By Charles Hall
Scott Rogers looked through his picture file and sent me a copy of this photo, even though I wasn’t in the picture and didn’t make the team until the next year. Thank you, Scott !! If anyone has any other pictures of this era, please send them in.
I got to know most of these guys the next year, and here are some first names and comments where I can. (For frame of reference, Scott Rogers was in the 3rd grade, John Moore and John McElligott in the 4th grade, and Eric Moore in the 6th grade.)
Top Row L-R
Troy Roberts – great center fielder for the next 2 years
Billy Owens – the tall guy, huge windup for his fastball. The next year I had to warm him up between innings sometimes, and he could literally knock me on my rear end !! It gave me a much greater appreciation of what a catcher goes through. Also he was a very good 1st baseman.
Eric Moore – probably one of the best all around athletes in Midland at the time. He was “Hero” to his little brother John, and to me too.
Bottom Row
Coach Eatherly – a very good, fair coach. He gave us all a chance.
Cliff Johnson – backup catcher, and we are still great friends and communicate frequently. Later in High School, he became the (1957 Chevy) Hot Rodder of the group, but he now drives an SUV. LOL.
Scott Rogers – all round great athlete, 3rd baseman supreme. Great guy who I’ve recently reconnected with here in Kerrville.
John Moore – one of my best friends ever. Great pitcher with an incredible knuckle ball that you just could not hit. One of the nicest people I’ve ever known.
Bruce McElligott – one of the best hitters in the league, and a really good left fielder. I loved him out there when I was pitching.
John McElligott – better known now as a truly gifted Doctor John. Always there if you need him!! Lifelong friend. See how sweet and innocent he looks there, tucked in between his big brother and Coach Red Moore (name cut off in picture, John and Eric’s father and a very kind, patient teacher. He was a catcher at Rice University and mentored several of us during our early years).
Dr. John McElligott was our catcher and power hitter big time!! He had 12 home runs 3 years later during our final season together, which would be like a Major League Baseball player hitting over 160 home runs during a season. He and Scott Rogers were starters as 9 year olds, which is very rare, and thus started for 4 straight years, forming the nucleus of our team for the last 3 years when I had the good fortune to make the team and get to play with them.
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James Adams
Great picture! I never knew why they were called the Macs!
John McElligott
Our sponsor was McFarland Drilling Company. Eric Moore would know the real answer but I think this is correct.
Dennis “Wemus” Grubb
If so, then that was the drilling company owned by Lucy McFarland’s dad. Lucy was in the MHS Class of 1965 and married a lawyer friend of mine, John Woodside, who was originally from El Paso, but practiced law in Midland. Good guy, who is now deceased, and Lucy still lives in Midland.