Month: December 2021

Baseball is Not Life

(#84) Baseball has been a Clarke family tradition for as long as I can remember. I coached for 32 years and my oldest son Josh was hitting off a batting tee at the age of two. He started playing youth baseball at 9 years old (we skipped tee ball). I helped coach some of his … Continue reading Baseball is Not Life →

Smooth, Flap, Mac, Kid, and Jaybird

(#83) "Magnolia Academy Baseball - Striving for Baseball Excellence." These words, which appear in Magnolia's game program, are the best way to describe the efforts of Coach Rick Clarke's Raiders, who captured their third straight Academy State AA baseball championship. Last week Magnolia brought the year to a climax by blasting Kirk Academy of Grenada … Continue reading Smooth, Flap, Mac, Kid, and Jaybird →

From the Desk of Boo Ferris

(#81) Here's a priceless handwritten note from the legendary Boo Ferriss. (May, 1989) And we did win the Eastern District Tournament in South Carolina and advance to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado. And here's a priceless type-written note from Ron Polk from the same period. Call the Coach!

Mississippi Olympic Gold

(#80) 2000 - Sydney, Australia (Gold Medal) Nevermind that Cuba's Olympic baseball record against the United States stood at an impeccable 4-0 or that Team USA had its struggles a week earlier in the preliminaries. That didn't seem to matter when the U.S. took the field against the heavily-favored Cubans. Behind Ben Sheets' three-hit, complete … Continue reading Mississippi Olympic Gold →

Second Chances

(#79) Southpaw Zack Ball (Florence High School) after pitching poorly earlier in the day against Co-Lin in the winner's bracket game of the ’98 Region 23 tourney at Wesson, made the best of second chances by striking out 13 Northwest Rangers in a complete game 6-3 Hinds win that put the Eagles in the championship game. The … Continue reading Second Chances →

Juco Playoff Field Still Lacks 1 Entry

(#146) (Title from Lee Baker, Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer, May, 1989) The participants for the 1989 MACJC State Tournament had been decided, except for one. The Northwest Mississippi Rangers and the Mississippi Delta Trojans were the participants from the North Division, while Hinds had the number 1 spot in the South. But the second spot from … Continue reading Juco Playoff Field Still Lacks 1 Entry →

Hinds Stuns #1 Kirkwood

(#78) Quincy LeBlanc didn't pitch in high school. But don't tell Kirkwood Community College's hitters that. The 6-foot, 170 pound right-hander scattered seven hits and gave up one earned run as Hinds stunned a number 1 ranked team for the third time in three weeks during our improbable post-season run. The Eagles defeated then #1 … Continue reading Hinds Stuns #1 Kirkwood →

Outstanding Performances- Andre Thompson

(#77) In the 1995 State Tournament at Perkinston, Hinds lost a opening round game, 3-2 to Mississippi Delta. Chad Bradford pitched a complete game 6-hitter and all three runs for Delta scored in the 3rd inning. Eight zeros and one three. In an elimination game the next day against Northwest Mississippi, with the game tied … Continue reading Outstanding Performances- Andre Thompson →

My First Hinds Team

(#76) Look at these great looking uniforms, with the block "H" on the caps. Unlike today's teams, there was just one uniform. "What color jersey are we wearing today? Maroon. What color pants? Gray. Belts? Yes. Leggings? Maroon." Keep it simple. We could focus on other things. My first team at Hinds, 1984: Seated (from … Continue reading My First Hinds Team →