Looking Back: Olney Meets at the Ball Game - in Kansas City

During a recent move, and going through many boxes, I found my program to a Kansas City game with the New York Yankees. I had held onto this program for six decades and probably a dozen moves.

I had six brothers, and two of them were bachelors: Oscar Walters and Pete Walters. Pete and I would listen to the Yankees games whenever possible. This was in the late 1950s.

On Saturdays, we would watch them on television when featured on the Falstaff Game of the Week with Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese. Dizzy was a character and would often sing “The Wabash Cannonball,” among other songs.

To this day, I can pretty well tell you the Yankees starting line-up: 1st baseman - Bill “Moose” Skowron; 2nd baseman - Bobby Richardson; 3rd baseman - Clete Boyer; *Shortstop - Tom Tresh/ Tony Kubek; Left fielder - Yogi Berra; Center fielder - Mickey Mantle; Right fielder - Roger Maris; Catcher - Elston Howard; Pitcher - Whitey Ford, Ralph Terry, Bill Stafford.

(Tom Tresh took Tony Kubek’s position as shortstop while Kubek finished a military assignment. Tresh was then in the infield and outfield).

The summer of 1962, my brother, Oscar Walters, made plans to take me, Kerlene Smithwick Ross, and Franklin Bailey to Kansas City to see the Yankees. He had made all the arrangements before telling us. We were excited, to say the least.

“We’re going to Kansas City; Kansas City, here we come.”

We drove approximately 14 hours on Saturday to see the double- header on Sunday. Oscar had me driving on the turnpike for a while when the highway patrol pulled me over for speeding. Oscar got out and talked to the officers, and I did not get a citation. I turned the driving over to someone else.

We had seats somewhat between center field and left field. We had a great view of Maris, Mantle, and Berra. Berra had caught the first game. Kerlene loved Yogi.

There was the extra, added attraction with Maris, as he had broken Babe Ruth’s record of 60 home runs by hitting his 61st home run in the final game of the 1961 season!

After the game and on the way to the parking lot, we ran into Bill Price, Cordie Thomas, Ernest Horany, and Harold Philipp who had also made the trip.

Later on at the motel where we were staying, we met up with Clester and Winnie Evans and Doyle Evans and his wife, who were Olneyites.

We absolutely had a wonderful time. I did get the worst sunburn ever after about six hours in the really hot sun, but it was worth it. What great memories we made.

What an awesome brother I had!!!!