Best NC Legion Player you have ever seen?

Franklin Stubbs and Tim Witherspoon

I grew up in Rowan County and played Legion for Post 342. I was only 6, but I remember the Rowan County vs. Hamlet series in 1979 or 1980 when Franklin Stubbs played for Hamlet. He got the win in every single game for Hamlet if I remember correctly. I think Rowan was up 3-2 and Stubbs pitched back to back games in games 6 and 7 and got the win in both.

Funny story about Tim Witherspoon. I was a 10th grader and was starting my first Legion game at East Forsyth against Kernersville. I was forwarned about Witherspoon....I think he played football at Wake Forest. I struck out the first two batters in the bottom of the first and was feeling pretty good about myself. Witherspoon steps into the box. I haven't been there in awhile, but the scoreboard at East Forsyth use to be just to the left of third base in foul ground. Witherspoon turned on the first fastball he saw from me and hit a screamer into the scoreboard beside third base. The ball stuck in the scoreboard for about 10 seconds before falling to the ground. I snapped back into reality real quick!

 

Travis,,,, welcome aboard and glad to have you posting. As big as Rowan County legion baseball is, we haven't had many Rowan posters over the years. I try to defend you guys as much as I can from time to time, but my allegiance to my own team only allows me to defend you guys but so much...

Glad to have you posting...

 

Best Legion players

Best I saw was Ralph Roberts. Ralph went on to Lenoir CC and then UNC for a yr or 2. He then signed with the Braves and stayed in the minors and may still be with the Braves?

Chris Mason was pretty good also that yr he took Cherryville to the national title game. I think his record was something like 15 or 16-0 and had an enormous amount of K's.

 

Chris Mason in AA doing quite well: http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/...her%20Mason&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=452993

 

Ralph played for the Myrtle Beach Pelican's in the Braves organization up until his release last year. He's now pitching for the Macon Music in the indpependent South Coast League.

 

My vote is Franklin Stubbs , Ralph Roberts, Chris Mason, Trot Nixon,

can you beleive stubbs not in American Legion hall of fame

 

yep

Cal Hayes - Rowan County

 

zach ward

 

Best Legion Player

Cal Hayes was the best all around player I have ever seen in this area. I played against Trot, but we kept him under wraps.

Brian Boltz was the best pitcher I saw. I saw him strike out 21 or 22 in a game in the late 80's. He was drafted by the Braves and was being promoted quickly thru their system until he injured his arm. He was pretty much unhittable.

The toughest pitchers I faced in my day were Joe Legard, Brad Albert, and Hut Smith. Legard thru harder than anyone I faced at the time. Albert thru a split finger which you never saw back then. Smith thru very hard and with out a conscience. If you got a hit off him, then next time up it was going to be close to your head.

I was fortunate to have Shannon Myers in centerfield while I was pitching for a couple of years. It was nice having him behind you because everything that was hit he would corral. He went on to play football and baseball at LR and I think he was drafted in both. Chose football and played professionally in the NFL and CFL for a number of years. Now works in NASCAR as a pit crew member. I played with Keith Knight for a number of years as well. Could do everything (hit, field, pitch), except run.

 

Mason and Robert

would be the two that were special from the cherryville area but dont forget the ss from that 03 squad.. pretty tough out himself.. Jay Heafner