03/28/2024
Thoughts While Shaving
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East Bladen baseball team is scheduled to host Randleman in the NCHSAA Class 2A Baseball Eastern Championship game 7 p.m. today … Hopefully the weather will not interfere … Coach Grant Pait’s Eagles are rolling, on a 5-game winning streak. Hopefully a huge crowd on hand to support the local team.

With that in mind, I asked the Hester research team to provide some info on previous local teams that have played for state championships sometime in the past. I am the Hester research team, and sometimes do not do a very good job. Here are the results of my research…

In 1982, East Bladen won the 3A state championship over Surry, best 2 out of 3 series … Back then the local team was the Cougars and in the 3-A ranks. East Bladen won first game 1-0, lost the second game 2-1, but won game 3, 6-0.

1986, Clarkton defeated Chatham Central in a 3 game series, 2-1. After losing game one, 4-0, the locals won game 2, 5-4 and game 3 by a 7-1 score.

Bladenboro won the state 1A championship in 1999 and 2000, if my info is correct. In 1999, Bladenboro’s Bulldogs won best 2 of 3 games over Swain County, winning game 1, 4-2, losing game 2, 8-0 and bouncing back to win the deciding game 11-1 in 6 innings.

In 2000, the Bulldogs defeated Maiden, losing game 1, by a 2-1 score and winning the next two in 8 innings by scores of 8-7 and 7-6…

Hopefully, the East Bladen Eagles can win another, beginning with game one today, weather permitting.

COVID-19 is still killing folks, shots are available.

My #1 son Rick and I were interviewed recently at Five County Stadium near Zebulon by Spectrum news…Topics were local government and baseball … Should be airing in the next couple of days.

‘The key to winning baseball games is pitching, fundamentals, and three-run homers.” Earl Weaver

“Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.” Yogi Berra

“Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets.” Yogi Berra

robert g hester
rgh4612@gmail.com
910-876-2322

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