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East End Little League Ball Park


Vertigo58

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The most positive & exciting thing I learned of as a kid back in 69 growing up around Dumble street, was the East End Little League Ball Park! We lived so close we could always hear the crowds roar all summer long, we got used to it. Our home was situated so close we all walked and were basically at the crossroads where all the heighborhhod kids passed our house on the way to the park. This is how we got to know so many people over the years. Photographs were common so I have plenty of those that act as a time-capsule for those years. There was the little boys league, I think we called it the Peewee's, older ones became the Minors, then much older boys were Senior League. This place was the heart & the community center of Broadmoor. Most of the original concession stands and announcer booths are gone. Only recently have they built new venues at this park. To this day there still are no sidewalks. Luckily, I still have some of the address books of many of my collegues. Maybe not current but serve as a diary of sorts. I can add more but hopefully others can add their experiences. I was lucky my mom was always a team-mother and was the core and reason we all got this once in a life time childhood experience. There was a song by Bruce Springsteen called "Glory Days" and I can really relate to the lyrics. These were the days when I hit the ball over the fence and everyone was cheering and clapping and shouting my name. I can still see the faces of my team mates & my managers as I entered home plate! Life is short enjoy it. Ok, getting emotional...

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I played Little League/Babe Ruth League growing up around the same time you're talking about and it was wholesome and a great influence. I collected baseball cards, still have the entire '69 Topps set that I put together with 5c packs often financed by allowance money and pop bottle deposits found while scrounging(no one told me that I should care for my cards instead of handling the stars and even putting some of them in the spokes of my sting ray with a clothespin :( ). Our heros were clean cut baseball players, and as corny as it might sound, they were definitely positive influences and fantasy father/big brother figures of a sort.

Little League is still active around the East End but no one plays catch in the streets anymore.. Instead they're throwing hoops and talking trash.

I ponder whether young boy's role models experienced a downgrading when the heros became NBA players instead. Just a different era I suppose.

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I played Little League/Babe Ruth League growing up around the same time you're talking about and it was wholesome and a great influence. I collected baseball cards, still have the entire '69 Topps set that I put together with 5c packs often financed by allowance money and pop bottle deposits found while scrounging(no one told me that I should care for my cards instead of handling the stars and even putting some of them in the spokes of my sting ray with a clothespin :( ). Our heros were clean cut baseball players, and as corny as it might sound, they were definitely positive influences and fantasy father/big brother figures of a sort.

Little League is still active around the East End but no one plays catch in the streets anymore.. Instead they're throwing hoops and talking trash.

I ponder whether young boy's role models experienced a downgrading when the heros became NBA players instead. Just a different era I suppose.

True, so true

There unfortunately was a shift not for the better. Kids want to emulate hip-hop, steroid users and gangsta images. Hence, all the other threads out there about the very high increase in juvenile crime. I could write a book. Remember when TV shows only described the remains of a dead person or had the body covered? Not enough these days. Now they show the person being tortured, dismembered and being put back together piece-bu-piece as the detectives crack jokes next to the bodies. Its no one wonder they say weve all become "de-sensitized" basically like robots. On any given day/night practically every program sensationalizes infidelity, wife-swapping, children cursing at parents, pimping the list goes on. This is how we entertain ourselves? I used to joke about TV going to the lowest years ago. I recall saying one day they are going to allow nudity on regular TV and here it is. Girls Gone Wild on early ams on weekends! Commercials 30 minutes long is a tad more than a commercial but they get away with it. No need to go to an adult theater (if one wishes) anymore its in our living rooms! Stats show the prison population is busting at the seams. No surprise. Guess who has to foot the bill?

I better get back to the baseball subject! Thanks for the honest response.

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  • 10 months later...

The Minor League Field - See Austin High School in background circa 1972. Sorry best I could squeeze thses pics in here for some reason? :)

th_EastEndBaseball-43.jpg

Can still see TV Bright repair business in background. They got hit by foul balls all the time!

What's the old Bruce Springteen song Glory Day's? Sure were.

th_EastEndBaseball-46.jpgth_EastEndBaseball-40.jpgth_EastEndBaseball-36.jpgth_EastEndBaseball-33.jpg

th_EastEndBaseball-41.jpg This area has all been developed since these pics 1968-1972. Fun, carefree days. :P

Edited by Vertigo58
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  • 5 months later...

Update!

Sidewalks are presently being placed in front of the EE ball park and hopefully extend all along Dumble to 45 frwy? Like to the Valero gas station on the corner.

People, it took almost 70 plus years for the city to do this. Don't ya love it? and yes, we used to get petitions and all that jazz to get this simple task done for decades. Walking on the busy street like Dumble is very risky. Now let's hope the people use them.

