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Riding through town the other night, I noticed that Todd Maxwell Field was not in use. With high school baseball winding down and college baseball going full steam, it’s definitely baseball season. Good players like Donnie Waters, Phil Edwards, Lee Drake, Joe Stalls, Riley Roberson, Alton Griffin, Tommy Langley and Bill Nolley all got their start on the fields at Todd Maxwell Park along with many more including Stanley Edwards, Terry Waters and others.

There were the sounds of mothers bragging on their sons and fathers being proud of their boys to the extent of Dr. Zeno telling one father “that’s my boy” (little Zeno) There were times that rain washed out games and teams would gather to ditch the water off. That was a common occurrence! The city kept the park up. They dragged and lined off the fields, but rain water was never a problem. The boys got out to sweep the water off. They wanted to compete.

The parents ran the concession stand and they made the best hot dogs in town. Many a night Rose Ann and I ate supper there and every team that played that night got free drinks because the league operated on proceeds from the concession stand.

There were two fields, one for the little league, and the one field nearest the concession stand for the Little Tar Heel League.

There were pretty girls there too. Washington always had pretty girls. They would be there to see their favorite play for his team. The likes of Carol Sparrow, Susan Roebuck, Betty and Jane Alligood and Pam Alligood. would all gather to see their boyfriends play for whatever team they were on. Whether it be; Dr. Pepper, Coca-Cola, VFW, Belk Tyler’s or National Spinning, it didn’t matter. They were competing!

The first high school team I played on was coached by Bobby Alligood, the next two years by Howard Chapin and then Coach Wagner my senior year. Three different coaches every year. The reason I got into coaching in the first place was because I had coaching from Big Walter Gerard and Ed Nolley. They made it fun on Todd Maxwell Fields.

They were the best of times with the best of friends and the best of places, Washington, N.C. The Original Washington!

Harold Jr