudhens' fans were an out-of- control bunch. I think if you asked many players of other teams in the A-C League there would be a high percentage that would say they enjoyed playing against Crosby, home or away because of the number of fans that would attend.
The atmosphere is clearly more enjoyable, more dynamic, more competitive with an attendance of baseball observers, who are there to watch their local heroes and have some fun, being loud, but not risque or off-color.
There were always several teams in the league whose team's roster outnumbered the fans who attended their home games. There was no doubt that the Mudhens' loyalists always had a lively bunch at their home games, but they almost always outdrew their opponents when the Crosby club was on the road.
Was that an advantage? Sure. Was that advantage well-earned? Absolutely. Was it fair play? Most certainly.
Crosby fans also followed their team on the road, especially on some of the shorter Pennsylvania trips or to Olean, which was 30 miles south. Often the number of visiting Crosby supporters rivaled or outnumbered the home team's fans.
Mike "Whitey" Welch umpired several Olean-Crosby games at Franchot Park in Olean. "Jim Thomas was a very good player and they brought a good crowd. They were always well-played games."
I believe if former Alle-Catt players were polled, they would certainly recall the Crosby supporters and also remember it was always a "baseball environment," and one of the few opportunities all summer to play in front of a large number of supportive fans.
The Catchers
Terry Hess, Mike Tessena, Tim Murphy, Jeff Bricker.
The Olean Times Herald covered the Alle-Catt League for many years and did a fine job of capturing a headline, usually featuring an individual performance or the league's key game.
They also included paragraphs on most of the weekend's games plus line scores of the pitchers and catchers with those hitters who homered and/or had excellent days at the plate.
During my early years of familiarizing myself with the league and eventually being part of it, there were five words you could count on in Monday's paper: Jim Thomas and Terry Hess.
Thomas and Hess were battery mates for many years. Terry was behind the plate often, but it seemed he was Jim's private catcher. You could count on that along with the fact that Thomas was going to toss a low-scoring and usually high strikeout outing.
The ability to receive well is the key and the offense is a bonus. Terry could provide some hitting support also, with some key hits coming out of the bottom half of the order. Beginning in the 60's, Terry Hess began a long succession of solid catching for the Mudhens.
Mike was a 1969 graduate of Smethport High School and received a business degree from Clarion University in 1973.
Tessena, while at Clarion, also caught future Cy Young Award Winner and a member of the Brewers' World Championship club, Pete Vuckovich.
Mike played 16 years of Alle-Catt baseball and gathered time at most of the positions on the field during his career, especially the corner outfield spots. He was a fine hitter and his right-handed bat mixed well with the lefty-dominated lineup.
Mike's brother, Tom, once managed the Mudhens, but is most recognized for his cross country and track coaching success at Bradford High School. Tom, 69 years old, is back as the head man of the program again this year.
Mike is a member of that veteran Crosby group of players; Thomas, Maynard, Hess, etc., who were part of a dominant era of Crosby Alle-Catt baseball.
Tim Murphy was the first future Mudhens' player I ever met. We were classmates in the first, second and maybe third grade at the Eldred Township Elementary School. The Murphy family lived up Indian Creek, one of the many hollow, creek or valley roads in the area.
I have an old photo of Tim and six of my friends. They are in attendance at my eighth birthday party. We are all in the backyard posing for a Kodak picture. Because it's in the rule book for eight-year-olds, we are wearing our Opie Taylor t-shirts and making weird faces-over a half century ago.
I'm sure Tim and I met on the baseball field a few times before Alle-Catt, but my clearest memories are playing basketball, Otto-Eldred versus Smethport.
Well after my playing days were over, I was visiting my mom in Eldred. Often when I was scouting in Buffalo, I would drop down for a Saturday night visit before heading back north for Sunday's game.
My mother and I were at her house and Tim and his wife, Liz, stopped by for a late morning visit. I hadn't spoken to Tim in years and had never met his wife. We talked about all the parts you try to cram in after not having seen each other for a countless number of years.
