Adrian Devine- Braves and Rangers

Adrian Devine zigzagged between the Braves and the Rangers in the 70s. I sent a note to him recently, and he answered some questions.

He says that his favorite players were Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr., ad Jim Sundberg.

His favorite baseball book is "The Glory of Their Times."

He said that 1977 was a wonderful year, and that he was happy to be a part of that Rangers team.

Cleveland Stadium and Skyline at Dusk, Ohio

Bird's-Eye View of the Great Lakes Exposition, Cleveland Ohio

Here is yet another great postcard from decades ago showing the old stadium in Cleveland. Lots going on in this picture from the exposition.

Municipal Stadium and Union Terminal Tower, Cleveland Ohio

Here is another great old card showing the old Cleveland Stadium. Actually, downtown looks the same to me, but there is more build up near the lake. The Rock Hall and the football stadium are there now, along with other buildings.

Daytona Beach Florida Ballpark

I found this great postcard in an old friends collection. I don't know a lot about it, so any help would be appreciated! On the back, it reads-

Daytona Beach is essentially a resort and tourists' town and in order to provide an adequate recreational center for the many visitors, the city has built up an island in the Halifax River, known as the City Island Playground. Here one will find baseball, being the home of one of the major baseball league clubs, shuffleboard, lawn bowling and many other games so popular with tourists.

Neil Fiala 1981 Reds and Cardinals

Neil Fiala spent a little time playing for the Reds and the Cardinals.

I asked him recently about his playing time with the Cards, as he is a St. Louis guy.

Neil told me that playing for his home town Cardinals was a great experience. He says that being around the people he grew up watching, and then being coached by them was exciting.

He mentions that he feels more proud of playing for his home team now than he did when he actually played for them. He says that, when he was playing, he was more concerned about the game, and what had to be done. looking back, he says that he had a really good time.

I asked him about being traded to the Reds.

He said that the trade was good and bad. It was bad leaving St. Louis, but it was good going to one of the best teams in the NL. He says that he really enjoyed his time with the Reds, but nothing beats playing in your hometown.

Mr. Fiala let me know about his time at Triple A. He mentions that he played for the AAA Cardinals in Springfield, which was nice because he was close to St. Louis, and family and friends could come to the games.

I asked about his time with one of my favorite teams, the Indianapolis Indians in 1982. he tells me that Indianapolis was a large city that provided a lot of support to the Indians. They had a lot of big crowds for games there. I asked if he has been back to the new Stadium (Victory) but he has not.

1982 was his last season in baseball, though he did go to spring training in 1983 with the Reds Triple A team. He was going to be a utility player, but he decided it was time to move on.

he says that he has never regretted that decision, as he has been able to enjoy time with his wife and daughters, and to coach at the college level.

Concerning coaching, Neil has been the baseball coach at Southwestern Illinois College for 18 seasons. This year will make 19!

He also managed the Frontier League's River City Rascals from 2000-2001. he says that that was a very busy time. Between his two teams, he was involved in over 175 games a year! He was also the home bench coach for the Gateway Grizzlies, helping out Danny Cox.

Neil says that he is focused on his one team now, and is excited about the upcoming season!

Derrin Doty 1993-1996 Angels minor leaguer

Derrin Doty played outfield in the Angels minor league system for four years. He made it as high as AA.

Mr. Doty sent a short note recently. He says that he had a great time in the minors, but that he was simply on the wrong team.

He mentions that the competition was tough, and he had to compete against Erstad, Salmon, Edmonds & G. Anderson!