FeedsSeries highlights baseball history, life
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Series speaker (from left), Tom Paciorek, Raymond Rolak and Fred Bowen shared lively baseball stories during the Hot Stove League series kickoff.Before the days of the Internet, fantasy leagues and 24-hour sports stations, fans spent their winters gathered around the stove or fire discussing their favorite baseball teams and the upcoming season.
Today, a group of local baseball legends have brought back the tradition. Not only as a way to pass on the history of America’s Pastime to the next generation, but to show baseball is a microcosm of life.
“The lessons you learn in baseball are the lessons you learn in life,” said Raymond Rolak, coordinator of the Hot Stove League—a series sponsored by the Friends of the Plymouth Library to use the stories of baseball greats to motivate people of all ages and backgrounds to excel.
“Our goal is to show people, particularly youth, they can succeed in life through perseverance,” said the lifelong Canton Township resident.
Rolak played college baseball at Wayne State University then began a professional career as a player and a scout. He said the series is a way to reach out to people and to use the finer points of the game such as running out a ground ball, or diving hard for a base as the way we should live our lives.
Rolak has secured the services of several former and current Major League players, coaches and announcers including Detroit native Tom Paciorek, who played for the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. Other speakers include former Wayne State University coach Robert Samaras and former Baltimore Orioles announcer, Michael Reghi.
The message is getting through. Susan Stoney, communications director for the Plymouth District Library said the first installment of the Hot Stove Series took place during the holiday season in front of a capacity crowd. She was especially encouraged by the number of young people from the Plymouth Canton Educational Park who came to the first installment of the series.
“We promoted heavily in the youth area,” said Stoney who wanted to use the series as an opportunity to bring new people to the library as well as pass on the tradition of baseball on and off the field.
There are currently more than 2,600 youth playing baseball or softball in the Greater Canton Baseball Association. All of the children are either residents of Canton, Plymouth and Plymouth Township or attend Plymouth-Canton schools.
The library contacted baseball associations along with other leagues in the region to bring out the youth and their families.
“We judge our success from the reaction of the crowd and what they gain from the experience,” said Stoney. “There’s a lot of interest in baseball.”
Rolak said despite baseball going through a rough period of scandal, and cuts made to many recreational departments throughout Wayne County, the game still has a loyal fan base—and is still an effective tool to teach teamwork and other life lessons.
“Sometimes in life you strike out,” said Rolak. You go back up to bat.”
The next installment of the Hot Stove League Series is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Jan. 22 at the Plymouth District Library. Rolak will lead a discussion on competitive and recreational baseball as well as the history of the “Black Bat.”
The series is open to all but pre-registration is required. To register or for more information, call 734-453-0750 ext. 4 or go to www.plymouthlibrary.org.
