Results tagged “Jim Hubley” from York Town Square

The New York Giants' Willie Mays makes what has become known as "The Catch" of York County native and Cleveland Indians Vic Wertz's long fly ball in the 1954 World Series. Mays amazing play overshadowed Wertz's stellar performance in that series. Background posts: Who were most prominent 20th-century sports heroes in York and Adams counties? and York County sports a miniature Cooperstown and Story answers much about great athlete Hinkey Haines, including origin of his nickname.

I've written before about York native and major league baseball player Vic Wertz.

All he did was hit .500 in the 1954 World Series in which his Cleveland Indians lost to the New York Giants.

He returned from a bout with polio to hit 32 home runs.

Late in his career, he broke his ankle and came back to play on.

But it was that World Series and Willie Mays' over-the-shoulder grab of Wertz's long fly ball that relegated Vic Wertz to baseball's "almost-great" list.

But this post really isn't about baseball.

In a York Sunday News column (11/1/09), I compare Vic Wertz to his native York County, Pa., a kind of human metaphor for this south central Pennsylvania county ... .

This photo from Jim Hubley's "Off the Record" points out an unusual cellar door in the sidewalk outside Bear's Department Store between Market and George streets. "Frequently," Hubley wrote, "pedestrians would be started by the slowly opening cellar doors and the surprising emergence of the freight elevator." Hubley's book particularly focused on downtown life in York City. Background posts: Escaped bovine makes York newspaper headline and York's first mayor Daniel K. Noell named one of his sons and Longtime York sportswriter Jacque Tracy: 'He enjoyed writing features about athletes and coaches'.

When longtime York Daily Record/Sunday News columnist Jim Hubley died a little more than a year ago, people were asking around about how to get his book "Off The Record."

The book, available at local libraries, was out of print.

You couldn't buy a copy around town.

But now you can... .

Hannah Penn Middle School closed early this school year because of confirmed or prospective swine flu cases. Background posts: York community leader: 'We didn't have equal opportunity to achieve' and People mag features York native as a 'Hero Among Us' and 1967 William Penn senior class scored firsts.

Hannah Penn Middle School's place among those York City schools closed by swine flu may cause some to ask about the woman's name on the southeastern school's facade.

Hannah Penn (1671-1726) was the second wife of William Penn, who loaned his name to our state.

Actually, the middle school is the second such building to bear the name of this capable woman, who handled affairs of state for her husband after illness incapacitated him.

Here's a brief summary of York City's middle and high school buildings, according to Jim Rudisill's "York since 1741" and Jim Hubley's "Off The Record:"

Daniel K. Noell served as York's first mayor. While gaffe-prone, he loved the city. Background posts: Once pulled down, York's market sheds won't go back up and York community leader: 'We didn't have equal opportunity to achieve' and Pastors denounce first Sunday newspaper publication.

York City's first mayor, Daniel K. Noell, was no war hero, in the mold of York borough's first chief burgess, Henry Miller.

He was not a member of York's ruling family in the 1800s, in the mold of Civil War-era chief burgess David Small.

And after he took over as mayor in 1887, he bumbled and fumbled.

He came under fire for his role in tearing down York's Centre Square market sheds.

The former printer backed York's first Sunday newspaper, whose Sabbath publication was denounced by many York-area pastors.

But Daniel K. Noell loved York, a quality the successful candidate in today's primary election must emulate... .

Brooks Robinson's statue is the key part of his namesake plaza at Sovereign Bank Stadium. The Hall-of-Fame third-basemen, who started his career at second base for the York White Roses, has fought back from a bout with cancer. Background posts: York has Brooks Robinson statue. Where's Baltimore's? and Revs will easily pass 1969's full-season attendance stats and Batter up, pass the hot dog: York relishes the Revolution.

Brooks Robinson's revelation this week that he had been diagnosed - and now cleared - of prostate cancer brings to mind two stories about when Brooksie played with the York White Roses.

Brooks, of course, started his professional career in York in 1955.

And the story has often been told about how public address announcer George Trout introduced him as "Bob" Robinson.

Although Trout soon was informed of his mistake, the two local newspapers kept up the "Bob" Robinson routine for a good two weeks... .

Jacque Tracy, sports writer for The (York, Pa.) Gazette and Daily and the York Daily Record, died recently. He covered sports around York County for 51 years. Background posts: York Daily Record columnist Jim Hubley's last piece: 'Good luck weeding out tobacco' and 1874 York Daily: Is it worth anything? and York newspaperman's bio: 'Superb in every respect and difficult to put down'.

Jacque Tracy was always the go-to person for background on things, often about information on the old Gazette and Daily.

Jacque Tracy was always the go-to person for information on other people, often about information on the old Gazette and Daily.

For example, his comment when fellow sportswriter Jim Hubley passed away: "I admired him because he was a man of principle."

And when former Gazette and Daily Managing Editor Edward 'Eddie' Schaeberle died, Tracy commented, "I can't begin to say enough about him. He was like the brother I never had."

