This 1989 video of NBC’s Marv Albert interviewing US President George H. Bush on the subject of baseball is precious to us at ImaSportsphile….cuz back in 1957, our Bone Daddy, the original Sportsphile played Little League baseball for the Midland Central Little League Braves….and regularly faced faced a Cubs team that was led by catcher George W. Bush….which was coached by George H. Bush….which brings to mind how two very different cultures were brought together out in West Texas during the decade of the 1950’s….when huge ranching interests owned by “ranch barons” came together with the newly developing oil industry was bringing “wildcatters”…..as the cosmic powers of West Texas came together on the baseball diamond to acquire a lifelong love for the game….as evidenced by this interview.
From the eye of this discerning dog’s perspective….it seems to me that the infusion of the unique mentalities that it took to create huge ranching empires….came together in perfect harmony….with the unique mentalities that the oil wildcatters brought to West Texas….which produced off-springs of success like West Texas had never seen before or since. A perfect example of this incredible fact would be revealed when viewing a snapshot of all the boys participating in the Central Little League Baseball League in the summer of 1957 in Midland, Texas.
The folks who attended games at McCall Park….home of Midland’s Central Little League….observed two future United States Presidents (a catcher and his coach)….one future CEO of Temple Inland Corporation (major global producer of white/brown paper products in the world)….one future General Counsel for Pennzoil Corp….one future self-made billionaire and ex-CEO of Unocal Oil Corp….one future Head Producer of ABC Sports golf, one future Head of Middle Eastern Operations for Hunt Oil Company…..and of course….. one future serious Sportsphile….who was also the future head of my world….who happens to be one very happy lil ole chiweenie Sportsphile by getting to write about each video that I post here at ImaSportsphile…..and on almost any given late May to late June, 1957, evening between 5pm and 7:30pm….you could see this incredible talent playing and coaching Little League baseball at McCall Park in Midland, Texas.
There are definitely a whole lot more success stories of those who played Little League in the summer of 1957 in Midland, TX…..it is just that I just don’t know about them first hand like I do with these that Bone Daddy has kept track of over the years….but I do know this….that place way out in the middle of nowhere called Midland, TX….had a way of creating success stories….of which so many had roots back to playing baseball….but any way that you cut that pie…. ranch barons, wildcatters and baseball brought them all together on the same playing field…..while establishing a lasting love for the game…..as ranch barons became oil barons…..and wildcatters became owners of large oil companies by the time these boys turned to men.
The fact of the matter remains…..as the West Texans always say…..”the cream always rises to the top” which certainly proved to be true for the boys of summer out where “the stars at night are big and bright”….and I would bet a dollar to a hole in a donut that if you brought together today in one room….the boys who played ball in the Central Little League that summer of ’57….every one of those boys, no matter where the roads of life had taken them as men…..would all be talking baseball and the memories of days gone by….with big ole smiles on their faces.
