Yep………that was his name ……Harry Leroy Magee. My Grandfather. I had to write this story. He’s the guy. Blame it on him. He’s the guy that gave to me the love of the Game of Baseball. Sure, we all know how great The Game is. We all love to play it. But there was no better time when I was a kid and listening to the magical Baseball stories told by my Grandfather (or…..”Grand-Dad” as we called him) Harry Leroy Magee. After you listened to him tell Baseball story after Baseball story….you realized that Baseball was more than a game. Just through his simple words, he brought to life the sights, the sounds, and yes…..even the smells of this Great Game. And to this day, every time I tell a baseball story, I want to tell ’em just like Harry Leroy Magee told them to me when I was just picking up a baseball for the first time back in the 1960’s.
He was (according to his words) a banjo-hitting, slick-fielding middle infielder who was a switch-hitter and took pride in being able to hit the ball the opposite way from either side of the plate. You know, one of those “scrappy” players. He played semi-pro ball. He played hard-nosed defense. He went in spikes up to break up double-plays. He taught me everything about the game he knew. He gave me every tip in his book to give me the edge on my opponent. He was the reason I played my whole career as a switch-hitter. Why? Because I wanted to be just like Harry Leroy Magee. He taught me that no matter how hard you get hit by a pitch, you NEVER let the pitcher know it hurt you.
He tried to push his love for the game on my Dad when my father was growing up. My Dad just wasn’t really into it. So they didn’t have that “Father-Son-Baseball” thing going on when my Dad grew up. I think it created a bit of a rift between them. Then I was born. And all I wanted to do was eat, live and breathe baseball. I think my love for the game actually pulled the two of them closer together. My dad actually became quite a student of the game, and was probably the best hitting coach I ever had. The three of us would sit and talk baseball for hours. And I think that’s what made Harry Leroy Magee so happy late in his life. He just wanted to enjoy “The Ballgame” with his son. Just about every summer he would drive out to California from his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma with his wife of over 50 years to visit our family and watch me play baseball. From the field I could see Grand-dad, My grandmother (who we nicknamed “Ning-Ning”…), and my Dad having a great time taking it all in………..
I found this great picture of the three of us and just wanted to share it with you guys. Three generations all in one shot! My Dad never really liked to pose for pictures. He was always the guy TAKING the pictues. And with his expensive Hasselblad cameras…..he didn’t trust anyone touching them. So the picture here is indeed some rare footage. I look at it often. And when I look at this picture, I cannot help but think of The Game of Baseball. And I cannot help but think of the great stories told by Harry Leroy Magee. And I also look at this picture and realize how at the time of that picture…who would have known that the little kid in the stroller was one day going to coach the Greatest Team, with the Greatest Players, who Played in the Greatest Games ever played? And live to tell the stories RIGHT HERE on this blog?
I may never tell the stories quite as well as Harry Leroy Magee……and I’m not sure ANYONE could. But I’m gonna do my best to try!!!!
We all have stories to tell here. Please share your memories here. We’ve all gone our different paths in life. But we will always have a bond that is held together by the Game of Baseball, the memories, and Verdugo Hills!!!!!!!!!! I encourage you all to speak out……….Thanks to Hagge, Workman, and Canale for breaking the ice and making some comments here. Now………..let’s have some fun with this blog, and tell some stories, Harry Leroy Magee style!!! I’m sure that SOMEWHERE out there ‘Ol Grand-Dad is reading every word………..and smiling!!!!!!!!
verdugo288 