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By Mark Huard
WATERVILLE — Hall of Fame Chicago Cubs pitcher Fergie Jenkins flew to Maine for a visit and threw out the first pitch at the Cal Ripken U11 New England Baseball Tournament held Aug. 1 at Purnell Wrigley Field. All eight teams — representing New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maine — watched and listened as Jenkins spoke to hundreds of people and fired a strike to 11-year-old catcher Garrett Gendreau.
Jenkins entered the national Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 with an impressive records including 267 complete games, 47 shutouts, more than 3,000 strike outs and 284 wins; he served as honorary chairman of the Purnell Wrigley capital campaign. Jenkins also oversees his own foundation in Canada; he was not only voted into the Canada baseball HOF but also excelled in hockey and basketball, playing two season with the Harlem Globetrotters. “The Central Maine community is lucky to have such a great field, especially having a replica of Wrigley Field, the oldest national league park in the country,” Jenkins said. “Having Wrigley and Fenway in central Maine makes this community a baseball town that will attract many tournaments to the area. Like Cooperstown, Waterville has the opportunity of real economic development through these ball fields.”
Jenkins was joined by 17 other MLB alumni at Maine’s Fenway back at Camp Tracy in Oakland two days later, as kids from the local communities and around the country attended the Fenway Premier Baseball camp.
Each year major league players take on the role of special guest instructors, including Yankee manager Stump Merrill, Red Sox’ Bill Lee, Tom Burgmeier, Steve Crawford, Chico Walker and Mets’ Skip Lockwood; among Maine’s players, add Pete Ladd, Larry Gowell and Matt Kinney.
After the camp and inspirational speeches, the MLB players played in a fundraising golf event at Belgrade Lakes Golf Club, sponsored by Ray Haskell Ford and Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association supporting the Alfond Youth Center.
CUTLINE:
MLB players, from left, Skip Lockwood, Fergie Jenkins and Mike Torrez, talk with kids at the Premiere Baseball Camp held at Mini Fenway in Oakland. (Photo by Tawni Lively/ Central Maine Photography staff.)