I could see my mom ready to turn the key and start the engine. I wondered how much longer she could stay quiet- it was about 30 seconds.
I received a World Series ring in 2008 when I worked for Tampa Bay. We lost to the Phillies, four games to one, but it was a great year for an organization that had never had a winning record, let alone, a trip to the Series.
I never threw a pitch or took a swing, but most of the personnel in the organization received a ring. I never wore mine, simply because I wanted to give it to my mother. It wasn't so much about that particular baseball season.
It was about all the hurried dinners, all the miles driven to watch me play after my folks worked jobs of labor for eight plus hours, all the balls my dad hit me in the backyard, buying me new gloves and helping me look for the baseballs I had lost in the weeds somewhere as I was growing up. All those are activities that many of the people included in this article can remember and relate to in their own lives.
I knew when my mother received the ring, she would show it to everybody in Eldred, in some cases, multiple times. If anyone, the paper boy, girl scouts selling cookies, the meter reader, ANYONE-they were going to have to take a look at that ring just like Tim and Liz did that day.
Mike Tessena mentioned to me the value of depth and versatility on an Alle-Catt squad. One of the principal reasons are injuries, but since the A-C played on consecutive days, if you missed Saturday with an injury you were probably going to miss Sunday also.
Other aspects are shift work, summer vacations, family illness-numerous possibilities that can cause a team to have limited players for a weekend or longer. That concern is especially warranted when you are looking at your pitching and catching staffs. That's another area where Crosby had a noticeable advantage over other clubs.
Catchers could, but they didn't have to catch 18 innings on a weekend. They could split duties at times, maybe a game at first and be behind the plate the following day.
Tim Murphy was a valuable member of the catching crew (and swung a good left-handed bat) and the Mudhens.
Jeff Bricker went to high school in Emporium and eventually moved to Port Allegany. Port Allegany was within the geographic boundaries in which Crosby was allowed to draw players so guys like Bricker and later Jeff Schultz, Jeff Stuckey and others, became Mudhens.
"Brick" began playing with the Mudhens in 1977 at the age of 24 and retired from baseball when he was 40-years-old.
The last three years have been extremely traumatic and heart-breaking for Jeff and his family.
His wife, Karen, died in February 2017. Six months later, Jeff was diagnosed with colon cancer. He was admitted to Roswell Hospital (Buffalo) and had surgery. His troubles continued though.
Jeff Bricker is a good man and a strong person.
After the first procedure, he developed sepsis, Sepsis is a serious illness. It happens when your body has an overwhelming immune response to a bacterial infection. In severe cases, one or more organs fail. In the worst cases, blood pressure drops and the heart weakens, leading to septic shock.
Jeff spent 90 days in the hospital. His body was failing horribly. He lost 140 pounds, dropping from 340 to the 200 mark. He couldn't walk. He couldn't stand.
He underwent another surgery and barely survived this ordeal. Eventually, he moved to Charles Cole Memorial in Coudersport and began to make a day to day comeback.
Jeff Bricker is a good man and a strong person.
Ken Woodruff was a high school baseball coach before starting his umpiring career in 1978. He eventually began umpiring Alle-Catt games and spoke about the Crosby Mudhens in general and Bricker specifically.
"I remember Crosby had some nice guys like Claypool. a guy named "Rabbit"(Fella Wright), Terry Johnson and Jim Thomas. Bricker was probably the most likable guy to work with behind the plate."
Woodruff continued, "I probably saw Thomas throw the most. He moved the ball in and out a lot. Eddie Faes reminded me of Harvey Haddix," a left-handed pitcher for the Pirates in the early 60's (famous for throwing a 12 inning perfect game and losing the game in the 13th).
Woodruff thought two of the hardest throwers in the A-C were Mike Turner and Randy Cooney and the pitcher possibly with the best stuff was Jeff Schultz, who joined the Mudhens in the early 80's.
The umpire said, "He had a terrific slider, a real slider, not a slurve or sloppy curveball. The first time I saw it in a game I missed it. I hadn't seen one like that. Bricker knew I missed the strike call and just said, "Don't worry about it, nobody has seen a pitch like that often."
