Hunt Auctions to Conduct Sports Memorabilia Appraisal Fair at T-MOBILE ALL-STAR FANFEST

Hunt Auctions, the official auctioneer of the T-Mobile All-Star FanFest^®, will offer its team of nationally recognized experts to conduct FREE appraisals of sports memorabilia on Friday, July 10th through Monday, July 13th from 9 a.m. through 8 p.m. at Duke Energy Center in Cincinnati, OH. Attendees can call ahead to schedule a private consultation at 610-524-0822, or email at info@huntauctions.com.

“Each year the MLB All-Star FanFest appraisal fair generates interest among baseball fans to see what there memorabilia might be worth. Given the rich history of baseball in the Cincinnati region we are confident that many great and valuable baseball items might be discovered at this year’s event,” said David Hunt, President, Hunt Auctions.

At last year's T-Mobile All-Star FanFest^®, Hunt Auctions appraised a 1973 Harmon Killebrew autographed Minnesota Twins professional model road jersey that sold for $7,000, and a Roberto Clemente professional model baseball bat c.1965-68 that was estimated for $7,500 - $10,000. More items included, a 1933 Goudey #149 Babe Ruth graded PSA 4 (VG/EX) estimated for ($2,000-$4,000), and a 1952 Topps #180 Charley Maxwell cream back graded PSA 8 (NM/MT) estimated ($500-$1,000) that sold for $3,461.00.

Hunt Auctions will conduct the complimentary appraisal fair for the 11th consecutive year as part of the T-MOBILE ALL-STAR FANFEST^® leading up to the Live Auction on Tuesday, July 14^th. A select grouping of items from Johnny Bench Collection will headline the live auction on July 14^th. In addition to this collection, a 1960 Ted Williams All-Star Game bat, a collection of Negro League bronzes, numerous items related to the Cincinnati Reds^® franchise and a variety of other valuable MLB memorabilia will all be offered to the collecting public.

Top items include Roy Campanella’s 1953 NL Most Valuable Player Award (Est. $175,000-$200,000), a 1953 Mickey Mantle All-Star Game professional model bat (Est. $75,000-$100,000), a 1923 New York Yankees World Championship pocket watch (Est. $40,000-$60,000), plus Johnny Bench’s 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1983 MLB All-Star Game Rings (Est. $5,000-$7,500 each). Other highlight items include a a 1914 Buck Herzog Cincinnati Reds presentational bat (Est. $25,000- $50,000), a 1971 Pete Rose Cincinnati reds professional road model jersey (Est. $20,000-$30,000), and much more. A complete list of auction items is available online at www.huntauctions.com.

ABOUT HUNT AUCTIONS:

Exton, Pennsylvania based Hunt Auctions has been a leader in the sports memorabilia auction industry for 23 years.  Numerous former players and their families have trusted their collections with Hunt Auctions including Ted Williams (HOF), Joe DiMaggio (HOF), Whitey Ford (HOF), Curt Flood, Leo Durocher (HOF), Robin Roberts (HOF), Earl Weaver (HOF), Commissioner Bowie Kuhn (HOF), Warren Spahn (HOF), Johnny Bench (HOF), Johnny Unitas (HOF), Clem Labine, Mickey Vernon, Jake Pitler, Thurman Munson, Roy Campanella (HOF),  Harmon Killebrew (HOF), Bill Mazeroski (HOF), Kent Tekulve, Steve Blass, Johnny Pesky, Charles “Kid” Nichols (HOF),  Jim Palmer (HOF),  Bucky Walters, Walter Johnson (HOF), Bill McKechnie (HOF), Willie Mosconi, Randall Cunningham, Joe Frazier and Norm Van Brocklin (HOF).  Hunt Auctions is also the Official Auction Company of Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory and the Official Auctioneer of Major League Baseball T-Mobile All-Star FanFest^®. Hunt Auctions has worked with numerous institutions to include: The National Football League, Philadelphia Phillies^®, Pittsburgh Pirates^®, Baltimore Orioles^®, Boston Red Sox^®, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, National Baseball Hall of Fame, Chicago Bulls, National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame and Baseball Assistance Team.

