"What they learn on this field can help them in the business world, in their marriage, or with anything they do in life. Those players who do become successful, whether it's on the field, or in business, can come back and tell the stories of what they learned here. That makes it rewarding and worthwhile," Dan Clouser, President of the Big Vision Foundation, said.
Mini-Monster
Standing
with Clouser, in the middle of a 118-acre Berks County Youth
Recreation Facility (BCYRF) was a rewarding experience. We spoke
after he managed the first game that was played at newly
renovated Charlie
Wagner Field
on May 31, 2014.
Looming
aside of us in left field was Leesport, Pennsylvania's replica of the
'Green Monster', the likes of which previously could only be found at
Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The recently completed
30-foot-high structure (aptly dubbed the 'Mini-Monster') is the only
other known partition of its kind in the baseball world.
Great
baseball men
I've
been consistently impressed by the sincerity of Clouser's words,
combined with his generous actions, whenever I've met with him. The
same was true on that day.
"A
lot of hard work has paid off. We had a great turnout for the
ceremony. It was great to see. Charlie Wagner's son was here.
"It's
like reaching a pinnacle. But, it's also just the beginning of what
we want to do.
"There
used to be just a big hill out there (remnants of it can still be
seen). Being that I'm a (Boston) Red Sox fan and that I knew Wagner
personally, this particular part of our renovation is more near and
dear to my heart.
"Charlie
was a great, great man. To be able to honor him and his legacy with
this wall and the fact that he was an employee of the Red Sox for 70
years, it's just amazing. It's hard to put into words," Clouser
said.
The
ever-dapper Wagner was born in 1912, pitched in the major leagues
from 1938 through 1946, and lived until 2006. The lifelong Berks
County resident served as a Red Sox scout for many decades after his
professional playing and coaching careers ended.
Big
Vision
The
Big Vision Foundation was originally founded in 1989 as the Berkshire
Red Sox Baseball Club. Ongoing success allowed the non-profit to
evolve into a major community-minded organization. Their mission
statement is clear, "The Big Vision Foundation strives to teach
and develop the necessary skills in our youth in order to get them
more involved in their communities, families, and with their peers."
Clouser,
who authored 'The Beauty of a Diamond, Through the Eyes of a Coach',
leads a passionate team that created a uniquely remarkable
destination in this lush section of Southeastern Pennsylvania six
years ago. The organization leases four baseball fields from the
BCYRF, each of which are dedicated in honor of a Berks County
resident who played major league baseball.
"I
grew up reading about the guys who played. It's like the scene from
'Field of Dreams', baseball is that one constant in America.
Everything else changes, but baseball relatively stays the same,"
Clouser said.
Teaching baseball history
"We
wanted to educate the kids that come here about people like Wagner,
Whitey Kurowski, Vic Wertz, George
Bradley,
Rocky Colavito, Dick Gernert, and Randy Gumpert. It's important for
us to let them know the rich history that the game of baseball has
and that there is always a connection there," Clouser said.
Bradley's
historical significance was forged when he threw the first-ever Major
League Baseball no-hitter. The St. Louis Brown Stockings'
right-hander, who also played third base and the outfield, defeated
the Hartford Dark Blues 2-0 on July 15, 1876. 'Grin' went an
astounding 45-19 that season. His 1.23 ERA, 0.887 WHIP, and 16
shutouts (still a single-season record) led the National League.
Vintage
Festival
The
Big Vision Foundation's summer season began with the Unique Pretzel
City Classic that was held on May 31 and June 1. Included among its
many scheduled events is the First Annual Berks Vintage Base Ball
(phrase spelling is historically accurate) Festival, which will pay
homage to Bradley's legacy on July 26, 2014.
Adult
reenactors, using period uniforms, equipment, and rules will form
vintage teams from the 1860s, 1870s and 1880s. They will play
simultaneous games on the BCYRF fields, which will demonstrate how
baseball evolved in the mid- to late-nineteenth century.
Learning
valuable life lessons
"Baseball
is a sport that does have an incredible history. It's also a
reflection of life.
"We
try to teach the kids that it's a game of failure and that they
should learn from those failures. That's the way life is. The most
successful people in the world failed many times before they
succeeded," Clouser said.
Families
and friends gathered on green fields. Children playing baseball under
the cover of a brilliant blue sky. The inviting aroma of grilled hot
dogs and hamburgers wafting my way.
Yes,
it was a perfect setting for this story. But, I felt that scene
wasn't an exception. Instead, it's a routinely shared community
experience within that great space.
