Hal McCoy with fan Mike Bishop, from Louisville, in town for the annual AA Convention. (Press Pros Feature Photo)
You never know what you’re going to see or hear when you go on the road to cover sports. And Akron’s no different, once the home of the steel belt radial…now the mecca of kids this weekend who just love to play baseball.
Akron, OH – First impressions for anyone who’s never been to Akron, Ohio, and expect to find a deal on a new set of tires.
Buy ’em at home.
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They don’t do tires here, anymore. Our colleague Hal McCoy grew up here during the heyday, and he assures me that Goodyear, Goodrich, Firestone, Sieberling, General and Mohawk left town decades ago. The only tire reference you can find here anymore is the Firestone Country Club, where Tiger Woods has won so often they just gave it to him.
Now, it’s the home of off-the-beaten-path conventions. This weekend, it’s the 91st Annual Founders’ Day Celebration for Alcoholics Anonymous.
Our hotel, unknowing when we booked, is booked full of recovering addicts. Good people, happy people, and many of them baseball fans – one who recognized Hal McCoy at midnight, sitting outside on the patio smoking his bedtime cigar. They shared two hours together, talking baseball, the struggle to give up Budweiser, and finally…a selfie photo with a thankful recovering addict and a baseball hall of famer.
In the elevator this morning a lady from Hammond, Indiana asked me if I was here for the convention.
“No, I’m here for the baseball tournament,” I replied.
“Oh no,” she said. “You don’t mean there’s a tournament for recovering kids?”
“Oh no, mam,” I said. “Just a coincidence that the state baseball tournament is here on the same weekend. I’m sure there’s a few who’ve had a taste with Uncle Dick already, but nothing to worry about.”
Many others at the tournament have been kind to comment in person over their daily habit of checking out the website. A gentleman Butler County shared: “You guys tell the truth about what’s going on…write the hell outta’ things. I share it with everyone I know. Appreciate that you care as much about high school baseball as you do. Please keep up the good work.”
Another added to Hal: “I know you. You write about the Reds. How come you’re here writing about high school kids?”
Hal’s response: “Have you been watching the Reds? This is like a Caribbean cruise vacation.”
One man in particular shared this yesterday during the Delphos St. John game with Tiffin Calvert.
(Long-time Reds scout from Wheelersburg) Gene Bennett would be impressed with so many kids who play with a passion for baseball in the 2026 OHSAA baseball tournament.
“I appreciate that you support of kids and baseball,” he said, laughing. “No one else writes that. Baseball is their priority. It should be played in warm weather. The facilities should be better than a rusted-out stadium with steps like that. There really is nothing to read like what you guys do. I hope you can write a good story today about St. John.”
We do our best. But Hal’s account of their 5-3 win over Calvert did meet with some social media rebuke overnight.
To his headline about it being a ‘surprise’ win, more than one responded in Facebook that it wasn’t a surprise to Blue Jays fans.
One added: “Not a surprise to anyone that really follows high school baseball. They were favorites to win both baseball and basketball titles by real media followers!”
I never saw that posted anywhere, personally. But consider the fact that Calvert was 27-2 entering the game and Delphos was 18-7. Consider, too, that Calvert was #1 in the state coaches’ rankings and Delphos St. John was not ranked…at least in the top 20.
And when hall-of-fame Ottawa Hills coach Chris Hardman shared that Calvert was clearly the best team that his team played all year (unless it was Waynedale), I believe him. Hardman has won his own OHSAA state championship, has 600 wins, and I consider that over those real media followers that you speak of.
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On the other hand, I delight in people who are willing to be outspoken about kids who play baseball. And let me assure you that Tiffin Calvert was more than a little surprised at losing. Which, I guess, is why they play the game.
A reader name Burcham from Scioto County asked me if I was related to any of the Fulkses who live in Lawrence and Gallia counties.
“Probably every one of them,” I admitted.
“I just wondered,” he added. “I knew Gene Bennett, too (the old Reds scout). What do you think he would say about this year’s high school baseball talent?”
Well, if you’re reading…I think Gene would be impressed with there being so many kids with passion for baseball, like that of Cam Elwer, who flies back from a full-ride scholarship to play college basketball to play with his spring teammates because they love to compete.
I saw it with Hamilton Badin, Watterson, Waynedale, St. X, Moeller, South Webster, St. Henry, Berlin Hiland, and Leipsic, the team that beat South Webster in extra innings. Sorry for the Jeeps, but that’s baseball.
And rest assured, I don’t know how long I’ll continue writing (because people ask), but I am what I am today in part because of what I learned playing high school baseball. And I learned it in the day of two divisions.
We didn’t worry about someone getting hurt breaking up the double play.
We didn’t worry about there being someone getting spiked at first base.
Publisher Sonny Fulks writes OHSAA and Ohio State sports for Press Pros Magazine.com.
We didn’t worry about the catcher getting run over on a play at the plate.
We didn’t worry about being stigmatized over losing, and toxic competitiveness.
We had baseball cards, they cost ten cents, and we knew Don Drysdale’s stats on the back, and we aspired to be like him.
And once upon a time, when I was playing baseball, I grew up reading Hal McCoy’s stories about the Reds.
And I’m still trying to be like him.
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