(All information in this post was provided through Philadelphia-based Jenna Communications, which is a top media relations resource for small business owners and corporations.)

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Second Annual George Bradley Vintage Base Ball Festival

Big Vision Foundation hosts Second Annual George Bradley Vintage Base Ball Festival


The second annual George Bradley Vintage Base Ball Festival, presented by Lehigh Valley Bat Works is set for June 27 and 28 at the BIG Vision Sports Complex in Leesport.

The festival, which will showcase Vintage Base Ball as it was played in the 19th Century is a celebration of the accomplishment of George Washington Bradley, a native of Reading, PA who threw the first no-hitter in Major League Baseball history on July 15, 1876. Bradley’s St. Louis Brown Stockings defeated the Hartford Dark Blues 2-0 to record the first no-hitter in Major League history. Bradley finished the 1876 season with a 45-19 record, 1.23 ERA and 16 shutouts, which is still a major league record today that he shares with Grover Cleveland Alexander.

The festival will feature Vintage Base Ball teams from Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland.

In addition to the Vintage games, there will also be a youth baseball and youth girl’s softball tournament taking place at the facility as well.

The weekend will feature great Vintage Base Ball, wonderful food and fantastic entertainment sponsored by the Reading Musical Foundation. Kent Courtney will be performing 19th Century acoustic music on Saturday, the Ringgold Band will be performing on Sunday and Robert Mouland, a traveling puppeteer will be performing on both days.

Renowned 19th Century Base Ball historian, Erik Miklich of Long Island, New York will be on hand for the entire weekend to give demos and explain how the game has evolved since its inception in the 19th Century.

Admission is only $5 per car each day. Gates open at 7:00 AM each day, with youth games starting at 8:00 AM and vintage games starting at 10:30 AM on Saturday and 11:30 AM on Sunday. Additional information regarding the festival can be obtained on the BIG Vision Foundation web site at www.BigVisionFoundation.org.

(All information in this post was provided through the Big Vision Foundation.)

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BIG Day with Big Leaguers and Roberto Clemente, Jr. scheduled for the BIG Vision Sports Complex

Big Vision Foundation Honors Legacy of Roberto Clemente


Roberto Clemente, Jr., son of the late Hall of Fame baseball player, Roberto Clemente will be in Berks County on June 25, 2015 when the BIG Vision Foundation honors the legacy of his father by retiring number 21 at the BIG Vision Sports Complex in Leesport.

The number retirement event will be the culmination of an all day celebration that is sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association and RC21X, a Pittsburgh based brain health testing company which is named in Clemente’s honor.

The day will start at 10:30 AM when the Major League Players Alumni Association hosts a free youth clinic which will run from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM.

Former Major League players that will be helping with the events throughout the day include, Shawn Barton, Rich Rodriguez, Bob Kaiser, Doug Clemens, Ed Kovac Sr., Derrick May, Charles Goggin, Thomas Donohue, Rick Krivda, Rich Surhoff, Dickie Noles, Garrett Stephenson, Jay Witasick, Howie Bedell and Andy Ashby.

Following the free youth clinic will be a free coaches clinic from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm, also conducted by the former Major League players.

The number retirement ceremony for Clemente will start 6:00 pm on Charlie Wagner Field, which is the Fenway Park replica at the BIG Vision Sports Complex. The evening will culminate with the “Legends Softball Game” at 6:35 PM, which will feature the former MLB players playing with local players on Wagner Field.

“We felt that it was important honor Clemente.” Said Dan Clouser, President of the BIG Vision Foundation. “His accomplishments both on and off the field were remarkable. Major League Baseball retired #42 for all of MLB for Jackie Robinson, we also have #42 retired and displayed on our fence here. Robinson and Clemente were both pioneers and great men of character as well. I don’t know if the MLB will ever retire #21 throughout all of baseball like they did with Jackie. I personally think that they should, but I also knew that we didn’t have to wait for the MLB to do it in order for us to do it, so we just went ahead and did it.”

