At first glance, walking into Joe’s Ice Cream Parlor and seeing a group of aging gentlemen in full discussion, one might misunderstand why these guys have so much passion in the subject they are discussing. One might think it is the typical liberal vs conservative debate or maybe a school funding debate, but when you listen closely, you realize they are discussing what happened on a baseball field over fifty or sixty years ago.

How in the world can something that happened that long ago still bring such vivid memories to so many? If you are not a baseball fan, you might not understand what those days meant to these men. Long before computers and game boys, young boys and sometimes girls could be seen playing hours upon hours out in open fields, backyards or if lucky on one of the old textile baseball fields playing baseball. Especially on the mill villages and the small towns of Pickens County guys like Herman Sanders from Central or Britches Leatherwood of Cateechee and Joe Anders in Easley were just as important to the youth of their communities as Duke Snider or Joe Dimaggio. They were local guys that could be seen up close and personal. Teams from Alice, Arial, Cateechee, Central, Glenwood, Liberty Woodside, and Pickens Mills, Poinsett Lumber and the Easley Browns all provided their local communities with that little touch of big time baseball flavor that normally couldn’t be seen unless you visited the big cities of New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia or Pittsburgh.

Growing up as a baseball junky and having benefited directly from being coached by those who played in the old textile leagues, I understand fully why people like Dr. Don Garrison and Charlie Hunter might get a twinkle in their eye when they laugh and fuss about what happened so long ago.

On Friday, May 22, there will be a reunion of those who played, watched or have benefited from the old Textile Baseball Leagues. In reality, that could include all of us who played baseball in Little League, Pony League, High School or American Legion programs. Anyone that would like to join in this celebration of Pickens County’s Baseball Heritage is invited to come and mingle with our local stars of yesteryear. Bob Bolin, an Easley resident and a native South Carolinian who pitched for the San Francisco, Milwaukee and the Boston during the 1960s and 70s will be the Keynote speaker. Another highlight will be an update of the effort to reinstate Shoeless Joe Jackson to Major League Baseball.