Brother Tom, now off crutches, was joining the league in 1961 for the first time as a 9-year-old.

We both performed at tryouts on the Woodrow Avenue field. I remember fouling off a couple pitches during batting practice that scattered the onlooking coaches and managers near the first-base dugout.

I later learned brother Tom was the top pick in the draft, going to Manager Bob Anderson’s Silver Shields (Dunkirk Police) team.

Meanwhile, I was picked by the USW-CIO team. Never did learn why we weren’t placed on the same team. Parents were less than thrilled to chauffeur us to separate practices and games. Made for more work for them.

Bill Hammond

As far as I know, we were the only brothers who played for different teams.

My USW-CIO team (16-6) was a good one, ultimately losing the National Division Championship by a game and one-half to the Moose (17-4).

I played second base on a team that featured seven 12-year-old starters, the limit then allowed by Little League rules.

Five different players hit genuine (over the fence) home runs for our Steelworkers team, a remarkable achievement.

Plus, we had one player who could throw strikes with both hands. Impressive.

I vividly remember my first career hit. It came during my 10-year-old season against the Lions team and their hard-throwing pitching star, Dan “No Hit” Krupinski.

I couldn’t quite get around on Danny’s fastball. I sent it down the first-base line and into right field, where balls automatically kick right and bounce into the fence.

I was encouraged by my optimistic base coach to try for second base. And I made it!

The throw from the right fielder went to a local neighborhood figure playing second base, Frank Carey.

I would later help Frank as an assistant on his EVENING OBSERVER paper route.

But Frank could be a little bit of a bully sometimes and immediately tagged me so hard I fell off second base. Lucky for me, the base umpire saw the entire episode and ruled me “safe.”

I managed a few other hits that season, none particularly memorable.

What I remember most is playing against so many of my 4th Street neighborhood buddies. In addition to brother Tom, the Silver Shields had Jim McGraw and Mike Bohn. Dan Alessi, Chad Madden and Karnes brothers Joe and John, and maybe even their younger sibling, Tom, toiled for Lake Shore Delivery.

Sal Ippolito joined me on the Steelworkers, Bill Dimmer was with the Columbus Club, and the Snyder boys, Gib and Dan, suited up for the Moose.

Spent many an afternoon on the Woodrow Avenue field, taking part in pickup games. Although only 9 at the time, Dave Criscione was so feared as a hitter that he would either be forced to bat left-handed or only be allowed to hit the ball to right field to avoid an automatic out.

It didn’t take Dave long to learn how to hit left-handed and continue to dominate.

Dave also had a memorable encounter one afternoon at that field with Dunkirk High School all-star pitcher Sam Delpopolo.

Don’t remember how it started, but Sam tried to strike out Dave, who batted up against the fence to recreate the approximate 60-foot pitching distance at the high school level.

I said TRIED, because Dave quickly lit him up for a home run. That appeared to surprise and anger the usually confident Delpopolo, who ramped up the speed of his pitches.

Dave clearly won the ensuing battle as his friends cheered him on from behind the fence. Sam was not happy.

But then again, few pitchers were happy after facing Criscione. Victim number one, Dave recently told me, was former DHS standout Jake Dengler. As a key member of the championship Moose team, he unwillingly surrendered the first home run of Dave’s five-year Little League career. It came when Dave was 9. You read that right — 9 years old.

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DO YOU have a favorite memory of your time in Little League? Drop me a line at mandpp@hotmail.com and let’s reminisce.

Bill Hammond is a former EVENING OBSERVER Sports Editor.