Bricker was a left-handed hitting power guy with an outstanding approach. There was one period where he went well over 100 at bats without a strikeout.
He was one of many who agreed that Randy Cooney was the toughest pitcher in the league, but Brick had some good battles with the hard throwing left hander.
Jeff and Fella Wright hit back to back homers twice in the same game and Bricker had several multiple home run games.
Jeff Bricker is a good man and a strong person.
Chapter Four
Ed Swanson, Ed Faes, Fella Wright, Terry Claypool
Ed Swanson played for the Mudhens from 1971-1986, another Crosby veteran of 15-16 years. That was a large part of the Mudhens' continual success-their core of players who played at least ten years plus.
The four players profiled in this group are very much like the previous performers mentioned. They share similarities that can not be overlooked and ones that few other A-C teams were able to match through the years.
Swanson was another excellent athlete from Smethport High School. He was the program's quarterback and was one of the area's best hitters through his years of youth baseball.
He continued, "We took a lot of pride in the way we took infield before games and I remember playing intense pepper games- we'd hit the ball hard at each other."
Pepper games are more or less a lost art now. It wasn't always easy to get ready for an Alle-Catt game on game day. Few teams had an outdoor cage and it was tough taking batting practice on the field because many players could not arrive at games early enough to get in some swings.
2:30 starts seem generous, but with the distance traveled to some sites (no interstate driving or GPS) and not being familiar with some field locations, it was tough travel at times. The only way to find some fields was asking the first person you saw on the street and then you had the issue of relaying the information to the rest of the team. (No cell phones) Teams did not travel by bus and it was very difficult staying in a caravan-type of follow-the- leader driving.
The "big one" was capturing the Western New York title game versus one of the Buffalo Suburban League teams in the round robin finals.
Includes-Chris Spears, Bill Clarke, Brian O'Connell, Mike Carr and Pat Johnston.
Swanson recalled that the Mudhens always seemed to have a player ready to step in when one of the veterans' play began to slip just a little, using former minor leaguer pitcher, Jeff Schultz as an example.
The Crosby players were well-known and respected throughout the entire league. If it was possible to be a Mudhen and be "unsung," that player might be Ed Swanson. His stability through every game and every season was a major part of the team's overall success.
Through the years, the Olean Times Herald used the same phrase over and over describing two Crosby pitchers
"The 1-2 left-handed pitching punch of Jim Thomas and Ed Faes led.....
That lead- in to the main story of a Crosby weekend was common place through the years.
Some of the New York State teams had to be reminded that it was Faes (rhymes with nice), not pronounced "face." A few might have mispronounced his name, but no one made a mistake judging his pitching ability or his overall play year in and year out.
His pitches came from all angles and it was almost impossible for him throw a pitch that traveled straight.
First baseman, Fella Wright, recalls that whatever pitch Faes planned on delivering to the plate, that was the type of throw he made to hold or pick runners off first. And again, it was rarely straight.
Thomas and Faes were the perfect pitching duo. They were both left-handed, all-around athletes/ players and both could go nine innings and did many times through their careers.
Their differences were tremendous assets. Thomas was a prototypical, strong lefty, who relied heavily on his fastball and outstanding command.
Eddie threw anything at anytime. That was simply the scouting report on him and he worked that ability to his advantage time and time again.
Eddie Faes was a complete baseball player. He found a way to reach base constantly and before Terry Claypool arrived on the scene, he was the lead-off man and center fielder.
"I didn't think anyone could replace Eddie in center field, but Claypool did. Eddie just moved to the corner outfield spots. He had great instincts in the outfield," Ed Swanson said.
He often hit from the nine hole and that was like having two leadoff men with Faes' uncanny ability to get on base. He slapped the ball to the opposite field or found a hole somewhere at an uncanny rate. It wasn't always textbook, but it was effective.
Most would agree that Eddie Faes was one of the top pitchers in the Alle-Catt League for many years.
Fella Wright was the Mudhens' first baseman. A Smethport High graduate (1968), Fella was well-known as a football player at SHS.
