Sunday, December 29, 2002
If you played baseball in the Shenango Valley, you had to know Carl Pears. Everyone knew him as "Mr. Baseball" in Mercer County and wanted to perform under his leadership.
Carl passed away recently after providing a league and a team for young men and adults to compete for over 50 years. In other words, baseball was his life.
Soft-spoken, Carl forgot more baseball than most can remember. He was a top-notch coach and hundreds of baseball hopefuls developed and went on to greater fame under his guidance. Rarely, if ever, did he lose his cool, and his players respected him and his coaching methods to the hilt.
I never played on one of Carl's teams, but I do believe I played against him when we were the old Hickory Drive-In team. Hickory was led by a group of Hornet standouts, under the managing of Phil Matzell. The team also had on its roster several players from the Sharpsville and Sharon areas.
Lasting impression
That was my first association with Carl, and he left me with a lasting impression. Carl had played basketball at Hickory and was a member of the Hornets' first Class A League championship teams in 1941-1942. He went on to play basketball in the U.S. military in 1946-47, and returned home to play in the Record Argus League for seven years.
Carl competed in the Pymatuning (Baseball) League, an independent circuit from 1943-45. Following his military stint, he returned home to be a part of the league from 1948-81 when the league became the Mercer-Crawford AA League.
In 1948, he wanted to build his own field, so he did. He built a diamond on Ball Park Road in Jefferson Township and launched the Jefferson team. He served as player/coach from 1948 and was president of the Pymatuning League from 1962-97.
Named top coach
In 1972, he was named Coach of the Year by the league. It was in that year that he oversaw the construction of the new field at Jefferson Township Park.
Carl was still playing baseball in 1990 at the age of 66. He had health problems that finally closed out his career, although he did return in 1992 to help his team win the league crown.
During his career, Carl had coached his teams to 10 league titles. He was truly one of the real pioneers of Mercer County baseball.
Our sincere sympathy to Carl's family, his many friends and associates. Carl was inducted into the Mercer County Hall of Fame in 2000.
Rose's dilemma
There are many baseball fans out there today who believe Pete Rose served his time and should be considered for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Pete is pleading for another chance. According to news outlets and baseball in general, all Pete has to do is admit that he was guilty of gambling on baseball games during his managerial career with the Cincinnati Reds. Rose maintains he never bet on games.
Rose cannot appear on a ballot for the Hall of Fame when his name is on the permanently ineligible list. But at last report, baseball officials had already met on reinstatement issues for Rose. Nothing substantial has been released on those meetings.
The big question does not include Rose's playing abilities, for he was one of baseball's greatest players, but is centered around the stain he may have left on baseball or will leave should he be inducted.
Baseball is adamant in wanting Rose to admit to his apparent misdeeds of gambling on games. Too much to ask from Rose? He's a very proud man.
"Charlie Hustle" was a 17-time All-Star and a National League MVP.