Smith Park Ball Diamonds
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown Community
Forum Name: Fun Pictures and Video
Forum Description: Share your Middletown Area Fun Photos and Video
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4806
Printed Date: Nov 04 2025 at 8:02am
Topic: Smith Park Ball Diamonds
Posted By: 409
Subject: Smith Park Ball Diamonds
Date Posted: Oct 10 2012 at 4:37pm
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The ball diamonds have been excavated and the backstops and fencing removed. New topsoil is in the process of being installed and I would guess new backstops and fencing installed. Not sure who is doing the work or who is paying for this.   |
Replies:
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Oct 10 2012 at 8:46pm
Ahh Smith Park. Diamond #5 just to the left of the entrance off Tytus Ave. 1956. Barry Cohen, our starting pitcher, brother(?) of THE MMF'er Ken Cohen, throws ball overhand and as he gets more tired as the innings go by, let's the ball go higher over his head.......right over the backstop and in the hydraulic canal running behind the backstop. 
Diamond #4 down by the main office......Olgesby-Barnitz Bank- 17 and 0 on the season. Can't be beat. Have all the talent. Until that fatal day in 1956 when Coach Mike Tykach's team, Lions Club, with son Mike Tykach playing shortstop and some other unknown kids including me,pin a 3 to 2 loss on Barnitz Bank, shocking all. As the games finished up on the other diamonds, word got around and diamond 4 became packed in the late innings as everyone wanted someone to beat Barnitz. Little old middle of the pack Lions Club did it that day....... 
Jimmy Thompson (Shotgun) playing shortstop and a talent then. Teddy Frisch, a good little catcher back then. Mike Phillips, twice as big as any kid on the diamonds, pitching for 77 Taxi, scaring the crap out of all us kids who faced him at home plate. The boy threw hard.....and sometimes wild and when you got hit, it stayed sore for weeks. Great fun.
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Posted By: Stanky
Date Posted: Oct 10 2012 at 9:26pm
| 409, are you sure about this? Someone mentioned they might be getting rid of the diamonds altogether. |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Oct 10 2012 at 10:10pm
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Vet, Great memories of the ol' Knothole days! I played on the same team as Mike Phillips one year...I was the catcher and he, of course, was the pitcher. Other noted Knothole hurlers that I caught over the many years that I played: Butch Donisi (another noted "fireballer"), Rick Meyer, Jim Ousley, and Bret Whisman. (I apologize to the ones that my old brain cannot recall.) I even remember Mike Romans (husband of juvenile court Judge Kathy Romans), usually an infielder I think, coming in as a relief pitcher occasionally on one of my teams. Great days, great times, and great memories of playin' ball.
------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: 409
Date Posted: Oct 10 2012 at 10:37pm
Stanky...I would agree you are probably correct. Today they were spreading topsoil in the diamond areas. I was guessing at the fences & backstops. This brings up another point. Parking for the Ohio Challenge was moved from this area to the airport because of complaints of diamond damage from the league using the diamonds in the past.
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Stanky wrote:Posted By: 409
Date Posted: Oct 11 2012 at 4:07pm
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Found out today the ball diamonds are history. Neal Excavating is doing the work. I was told this area will be used for soccer fields.
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Oct 12 2012 at 2:42pm
And so it is. Middletown has lost it's interest in the nation's past time. Another sad event as what was once popular goes by the wayside. First the old schools, then the old swimming hole and now the ball diamonds. Now, nothing to look at but open tracks of land, offering little interest.  What's next? The Wade E. Miller Gym? The Jug? The town is slowly losing it's identity and character and substituting it for an empty, boring personality. Sad.
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Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Oct 12 2012 at 3:22pm
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There aren't enough businesses remaining in Middeletown to sponsor a Little League roster of teams. That's the pathetic state of the city. ------------- 'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill |
Posted By: swohio75
Date Posted: Oct 12 2012 at 3:26pm
| Or perhaps they are being relocated to another park in town? |
Posted By: LMAO
Date Posted: Oct 12 2012 at 7:40pm
Heard that they are moving basball to Lefferson Park.Which if its true,I bet the school is upset.Thought they was going to build New High School there?This town is so back asswards.
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Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Oct 12 2012 at 8:06pm
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Correct--soccer rules these days. Knothole and Pee Wee are endangered species. They might still play Pee Wee @ Douglas Doesn't matter--the leaders usually steal all of the $$ anyway Vet--funny that u mention Wade E It will go when the old school adjacent is demoed They are too closely tied together with plumbing/heating New gym at the current HS site(where the HSwill be renovated) New freshman school 2 b built on the Verity site probably?
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