So, it's fitting that we put forth here a comment about Jacque soon after his recent death at age 88... .

York Hospital treated its Spanish flu patients at the York Fairgrounds in the fall of 1918. The fair was canceled that year. Background posts: Well-known doctor, York, Pa.'s Edmund Meisenhelder, beat back flu and West Side Sanitarium, later West Side Osteopathic and later Memorial Hospital born in The Avenues in York and Looking for a local history research project?

Susan Lilly, SusanLilly@weavingroom.com, lives in Portland, Ore., but she's interested in information from York, Pa., on how it weathered the deadly Spanish flu epidemic.

In old family letters, she discovered that her grandmother lost five close friends, including a cousin.

She's looking for first-person memories, family stories,
or copies of any letters that folks would be willing to share.

She wrote: ... .

Babe Ruth's autograph is shown on a piece of Hotel Penn stationary owned by West Manchester Township resident Jason Showvaker in 2006. Showvaker obtained the stationery from another collector. Background posts: Story answers much about great athlete Hinkey Haines, including origin of his nickname and York turned its eyes to Joe DiMaggio and Adding to York baseball timeline: Revs ready for 'second helping'.

His late grandfather saw them play there.

"I saw your article which included a picture of the park from July of 1945. Was any baseball ever played there? Whatever info you could provide would be appreciated,"
he wrote.

We'll turn the question of the Babe's appearance at the White Oak Park ballfield, north of York, to any fans out there to respond.

Here's some help.

York Daily Record columnist Jim Hubley wrote an account in 1995 of the Babe's visit to Eagles Park for the game that Jim Fickes' grandfather probably recalled:

Bill Stiles and Jere Stahl of York ran their 1966 Plymouth Belvedere in National Hot Rod Association competition and won every national event in '66. The photo was taken in 1966 at Stiles Performance. Jere Stahl received drag racing's Legion of Honor award at Musclecar Madness several years ago. The seventh annual racing event concluded over the weekend. Background posts: U.S. 30 Drag-O-Way, Part I: 'It was a great way to spend Saturday nights around here' and U.S. 30 Drag-O-Way, Part II: 'The traction at York U.S. 30 has never been better' and U.S. 30 Drag-O-Way, Part III: 'We would watch the dragsters on trailers head for Thomasville' and The night the furnace 'blew' and Wheels of York.

The news stories say that the U.S. 30 Drag-O-Way's 20-year run ended in 1979.

The York Airport's wide, long runway had served area piston-heads well.

As far back as 1972, the dragway had been struggling. It had even resorted to a promotion in which a dozen topless women would make an appearance.

The lure of demeaning promotions had been used in York County before in an attempt to bolster desperate situations... .

Proprietor Charles H. Seiker, right hand in his pocket, stands in the doorway of Young and Busser's Cigar Store, Continental Square, circa 1920. That's store mascot Punch on the ledge. This photo, with accompanying column on the popularity of the cigar store, appears in Jim Hubley's "Off the Record." The funeral for the longtime York (Pa.) Daily Record/ Sunday News columnist will be Sunday at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in York Township. Visitation will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. with the service afterward. Background posts: YDR columnist James A. Hubley: 'What I prefer is a simple, Jim', Kaltreider Library draws name from noted Red Lion cigarmaker and 'I still have my memories ... of the bustling downtown York business district'

Columnist Jim Hubley understood York County.

He knew, for example, that tobacco, cigarmaking and smoking are part of its culture. And he wrote about it.

He wrote in a 1989 column about Continental Square's Young and Busser's Cigar Store as a coming together place for York's men in the 1920s... .

Jim Hubley's 1994 "Off the Record, York County Life Through a Newsman's Eyes" captures the longtime York (Pa.) Daily Record columnist's direct style. Hubley died Tuesday at the age of 93. The out-of-print book is available via the York County Library System, http://www.yorklibraries.org/. Background posts with Jim Hubley references or columns: I-83 lined out Melvin's swan song, 'Good grief, how long has that pool been here?', Baseball's Methuselah played for York, Pa.'s White Roses.

Since learning last week that York Daily Record columnist Jim Hubley was near death, I've been thinking about how to remember the man in a few words who had written so many in his 68-year career.

Then I remembered the introduction of his book "Off the Record" that I always felt typified his direct writing style, which typified this direct man.

So, I'll let Jim Hubley describe Jim Hubley:

J. Ross McGinnis portrays Harvey A. Gross in the York County Bar Association's presentation "A Spell to Remember," based on the Hex Trial Background post: 'Powwowing was done for good'.

Jim Hubley, York Daily Record columnist, recently mused about the famous Hex Murder of Nelson Rehmeyer and the subsequent trial of his three assailants.

Hubley called for a repeat of the York County Bar Association's "A Spell to Remember," a 1999 re-enactment of the murder trial. The Daily Record will pick up his call in an upcoming editorial.

Almost in passing, Hubley revealed an interesting moment from that time: ...