Busted Bats and Busted Butts

Posted by Garvis Hadley

During my baseball days at Webster High, ’53-’56, we didn’t have aluminum bats such as those in use today at every level except in the majors.  That was to be a thing of the future. I suppose Texas A&M had not perfected the aluminum tree at that time.  However, we did have some of the finest “lumber” available then because no one ever shattered a bat into several pieces like you see done in major league baseball nowadays.  Certainly had nothing to do with how hard we could, or could not, make contact with that fast approaching orb.  Heck, bats generally lasted so long it was difficult to see the trademark because of their having been racked, stacked and sacked so much as well as the beating the bats took when being flung down and across that gumbo clay of the field we played on.

However, on a rare occasion someone would hit a ball so far up on the handle of the bat that it would crack the handle, and that bat was retired.  Not to worry though.  Our fine baseball coaching staff in those days was of a frugal nature and would go to extra effort to re-cycle things, especially a busted bat.  It did not find its way to the dumpster (another thing that didn’t exist in those days), but instead wound up in the hands of our beloved Shop Teacher, B. E. Davis.  Mr. Davis would ply the bat handle with glue and then would flatten two sides of the barrel of the bat on a planer until the barrel was about ¾” thick.  That bat somehow made its way to the Coaches' office in the gym and took a place in the arsenal the Coaches maintained.

You see, ALL THE COACHES apparently thought that inside the black lines of the gym floor was sacred territory and was not to be trod upon in anything other than the proper foot attire - Keds, gym shoes, tennis shoes, sneakers and such.  No, Air Jordans did not exist then.  One caught walking “inside the black lines” was likely to be introduced to one of Mr. Davis’ products, 99.99% of the time.  Yep, ya gotcher butt busted with a busted bat.  I got mine busted a couple of times. It mattered not what gender you were, nor who you were.  Only time I was able to avoid a swat or two was when we were about to board the school bus for an away game and I suppose they were sympathetic to my having to sit for an hour or so on a busted butt.  Darned if I don’t believe the Coaches would take turns lurking in the gym lobby, or behind the stage curtains, or other such places just so they could catch a violator.  And, they caught many of them.

What I really didn’t understand, and still don’t to this day, knowing how they maintained such an arduous devotion to the safety and sanctity of “inside the black lines,” is how they could stand to attend a school dance, or a graduation ceremony, or other school function where wearing street shoes on the floor was allowed.  It must have been misery for them.  I am so thankful for the strength and will power of our Coaches.

Comments

[Kenneth Chaviers]

Hadley,
Enjoyed your comments on busted bats but when first saw the caption thought sure you was going to tell the story about your experience in baseball and bunting. How that is a story, so come on and tell it.

[Dan Jensen]

Ed Davis and I have dominated this site so far and that is not our desire.

So, it was very good to see this post of Garvis Hadley and he did not mention a single basketball game. That's fine. This does not to be exclusively a basketball site.

I wish everyone would post--even if it is rarely. I wish everyone would at least "sign in" so that would gauge the level of interest a bit.

It's a bit more complicated to originate a post since that has to be done through an e-mail to Ed Davis but I am very grateful to those who have.

I checked back to see just who those stars were. Frank McKinney and Jim Pell were among the first, then came names such as Coach and Peggy Carlisle, Les Talley, Joddie Witte, Buddy Carlisle and now Garvis Hadley.

I've been throwing rocks at the Southwest Texas guys lately but, with so many of them in the list above, I better back off that.

Whether you originate or just comment on posts, please do it. Ed doesn't want to list his e-mail address in a public forum but if you do not have it and want to originate a thread, route it through me at [email protected]

[Garvis Hadley]

In his above comment, Chaviers asked me to tell how I got my nose busted while playing baseball. So, here goes, even though Dan will probably chastise me for a non-basketball comment.

In 1955 during my junior year at Webster, we traveled to Pearland for a non-district game. Somewhere around the 7th inning in a close game, I again came to bat. Batting left-handed, I was facing a left-handed pitcher. As I ambled toward the plate, I took several hefty warm up swings and the warbling of the bat through the air could be heard above the incidental noise of the game. Their pitcher heard the warbling and when I glanced at him on the mound, he appeared frozen in fear, quaking in his shoes, and mouth agape. Likely he was remembering a few innings before when I made a mighty swing and made solid contact with his best fastball, such contact emitting a loud "CRACK," that reverberated off the nearby school buildings. Hearing that "CRACK," the center fielder took off at full speed to attempt to catch up with the ball and made a spectacular catch just behind second base on the outfield grass. Humph! Sure thought I'm made better contact than that.