Now excuse to walk or push baby carriages in the street now, but thats just well wishing. ;):)

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I think I played Little League and, or T-Ball at some fields near Hobby Airport, looking at Google Earth it may have been at what is labeled as Taub Park. This would have been in the early/mid eighties. I have many memories pimping those M&M's and chocolate candy bars door to door and at Almeda mall. Oh the times!

Edited by westguy76
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You played at either Freeway National Little League or Freeway American Little League. The Freeway National fields were just off Telephone Road on Wynlea which was a block away from Airport Blvd. Freeway American was closer to the Gulf Freeway. Freeway Americans boundrys extended to take in most of the area east of the Gulf Freeway while Freeway National got most of Glenbrook Valley and extended north and west. I lived near Telephone and Griggs and was in the very northern tip of their boundries. If you were at National I might have seen you around. I played from about 1968 till 1973. After that I played Pony/Colt baseball at Freeway National Pony/Colt on Northdale which was just off Dixie Drive near Mykawa Road.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I think I played Little League and, or T-Ball at some fields near Hobby Airport, looking at Google Earth it may have been at what is labeled as Taub Park. This would have been in the early/mid eighties. I have many memories pimping those M&M's and chocolate candy bars door to door and at Almeda mall. Oh the times!

My brother and I played there in the 70's. I want to say 73-77 somwhere around there. I think the name of the League was Freeway American. I remember a "FA" on my hat. I remember getting sucide cokes after the games and buying baseball cards. I also still have many of the 1975 Topps cards from then.

I still have a team photo at home somewhere. I drove by the park about a year or so ago. There was nothing left but scraps. Very sad.

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My brother and I played there in the 70's. I want to say 73-77 somwhere around there. I think the name of the League was Freeway American. I remember a "FA" on my hat. I remember getting sucide cokes after the games and buying baseball cards. I also still have many of the 1975 Topps cards from then.

I still have a team photo at home somewhere. I drove by the park about a year or so ago. There was nothing left but scraps. Very sad.

I remember it being called the "OFA", never knew what it stood for.

Scraps, that's sad. That ballpark was so close to the bayou. Could hear the cheers from my house, was in the middle of Oak Meadows.

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I remember it being called the "OFA", never knew what it stood for.

Scraps, that's sad. That ballpark was so close to the bayou. Could hear the cheers from my house, was in the middle of Oak Meadows.

Even now when we visit mom over on Munger st near Dumble we still can hear the crowds cheering and sometimes I can swear I still hear the sound of a baseball smacking the aluminum bats that we so popular at that time! We were just 4 houses from all of the action and our stoop was the pit stop to chat for all the local kids going & coming from the ball park. :D

Can't count the hundreds of times kids hit foul balls and they flew over Dumble st into the apts across the street. You always got a free snow cone if you got the ball and returned to the concession stand.

Fun days indeed.

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Even now when we visit mom over on Munger st near Dumble we still can hear the crowds cheering and sometimes I can swear I still hear the sound of a baseball smacking the aluminum bats that we so popular at that time! We were just 4 houses from all of the action and our stoop was the pit stop to chat for all the local kids going & coming from the ball park. :D

Can't count the hundreds of times kids hit foul balls and they flew over Dumble st into the apts across the street. You always got a free snow cone if you got the ball and returned to the concession stand.

Fun days indeed.

My dad used to take us kids riding in his convertible, to check out the local ballgames. He got his love of the game from his grandmother, (the original) NenaE. She used to listen to the games on a transister radio, at night. I can't listen to a baseball announcer calling a game without thinking of her. I grew up with my dads old wooden bats, baseballs, & gloves. I had a hard time throwing a softball.

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I think I played Little League and, or T-Ball at some fields near Hobby Airport, looking at Google Earth it may have been at what is labeled as Taub Park. This would have been in the early/mid eighties. I have many memories pimping those M&M's and chocolate candy bars door to door and at Almeda mall. Oh the times!

in the 70's my brother played at the league that i believe was on scarlet, just south of simms bayou off of mykawa. right here I think. i thought they had dozed the fields yrs ago but it looks like there are still 4 fields there.

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I remember it being called the "OFA", never knew what it stood for.

Scraps, that's sad. That ballpark was so close to the bayou. Could hear the cheers from my house, was in the middle of Oak Meadows.

OFA was another league in Little League District 15. I know this because for many years I was an Assistant District Director. OFA stood for Oak Forest, Allendale I think which were the neighborhoods the league was formed from. If you cross Old Gaveston Road on Howard and continue across the bayou you take the first street to the left and go all the way to the end of the street. Turn left through the gates and there are the ballfields. They are still there and OFA is still playing. The land and the original facilities were donated by Petro Tex Chemicals and one of their product storage tanks still serve as a back drop behind the outfield fence on the senior field.

