Scott Cain - Cleburne Baseball: A Railroader History

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2017 by Scott Cain

All rights reserved

Front cover, top left: courtesy of Layland Museum; top center: courtesy of Sonny Burt; top right: courtesy of Jim Swan; bottom: courtesy of Layland Museum.

First published 2017

e-book edition 2017

ISBN 978.1.43965.947.2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016953502

print edition ISBN 978.1.46713.701.0

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

Baseball is more than just a game. It is a way of life. The game has impacted players and fans for generations. In the largest cities and the smallest villages, a sandlot game can be found on any spring or summer day. Baseball offers the chance for a boy to go from a Little League game to the World Series. That is what happened to me.

I grew up in Barrio Algarrobo, a small village near San Juan, Puerto Rico. From as far back as I can remember, my dad and I would play catch in an open field near our house. For hours my dad would teach me how to throw and catch while we talked about life. From the time I could hold a baseball, the game was part of my life.

When I began playing Little League games, I started on the mound. When my father thought I was throwing too hard, he moved me to catcher so I wouldnt scare the other players. I played games against Juan Gonzlez. Little did either one of us know that we would one day become teammates for the Texas Rangers. Back then, we were just kids enjoying the game under the unrelenting heat of a Puerto Rico summer.

When I left the mound and took my place behind home plate, I had no idea that I would remain a catcher for the rest of my career, but it just felt natural to crouch behind the plate. I loved the position. I could call the game. I could talk up batters and umpires. I could help lead my team. And the best part was the view. Theres no better view than from behind a catchers mask.

Beginning in my early days in baseball, I learned that there were no free rides. Respect was earned, not given. Baseball could give a lot, but it also required a lot. One day when I was sixteen years old, a man by the name of Luis Rosa wanted to talk to me. Like my friends, I knew who he was. He was a major-league scout who discovered players like Sandy Alomar Jr. and Juan Gonzles. On this day, he wanted to talk to me. I was nervous and excited at the same time. We talked for a while. When it was all said and done, I was under contract with the Texas Rangers and might get a chance to become a major-league player.

When I arrived in the United States, I was a sixteen-year-old kid. Being in America was both thrilling and a nervous experience for me. I was a long way from home, and I didnt know what the future had in store for me. One day, one of my coaches started calling me Pudge, because he said I was short and stocky. Little did I know that when I made it to the major leagues, everyone would still be calling me Pudge.

On June 20, 1991, I was called up to the big leagues. At nineteen, I was the youngest player on a major-league roster at the time. When I arrived in Arlington, Texas, I was a long way from my playing days in Barrio Algarrobo. I didnt feel like I had arrived. I felt like I had something to prove.

Much like the game in its early days, playing catcher is not for the faint of heart. You have to be tough. You have to make quick decisions. And, at times, you have to take control of a game. When a runner decided to steal a base, well, I took that personally. Those were my bases to protect. My team was counting on me to let the runners know that those were our bases.

It was an honor to play professional baseball for several major-league teams over twenty-one years. As much as I enjoyed playing, one of the greatest joys I experienced in baseball was teaching my son, Ivn Dereck, the game, just as my father taught me. Growing up the son of a major-league catcher was not easy for him. We had little time, but we threw the ball whenever we could. In 2011, I watched with pride as he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins. He was carrying on his fathers business!

The stories of the players and the fans are what make baseball unique. The game can give, but in the end, what you do with the gift of baseball makes all the difference. Baseball has given me a platform to help others, and I am grateful for that. When I visit places like Cook Childrens Hospital, the smiles of children fighting for their lives gives me more joy than I could ever give them. They are the real heroes.

Whether the stories come from Cleburne, Texas, or Barrio Algarrobo, Puerto Rico, baseball has been and will continue to be a timeless part of communities and families. As you read about my story and about Cleburnes story, I hope it brings back fond memories from your own experience with baseball. And when those memories give you a smile, remember to make new memories for others.

IVN PUDGE RODRGUEZ

Fourteen-time Major League Baseball All-Star, American League MVP (1999) and member of the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame

PREGAME

As the opportunity to bring professional baseball back to Cleburne unfolded with the initial development of the Depot in 2015, my love of the sport was re-ignited. In the process, I uncovered baseballs rich history in Cleburne. I was deeply moved by the newspaper accounts and personal anecdotes of the struggles and triumphs of the players, the fans and the city itself.

As I recounted Cleburnes baseball story, I recalled a simpler time, when I was a young boy. Through the years, I had somehow forgotten the impact baseball had on my life. Jack Guthrie, my Little League coach, looked past my dismal batting average and taught me the meaning of teamwork and leadership when he made me the 1979 Most Valuable Player for the Dragons. Years later, family memories were made watching the Texas Rangers and playing softball with friends. Like many others, baseball was a part of my family and was often the backdrop for memorable moments.

I want to dedicate this book to my family. They endured my discoveries and countless retelling of the stories I found. Thank you Chris for loving me, flaws and all. Thank you Marcus for your patience when I hovered over stacks of articles. And a special thank-you to Matthew, who waited patiently for years for our first game of catch in the backyard. I look forward to our next talk about cars, girls and solving world problems while we throw a balland Im sorry about overthrowing you all those times!

A special thank-you to Karen Rippel for smoothing out the grammar in the manuscripts. I also want to thank Mollie Mimms and John Warren for helping chase rabbits down the paths of broken history and Morgan Ritcher for the countless hours digging through old newspapers. Thank you to my history teacher, Eddie Sewell, who instilled in me a love of history. Thank you Donnie Nelson, Jamie Adams and Robbie Fenyes for your leadership and enthusiasm in honoring Cleburnes history by resurrecting the Railroaders.