|
Last week, on a warm Thursday evening, Larry Lucas stopped by the park to reminisce. As he took his place behind the backstop, he glared out at the pitchers mound and the memories began to bring him back to the days he stood tall on that same mound. Lucas, of East Third Street, arrived to the league in 1980 and was quickly given the nickname 'The Rifleman' by his L Street Tavern teammates. A team that would win four championships in five years behind Larry's dominance of opponent batters. Using his 70 mph fastball and his devastating rise pitch, a twenty strikeout night was just as common as a no-hitter for Lucas. As Larry talked with players Tony Jiminez and Bob Sweeney, he was inevitably asked how he got to be such a great pitcher. "I was fortunate to be araound some great pitchers early in my career," answered 'the Rifleman.' "I would take something and then go practice it." Dispensing his words of wisdom, Lucas stressed the only thing that keeps today's pitchers from being effective is their lack of practice. "If you want to become a better hitter you go to the batting cages to practice. Pitching is the same thing, you need to practice." The legends words didn't fall on deaf ears that night, as Larry spent two hours on the field working with an upcoming pitcher who was looking to make a few adjustments in his mchanics. Finally, with a lot of practice this one big kid who listened to the Kid may someday become a great pitcher himself.
League Notes: |