1962 and Today

In 1962, a year before the world changed, I was an eleven year old kid who loved to watch and to play baseball. The reason I bring this up are for two reasons: this was the first year of my favorite team, the Orange and Blue New York Mets and that I was the only pitcher that year to pitch a complete game, six inning, official Little League no-hitter in Floral Park, a little village on Long Island where I grew up. I will get to the Mets colors in a minute.

Anyway, the significance of the no-hitter is so I can tell another story, which came to light in a whole other discussion with my wife. The final score was 3-2, and I scored the winning run in the top of the sixth. Why the opposition got two runs? Walks, fielders choices and an error. The funny part of me scoring the run was that when John Fritz hit the line drive to the outfield, I was the runner on first and as I was rounding second, my helmet flew off.

I stopped to pick it up and John was right behind me. He had to stop or if he passed me, he would have been out and we would have lost the game, 2-1, since there were already two outs.  Imagine, I would have pitched a complete game no-hitter and would have LOST. Because of me. But, as I said, John stopped, I picked up the helmet, and we both scored on John's home run. I pitched the bottom of the sixth, struck out two and the third guy hit into a 4-3 groundout and the game was done.

Now, as I said, as great as the no-hitter was, that wasn't the reason for the story. Instead, as my wife prompted me with something completely unrelated, the reason for this story was to tell you that because we won, the manager of the team treated all the kids to a treat at the concession stand, which was fairly customary after each win. The manager said that since this was the last game of the season (no playoff for us), we all could get two treats. So most of us took a candy bar AND a hot dog. That was swell, to use a term that died when "groovy" came into vogue in later years, after the world changed.

The next day the manager got a hold of me and wanted to tell me something  very important, but also very special. When he told me I pitched a no-hitter, I was surprised because I was sure I gave up several hits. But he assured me, as only he could, that no, the grounders were force outs and not hits. And even though I had given up several walks and two runs, I did not give up any hits.

He presented me with a baseball that read, "To Frank McHale. The only pitcher to pitch a no-hitter in the Floral Park LL in 1962". Understanding that our Little League was divided into two leagues, AL and NL, with three divisions, Major, Minor A and Minor B, for a total of 32 teams with 16 players each (remember the baby boom?), even at eleven, I understood the significance. With that, I hugged the manager so tight and squeezed him until he told me to stop. With that, I released my dad and we continued to talk about the game.

I tell this story because my Dad and my Mom will both be 84 in a couple of weeks. My Dad is suffering now from early stages of Alzheimer's, which my Mom tells me with the meds he is taking, Dad still had good days. I don't know if he will remember this but I do, and I wanted to share a piece of a good man with all of you. And I wanted to give both my parents an early birthday gift, letting them know I really don't forget anything.

And the Mets colors? Well, any loyal Met fan will tell you that it was to honor all baseball teams that preceded them in New York: Yankee pinstripes, Giant Orange and Dodger Blue. All three uniforms were bright white. But the Mets have made it their own.