There's quite a local baseball connection in Fella's family. He has been married for 43 years to Debbie Cunningham whose brother, Gary was a McKean Babe Ruth All-Star. Debbie's father, Richie, is in the opening photo of the 1948 Crosby team and was a coach for several Crosby teams, including the All-Star team that Gary played.
Gary was a second baseman and that All-Star squad won their opening two games in the district tournament and needed to win only one more game to continue in the 1970 Pennsylvania playoffs.
One victory over Williamsport West End was all they needed and they had two games to get it, but fell short in both contests.
The 6'1" Wright played 18 years for Crosby, retiring in 1989. He continued to coach American Legion and Little League after his playing days.
Wright recalled a variety of topics about his days with the Mudhens.
"I remember I was struggling during batting practice one day and Jeff Schultz, who knew a lot about all the aspects of the game, told me to open up my stance. That tip helped me then and during my career."
"I recall our games versus Olean Bradners. Mike Carr pitched against us a lot plus any of lefty they might have because of all the left-handed hitters we had. That was fine with me." (Wright was a RH power hitter.)
Bobby Bell was the manager for the Olean club for many years and like Crosby they had multiple players who had lengthy A-C careers, like Carr, Mark Stavish, Mike Threehouse and Mike Martello.
It was mentioned in the Jeff Bricker profile also, but Fella and Bricker hit back to back homers twice in the same game.
As several Mudhens' players did, Fella expressed disappointment in Crosby's failure to ever win the overall championship against a representative from the Buffalo Suburban League. He recalled one of the key playoff games that Jeff Schultz started, Crosby gained an early, big lead, but Schultz was hit by a pitch in his right arm and had to be removed from the game.
The Mudhens eventually lost the lead and the game, missing out on an opportunity to "win it all."
NOTE: Players include; Marty Rosenswie, Jeff Bricker, Terry Hess, Terry "Swede" Johnson and Fella "Rabbit" Wright. Ladies- I apologize if I miss a name. Please let me know and I'll make the correction; Cindy, Sue, Karen, Nancy, Donna, oops!- I missed someone already. Handsome group of Pennsylvania folks.
The 69-year-old Wright continues to work in the plumbing and heating business.
Terry Claypool was pretty easy to pick out on the baseball field. Even if you didn't know his number, how tall he was, etc.-just look for the guy who was running.
The first picture in my mind of the Mudhens' center fielder is Terry sprinting to his position in the first inning and then the second inning and then, well you get it.
Going on or coming off the field, running to first after a walk- anytime Terry had to move, he ran.
Claypool's motives were not for show or to draw attention to his style. He loved to play. There was nothing fake about it. He gave 100 percent at all times. He happened to have very good speed-the one tool you can use both offensively and defensively, but I think he would have run full-out even if he was the slowest man on the team.
He used the running tool effectively; stealing bases, beating out infield hits, covering the gaps in the outfield, going first to third and I think his enthusiasm and joy in playing had to be catchy for anybody on his team.
He had fun and he played hard.
Terry was definitely not a one-tool player by any means. He made the perfect leadoff man hitting from the left side. He knew the strike zone, made frequent contact and even had the ability to pull the ball out of the park.
He and Terry Johnson were consistently on-base, leaving RBI opportunities for the players following them in the order.
The top of the order (Terry, Swede Johnson or anyone else who was hitting in the #2 spot) were going to get on base eventually. You might keep them bottled up for a couple of at bats, but it was a very rare occurrence to keep them off the bases an entire game. They were going to get you eventually.
The first time I met Terry was not on the baseball field, but at an elementary school. Terry was the principal at Duke Center Elementary, part of the Otto-Eldred School District.
I had recently graduated from college and I believe it was just my second time substituting.
It was early in the afternoon and I had a free period with nothing really to prepare for as it was only a one day appearance.
Terry asked me to follow him downstairs to the basement. Recalling, I don't think it was a finished basement. It really was just a boiler room, but it had a ping-pong table. (table tennis, officially I guess)
I grew up with a table in our house so I was okay, but I expected we would just volley back and forth and play for 10-15 minutes. Terry may have a different version, but I remember going at it quite competitively.
