Announcing Free Healthcare Seminars, Classes and Events from Wake Forest Baptist Health
June 11, 2015Join the Cash Mob! – Let’s Do Lunch at Maria’s Salvadorian Cuisine
June 22, 2015
Pack the Park Night
On Sunday, June 21st our Mocksville-Davie American Legion Baseball Team will be taking on rival Rowan County at 7:00pm on Mondo Field at Rich Park in Mocksville. This is “Pack the Park” night where the community is invited to bring back some of the heritage of the 80’s and 90’s by filling up the stands, the hillside, and the areas around the field. Come on out, bring your family, and enjoy the sights and sounds of America’s Game under the lights.
Tickets are $5 for ages 13 and up. Children 12 and under are free. Traditional baseball food is available at the concession stand.
As summer settles in around us, the bleachers at Mondo field in Mocksville (Rich Park) are filled with loving parents, siblings, friends, and community partners. There are few games more authentic and passionate than watching young men play their hearts out for the most American game in history, baseball.
Remaining 2015 Schedule
Home – Thursday, June 18 – vs. Greensboro – Rich Park, 7 PM
Away – Friday, June 19 – vs. Eastern Randolph – Grady Lawson Field, 7 PM
Home – Sunday, June 21 – vs. Rowan County – Rich Park, 7 PM, Pack the Park Night
Home – Monday, June 22 – vs. Randolph Co. (Asheboro) – Rich Park, 7 PM – Make-Up Game
Away – Tuesday, June 23 – vs Kernersville – East Forsyth HS, 7 PM
Home – Wednesday, June 24 – vs Mooresville – Rich Park HS, 7 PM
Away – Thursday, June 25 – vs Kannapolis – North West Cabbarus HS, 7 PM
Home – Thursday, June 27 – vs Winston-Salem – Rich Park HS, 7 PM
Away – Sunday, June 28 – vs. Concord – Cental Cabbarus HS, 7 PM
Away – All Star Game/Showcase – McCrary Park
2015 Playoff Schedule
Friday, July 3 – First Round Playoff Series Begins – Best 2 of 3
Monday, July 6 – Second Round Playoffs Begin – Best 3 of 5
Sunday, July 12 – Third Round Playoffs Begin – Best 3 of 5
Saturday, July 18 – Area III Championship Series – Best 3 of 5
Tuesday, August 4 – Southeast Regional Tournament – McCrary Park, Asheboro, NC
Thursday, August 13 – American Legion World Series – Keeter Stadium, Shelby, NC
Hometown Stories and Local Heroes
A national sports writer and television producer, Matt Gibson, once observed that “American Legion Baseball is perhaps the purest form of the sport and the most fun to watch. There are no player salaries and the grueling schedule leaves little time for beach trips or summer vacations for these young men. This kind of sacrifice means that only those who really love the game are playing. American Legion Baseball is about hometown stories, local heroes and love for the game.”
Legion Baseball – The Community
The Mocksville Davie American Legion Baseball team is in full swing in their 34th season since it began again after a break in the mid 1960s. American Legion Baseball is a long held tradition in Davie County. It brings together some of the best high school baseball players from Davie and surrounding counties to complete to be the best in an annual tournament in Shelby, NC.
“It’s always been the best quality ball for this age of boys that’s been in this country ever,” said Sonny Kurfees, one of the founding members of the Mocksville Legion team in the early 80s. “Legion baseball provides people in the community a chance to come out and see some of the greatest players that they should know from their community play some other great players. Plus, it’s great entertainment that helps the community grow,” Kurfees continued.
In the 80’s and 90’s the stands and the grassy knolls alongside the field used to be packed with fans. “That’s the way it ought be again” Kurfees said. “You know, people used to come out here. People couldn’t wait to get here. It ought to be that way now.”
“I’d like to see more fans come out here and support the team,” Charles Kurfees (the team manager) said. “I don’t think they understand the importance of having a baseball team like this in the community. It’s a great thing. It’s a veteran’s program too; it’s a great thing to bring your family out on a summer night as the cool air settles in under the lights and enjoy baseball.”
Legion Baseball – Teamwork and Love of the Game
Jacob Tutterow, an assistant coach on the team who used to play under Coach Charles Kurfees said, “I liked getting to know people from this area. I’m not from around here, I’m from North Iredell. So it was a chance to get know some other guys from the team, from Davie County. It was a chance to bond and mesh and make friendships. I still talk to a lot of the players that I played with.”
Barrett Hennings, the first baseman said, “It’s really relaxed out here. We just try to get a win. It’s not uptight, you know what I’m saying; you just have fun while you’re playing.
Ross Hoffner who is in his 6th year with the Legion teams said, “It’s a good chance for the players around here, who say, don’t have the money to go play showcase or anything. It’s free and it’s a good environment and we play on a beautiful field. The team takes great care of you, you know, hot dogs after the games, meal money on the roads. It’s more about the team out here; it’s not just about the individuals.”
Legion Baseball – Training Ground for the Pros
“A lot of major league baseball players came up through Legion Baseball,” said Sonny Kurfees. “We have never charged a player to play. We furnish everything, uniforms, bats, balls, everything. It doesn’t cost them anything at all. We travel on a bus when we go to away games.” As I watched them practice each player truly seemed to love the instruction from their coaches, whether is was batting practice or defensive maneuvering. They were grateful for the instruction. Legion baseball is more than just a game, it’s an opportunity to find hope and significance in yourself.