Well, just before stepping into the batter's box, I glanced at Coach Tippen in the coaches box at 3rd as he started giving signals to me and the runners on base. All of a sudden, he gave the bunt signal. WHAT? BUNT? Telling me, one of our most prolific hitters to BUNT? I just couldn't believe it. But, being a "one for all, and all for one," player, I stepped into the batter's box and got ready to bunt the first pitch. As the pitcher was making his delivery, I squared to bunt and then saw the ball was headed straight for my throat.... a knockdown pitch. Evidently he remembered how I tagged his pitch a few innings earlier and was sending me a message. Well, one's normal reaction when a ball is coming directly at you, is to try to shield yourself with your hands, which I did. However, the ball caromed off the bat in my hands and BUSTED me directly on the end of my nose. SMACK. I dropped the bat and covered my bleeding nose with my hands. After soaking several towels with the flow, I finally got it stopped. UGH! That hurt. After seeing my nose in a mirror, there was no doubt it was broken.... uh, BUSTED.

As we made our way home after the game, some of my fine teammates gave me all sorts of aid and comfort, like "If you had not let the ball hit the bat first, we would have advanced the runners by way of a hit batter," and other such expressions of sympathy.

Now, THIS IS HOW it happened. To this date, some of my teammates still try to tell it differently. However, I told the facts of the matter and anything they say to the contrary is just lies.

[Dan Jensen]

I've always thought that half the lies they tell about Garvis were not true.

[Garvis Hadley]

Well Dan, at least my story....uh, comment, kept your response to a measly two lines, by far a record for you on this blog.

[Dan Jensen]

Garvis, length is good on this site. Yours posts are and they have depth and are interesting. You use big words too. I didn't know you were that smart.

[Pat Jensen]

Hadley, that story gets better every time you tell it. What's the latest on when you can expect the swelling to subside?

[Garvis Hadley]

Dan, I've suspected for some time that you have a direct connection to this blog, one that sounds off with bells, or whistles, or such, each time someone makes a post to the site. Now I'm totally convinced. It took you a mere 20 minutes to enter a retort relative to my "busted nose" comment. Dang, Dan. What took you so long? Did you have to research the accuracy and authenticity of my busted nose incident in those piles and piles of record books, photo albums and scrapbooks you maintain? By now, you ought to know all of that by memory, what with the many, many times you must have referred to them. Or, were you washing dishes, dusting, or some performing some other household chore that delayed you?

And, in regard to my use of big words such as reverberating, emitting and prolific, I suppose those are big words for someone that attended one of the State Institutions in Huntsville. However, I was educated in a state of the art university (Southwest Texas University) that taught its students the use of words containing more than one syllable.

[Dan Jensen]

Garvis, you don't no nothing.

[Kenneth Chaviers]

To Pat: loved the comment about "when will the swelling go down" but not going to comment further on big snouts.
Pat, now that i have your attention, and this not only being a basketball site, please tell the story (that you can only tell) about the longest homerun you ever gave up while pitching for our Wildcat team; loved to hear it.

Another little titbit that might jog some memories. Remember how Coach George and other coaches must have liked fried chicken. Before the days of fast food chicken places, it was a treat when we went down Rosenburg way and after game playing Lamar Consolidated, we would stop and eat as team at the old Bill Williams Restaurant down that way. Loved the fried chicken w/hot rolls and honey. Thanks Coach for memories.

[Dan Jensen]

Kenneth Chaviers speaking of long home runs reminds me of the one that Albert Pujols hit in the fifth game of the series last year to silence the frothy Astro throng. There is a marvelous poem about it that I will share some time.

Yes, baseball talk is certainly welcome in here since Clear Creek has a good program under Jim Mallory and you are always welcome to talk about the St. Louis Cardinals too. Baylor also although it has no Clear Creek alums right now since Steven White and Mark McCormick have already passed through that system on the way to the pro ranks. White will be in the Yankee spring training camp this year.

[Kenneth Chaviers]

Dan,
Thanks for the comment on Albert Pujols hit in the fifth game of the series last year to silence the frothy Astro throng. Just so happens that I was there to see that game and will always remember how loud the crowd was and then the homer and dead silence. Would love to see the poem.

[Dan Jensen]

Mighty Pujols At The Bat (October 17, 2005)

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Redbird nine that day
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
With the season on the line, the manager makes the call
Lidge trots out from the pen, and confidently takes the ball.

His fastball clocks at a hundred, his slider can't be hit
And Redbird fans do cry and swoon, as his warm ups hit the mitt.
The Stroville faithful dance and scream, as one they raise their cheer
Their closer needs but three outs, for this to be their year.

The first two batters took their cuts, but Lidge just mowed them down
And the building rocked and strangers kissed, in anticipation of the crown.
But one more out was needed, and the top of the order now due
As Eckstein walked up to bat, the fevered pitch just grew and grew.