“I am honored to be part of the ceremony for my father.” Clemente, Jr. added. “My father would be proud to be associated with such a great facility and organization.”

Roberto Clemente was a right fielder who played 18 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 through 1972. He was inducted posthumously to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, becoming the first Latin American and Caribbean player to be enshrined. His death established the precedent that as an alternate to the five year retirement period, a player deceased for at least 6 months is eligible for entry into the Hall of Fame.

Clemente was an All-Star for twelve seasons, National League (NL) Most Valuable Player one season, a NL batting champion four seasons, and a Gold Glove winner twelve seasons. In 1972, Clemente got his 3,000th major league hit in the very last plate appearance of his career during a regular season game. Clemente is the first Latin American and Caribbean player to win a World Series as a starter (1960), to receive a NL MVP Award (1966), and to receive a World Series MVP Award (1971).

He was involved in charity work in Puerto Rico and Latin American and Caribbean countries during the off seasons, often delivering baseball equipment and food to those in need. He died in an aviation accident on December 31, 1972, while en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

(All information in this post was provided through the Big Vision Foundation.)

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Ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte finally realizes major league dream

All hail Pat!

On June 6, 2015, Venditte made his major league debut for the Oakland Athletics. He threw two scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox, yielding one hit and striking out a batter. The natural right-hander, used his left arm to get hitters out as well. He became the first pitcher since Greg Harris threw with his alternate arm (left) in one game during the last year of his career while a member of the Montreal Expos' relief corps in 1995.

And so, all those years of working with the originator of this experiment, his father, Pat Sr., has proven successful. All hail creative innovation and persistent belief in one's abilities. Only within the great game called baseball could something so unusually cool play out in a professional league.

Update as of 6/12/15: Due to a right shoulder strain, the A's put Venditte on the DL, retroactive to June 11. While he could still throw with his left arm, his ability to match left arm verses left-handed batter, etc., doesn't currently exist. So, the A's opted to give him time to recover and return when fully healthy.

(The remaining text originally appeared within my published feature on Yahoo's platform in 2011.)

There are many late-inning situations where a manager needs to use one of his trusted bullpen arms to get an opposing batter out. Strategy involving opposing hitters averages against a left, or right-handed, pitcher is naturally a part of the decision making process.

The New York Yankees have a farmhand who pitches for their Double-A Trenton Thunder team. He may never make the major leagues, but already has his own fanclub.

Of course there haven't been many minor leaguers, or major leaguers, who can throw with both arms.

A ticket to the show

The Yankees must believe that Venditte has the ability to make a major league roster, as they drafted him twice. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, we are not quite sure if one scout saw him throw left-handed and the other right-handed.

Nevertheless, the Bronx Bombers selected him in the forty-fifth round of the 2007 amateur draft and then again in the twentieth round of the 2008 amateur draft.

Special rule

According to baseball's rule book, an ambidextrous pitcher must pitch with the same hand during a hitters entire at-bat.

Without that directive, Venditte could delay a game for days simply by refusing to allow a batter to take the opposite side of the plate.

The only pitcher to throw with both arms?

Well most pitchers do throw with both arms. But, flipping the ball to first base with your glove hand during a hurried bunt play isn't what we are referring to.

Journeyman Greg Harris alternated arms during one game while pitching for the Boston Red Sox a few decades ago.

Unlike Venditte, Harris did not continue with his experiment.

Beyond a gimmick

Venditte's strategy is more than a gimmick.

He has a career ERA that is slightly above 2.00 over the course of four minor league seasons.

At 26, he isn't certain to see the inside of Yankee stadium. For that to happen he will need to take his specially made six-fingered glove to the Yankees Triple-A team in Scranton, Pa.

At the start of my career I worked at the stadium where he could play someday. At that time the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons were the Triple-A farm team of the Phillies. We never saw anyone like Venditte back then.

If he does make it to my old stomping grounds and is able to get enough International League hitters out with either, or both, arm(s) he just might get that call to the majors.

