Pat Shingleton: "Tis the Season..."
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I enjoyed watching the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox from Pirate Field in Bradenton, Florida on Wednesday. It jogged memories of an old classmate and fellow ball-player and the difficulties of cold weather and baseball. Bob Haine was our star pitcher, had a great fast-ball and threw a no-hitter our senior year with the Riverside Panthers of Ellwood City, PA. Danny Oliastro, directed the Panthers to a couple of State Championships in the early 2000's. Danny was our assistant coach under Ed Ellenich who was obsessed with beating his hometown school, Monaca High. Ed also wanted the fastest team and most of the time we were running laps and sprints rather than embracing batting practice. Back to Bob and noting that our opener started with snow flurries and 30 degrees. Ahead 2 to 1 in the sixth, Andy Miller dropped a fly ball that brought two runs in for Monaca. Ed wasn't happy with the loss. Our hands were numb from the wooden bats and the cold weather but Bob's were excessively numb. During an argument in the school librar, he punched Dave Pelloni in the head which compromised the pitching rotation.