Rowan County 1984 team

Give Mike London a day with no baseball game, and he always comes up with something good to read, here's his latest...

http://www.salisburypost.com/Sports/071809-1984-legion-team

 

Of course I'm sure Westboy and travisunc are too young to remember this, but I believe it was 1984 that Concord had (what many around Cabarrus County consider) believe was Concord's best team ever, and thats saying a lot, because Concord had some killer teams during the 70's. I could be wrong about 1984, but don't think so. Concord cruised through the regular season and never played a single playoff game, because it was reported that their birth certificates were one day late.

I believe Rowan County was disqualified for similar reasons a few years later, and THESE 2 INSTANCES are the main reasons I have always said that American Legion penalties do not fit the crimes. There should be different types of penalties (ie fines, play all playoff games on road, suspend the coach, etc),,,,,,, but don't punish a whole group of players for an administrator's oversight or mistake.

Getting back to the story, this 84 Rowan bunch made a considerable run during the late season, and I've still always gave them their props.

 

Let's get to the facts Rowan finished 5th in the regular season ( only 4 teams qualified at the time ) Concord had one of the best Legion teams in state history .The commisioner (from Rowan at the time ) had Concord disqualified for turning in paperwork a day late. the rest is History.

 

Yep.......just like tj21 was saying. Typical Legion methodology.

 

According to the article Rowan finished four and moved up to third with Corcord's disqualification. Therefore they were going to be in the playoffs anyway if thee article is correct. I don't know who the commissionor was and I not saying that, that couldn't have been the reason that Concord wasn't cut any slack.

 

I'm pretty sure (I would bet my next hotdog) that I gave the facts, because I was there. I may be wrong about the year, but don't think so. And if correct, this WAS Concord's greatest team ever.

rcbbfan, great to hear from you again, hope your son is doing well, but honestly I don't know what "methodology" means, so I can't comment...

As for the commissioner back then, it wouldn't matter who it was, but if it was someone from Rowan, then that certainly would make sense. Look at the circumstances of 1984, Kannapolis was just starting to have legion baseball again, but all thru the 70's everyone in Cabarrus County played for Concord (because Concord was the only team), concsequently Concord was always strong and they had some WARS with Rowan County all thru the 70's. I give Rowan credit, because the closest Concord ever came to winning the state was Robin Swaringen's last year (about 74?) and they lost in the state semifinals to Shelby. But Rowan was able to win a couple states during those years.

Now I'm certainly not saying that nobody from Rowan County is the bad guy here,,, but it WAS awful coincidental that Rowan County had their paperwork all screwed up and got disqualified real soon just a few years later (maybe even the VERY NEXT season). Was this Concord's payback? Lord knows the rumors were flying when that happened.

Over the years, as stated, Kannapolis legion began taking players away from Concord, there were 2 legion teams now in Cabarrus County, and neither one ever really threatened Rowan County on the playing field,,,,, that is until Kannapolis' great runs in 2003, 04, 06. THOSE my friends are not opinions, but FACTS.

 

I think the year Rowan was disqualified was 1987 or 88. They were tough out that year because they had two pitchers (Brian Boltz and Tim Holshouser) who were pretty much unhittable. Boltz struck out 24 batters in a game. He was later drafted by the Braves and was very successful in the minor before arm injuries did him in.

The late Theo Helig, Rowan's athletic director at the time, really took this hard. I remember him telling me what he did wrong (seems like it was wrong DOB or something), but he really took it hard.

 

I believe travis is correct,,, I know the Rowan County team that later got DQ'ed was pretty super too. And there still hasn't been a legion pitcher that I've seen strikeout as many hitters as Boltz did that season.

Like I said, these 2 teams getting disqualified, were the most blatant examples of legion penalizing an entire team, because of an administrator's mistake. What makes these cases different from the many other teams who routinely get penalized, is that these 2 teams (Concord '84 and Rowan '87-88) both had serious potential to possibly win a state title.

 

Concord was one of the best legion teams ever assembled The Riley Brothers, Donnie Poplin, Scott goins, McDonald brothers, Scott Irby,Mike Rhinehart, Terry Hill, I am sure i am missing some, plus AD Ken Cook, coach Robin Swarigen.

 

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