March 28, 2008

A first hand look back at Al Lang Field

By Eddie Michels, for TBSN

DUNEDIN, Fl.--Al Lang Field hosted its final spring training game Friday closing a chapter in baseball history for the City of St. Petersburg, Florida.

A sad note for this writer who as a 15-year old attended Dodgers, Cardinals game there on April 3, 1964 at the old Al Lang Field.

You remember the old park, wooden bench seats with folding chairs for box seats. The same park that the opening scenes of the movie Strategic Air Command was shot staring Jimmy Stewart and June Allison.

Stewart, who in real life had been a bomber pilot raising to the rank of Colonel in the Army Air Corp. during the Second World War, played a third baseman for the Cardinals. He was being recalled to active duty with SAC as the movie's plot went.

Well his baseball career ended in the movie but in real life his then Air Force career didn't. You see Jimmy Stewart, despite the objections of the movie studios at the time, continued his U.S. Air Force career with the Arizona National Guard. He rose to the rank of Brigadier General when he retired.

Later when I was in service I got to meet General Stewart in Anchorage, Alaska when I was returning to Vietnam to finish my tour.

The General and his second wife were in route to Vietnam on a USO/Goodwill tour and visit his wife's son. Unfortunately after they returned to the states he was killed in action.

I introduced myself to the General and got to shake his hand. One of my biggest, if not thee biggest thrills in life and I have shook the hand of many famous people from Hall of Fame ball players to presidents.

One thing happened as I walked away from my meeting, I was asked by numerous GI's, who was that you were talking to? When I told them the response I got was, who? Enough said!

Now I was visiting my grandfather in Palmetto for Easter break and took the Trailways bus up to see the game and the one major league player I just happen to know, Cardinals outfielder Doug Clemons.

Doug had played ball at Syracuse University and was drafted by the Cards. More importantly though Doug had been a substitute gym teach where I went to high school in Phoenix, N.Y.

Well I talked to him and told him I would be coming to St. Pete to see him play he told me to make sure I stopped and said hello.

Well I took the bus ride and prior to the game I got to say hi to Doug and then spent the pre-game gathering autographs. That program is still in my collection with nine hall of fame players autographs.

One of those signatures is that of Stan "The Man" Musial which I got by just walking up to him where he was sitting in the box seats. Yes sitting on a folding chair.

Then while watching the game I had a strange idea, why not find out if I could be batboy for the next day’s game as I had just one day left in Florida.

When Doug came off the field I was there and ask him about the possibility, so he told me to wait and he would find out. After a while he came out and told me someone would be out to get me and to just wait.

Eventually a clubbie came out and escorted me directly to then Manager Johnny Keane's office. I must have made a good impression as I was the St. Louis Cardinals batboy for the next day’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Of course there was a problem, the team bus left St. Pete at around 6 AM for Terry Park in F. Myers and I needed to get to Al Lang. Well a good selling job to my father along with help from my grandfather and numerous neighbors at the Jet Trailer Park helped and he drove me from Palmetto to St. Pete.

I was in the clubhouse, which is now the offices of Minor League Baseball Inc. living a dream but first I was missing something.

The Cardinals head clubbie, an icon in baseball Butch Yatkieman, had to find me a uniform, a real major league uniform it even had a number of it (63).

On the bus to Ft. Myers and watched the likes of Tim McCarver and Mike Shannon play hearts in the back of the bus. The stench from the chemical facility in the back didn't even faze me I was in heaven on earth.

At Terry Park, chicken wire fence and all, I donned for the first and last time in my life a major league baseball uniform. I didn’t want to ever take it off but when the game ended, a 12-6 loss to the Pirates, I had to and put it back into the equipment trunk. But one thing was kept, with permission, the hat.

To say the least the return trip was over before it began as the bus (traveling US 41) came within three blocks of my grandfathers so I was dropped off.

One of the highlights was that as I exited the bus third baseman Ken Boyer say goodbye and stated he thought I had done a good job. I didn't say anything but thank you, what a thrill. You see prior to the game when Boyer and Dick Groat were taking groundballs I was catching their return throws with a glove Boyer loaned me. I caught everyone in my pocket and did my hand hurt but I never would show any pain.

I stood on the side of the road till the bus was out of sight then walked to my grandfathers where all were waiting to hear what went on. Counting that day and for the last 44 years I must have told the story of the day countless times but it's always fun.

Now there was a bad side to it all as a Syracuse newspaperman had called down to see how Doug was doing and in the course of the conversation I was mentioned.

Well it made the Syracuse paper and when I got back to school the following Monday I was treated like a second class person.

The crude and tasteless comments made to me about not only myself but my parents don't bear repeating but one thing for sure, I remember everyone of them and who said them. Enough said but still the happy memories have survived.

Remember this, those who are jealous of one's accomplishments and don't try to succeed in their own venire are doomed to failure.

A funny story about Al Lang took place during the spring of 1993 or 94 when the Toronto Blue Jays played the Cardinals.

This rather noisy fan was sitting right in front of the booth window in the press box where I and three other radio guys were sitting. Not wanting to miss an opportunity for a bit of fun we dropped a microphone down the face of the press box window and recorded him for a couple of innings. Of course we kept track of the counter on the recorder and when we figured we had enough of his rather obnoxious comments we went to edit them. Putting them all together, without interruption, we waited till the right moment (quiet) and played it full volume.

The individual in question went nuts hearing his own voice especially since it couldn't figure out where it came from much less how someone got it. The fans around him laughed and laughed, putting him finally in his place. We also got a great break from the game along with a story for the ages. We had a bit too much idle time on our hands.

One of the sadist and scariest moments at Al Lang Field happened on August 24, 2000 when Devil Rays pitcher Tony Saunders was throwing in a rehab start.

The left-hander had earlier broken his arm and was throwing his third rehab start for the St. Petersburg Devil Rays of the Class-A Florida State League.

In the third inning facing the Clearwater Phillies Saunders let fly with a pitch and let out a scream that silenced the entire ball park. The lefty had broken his left arm again.

"It was scary," said then Clearwater Manager Ken Oberkfell, "He went down screaming."

As both teams trainers rushed to attend to Saunders the St. Petersburg players were totally stunned, those on the bench could only sit there staring in silence according to Oberkfell.

"I had some of our players get a tarp to hold over Saunders, the trainers and paramedics to shade them while they worked on Saunders," said Oberkfell. "They (St. Petersburg players) were stunned and couldn't move because they had spent about three weeks with him and had become friends."

The accident effetely ended Saunders return to the majors all though he did play in some independent league games.

As Al Lang says goodbye to spring training baseball hopefully it will stay in its present form and another major league team will take root in St. Pete. To quote one beat writer who covers the Toronto Blue Jays, "If the Tampa Bay Rays left St. Pete no one would care if they moved to another city and they wouldn't be missed."