Lidge pounded Eckstein with two strikes, he had his good control.
Then out of nowhere something happened; Ecky swung and found a hole.
He took second without a play; all that mattered was at the dish
"One more out" the fans cried out, only this their prayer and wish.

Jimmy Edmonds now dug in deep, his jaw was clinched and tight
And an edge crept into the stands; for they sensed they had a fight.
But Lidge glared in and took the sign, his stuff was such a lock
His pitches flew till the count went full; Jimmy finally coaxed a walk.

Eighty thousand eyes looked on deck, and there saw a famous number
For Pujols, mighty Pujols, stood there ready with his lumber.
He strode easily to the plate, and clenched his mighty fist
The first pitch flew and broke away; Mighty Pujols swung and missed.

And now Lidge gets the sign and now he winds and lets it go
Oh how the cheers are shattered, by the force of Pujols blow.
The silence becomes deafening, the air is all let out
For there is no joy in Stroville, the Mighty Pujols hit it out!"

[Pat Jensen]

Longest Homerun

I have been asked to tell about the longest home run ever hit against me. That’s easy. Larry Stephens of Angleton hit it in a game in their “stadium”. It came at 6 minutes, 32 seconds after four o’clock ……. Actually, I don’t even remember the year, but I’ll never forget the occurrence. I’ve told the story many times.

What’s the big deal about a long home run? Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, to name only two of many great pitchers, allowed tape measure shots more than once. So, the answer, of course, is nothing – unless you’re the pitcher that threw the pitch that may still be rolling along somewhere, especially when your catcher was trying to get you not to throw the pitch in the first place.

For those of a different era who will not recognize the name, Larry Stephens, just a little background. He was a fine all around Angleton athlete in our district – a good center in basketball, a runner in football who could put a lot of hurt on a tackler, (ask Bruce Montague) as well as a good enough defensive lineman to play at the University of Texas and the Cleveland Browns. He was also a hitter of baseballs known to travel a long distance. He was also big, tough, mean and a fierce competitor. Just guessing here, but his claim to fame may be the sizable ruckus he caused in a Cotton Bowl game against Syracuse. Black, Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis didn’t much appreciate Stephens spitting in his face.

Kenneth Chaviers was the catcher. He called a curveball for the first pitch. Stephens looked really bad on the pitch, ducking out of the way and unable to swing. Strike one! Chaviers liked it so much, he called it again. Once again, Stephens was looking for cover, though not nearly so much as the first time. Still, there was no swing. Strike two!

And the second guessing begins. At this point, my catcher, Chaviers, is thinking, “No way do we throw him another curve ball”. Stephens is thinking, “He better not throw me another curve ball”. Therein lies the problem. Having enjoyed those first two curve balls as much as I did, I was thinking, “No way in the world he would ever expect me to throw another curve ball.”

Chaviers calls for a fast ball, a pitch I didn’t have. I shook him off. I shook off every pitch he called until he finally got around to the curve ball. I didn’t like the wild look in Chaviers eyes when he stuck two fingers down, but I nodded Yes.

Angleton’s baseball field did not have a fence, not that it mattered. I’ll swear Stephens had circled the bases, sat down and was watching when the ball finally made it back to the infield. Frankly, I’m not sure the ball ever found its way back, but our fleet centerfielder, Garvis Hadley, assured me he finally caught up with it after it quit rolling and threw it back, surely after a series of relay throws.

Pitchers just shouldn’t be allowed to shake off their catcher.

[Dan Jensen]

That was a great story, although I think Larry Stephens was an offensive tackle in the pros.

I'll have to tell y'all my great story sometime about lighting up Nolan Ryan at the Clear Creek Ballpark.

I've told my Baylor friends about it several time but I think only one of them believes me.

[Ed Davis]

Dan, I think there is a post further on down this blog about your lighting up Nolan Ryan one time. Did you forget about it? Old age can cause such things.

[Dan Jensen]

"Ed, if you want to think something, why don't you think that roof back up on the barn instead of sitting in the shade all the time?"--Woodrow F. Call, Lonesome Dove

[Garvis Hadley]

Danged if Ole Dan doesn't get somewhat testy when someone corrects him.

Larry Stevens was a good runner for Angleton in high school, but that suggests he was in the backfield. Not so. He was an end. Why would I remember this, you ask? Cause I played safety my junior year at Webster, and Stevens caught a pass a few yards over the line of scrimmage and proceed to plow through me, leaving cleat marks on top of both my feet. But, it felt better after the swelling went down.

Yes, I too recall Stevens long home run, and yes, he had circled the bases and was sitting on the bench when I finally caught up with the ball, irrespective of my great speed. Great story, Patrick.

[Dan Jensen]

Garvis once again proves he don't no nothing. The Angleton star spelled his name "Stephens."