Leagues that exsisted back when I (any many of you) played.

Freeway National - off Telephone on Wynlea (Gone but not forgotten)

Freeway American - between Monroe and the Gulf Freeway behind where the Marriot is now (gone)

OFA - Off of Howard just past Old Galveston (still playing)

East End - on Dumble between the freeway and Austin High School. (still playing)

Southeast Little League - off Mykawa next to the P Farm (gone)

Magnolia Little Leage - off of Navigation at a city park (still playing)

Dixie Little League - plays at Ingrando Park at Woodridge off the Gulf Freeway

Gregg Little League - played next to Ripley House on Northdale which ran between Dixie and Belfort about 5 blocks east of Mykawa (gone)

Sagemont Beverly Hills Little League - currently plays at county park at Beltway 8 and Blackhawk. (still playing) These guys have an interesting history. They originally played on two fields that were just south of Beltway 8 on the west side of 45. About where the car dealerships repair shop sits today. They lost the land and found a new home on Dixie Farm Road just west of the ditch that runs along side the Dixie Chemicals site (Brio Super Fund site) They spent a lot of money building fields, restrooms, and consession stands. When Brio was discovered to be toxic they once again moved to the corner of Beltway 8 and Sabo at about where the Krogers center sits today. When that land was sold they finally cut their deal with the county and moved to the park.

Pearland Little Leage - plays at the Pearland Area Dads Club on Fite Rd (Historic Doughrty Road) off of FM 1128 in Pearland - (still playing) and have gotten so big the SW Region of Little League forced them to split into two seperate leages and is currently threatening to split them into four leagues because of Pearlands growth.

Friendswood Little League - plays at a city park just west of FM 2351 and FM 518 located behind the school on 2351 (still playing) The league has been threaten with loosing many of its players to select baseball where you form your own team and compete yearround in tournament play.

Freeway Manor Little League - played at fields off of Edgebrook east of 45 on a street called Theta. (gone) League held on by a thread until the late 80's, early 90's when the league treasurer took off with all the money. It killed the league.

South Central Little League - New since we played and has been around for about seven years - plays at city park off 288 at Yellowstone. Were going to move as they were the recepients of a National Little League grant funded by Honda Corporation of America to build new fields in the area. The league is significant because it was the first entry into a predominantly black area in many years. I spoke at their opening day a number of years ago and the other guest of honor that day was Vince Young who at the time was a senior in high school on his way to UT.

Those are the ones I remember although I think there were a couple more I can't remember.

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Sure is nice memories :blush: just to hear those EE ballpark names again after all these years.

Thanks Brer!

Whenever everyone heard there were to be championship games to be played at Freeway National it was like hearing we were going to "The Olympics". Major excitment kicked in!

It is amazing to see all of the major improvements to East End Little League (on Dumble) after all these decades.

If anyone out there can give an exact date of when this ballpark was opened that would be so great! Is it possible EELL opened while Buff Stadium was still in use nearby over on Cullen? This nabe must have been on heck of a baseball enthused area! Isuredid can you find this birthdate of EELL? :)

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  • 3 years later...

Sure is nice memories blush.gif just to hear those EE ballpark names again after all these years.

Thanks Brer!

Whenever everyone heard there were to be championship games to be played at Freeway National it was like hearing we were going to "The Olympics". Major excitment kicked in!

It is amazing to see all of the major improvements to East End Little League (on Dumble) after all these decades.

If anyone out there can give an exact date of when this ballpark was opened that would be so great! Is it possible EELL opened while Buff Stadium was still in use nearby over on Cullen? This nabe must have been on heck of a baseball enthused area! Isuredid can you find this birthdate of EELL? smile.gif

The year it opened at the filed next to Austin H.S.,I played my last year on Little League there in 1960. It was the old CYO field before that. There were 3 fields there at the time. The year before that my 2nd year in East End we played over at the old Ripley House on Lovejoy. The year before that My 1st year we played at the old Canada Dry Field behind Canada Dry Bottling Company across the Gulf Fwy. The Canada Dry field was by far the best of the 3. It had a green wooden fence (higher in center field). We thought it was like a miniature pro field. They had major and minor league teams. The minors got T-shirts and wool pants, while all of us on the majors got a full uniform. I don't think the minor league teams played on the Canada Dry field? I played on the White Sox, it was a great time to be a kid. The old Buff Stadium was just a few blocks towards town. If you joined their Knot Hole Gang you could get in for a cheap price maybe 10 cents, I can not remember for sure, but it was really cheap! Only problem your seats was way out at left field, but we didn't care it was only for kids, out parents sat in the regular seats.
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What a great listing of the old leagues - but I'm hampered by memory and too many years since I've driven those parts of Houston...

