Press Clippings

July 21, 2004 - Berkshire Eagle, Letter to the Editor: Magical night for players, cranks

The Pittsfield Hillies baseball team and its coaches would like to thank all our fans (cranks!) for their outstanding support at our recent game with the Hartford Senators. It was a magical moment for all of us! Four hours of advertising on ESPN Classics for the city of Pittsfield and its die-hard baseball fans was awesome! It put Pittsfield back on the baseball map again. Millions of people were exposed to this heritage game nationally.

What is remarkable is that Jim Bouton and Chip Elitzer pulled off such an event, of such magnitude, in such a short period of time. They treated the coaches and players first class and provided us with the best equipment. It was a sincere pleasure working with them to create this memorable event. Our hope is that we can continue to play these vintage base ball games and represent the city of Pittsfield.

We know that Jim and Chip are committed to renovating Wahconah Park for next year and are working on a tight timetable in order to bring minor league baseball back to Pittsfield next season. Hopefully, next year is a different story. Our hope is that once the ballpark is renovated, the Hillies will re-appear periodically when the professional team is on the road.

The vintage uniforms were a joy to wear and the gloves, balls and bats were fun to use. The 1886 rules and jargon were a history lesson for everyone. The "cranks" loved sitting in the "garden" (outfield), the players showed a lot of "ginger" (hustle) and the poor "behinds" (catchers) probably will have swollen hands for another week. The Hartford Senators were absolute gentlemen and a classy, well-organized team. We look forward to continuing our rivalry soon.

The biggest surprise of the evening and a lasting memory for the team, was the ovation the players and coaches received on entering the park in the vintage cars. The excitement, applause, cheers and enthusiasm inspired our newly founded team throughout the evening. Even though we lost the game 14-12, no one was a loser. Everyone gained from this experience. It was pure entertainment.

The Hillies want to wish Jim and Chip the best of luck in their new venture at Wahconah Park, thank them for recreating the Hillies and hope the people of Pittsfield respond to the new minor league team as they responded to the Pittsfield Hillies. I know the members of the Hillies will be behind Jim and Chip 100 percent. Thank you for the memories!

PAUL PROCOPIO, Pittsfield, MA
The writer is one of six coaches of the Hillies. The letter was signed by all the other members of the Hillies vintage baseball team.