Pre-Pikesville Men's Softball League Official Formation
View pictures of the 1971-73 game action and post-game parties. Click here to view these photos, courtesy of Brian Keller.
Some people liked a bunch of photos that were put up here so
I remembered that someone once asked me to write about the history of a softball
league in our area. so, I wrote it. And now here it is in all it...s weird
glory. A lot of the story has been "cleaned up" if you know what I'm saying.
Actually if wasn't cleaned up most would be in jail or still grounded like me.
Yes I know there are errors in grammar and memory. I don’t care. Most probably
can’t even remember much about the years I’m talking about, anyway.
The genesis of the league started in 1968 when Skip Millison, Lloyd Missler, and
Jerry Cohen put a team together to play faculty at Sudbrook Jr. High (lead by a
teacher and amazing pitcher Mr. Lippy) after school. I was invited to take part,
and we played through out that spring until those guys graduated. We played
informally through that summer.
The summer of 1969 we held a few pick up games and that was that until my return
from my first year in school the 1970 summer. I kept meeting the guys we played
with (at Suburban House) and some other places in the area and all wanted to
play again. I began calling people every night, and we played through out that
summer of 1970 at Wellwood.
Some of the late summer games included Jeff Rubin and Norman Greenberg. I got “
Mono” and couldn’t play anymore nor did I call anyone, as there was no benefit
anymore to me. As I was sick and didn’t care. I’m still bitter.
Those were fun games.
The school year started the games abated, and no one thought much of it.
Bruce Ezrine and I were watching a friend play (Gary Berger who also played a
few games for the Junkies) the drums late in the spring of 1971. His band was
called The Pooba, and no one could play an instrument except Gary. I’ve recently
been contacted by David Wilcox of the band (the lead singer and member of the
Read Street Ramblers) he concurred it wasn’t auspicious.
Bruce and I ran into Carl Lichtenberg and Jeff Rubin and Norman Greenberg that
day (It was the Read Street Festival) and we started talking about playing
again. Jeff and Norman said they had enough guys who wanted to play to field a
team and I figured I could do the same. I did it out of not wanting to call 17
guys every night. Bruce was game, and I got a hold of Skip Millison, Joe
Feldman, Lloyd Missler Jerry Cohen, Stan “ Stick” Klein, Mike “ King of the
River” Fink (who played intermittently with us) Gary Greenwald, Barry Braverman,
Allan Rosenberg, and Steven Ely. That group and some others made up the basic
roster of the original Mormons.
As the year and years passed we then filled in with a bunch of guys including
the late Robert Kellam, Gerald Licther, Stanton Wingrat, (Stanton may have been
in the original group) Stuart Layton, David Reicher, Joe Gold, Bruce Stone,Steve
Pinson, Sandy Siegel, Howard Cassin and more including 3rd baseman Phil Pine
whose game was patterned after Brooks Robinson and a Middle European Rabbi as he
could field very very well and at the same time “trash talk” in Yiddish.
I would expect that David Rubinstein will read this so I will not mention his
name. Don’t tell him.
Jeff and Norman put together their team along with Carl, and we planned a game
or maybe some games.
Carl Lichtenberg installed himself as commissioner and immediately set upon the
course of assuring we had discipline by instituting the 1PM curfew on game days.
The rule was to verify that people who were out Saturday night would be at the
game Sunday. Curfew meant that you had to be at the field by 1PM. It didn’t
matter that you may still have been up from the night before. I don’t believe it
was effective, but people managed to appear in many states some altered. Carl
was very happy to have some kind of perceived power.
The late Richard Honkofsky a friend of the founding fathers joined the "Junky"
team, and I believe that’s where the Hunky met the Funky Junkies. We, definitely
a group as dedicated to debauchery as the “ Junkies” took the name Mormon
Tabernacle Choir or as we came to be known the Mormons.
I think I got the bright idea to call WJZ with the big event, and we made the
call from the home of the late Bruce Ezrine – (in attendance were Bruce, Skip,
Joey and I) I made call and did the talking.