Moving from corner to corner and despite the somewhat limited space, we still went back deep to return slams and we were in a damn boiler room!
I was sweating profusely and I still had a class or two to teach before the end of the day.
I honestly don't know who won or if we kept score. But after knowing Terry better as time passed and we played baseball against each other for several years, I don't think he would have stopped playing ping-pong that day if I had won. No way.
Terry was a key component for the Mudhens for many years. He played the game the right way
Back row, left to right-Jim Thomas, Fella Wright, Jeff Schultz, Terry Claypool, Jack Yoder, Ted Hyde
1984 Crosby Mudhens
Chapter Five
Alle-Catt People and Places
Jame Thomas is the baseball coach at Otto-Eldred High School. Last season he led the Terrors to the district tournament.
He also was the girls' volleyball coach for a number of years. One of his players was his daughter, Camryn, who is currently on the squad at Duquesne University.
An example of his coaching and love of sports plus an outstanding work ethic is his volleyball background or his lack of one. He taught himself the game of volleyball and how to be a successful coach. He read books and found every piece of information he could about the game. He made himself one of the better coaches in the area.
His connection to Alle-Catt baseball and the path he took is equally impressive.
Jame graduated from high school in 1984. The first team he played for was Freedom at the age of 16. He then played 17 years for Fillmore.
He moved to Eldred and became a Crosby Mudhen for five seasons.
He started and played for a team in Shinglehouse from 2007 thru 2009 and then played a year in Olean before organizing a squad in Eldred. He stayed with the Eldred team until the A-C League came to an end at the end of 2016.
He also served as vice-president of the league for a number of years.
It's been impressive to hear about all the Mudhens players who had lengthy careers for the Crosby club-15, 16, 18 years or more.
Thomas' odyssey is also very impressive. He is definitely a man who is passionate about the game.
Eaton later played for the Shinglehouse Stars. Their team jersey is pictured below. Greg Ingram was one of his teammates
There was also a Smethport-Mount Jewett Little League, made up of those two teams plus East Smethport, Coryville , etc.
Alle-Catt umpires worked solo for a number of years. They called balls and strikes behind the plate and then had to make every call that presented itself in the game. Pick off plays, stolen bases, balks, fair or foul, catch or no catch- every possibility was their responsibility, their decision and their call only- an impossible task.
An umpire's average pay was $26 dollars a game for his nine innings of work- a job that no one could ever do with complete accuracy although their attempts were sincere.
Eventually, they went to a two-man crew, but as Kenny Woodruff states, that didn't solve every issue.
Kenny describes a hotly contested game at Crosby with Emporium.
"We were in the ninth inning with Crosby leading by one when Ed Park hit a deep drive to left-center. My partner and I were under the impression that the other guy was watching the ball and it turned out we were both watching the runners.
There were a thousand people or more at the game and at that particular moment in the game it seemed like there was twice that many. The ball was certainly on the other side of the fence, but I didn't see it clear the fence. I looked at my partner and he just shrugged his shoulders."
"I could only make one call. I had to call it a home run because it had gone over the fence in some fashion. It gave Emporium the lead and immediately here comes Terry Claypool sprinting in from center. I knew Claypool never complained about a call so I realized I probably had blown the call and it probably should have been called a ground rule double."
"It bounced over. It bounced over," Claypool kept repeating.
The call had to stick and the Cameron County team took a lead in to the ninth.
Kenny breathed a sigh of relief when Crosby rallied in the bottom of the ninth to pick up the W.
Kenny also recalled when Salamanca had a team led by the Weitzel brothers, Brad and Jay and also Harry Nelson.
Bill Mesler of Shinglehouse was a well-known figure in the Alle-Catt League for many years. He served as the president of the league, coached the Shinglehouse Shanty baseball team and also coached the Shinglehouse American Legion team. Bill also had several sons play in the AC League.
Bill passed away in 2014 at the age of 87.
