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The second team induction to The Official, Unofficial Hinds Baseball Hall of Fame is the “Originals”. The Boys of 1973.
In the spring of 1973, Hinds reinstated the baseball team for the first time since 1958. Danny Neely was the coach. Powell Taylor drove the bus and coached first base. The players had to construct a make-shift baseball field (located in the same position as today’s Joe G. Moss Field). There were no dugouts or outfield fence. No turf. Not even very much grass. They were going to add lights in the future. They did it 28 years later. We used wooden bats. And the field looked pretty rough, but they all did back in 1973. We played only 11 games and finished 7-4. There was no team picture. There was no roster. The photos we had were black and white. We had no uniforms for most of that season and wore football jerseys and football pants.
Who would do that in the 21st century?
Nobody!
But we did it.
And we did it for the love of the game.
This is when the great Hinds baseball tradition got its start, thanks to the “Originals.”
The Boys of ’73.
MEMBERS:
The Players: 19
Bobby Barrett*, Doug Branning, Ray Burroughs, Rick Clarke*, Doug Cockrell, Jay Combs, Curtis Cunningham, Don Flowers, Roy Higdon, Leonard Knowles (deceased), Stirling Madden, Lawrence Moaton, Mike Moran, Butch Newman, Eddie Ramsey, John Watkins, Robert Watkins, Danny Welborn, Bruce Williamson.
The Bus Driver: 1
Powell Taylor
The Coach: 1
Danny Neely*
*- indicates members of the Hinds Community College Sports Hall of Fame.
Online Induction Ceremony to be announced. Induction page under construction.
Next Team Induction: 1987, Hinds first State Championship in 37 years.
Rick Clarke's Diary of a Mad Baseball Coach 