We told WJZ-TV that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was playing the Funky Junkies
(Hunky was not officially part of the name at that point) and they should cover
it. Thinking that it was the real Mormon Tabernacle Choir playing the Funky
Junkies in a battle for the souls of mankind they came down. They were surprised
at what they saw. In fact the Mormons looked seedier than the Junkies. Well they
all had good senses of humor and the game was filmed (on 16mm video news film
using I think a CP16mm camera or Eclair) and was aired that evening. The piece
lasted almost 5 minutes and featured game high lights and the newly formed Hunky
Funky Junkettes. Don't ask me why they were the Hunky Funky Junkettes when the
name hadn't been adopted. I just wrote it off to a breach of naming protocol. I
think the Hunky came the next game or two. We all just shortened it to the Funky
Junkies after they became the Hunky Funky Junkies. Kind of ironic but that's
part of life's rich pageant. There you go.
There were also more than a few attractive women with no morals and no
inhibitions who lent their support to the Mormons who also had no morals and
less than no inhibitions. I think the Mormon girls were actually, in the long
run, crazier.
Years later I even got a girlfriend out of the deal years later. She had been an
attendee when and was also a Born Again Christian and a celibate and who
disappeared during the first season. She had along with another of my friends
had seen God while tripping at Woodstock. I figured lots of people saw God at
Woodstock but these two took it to a real different level. Anyway, she
resurfaced,a number of years later (in 1977 just in time for disco) done with
celibacy. She remembered me from High School but really it was being an
important Mormon that dd it. The TV piece made the afternoon look like a mini
Woodstock. It had that tone with a large group of people watching the games
playing music, dancing, eating, drinking etc. I don't know if anyone saw God.
There were also some babies in attendance, who are now in their 30’s plus
children who are probably 40 now and a lot of hung over people via either drugs
alcohol or a combination of both.
We decided to play the game at 1:15 PM at Pikesville Middle School. I don’t know
where the 1:15 came from.
Skip pitched the first game against Kenny Paul of the Junkies. I don’t remember
the score. I also think that later on Skip went to pitch for Stan the Fan
Charles a writer of some renown and a fabulous 3rd baseman in his own right.
It's probably under Stan that Skip actually learned some rules and went on to a
hall of fame career.
I believe our starting roster was:
Skip Millison pitching - Great pitcher and worst but luckiest base runner in
history.
Joe Feldman CF- Had an arm so powerful he could throw a strawberry through a
locomotive. Unfortunately Joey probably couldn't hit something as small as a
locomotive.
Lloyd Missler RF - The best all around player on our team and always the guy you
hid behind if there was even the hint of an argument.
Alan Rosenberg 2b - Another really terrific all around player. Rosey could play
anywhere and owner of a major "good" disposition.
Stan Klein LF - A great player and somehow at 6'5" he made Elmore look short.
Someone once said Stan was so thin he could live in a straw.
Brian Keller SS - Called at times 411 and Rainman for a ridiculous ability to
remember absolutely worthless things from a long time ago. I don't see it do
you? Also called that because no one really knows how he even functions.
I'm/he/them/ writing in the third or second or person or maybe as another person
writing about me who knows me.
H. Jerry Cohen 3b - Curly Curly hair and a great 3b. Hated to have guys slide
into him and loved to call double play depth. None of us really knew why he did
that even with no one on base.
Barry Braverman C - Actually made the position of catcher in softball very
relevant. Also known as the boss before Springsteen. You just did what he said
even if you didn't want to because he was a relentless arguer and he could beat
most people up. I once wound up in someone's backyard because of Barry. Not bad
except we were all in my car.
Steven Ely/Bruce Ezrine 1b (Bruce was the starter)
Steven (ChaCha) Ely liked to pretend he was Spanish. He also liked to pretend he
was a great but often injured Spanish baseball player. I think Manny Ramirez
would be proud of Steven.
Bruce (Hud) Ezrine - (He named himself that) Bruce always thought he looked like
Paul Newman. Bruce never realized that Paul Newman was blond and blue eyed and
that he, Bruce, looked like a migrant worker. With his beard - Fidel Castro.
Bruce also liked to play 1st base smoking a Hava -Tampa Cigar. He got rid of the
Newport Menthols or Kools. as he wanted to look tough on game day. Bruce was a
left wing radical all through college. A total believer. After graduation Bruce
got into law school and bought a wardrobe from Britches of Georgetown. I think
he tried to have me arrested for liking Chinese Food.