Ralph McKimm was an assistant coach in Emporium for over 25 years. He became president of the league in the late 90's or early in the 2000's before the league finally collapsed after the 2016 season. Ironically, Crosby won the title that last season beating Smethport in the finals. There were only five teams in the league at that time.
When it was time to organize for 2017 there were only two teams that showed interest and the league had to call it quits. Years earlier, Ralph had tried to install a new program that would allow teams to draw players from outside their boundary items, but even with that positive change the numbers were dropping dramatically.
Ralph had done everything he could to keep the league functioning and he also was instrumental in the installation of new fields in Emporium, but times had changed, a little by little each year.
Emporium, a town that had fielded an excellent A-C club for a number of years no longer had an American Legion or high school squad and the numbers for 8-10 year old baseball had dropped.
It's easy to put a portion of the blame with the lack of interest, drive and determination to play and make the weekend commitment to summer baseball, but it was a series of factors that created a different atmosphere than earlier years.
The advent of travel teams was a big change as some of the better kids in an area were now playing on an out-of town team that was traveling, sometimes at major distances and costs. Most of their parents were traveling with them eliminating a source of potential older players.
Slo-pitch softball had begun a popularity and some players moved to that as a means of staying on the field.
Emporium had put together a fine run of winning seasons with Dick Harrier's teams consisting of players like Bill Leonard, Bill Wortman, Ed Parks and Randy Cooney, but the surplus was getting thinner and that was the case throughout the league.
Above: Emporium vs. Olean for the league title. Crosby- also in the playoffs.
It was getting more difficult not only to start a new team, but to keep an established one alive. Port Allegany began an A-C team in 1992 and folded after the 2011 season. Salamanca was in the league for a short period, but dropped out.
It wasn't only Alle-Catt baseball that was facing a serious reduction of teams. Fast-pitch softball in Olean, once an exciting league with top-rated pitchers and position players and a league in which the Olean Times Herald would publish up-to-date leaders in batting averages and pitcher's e.r.a., was losing players and eventually called it quits. There was a period of time for many years when no one would have foreseen that ever occurring.
Raising money or finding a sponsor to keep a club was getting more and more difficult.
Ralph McKimm did have a favorite moment in his Alle-Catt service. He had the chance to be part of a game in which he, his son and grandson were on the field at the same time. That's a wonderful memory to cherish.
Pat Atwell, a native of Andover, is now the athletic director at Culver-Stockton University in Missouri. Pat had a long baseball coaching career at Quincy University in Illinois and sent two players to the big leagues from a Division 2 school, Josh Rabe and Port Allegany's Josh Kinney.
Pat won 288 games at QU, setting a career record that was surpassed by Rabe two years ago.
Atwell was a basketball and baseball star at Andover. He began playing Alle-Catt baseball at 17 and later played at Salem College in West Virginia.
Pat had some comments about his time as a player in Alle-Catt baseball.
"Playing in the Alle-Catt League All-Star Game at Bradners' Stadium was always fun as was playing the Buffalo teams in the playoffs."
Atwell continued, "I pitched in the league when I was 17 and I enjoyed it when I got the chance to pitch again after college at 23, facing many of the same guys again.
Olean Bradners was always tough with Mike Martello, Steve Yatzkanic, Mike Carr and Mark Stavish. Crosby had Thomas and Faes, Coudersport had Mike Turner and Gerald Duffee played for Austin. Gary Witter of Olean and Randy Cooney of Emporium were always tough."
Three homers by Terry Johnson over Galeton
More Olean and Crosby action, 6-5 win for OleanThere were some geographical guidelines on where some players could perform if there wasn't a team in their town. They were difficult to enforce at times."
Atwell said, "Some people didn't like it when Andover's team folded and I played for Bolivar. There seemed to be quite a few discussions about who was eligible at times.
But somehow it all worked out and the Saturday and Sunday games went on at 2:30 each weekend."
Andy "Gump" Lathrop was a well-known baseball figure in Crosby and with some other area teams.
