A Martinsburg Boy's Memories and Stories from the 1950s

John Bush was raised in Martinsburg and graduated from Central High in 1961. He spent most of his adult life in the Pacific Northwest. He has many memories as a boy in the 1950s that give some insight to the people and culture of Martinsburg in the 1950s.

John likes to tell stories and over the years he has repeated the stories of his youth many times. His belief is that those years in Martinsburg influenced him all of his life. Some of the stories are historical in nature, some are colorful, and some are personal. He wishes that you enjoy them.

LITTLE LEAGUE –

THE CHARLES BONEBREAK WAY

Martinsburg Little League, in the summer of 1957 under the direction of Charles Bonebreak was quite different than the Little League of today.

The major difference was that every boy between age 8 and 12 who showed up for drills and practice during the first week were placed on a team and got to play. In 1957, there were four teams each with rosters of about 15 players. Two games were played each Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon. Uniforms consisted of a white T-shirt, printed with a team name (named for their sponsor), and a colored ball cap.

The four teams were the (1) Martinsburg Fireman with red ballcaps, (2) Martinsburg Boosters, green caps, (3) Martinsburg Rotary, yellow caps, and (4) Martinsburg VFW, blue caps.

Some boys were seen wearing those shirts and caps nearly everywhere all summer as the letters faded and caps became tattered.

I believe Mr. Bonebreak was generally the only adult present during our weekday games, but he was assisted by Sherman Croft in 1958. Parents did not attend games. Two captains were assigned for each team. A few select 13-year-olds were appointed as captains and they played but were not allowed to pitch nor could they play on the all star team that would travel to nearby communities. The 13-year-olds were not the best athletes of our age group in 1957, as the best players, for example my classmates Joe Dilling and Don Smeltzer, went on to play in the Teener League.

I was a captain in 1956 when I was 12 and also in 1957 when 13. Other captains that I can remember were Steve Dilling, Monty Gerhart, Robert Turner, Jim Moose, Terry Dilling, and Bob Showalter. As captains we were responsible for lineups, filling out score cards, pitching changes, substitutions, and assigning players to coach first and third bases. Mr. Bonebreak did the umpiring.

Captains went to Mr. Bonebreak’s home to select rosters from all who attended practice the first week. The best part of that meeting was that Mrs. Bonebreak served cake and ice cream.

For some safety concerns and how to let everyone play with such a wide range of talent on each roster, there were several rules the captains and their teams had to follow:

(1) no fastballs or curves to players under age 10,

(2) no walking of players under age 10,

(3) no stealing,

(4) no runners leaving bases until ball was hit,

(5) pitchers were not allowed to pitch in the next game after they had pitched,

(6) all players who showed up were to bat at least once and play at least one inning in the field,

(7) no bunting,

(8) no spiked shoes,

(9) no trips to the mound, with the exception of an injury, and

(10) no pitching or substitutions when your team was on the field. It was an unwritten understanding that you never argued with the ump’s call, nor did you even express your disagreement. Dogs were allowed if they were under control. My dog Buff sat unleashed on the dugout bench on my cloth newspaper sack.

Bats, balls, score cards, and catching equipment were provided. Protective head gear was available, and I think only players under ten had to wear them. Most boys had their own glove and few had their own baseballs for pitch-and-catch tosses before games. Everyone drank from the one water fountain; no food, candy or beverages were available for sale. Players came and went on their own. The only vehicle there was Mr. Bonebreak’s car, a 1950s Chevy sedan, which transported some of the gear. He always left the trunk up so we could access the equipment.

Some players came with a soda drink, but the glass empties were picked up because they could be returned for a refund of two cents. No trophies were handed out for our efforts, only Ritchey’s ice cream bars for everyone after the very last game of the season.

I watched a few games at Martinsburg Youth Little League Field in the summer of 2023. I was told that the practice of only selecting the best players for the teams had begun many years ago. Players arrived in parents’ or grandparents’ vehicles, each wearing full uniforms and most had their own bats. Each team had three or more adult coaches. The food stand was open and fans sat in the stands and grassy area outside the fences covered with billboards.

The games were competitive and played like professional baseball, although there were many contrasts with the 1950s Little League and a few similarities. The best players, as expected, were generally the older boys. Defense was the biggest problem, in part due to young, weak and inaccurate arms. Pitchers were also some of the best hitters and position players. A wide-ranging shortstop with a good arm could be the key to winning. The best fielders were generally on the left side of the diamond.

Captains in 1957 did their best to put players in the right position both in the field and in the lineup while letting everyone play as much as possible. However, most did not concern themselves with making some of the minor adjustments one could make to help win.

A few of these are listed:

(1) have your pitcher throw outside of the plate to lefties and inside of the plate to righties to induce hits to the left side of the diamond,

(2) pitch high to the guys under age 10 because they can really hit slow pitches, but not deep, to induce them to hit the ball in the air,

(3) your center fielder needed to know where to throw the ball into the infield,

(4) try to teach infielders to get the easy out,

(5) try to teach outfielders to throw in to second base as most runs were scored while the ball was being thrown around and dropped,

(6) be creative where and when you play the weak players.

I may have been the only captain to worry about details, possibly to obsession. I studied the player list before our selection day and watched the other game played the same day. Before the games, I chased down the good players who, for whatever reason, had a tendency to not show up. I was a captain/player for two years and then managed a team when I was 14.

Those three teams all won the championship; however, afterwards, I realized that no one else really cared that much. Little League baseball in 1956, ‘57, and ‘58 was all about playing ball and having fun, not about winning.