I played Little League, est. 1960 or so, for a few years, but can't remember the league or field name. It was out east, off Lawndale, near the La Porte Freeway area somewhere. I played on the Bakers (Mr Stallworth as coach) and then the Dodgers (can't remember the coach's name, but they lived on Wildwood, in Idylwood). Can someone aim me at the stadium location?

We used to stop at a watermelon stand after the games, and about the only thing I can remember about the stadium was they made good corn dogs, and Roto-rooter used to do a lot of the advertising! ("Roto-rooter, that's name, and away goes trouble, down the drain. Roto-rooter!")

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  • 6 months later...
  • 2 years later...

I think I played Little League and, or T-Ball at some fields near Hobby Airport, looking at Google Earth it may have been at what is labeled as Taub Park. This would have been in the early/mid eighties. I have many memories pimping those M&M's and chocolate candy bars door to door and at Almeda mall. Oh the times!

 

I played softball there back in the day...I'll never forget our coach, he was awesome...Mr. Slaughter...we were the "Angels"....best years of my childhood!!

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This park is still very active. At least 4 days out of the week during spring, summer, and fall.

 

Makes you really wonder, how many kids hit their first single in that park?

 

Tons of happy memories.

 

When I first joined this community (HAIF) all of the posts in this sub-forum were very much like this "remember how it was" kind of thing. Where the heights, downtown, midtown, they were all "look at this new thing!". It's interesting having watched, but now it seems that while we still remember when, we are looking forward too. I guess in time, it will all be looking forward at new buildings and such, but this is a really nice time, mixing the new dreams with the old memories!

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  • 1 year later...
On ‎5‎/‎30‎/‎2008 at 8:44 AM, brerrabbit said:

OFA was another league in Little League District 15. I know this because for many years I was an Assistant District Director. OFA stood for Oak Forest, Allendale I think which were the neighborhoods the league was formed from. If you cross Old Gaveston Road on Howard and continue across the bayou you take the first street to the left and go all the way to the end of the street. Turn left through the gates and there are the ballfields. They are still there and OFA is still playing. The land and the original facilities were donated by Petro Tex Chemicals and one of their product storage tanks still serve as a back drop behind the outfield fence on the senior field.

Leagues that exsisted back when I (any many of you) played.

Freeway National - off Telephone on Wynlea (Gone but not forgotten)

Freeway American - between Monroe and the Gulf Freeway behind where the Marriot is now (gone)

OFA - Off of Howard just past Old Galveston (still playing)

East End - on Dumble between the freeway and Austin High School. (still playing)

Southeast Little League - off Mykawa next to the P Farm (gone)

Magnolia Little Leage - off of Navigation at a city park (still playing)

Dixie Little League - plays at Ingrando Park at Woodridge off the Gulf Freeway

Gregg Little League - played next to Ripley House on Northdale which ran between Dixie and Belfort about 5 blocks east of Mykawa (gone)

Sagemont Beverly Hills Little League - currently plays at county park at Beltway 8 and Blackhawk. (still playing) These guys have an interesting history. They originally played on two fields that were just south of Beltway 8 on the west side of 45. About where the car dealerships repair shop sits today. They lost the land and found a new home on Dixie Farm Road just west of the ditch that runs along side the Dixie Chemicals site (Brio Super Fund site) They spent a lot of money building fields, restrooms, and consession stands. When Brio was discovered to be toxic they once again moved to the corner of Beltway 8 and Sabo at about where the Krogers center sits today. When that land was sold they finally cut their deal with the county and moved to the park.

Pearland Little Leage - plays at the Pearland Area Dads Club on Fite Rd (Historic Doughrty Road) off of FM 1128 in Pearland - (still playing) and have gotten so big the SW Region of Little League forced them to split into two seperate leages and is currently threatening to split them into four leagues because of Pearlands growth.

Friendswood Little League - plays at a city park just west of FM 2351 and FM 518 located behind the school on 2351 (still playing) The league has been threaten with loosing many of its players to select baseball where you form your own team and compete yearround in tournament play.

Freeway Manor Little League - played at fields off of Edgebrook east of 45 on a street called Theta. (gone) League held on by a thread until the late 80's, early 90's when the league treasurer took off with all the money. It killed the league.

South Central Little League - New since we played and has been around for about seven years - plays at city park off 288 at Yellowstone. Were going to move as they were the recepients of a National Little League grant funded by Honda Corporation of America to build new fields in the area. The league is significant because it was the first entry into a predominantly black area in many years. I spoke at their opening day a number of years ago and the other guest of honor that day was Vince Young who at the time was a senior in high school on his way to UT.

Those are the ones I remember although I think there were a couple more I can't remember.

The other little leagues in District 15 were: Almeda, Edgewood, Riverside, St.Mary's, and Windsor. Good days!

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