Those were the guys who started for the very first Mormon Tabernacle Choir game.
I'm applying to law school and can believe that when I get out the name Mormon
Tabernacle Choir will be returned to Baltimore where it belongs. I still can't
believe they moved that whole choir, organ and all, to Salt Lake in the middle
of the night.
The roster kept changing but the core remained as myself, Joey, Skipper, Jerry,
Allan, Lloyd, Steven, and Barry through most of the season with other guys
playing the second game or the evening game as in those early days not all
wanted to play that many games. I think that by ennui and default I was made the
captain and I think I became the SS because David Reicher might have been in Air
Force summer camp for that week. I kept the position, as David wasn't always
there. Skip also played a very good short.
I wasn't very good at short I probably should have been at 2nd or 3rd.
Intermittently that summer we played some “away games” as well
For the Junkies: I believe that Jeff and Norman were co-captains and I think
this is the roster for that first game.
Ken Paul P
Norman Greenberg 3b
Jeff Rubin ss
Bo Moses OF
Carl Lictenberg 1B
Larry Dukehart 2b
Yale Dukehart C
Wayne Paul LF
Richard Hunkowski OF
Ben Jenski – I don’t know where Ben played that first game. My suspicion is he
did some catching, and he did play a few positions over the years. Ben was a
really great guy and is an important mention as he was also an original founder
of the Junkies along with Jeff and Norman and Carl. Richard Hunkowski and Ben,
His sister Fran was also a Junkette, were in a secondary position as founders
but were there at the start.
We had such a good time that we continued to play another game and then set the
schedule for double headers every Sunday. After the games we had a massive party
at my parent’s home in Stevenson Maryland (between Pikesville, Owings Mills, and
Lutherville). My parents were out of town.
The party took up the whole house, the pool, the barn, and most of the 5 acres
that my parent’s owned. I can say that there were many naked people there
including Mormons, Junkies, and Junkettes the girls loyal to us didn’t have and
official name, and to this day I don’t know who most of them were, but some were
naked as well.
About a year later my father found a half-eaten chicken potpie on the roof and
various other items that remain unexplained and best unmentioned. I am still
technically grounded. I never asked my father why he was on the roof. He was an
Anesthesiologist and an Intensive Care Physician. I at least, may have a had a
reason to be up there with a Chicken Pot Pie. It probably wasn't me though. I
don't like Chicken Pot Pie.
We continued to play double headers for most of the summer until a friend of
Skip’s (Jesse Margolis (spelling?) heard about our games and wanted to play. We
agreed (the Mormons) to play them on Sunday’s at 6 PM. After the game we all ate
(the Mormons) at a Chinese restaurant on Greenmount Avenue and then disappeared
into the evening to places like “ Susie’s” (a very interesting place that is
story in its own) “ the Playboy Club on Light Street and for a few of us to the
apartments of two Playboy Bunnies by the names of Sue and Lisa. I’ll leave the
last names out.
Sue was, at that time, the girlfriend of Bubba Smith. I met him late one night
or early morning. I was quite happy that I was visiting Sue’s friend Lisa. A few
of us got to know Bubba a little bit that summer. He lived just over the city
line and once told us he was going to get a swimming pool in the shape of 78.
The games came with their own ancillary adventures, and we were mini celebrities
in the hippie, student, downtown, and northwest portions of Baltimore. The games
had really morphed into a weekly event that almost all knew. It was fairly
amazing.
The league stayed pretty much as it began for that year with the addition of
Jesse and occasional games against one new club a very good one lead by Andy
Silverman, Stuart Feldman, Bobby Tetenbaum, and Billy Hurwitz. These guys were
about the only group who could really beat us with any consistency. We played
them about .500.
We played them sometimes after the Junkies and then eventually started having
all four teams play near the end of the season but having all four on any day
was sporadic until the following year.
We also played an occasional game on a few Wednesdays. I don’t remember the name
of the team, but Mike Fink found them. We played them on the Pikesville Sr. High
grounds.
