Jon Adams

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jondude
Name:
Jon Adams
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Tiffin, OH
Birthday:
05/05
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Single
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Design

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A Minority Of One

Sports & Recreation > Baseball > Grandpa Played Baseball ...
 

Grandpa Played Baseball ...



My Grandfather was Lewis Comer. He was born in Bascom, Ohio, just five miles west of here, in the 1880s.



He grew up in that little village (where I also grew up) and played the Great American Past-time every day that the sun shined.



In his teens and early twenties he played semi-pro ball for the Tiffin team. They were very good and he was their catcher.



My Grandmother, Rosa Shiley, thought that Lewis was the light of her life. They were courting when he played ball.



They got married, baseball became a spectator sport, and they had eight children. My mother is one of them. They also had two children who died at birth or very young.

Lewis passed away in 1948. Grandma died in 1978.

When I played the game I always got reminded of how good Grandpa was. One of the Tiffin pitchers got a tryout with the Boston Red Sox in the early 1900's. When he came back to the area he told everyone that of all those big league catchers who caught his pitches, not one was as good as Lewis Comer.

The photos were found glued to the inside lid of his old trunk. My sister photographed them digitally and I have made framing copies for my three uncles and my Mom. The photos were from 1906 or 1907.

posted on Dec 3, 2008 6:15 AM ()

Comments:

How neat!
comment by dragonflyby on Dec 5, 2008 11:02 PM ()
Great story and wonderful pictures! You have every right to be proud. I like the way your grandfather wears his hats--to the side! Do you?
comment by solitaire on Dec 5, 2008 7:08 AM ()
One of the stories about him goes like this:

An opposing player was one first base. He tried to steal second. Grandpa threw a bullet to the shortstop and the baserunner stopped, turned and started to run back to first base. Meantime, Grandpa ran out toward second base to back up the players. Passing the pitcher's mound, he turned to run toward the base runner, now going back and forth between the first baseman and the shortstop. They tossed the ball to Grandpa and he tagged the runner out. I have never seen a catcher do that and I've watched many, many ball games.
comment by jondude on Dec 4, 2008 7:12 AM ()
Marvelous story! Love the great pictures! Isn't it wonderful to have a piece of the past in your possession?
comment by sunlight on Dec 3, 2008 8:05 PM ()
Thanks for sharing the pictures and the stories about your grandfather. Very interesting. He looks like he was a fun guy. He is lucky in that he got to experience an activity he loved so much at that level.
AJ
comment by lunarhunk on Dec 3, 2008 9:07 AM ()
Jon, you can see his sense of humor in the photos. How lucky you are to have found these!!!!
comment by cindy on Dec 3, 2008 6:30 AM ()

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