LOOKING BACK

 It was the summer of 1954 and several young Corbin athletes were participating in a senior league baseball program.

Corbin High School did not field a baseball team that year for one reason or another, so the league, which was for age’s 16- 18, was formed and made up of four teams. I cannot recall who sponsored a fourth team, but I do recall teams sponsored by Buchanan-Wyrick Jewelry Store, Mitchell Hardware and Hall Watson Furniture Store.

There were several very good players in this league, to name a few; there was Roy Gilliam Jr., David Miller, Gail “Dago” Phillips, Bob Howard, Jimmy Harrison, Eddie Hodge, Silas Peace, Jerry Wells and Freddie Dixon.

What jolted my memory of this league and these players was Thursday of last week when I received from Gail “Dago” Phillips via United Parcel Service a Hall Watson team jersey with the number 11.

I thought it was very considerate of Gail as he indicated in an attached letter that he would like for me to return the jersey to its rightful owner.

Of course that would be Paul Jones, the owner of Hall-Watson. “Dago” was quick to point out, however, that it was not he that confiscated the shirt.

The culprit according to Phillips was one David Miller, who “Dago” said charged him two dollars for the use of that jersey 57 years ago.

Philips has threatened to hire a Miami Beach lawyer to recover his money for Miller.

Seriously, thought, these two young men in 1954 were great friends. who suffered through a 1953 football season in which as players for the Corbin Redhounds lost every game and endured some of the most physically and mentally demanding practice sessions in Corbin High School history.

In 1954 these two guys bonded with the other survivors of the ’53 season and rebounded to lead the Redhounds to win five games, lose four and tie one. The last game of the season of ’54 the Redhounds beat the number one team in the state.

In 1955 these two buddies, Phillips and Miller, were teammates on what I consider to this day to be the greatest football team in Corbin history. So go on Miller and pay “Dago” his two dollars back.

As we move a bit closer to the football season of 2011, and the Kentucky Wildcats are going to be sporting new uniforms.

I suppose it is a matter of taste, but I am not personally enamored with their new fashion. It does not matter at this point however, as I feel the Kentucky football program is headed in the wrong direction at a rapid pace. I feel there are only a limited number of coaches capable of leading the program out of mediocrity and Joker Phillips is not one of them.

At one time the opportunity was there several years ago to hire a program changer by hiring Howard Schnellenberger. He was a former UK All-American and an obvious choice at that time, but the opportunity was missed and the rest is history.

For those of us who are Cincinnati Reds’ fans, hang in there. The Reds are struggling to stay at the .500 record. Sometime within the next couple of weeks the Reds will make a more one way or the other, but keep an eye on the Pittsburgh Pirates as they now have a manager that I feel is one of the best in the major leagues in the person of Clint Hurdle.

The Reds need some help, as they struggle with consistency from those that should be their big guns, Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Andrew Stubs all strike out far too often.

Scott Rolen is on the down slope of his career and they are weak at shortstop. Brandon Phillips is the best second baseman in the game.

General Manager Walk Jocketty will need to make a move to get the Reds over the top.