When Charlie Wride met Cy Young in Cooperstown, he didn't even know who the all-time great pitcher was. Of course, Young was in his 80s, and Wride was only an eighth-grader.
These days, you'd be hard pressed to find anything Wride doesn't know about baseball.
The historian for the Auburn Doubledays and New York-Penn League - and overall baseball enthusiast - will become a member of the Doubledays Wall of Fame when Auburn hosts the State College Spikes at 7:05 p.m. tonight at Falcon Park. Wride, who was voted in by the fans' vote along with Tug McGraw, will be joined by Vince Klein, Dr. Thomas Stapleton and Bill Graney.
“I'm so honored and humbled that it's going to happen,” the 70-year-old Wride said. “I never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever have something like this. It's a labor of love for me, and it has been for many years.”
Many, many years.
Wride got involved with baseball in Auburn by joining the board of directors in the mid 1960s when the organization was looking for volunteers. He was a part of the group that was going door to door in the community and selling tickets out of cigar boxes.
“Back in those days I printed the programs myself,” Wride said. “I went out and got the prizes for the lucky numbers, too.”
But really his passion for baseball was born even earlier. His only baseball experiences were sandlot baseball games in which he played, but when he was 12 years old, Wride used to go to the pro games with his uncle.
That's what spurred the passion for baseball and led him to get involved with the team - on top of his career as a teacher. After getting his business degree from Ithaca College, he eventually worked at Mynderse Academy in Seneca Falls from 1964 to 1992.
When the opening for league historian became available, Wride didn't hesitate to throw his hat in the ring. After some nominations from around the league, Wride took the position and has been doing it for nearly a decade.
“It's the best darn job I ever had in my life,” Wride said. “I just love to do the things I do.”
He does it well, too. He completely revised the NY-P League record book, keeping it updated and even filling in the missing pieces.
“The league started in 1939 and from '39 to '44, it said info not available,” Wride said. “I found it.”
Now he has a list from 1939 to present of every player from the NY-P League. He also has a list of 2,300 names of players who went from the NY-P League to the majors.
“I'd love to think it's 100 percent complete, but it'll never be,” Wride said.
Though he is delighted his work has earned him a spot in the elite group, he still deflects all of the credit.
“I'm just very appreciative of the honor that's being bestowed on me, and that I'm going in with the founding fathers of Auburn baseball,” Wride said. “I'm the young kid on the block. If they weren't here, there wouldn't be anything for me (tonight). There wouldn't be a ball game tonight.”
And even though it'll be a memorable night for Wride, nothing compares to doing what he did to get here.
“I would love to be working on it until the day I leave,” Wride said.
The historian for the Auburn Doubledays and New York-Penn League - and overall baseball enthusiast - will become a member of the Doubledays Wall of Fame when Auburn hosts the State College Spikes at 7:05 p.m. tonight at Falcon Park. Wride, who was voted in by the fans' vote along with Tug McGraw, will be joined by Vince Klein, Dr. Thomas Stapleton and Bill Graney.
“I'm so honored and humbled that it's going to happen,” the 70-year-old Wride said. “I never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever have something like this. It's a labor of love for me, and it has been for many years.”
Many, many years.
Wride got involved with baseball in Auburn by joining the board of directors in the mid 1960s when the organization was looking for volunteers. He was a part of the group that was going door to door in the community and selling tickets out of cigar boxes.
“Back in those days I printed the programs myself,” Wride said. “I went out and got the prizes for the lucky numbers, too.”
But really his passion for baseball was born even earlier. His only baseball experiences were sandlot baseball games in which he played, but when he was 12 years old, Wride used to go to the pro games with his uncle.
That's what spurred the passion for baseball and led him to get involved with the team - on top of his career as a teacher. After getting his business degree from Ithaca College, he eventually worked at Mynderse Academy in Seneca Falls from 1964 to 1992.
When the opening for league historian became available, Wride didn't hesitate to throw his hat in the ring. After some nominations from around the league, Wride took the position and has been doing it for nearly a decade.
“It's the best darn job I ever had in my life,” Wride said. “I just love to do the things I do.”
He does it well, too. He completely revised the NY-P League record book, keeping it updated and even filling in the missing pieces.
“The league started in 1939 and from '39 to '44, it said info not available,” Wride said. “I found it.”
Now he has a list from 1939 to present of every player from the NY-P League. He also has a list of 2,300 names of players who went from the NY-P League to the majors.
“I'd love to think it's 100 percent complete, but it'll never be,” Wride said.
Though he is delighted his work has earned him a spot in the elite group, he still deflects all of the credit.
“I'm just very appreciative of the honor that's being bestowed on me, and that I'm going in with the founding fathers of Auburn baseball,” Wride said. “I'm the young kid on the block. If they weren't here, there wouldn't be anything for me (tonight). There wouldn't be a ball game tonight.”
And even though it'll be a memorable night for Wride, nothing compares to doing what he did to get here.
“I would love to be working on it until the day I leave,” Wride said.
Citizen
Hot Jobs
New! Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are No comments posted.