He was born and raised in Crosby and began playing for the Crosby Indians at age 15. His brother, George, played for the Crosby Mudcats until he left for the Army. He later returned and umpired in the area for many years.
Gump was a participant in the McKean-Elk League with teammates; Bud Acre, Jim Lasher, and Ron Rahr. He rates Rahr, of Portville, the best pitcher he saw with Crosby's Jeff Schultz in the number two position.
Gump also played in a Sunday league that consisted of teams from Eldred, Crosby, Lewis Run, Cyclone, Mount Jewett and Roulette.
He remembers Richie Cunningham getting some older guys together and playing some of the younger, high-profile players in the Crosby area. Gump recalls Richie baffling them with his knuckleball.
Gump coached three teams at one time, that included the Crosby Little League and Babe Ruth teams
Lathrop mentioned many players who he played with or against like Fred Howell, Skeet Stoughton and Cino Faes.
The tales of Cino's legendary home run hitting feats are still told today.
Gump played third base. He was modest in talking about his skills (I saw him play for Eldred and he was a standout), but spoke about the Mudhens' Ed Swanson as one of the best third basemen he had seen in the area.
Wrapping up this chapter, some thoughts about the Crosby Mudhens and their strengths through the 60's, 70's and 80's. Some of the reasons for achieving the heights they reached through those years and what made them a unique team:
1. Two lefty aces on the hill
2. A lineup heavy with left-handed hitters
3. Interchangeable parts- players able to play two positions or more.
4. Usually, at least three catchers on their teams
5. Fan support, home and away
6. Confidence in the knowledge that in a nine inning game they would eventually get to an opposing starting pitcher, regardless of his prowess. The relief pitcher was almost always a step down.
7. They did not give up big innings, but they could manufacture their own. There's a line of thinking that a winning team often scores more runs in one inning than the opposition will the entire game. Check out some box scores and see how often that happens.
Crosby's pitching and team defense rarely allowed big innings.
L-R Front row Rob Stebbins, Terry Claypool, Terry Johnson, Terry Hess and Ed Swanson
L-R Middle row Ed Faes, Jack Yoder, Scott Bayline and Jeff Bricker
L-R Back row Jim Thomas, Jeff Schultz, Fella Wright and Jeff Stuckey.
Chapter Six
Jeff Schultz, Ted Hyde, Jeff Stuckey and other Mudhens
Jeff Schultz was from the Waverly/Athens area, two miles south of the New York State line. (Elmira).
He played at Mansfield University in 1980 and 1981 before signing with the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
After his release from the Brewers, he moved to Port Allegany and joined the Mudhens in 1982.
The timing of his arrival could not have been more fortuitous for Crosby.
Jeff added a tremendous boost to the pitching staff, which had been outstanding for years, but entering the south side of their careers. Schultz was an excellent athlete and also added strength to the offense along with having the ability to play multiple positions.
Both Jim Thomas and umpire, Ken Woodruff, relayed the same story that signifies Schultz's baseball acumen. Jeff had rounded third, heading home, but before arriving saw the catcher was holding the ball. A couple of feet from the plate, Schultz stopped dead in his tracks. The catcher hesitated a moment before putting the tag on the helpless runner, but Schultz's fake (just tag me) and delay worked. Somehow, he slid by the stunned catcher for a run.
Emporium had begun their run of very good teams beginning in 1980-81. Schultz recalled "the excellent athletes they had like Bill Leonard and Randy Cooney."
Olean remained strong with "Mike Martello, Mike Carr and Mike Threehouse."
Schultz pitched ten years in Crosby and pitched in the A-C League until he was 50 years old. Ironically his last game on the mound was against Crosby.
As stated several times in this essay, he was one of the finest pitchers in league history.
Ted Hyde was easy to find around the Crosby dugout area. The well-liked player/coach always seemed to have a scorebook in his hand.
Ted loved sports and like Jack Yoder and Terry Hess was not only a player, but was very well-versed about the history of Crosby baseball.
Ted Hyde
I first met Jeff Stuckey when he was a 12-year-old pitcher for the Roulette Little League. Fast forward and his son is now part of the Saint Bonaventure University Baseball Team.