(Image, via ESPN, was taken while Venditte was with Nashville Sounds in the PCL earlier this season.)

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When Baseball Cards Were King

St. Louis Cardinal Albert Pujols has hit over 400 home runs, but has never hit more than 49 in one season. Alex Rodriguez, who is in sixth place on the all-time home run list, was traded by the Texas Rangers to the New York Yankees in 2004. In 2010, Roy Halladay pitched a perfect game and a playoff no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies.

All of the information shown above is easy to access through any baseball website, could be shown on a number of cable television sports programs, or heard on a variety of sports talk shows. But, back in the day, baseball fans learned that type of information through newspaper box scores, magazines and on the backs of baseball cards.

Finding your favorite players

My elementary school friends introduced me to baseball cards in the 1970s. During that pre-internet, pre-video game era, those thin, rectangular encyclopedias were our passion.

While complete sets could be ordered through Topps, it was so much more fun to buy packs at local convenience stores. Opening the wrapper, smelling those pink gum-scented cards and earnestly looking for our favorite players was thrilling.

Local card shows, which were similar to farmer's markets, offered another collection building option. A kid convention filled with a buffet of bubble gum cards. Instead of testing the tomatoes, you looked for that Tom Seaver who was sorely needed to complete the Cincinnati Reds team set.

Those events were nothing short of paradise.

Trading

The free market is a wonderful thing and we had no summer trade deadlines. Duplicates of a Ron Guidry, Catfish Hunter and Thurman Munson could be just the incentive that was needed to obtain the Oakland Athletics' Reggie Jackson card my buddy finally was willing to deal in September.

If there were any disputes about the balance of a deal, Becket's Baseball Card Price Guide was used as a silent arbitrator. We didn't know who Beckett was, or how he determined the card values, but using his book made us feel like we were operating on the up and up.

Proper Storage

Like fine wine, all cards needed to be properly stored. Plastic cases, with individual slots for each team, had to be obtained through the use of accumulated allowance money. Price was no object, as $8 was well worth the investment.

From there, the bedroom closet served as the primary storage vault. As part of a mental fire drill, if the house ever went up in flames, I would grab the dog along with my baseball card boxes and head out the side door to safety. Let the homework burn.

Bygone days

Baseball cards are still available today in larger chain stores, in specialty hobby shops and at card shows. They also continue to hold a spot in the hearts of all who learned to love the game through them.

(I hold all copyrights to this article which originally appeared on Yahoo's Voices platform in 2011.)

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Philadelphia Flyers: Season finale calls for off-season preview

A generally listless first period was seen as the Philadelphia Flyers hosted the Ottawa Senators at the Wells Fargo Center. A generally full crowd applauded the season-ending team awards, reaffirming organizational excellence on the public relations side of the ledger. Yet, what happens for (at least) 60 minutes, 82 times per season is why the franchise exists. And, a third Stanley Cup parade still appears to be a dream in April 2015.

The late-Gene Hart, who called both Stanley Cup victories (1973-74, 1974-75), always ended his broadcasts with a phrase that became his signature. But, I'll save this finale homage for later in this post.

Final game overview

Mark Stone's power play goal came at 6:06. The easy tap into the half-yawning net symbolized many tallies seen this season. Steve Mason had no shot to stop the puck due to his own misplay, which was a rarity. Often, his own defense let him down this season. 

Matt Read's eighth tally of an injury-filled season tied the game at 1-1 at 1:23 into the second period. But, a later-second frame goal by Jean-Gabriel Pageau gave Dave Cameron's team the lead again. Stone's second goal of the game, midway through the third, sealed the Flyers' fate. 

The end-game celebration was all Ottawa in the Flyers' house, as the Senators are heading to the playoffs next week. 

So, Philadelphia finishes the season 33-31-18 (84 points). The ten point drop from 2013-14's mark (42-30-10, 94 points) is telling.

Inherited issues, to a degree

The squad Berube inherited, after Peter Laviolette's quick pink slip was received three games into the season, finished ninth overall in team offense. Defensively, they finished twentieth in the League. This year the Flyers' offense ranked twenty-second, their defense placed twenty-fourth.

