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Cleary recalls sporting days gone by Grey Griffin, an uncle and druggist in Thomasville raised me until I finished high school at Thomasville High School. I was active in all sports especially baseball. I also played football and basketball. I spent four years under the late Dovie Fair Anderson ("Coach"). I was considered one of his "Boys". He was like a second father to me. After graduation, World War II had already started so I joined the service and trained as an army medic. I was sent to England in Christmas of '43. I spent a year there and this is where I really begin to get into baseball-The love of my life! As a medic, we were already trained for the Normandy Invasion therefore we had plenty of spare time. I tried out for a service baseball team and made it as a utility infielder. We traveled over all England playing baseball! While in England I was selected to represent the 9th Air Force in a swimming and diving competition. This event was held at Oxford University in Oxford, England. It was a thrilling event for me. But baseball was always my first love. I had a goal to be a professional ball player. I had been told that I had the talent to become one. I lived and breathed baseball. I played with and became acquainted with several pro players. In particu- lar, a fellow by the name of David Garcia. After the war he became manager of the California Angels. Dave taught me lots. We traveled all over England playing baseball. We had a great team! I was considered a good hitter and a long ball hitter. After the invasion, baseball stopped because we had a war to fight! We landed on Omaha Beach several weeks after the initial invasion. I spent nearly two years in Combat Zone and received two Bronze Battle Stars. I did not get back into baseball again until I got back to the States. I played semi-pro ball with the Thomasville Ramblers of the old Black Belt League for many years. While I was still in France toward the end of the War a service football league was formed. I tried out for that and made the team as an end. It was the same position I played at Thomasville High School. I played against many pro-players. One of the greatest feelings I had was when we played at a large station in Paris, France before approximately 36,000 people. In those days that was a lot of folks! We played iron man football in those days with everyone playing offense and defense. Next thing I know I was shipped back home. I got out of the service but still wanted to play professional baseball. I had to find connections but the G.I. bill came along and I was enticed to go to college to further my education. My uncle and his brothers both played baseball for Auburn. So I signed up to go to Auburn where I wanted to play football and baseball. A week before I was to enter Auburn I changed my mind and went to Alabama! Alabama at that time was down in sports so I figured I could make the teams in football and baseball. At Alabama, I went out for spring training in football but soon had to give it up because I was having chronic foot problems. The football coach at the time was J.D "Red" Drew and my position coach was Malcolm Laney. Coach Laney was a great man! I made the freshman baseball team as a first baseman despite my foot problems. My coaches were the famous All-Americans Dixie Howell and Joe Kilgrow. After practicing several days, Coach Howell came over to me after practice and said for me to put on my catchers gear. I was stunned! I told him I had never caught before in my life. Never the less he kept me out at home plate throwing the baseball for over an hour. He said I had a good arm and had the size (200-pounds) to make a good catcher. Well, the next day he had me to catch an intra-squad game taking on pitchers like Joe Larry of Northport and Hershel "Buster" Freeman, whom I became good friends with. Both the boys became excellent major league pitchers. I played on the freshman team as a catcher and caught every ball game that year. Freshmen were not allowed to participate in varsity sports in those days. At this time there were players from around Butler who I played against in college. Namely the late Harry Moore, Johnny Hanna, Zack Rodgers, Clifton Moore, "Lefty" Hall and others-most of these boys also played in the Black Belt League. My sophomore year my coach was "Happy" Campbell on the varsity team. During my sophomore year I was elated when I was on the traveling squad. That made me the second string catcher on the varsity squad! I played in several ball games but soon had to give up playing again in the middle of the season. My feet were really giving me problems. It got to the point that I was actually limping while walking and it hurt so bad I was unable to squat. One summer I played for the Gulf State Paper Co. where we were given "jobs" but we were really paid to play baseball. Other summers I played semipro ball for Thomasville and was named on several All-Star teams as a catcher and first baseman. While I was at Alabama I had three offers to play pro-ball but I decided to stay in school and complete my education under the G.I. Bill. Remember three years of my prime life was spent in the war and also the feet problems added to that decision. So there went my baseball career. I loved sports and really wanted to find a way to stay active. I tried out for the men's gymnastics team and made it. We traveled all over Alabama and put on demonstrations promoting gymnastics in various high schools. I really enjoyed this. After I graduated with a Business degree from the University of Alabama I taught diving and swimming in Butler. I am now 83(soon to be) and played golf until recently. I credit my long years of life to being active in sports! The Lord has been good to me. I enjoy church life in the First Baptist Church in Butler, and especially enjoy Church music.
Choctaw Advocate Sports Writer Chris Sherman contributed to this article.
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