In spring of 1972 the Mormons added, a College Park friend, Len Elmore to the
roster and we decided to see how our “ Pikesville League” guys would do if we
participated in the U of Maryland College Park intramural and kept pretty much
the whole team in tact. We also added Marty Yospa, Harvey Levy, Rory Beck, Neil
Jacobs, Irv Beitler and I'm sure some I've forgotten to mention.
Len was a friend of mine and was becoming really friendly with everyone else as
well. Len played first base for us most of the time that intramural and summer
season and even into the 1973 season. The NBA and ABA drafted him in 74 and we
gave him time off. I think I can safely say that we were the only club that had
a Sports Illustrated Silver Anniversary Player and All American on its roster.
In spring of both 1972 and 1973 we lost the championship game by one run. The
first year a team named the Redeemers beat us 3-2. We were the only team that
had scored on them that year. They had one amazing pitcher.
In 1973 we had actually won 9-3 but the game was called in
the top of the 5th inning (rain) by Joe Harrington (Assistant Men’s Basketball
Coach) and we lost the next day 5-4 on a controversial call in the bottom of the
9th on a double play that was poorly called against us. After picking up a
ground ball Irv (Zippy) Beitler flipped to me from short (I had second) I threw
to Elmore and there was an obvious DP. It was a very pedestrian play. I will
never forget Robert Kellam jumping in the air for joy as we had won.
The intramural was a real large tournament and it was filled with great
ballplayers from around the country as we were at such a large university. The
whole team was ecstatic for a few seconds.
The ump that was calling from behind home was blocked by a runner coming home
and didn’t see Len's foot and called the runner safe at first. On the play, a
run scored from third, and the runner, who wasn't called out went to second as
we celebrated. The tying run scored. The next batter singled, and we lost the
game. We got only Silver Turtles. Anyway I called it a bigger loss then Len's
loss to UCLA. The following year Len lost in ot to NC State. He either jinxed us
and the Basketball team or vice versa.
Interesting note in our first game that intramural season Len hit a ball from
the firehouse on route one to the steps of the SAM house which some one ran off
and inexactly measured as about 409 ft. We played modified fast pitch no
windmill and the ball was moving, and Len got a lot of it. It probably wasn't
much further than 7 feet of the ground. Real impressive. Len was actually a
baseball player before a huge growth spurt that took him to 6'9 1/2' and he
began to become proficient in basketball.
That year in the intramural league we also crushed the University of Maryland
basketball team's entry. Destroyed them as I mentioned before and again I think
it's stained the memories of Jap Trimble, Rich Porac, Billy Hahn, Tom McMillen,
the late Darrel Brown and some others who thought they would kill us. None of
them were really good except for Hahn, Porac and Bob Bodell. Jap looked the best
in shorts, though.
I gave a speech at Lenny’s 50th birthday and during the evening and the speech
Jap Trimble, Tom McMillen, and Maurice Howard commented that they all felt they
should have won. Len and I agreed that if they had scored more runs than us they
would have won.
At College Park we were also the Mormons. I had an idea to call us the Norman
Luhboff Choir; I.e., the Normans but nothing came of it. I think we were the
Speedy Delivery Service. Some folks thought we were the radical political group
SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) At that time the only thing political
about us was hoping that someone would block off RTE 1 so we could get out of
school early.
In the summer of 1972 most of us returned to Baltimore from
school (The bulk of us were at Maryland and a few other schools) and many just
came in from College Park on weekends to play and then returned to school. Len
spent a lot of time with myself at my parent’s home and played often.
Our roster expanded, and I believe Gerald Lichter, Bruce Stone, and a few others
joined us that year as well. I think in around 74 Stu Layton and Joe Gold formed
a team that went on in the league whose base remains today.
1972 was the year that the “ league started to really form (in a loose sense of
the word) as more team joined. Boog (Boogie/Len Weinglass), Charles Benjamin,
and Lou From the Coast (I never knew his last name) all the Merry Go Round
really joined the League along with Read Street Ramblers. I believe brothers
named “ Wander” were the leaders of the Ramblers.
The Hair Garage (founded by Chaz “ Buzzy” Kuhn was also playing.
Boogie had a pretty good team. Boogie was very good and Charles had great power
and was actually a good player as well. Lou from the coast was just funny.