Berube noted after the game that everyone is responsible for wins and losses. So, with that, he assumes partial ownership of this season's outcome. Whether general manager Ron Hextall decides to replace Berube with his own guy 

remains to be seen.

Claude Giroux, Jake Voracek, Steve Mason and a handful of other players form a decent core that needs to be supplemented by developing prospects (when they are ready) and key veterans up front and on the blue line. 

Last summer's moves, especially the trade of Scott Hartnell, hurt short-term goal scoring. But, that move, along with the in-season deals of Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn were made with the long view in mind.

Reasonable projections

As for next season, further moves that open the way for a volume of Flyers' prospects are sure to be attempted, if not completed, before the puck drops next season. Along with the annual NHL draft and the addition of some veteran players, the off-season is sure to provide further intrigue.

Good night Gene

At the end of every game, Hart would offer what came to be his signature verbal signoff. When it was uttered at any season's final game, which came most-often after a playoff series ended, the words were bittersweet. And so, it's fitting that the last 2014-15 regular season Insight post ends by quoting that kind-hearted, beloved hockey man. "Good night and good hockey."

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Baseball: 5 amazing single-season records that will never be broken

As with all older records, we need to refrain from jawboning about how times were different and the rules weren't the same. All players in the eras to be mentioned lived in the same baseball atmospheres, regardless of what leagues they played in, but only the men noted below accomplished what they did. That accurate preview will satisfy all rational minds.

Of course there are many records that are likely to never be broken. But, the pitcher is on the mound, a runner is on base and the batter is at the plate. So, let's look at these five amazing records:

Amazing record #5: Runs scored

The Philadelphia Phillies once had a player score almost 200 runs in a season. Doing so certainly helped Hall of Fame outfielder Billy Hamilton to earn the nickname 'Sliding Billy'.

During the 1894 season Hamilton scored 198 runs in 132 games.

The next closest player to him on the all-time list is Boston Reds outfielder Tom Brown, who scored 177 runs in 1891. In 1931, New York Yankee Hall of Famer Babe Ruth scored the same amount, which tied with Brown for second place.

Amazing record #4: Most pitching wins in one season

In 1884, Providence Grays Hall of Fame pitcher Charles 'Old Hoss' Radbourn went 59-12. He did that over the course of 678 2/3 innings.

We also must add that in the prior season, he went 48-25, which meant that Radbourn won 107 games in two seasons.

Amazing record #3: Errors committed

In 1892, Boston Beaneaters 'fielder' Herman Long committed 99 errors at shortstop and 3 errors in the outfield during the course of 151 games.

He returned in 1893 to commit another 98 errors at shortstop and 2 errors at second base.

Amazing record #2: Complete games

Cincinnati Reds right-handed pitcher Will White started and completed 75 games in 1879.

He threw 680 innings that season, had a record of 43-31 and posted a 1.99 ERA.

White completed more than 50 games in four other seasons and more than 60 in one other season.

Amazing record #1: Batting average

In 1894 Boston Beaneaters Hall of Fame outfielder Hugh Duffy had a .440 batting average.

In 125 games 'Sir Hugh' had 237 hits in 539 at bats. Duffy's .363 average in the prior season was the closest that he ever came to that unbelievable mark during his 17-year career.

(I hold all copyrights to this article which originally appeared on Yahoo's platform in 2011. Photo via totalsportscomplex.)

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What If Babe Ruth Never Stopped Pitching?

Everyone knows George Herman Ruth. The "Bambino," the "Sultan of Swat," the "Babe" is the most famous slugger of all-time. Many baseball fans also know that Ruth was a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox at the beginning of his career. Hardly an extra arm, he was one of the best left-handed pitchers in the game before his batting efforts led to a full-time position in the field. So, let's consider what direction Ruth's career might have taken if he had never put his pitching glove away.