Like Jeff Schultz, Stuckey's arrival was a key component in the Mudhens continuing their winning ways after their outstanding streak of wins through the sixties and seventies.
Rob Stebbins joined the Mudhens in 1982 and played ten years with the club. Several other players; Keith Delacour, Tom Preston, Scott Bayline, Gary Barnard and some others came aboard in the same time frame.
Stebbins,like several Crosby players had the versatility to pitch some and also fill in at infield or outfield positions.
Rob also had the often over-looked role of bullpen catcher. With his pitching background, he was not only able to warm up the day's hurler, but offer advice regarding mechanics or the strength of certain pitches on a given day.
Rob spent 12 years at Otto-Eldred High School coaching track and field.
His older brother, Randy, was well-known in the area as the girls' basketball coach at O-E.
NOTE: Mudhens, 13-2, Pennsylvania Division Champs, Offensive Stats.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks go out to some people who are not mentioned in this writing, but helped a guy living in Iowa gather information, clippings, photos, etc., for an essay about the Mudhens.
Clair Hawver
Jayme Covert
Abbie Alicia
Emily Schultz
Todd Higley
Michelle Neely
Hamlin Memorial Library
Also: Special thanks to all the A-C players who contributed photos and clippings of their playing days. Some may need some magnification, but should be readable.
Also, a thank you to a couple of players who actually remembered my parents attending Mudhens' games. That recognition was greatly appreciated.
Please share this essay at your discretion. I will attempt to get this to as many individual and group sites as possible, along with e-mails, etc. I realize there are folks who may not use or have access to social media- making a copy and forwarding it is fine.
Doing this as a blog allows us to add or delete any information almost immediately. Surely there are accidental mistakes or unintentional errors and omissions along the way. We can easily make corrections.
NOTE: Added on 9/26, Thank you to Hamlin Memorial Library
Photo of 1984 Mudhens' team
Photo of ex-Coudersport Alle-Catt player- John Russell added to his Denny Maynard story
Clipping of win over Chipmunk with Bill Murphy and Ken Covert hitting home runs.
NOTE: Added on 9/27, Received a post from a gentleman who played 15 years for the Mudhens He wrote there was an era missing from the essay- between the Coffee boys and the Shirey boys. I'm not sure what years would come in to play, but I appreciate the notice. If anyone has information about those years and/or any Mudhens' facts just let me know and I'd be glad to include it.
As I stated, the original plan was to cover about a 11-12 year span ('67, '68 thru 1980 or so). Those were the years I was most familiar with, though I was not in the area a few of those seasons. The research years started to stretch and I thought I would add as many names as possible and the coverage of years and players began to grow and grow.
Added a team photo (? year)
Added to Jeff Schultz profile.
Thank you to all the people who have offered their thoughts. I deeply appreciate the feedback and hearing from folks who enjoyed reading the essay on Crosby baseball. It was a fun project. Selfishly, it was good therapy for a guy who still gets homesick for Eldred, Smethport, Port Allegany .....
NOTE: (9/28) Added in Chapter Five, the "Led Zepplin"game.
Added more Pat Atwell quotes in Chapter Five.
NOTE: (10/3) Added several lines to the Jim Thomas profile in Chapter One
NOTE: (10/20) Jim Thomas' quote added.
NOTE: (4/7) Added newspaper clipping and some paragraphs
about Mudhens' fans in Chapter Two. Also, in Chapter Five, added information about the Otto-Eldred
and Shinglehouse teams of the '80's
NOTE: (4/9) Many new clippings added included league All-Star and Suburban League Playoffs action.
NOTE: (4/11) Lots of Olean and Crosby action.
NOTE: (4/15) Crosby photos and clips including some seasonal
stats.
NOTE: (4/26) Added information about long-time manager of the Shinglehouse AC team and former league president, Bill Mesler.
NOTE: (4/29) Potter-McKean Little League All-Stars photo.
This essay about the Crosby Mudhens is dedicated to:
Eddie Faes
Ted Hyde
Tim Murphy