I also believe that Ben Jenski might have joined the Hair Garage team.
The Read Street Ramblers were not that good and for a downtown hippie team they
were the most combative team. Actually, they were the only combative team.
The whole hillside on one part of the Pikesville Junior High School was usually
filled with people we had never seen before that were showing up for this (I
hope I'm not belaboring) this insane Hippie Softball extravaganza. It really
became a little festival every weekend. It was really quite cool.
We had 7 teams and some guest teams and lots of others who wanted to play as
well. The interesting thing about the teams is that they were now coming from
all over the city, and the games weren't just a suburban phenomenon. Mormons
Merry Go Round
Funky Junkies
Jesse
Silverman Team
Hair Garage
Read Street Ramblers
Another friend and an inveterate gambler - Benton Dickler - told us there was a
line, he established on the games. I would imagine the smart dough went down on
the Mormons. This piece of information is probably false but Benton insisted he
bet on a few games. Benton also introduced to Bunny Wilson who was one of the
leading scorers in the country at U of Baltimore (Basketball) and Bunny played a
few games as well. We were probably the only team in league history to have two
players that were on rosters of original ABA teams.
At the time Boog had a Cadillac Limo driven by a woman named Carol and I believe
his team had shirts. We still played without umps or any real score.
Most of us had no shirts or limousines. We probably all wanted limousines, but
none were too big on shirts.
I do know that the Mormons and Andy Silverman’s team were probably the best with
the Junkies close – Norman, Jeff, and Wayne were wonderful players and almost
anytime Jeff got on base he scored.
By the end of 73 lots of teams wanted to play and I believe that our informal
style of playing and the wishes of many to play lead to the official formation
of the league in (I think) 74 complete with permits etc.
I think a lot of the guys on those 7 teams went on to that league sort of like
the ABA or AFL.
As far as championships etc. we really didn’t have box scores, or standings or
averages. Guys did compute their own, but it was all unofficial. Not to be an
egomaniac but I would guess that we (the Mormons) would have won the
championships (if there had been one) from 1971-1973 and maybe into 74. We
definitely lost way less than we won, and there were a few teams never beat us
over the course of those years. I know that the Junkies beat us occasionally as
Kenny Paul became a great pitcher. At the same time Skipper became a pretty
dominating pitcher himself and was always a terrific shortstop and horrible base
runner, but a lucky one.
The Andy Silverman team did beat us as well and the Merry Go Round probably took
a few, but all in all we probably were the best team out there.
Again being the best team wasn’t by design it was just friend, and friend, and
that’s how it “ rolled out.” The best team we probably ever played was the 1968
faculty at Sudbrook. I don’t think we beat them, and I’d be surprised if we even
scored much against Mr. Lippy (don’t know his first name)
I never played in the new league and actually a lot of us started playing
basketball constantly and spent most of our time playing some kind of ball and
eating Chinese food.
Joe Feldman I and Skipper Millison turned our softball games with the Merry go
Round into part time jobs at the Landover store. I managed to sell nothing on
the busiest day in the history of the franchise and Boogie had to as he said, “
cut Mr. Kellers.” I believe that that day combined with my sale of one belt in 4
months, and nothing else led to my dismissal.
I think Joey just disappeared from the job and Skipper actually kept working and
even moved to the Towson store.
It’s strange that there is even a history of the league, as when we started it
was just a fun way to spend a summer afternoon. I don’t think there would have
been one game played had the time to start had been what it is now.
Good luck with your history I’ll look for pictures and it really is mind boggling to think that I played my first game with what became the Mormons as a junior in high school in 1968.
Thanks Mike and if you have the space could you please mention the participation
of the late Bruce Ezrine as one of the originals. I’m sure if folks read this
they’ll get a smile remembering Bruce playing first base while smoking a Hava-Tampa
Cigar.
Again If you could also mention Rory Beck, Robert Kellam, Ben Jenski, Linda Holzman, Richard Honkofsky, and Shelly Kahn also deceased that would be terrific as they were special people and part of the history.
View pictures of the 1971-73 game action and post-game parties. Click here to view these photos, courtesy of Brian Keller.