Suppose that...the 6-foot-2-inch, 215-pound Ruth was just an adequate hitter. In that scenario, he may very well have remained in the Red Sox's rotation. If he would have been traded to another team, it would have been to join their pitching staff and not to assume a spot in their lineup.

Early in his career, he pitched full-time for three seasons and for parts of three other seasons. Including some other New York Yankees years, where he started an occasional game, his overall record was 94-46. He threw 1,221 1/3 innings, allowed 974 hits, 441 walks, struck out 488 batters and had a 2.28 ERA.

His two best seasons were 1916, when he went 23-12 with a 1.75 ERA, and 1917, when he went 24-13 with a 2.01 ERA. He pitched over 300 innings in both of those years.

People can reference the "Dead Ball Era" all they want. Few were capable of doing what he did on the mound. There were better pitchers than Ruth. But many men who threw in his era weren't nearly as good as he was.

Hypothetically speaking....Ruth's career numbers project to an average record of approximately 20-10 over a 154-game season.

Ruth played from 1914 through 1935. So, over the course of 22 seasons would he have won over 400 games? Maybe not. But he seems likely to have won between 300-350 games. Those numbers would have gotten him into the Hall of Fame.

Would Ruth have been traded to the Yankees if he was a pitcher? Would that franchise have become a dynasty if he continued to dominate from the mound, rather than transform into a legendary home run hitter? Great questions that also can never be answered, but are challenging to at least consider.

Ruth's pitching numbers serve as further supporting evidence that he was clearly one of, if not, the greatest ballplayers to have ever lived.

(I hold all copyrights to this article which originally appeared on Yahoo's platform in 2011.)

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Big Vision Foundation Teaches Children About Life's Great Game

"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.

(I hold all copyrights to this article which originally appeared on Yahoo's platform in 2014. Photo credit: Dan Clouser.)

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Philadelphia Flyers: What if Ed Snider hadn't taken a risk?

Ed Snider traveled to see a sporting event with a friend nearly 50 years ago. That New York Rangers hockey game made such a positive impression on him that he later took a business risk. In so doing, the Philadelphia Flyers were born.

Risk and reward

Rewards aren't guaranteed in business, or in life. Snider used his free will when he decided to invest in a National Hockey League expansion franchise in the late 1960s, with no guarantee of success. 

If his team would have flopped, it might have gone the way of the Cleveland Barons. A hardcore reference that has been noted for all hockey aficionado's. 

Brains and talent

As the Flyers built their 1970s reputation and won back-to-back Stanley Cups against the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres, arenas around the League were filled to capacity along the way. Everyone wanted to see one of the world's greatest shows. 

Yes, the team hasn't won the Cup since then. But, it has gone to the last round six times since those fabled 1973-74 and 1974-75 seasons.

So, what if?

If Snider hadn't taken the risk, hockey may not have started in Philadelphia as soon as it did. Where's the evidence that any other person, who may have founded the franchise at any other point in time, would have made a go of it?

The sheer amount of media members that cover the team's home games indicate that there is more than a small, hardcore, contingent of Flyers fans in the region, as has been suggested over the years. It's likely a broader group, as evidenced by the amount of street and inline hockey programs that exploded in the 1980s and ice hockey programs that have been created at high schools across the surrounding region during the past two decades.

In other words, the base has grown since the fall of 1967.

Also, the Reading Royals wouldn't exist if it weren't for the Flyers. And that ECHL hockey team, located in a small town over an hour from Philadelphia, attracts almost four thousand fans per game.

Loyalty counts

Don't forget that Snider built the CoreStates Center in 1996 (now known as the Wells Fargo Center) with almost total private funding. All sports facilities could be built without making the public become a partner through forced, back door, taxation.

There is no sense of entitlement within the Flyers organization. They have earned their way through Snider's example. His straightforward business approach is simply this: Work hard, don't be afraid to spend money and try to win every single season.

Flyers' fans are smart and have always recognized that their team consistently tries to succeed. And with that, loyalty will continue to reign.

(I hold all copyrights to this article which originally appeared on Yahoo's platform in 2011. Photo credit: cdn1.vox-cdn.)

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