“There are places I remember all my life though some have changed…” ‘In My Life’/The Beatles.
One of my favorite Facebook pages is the “I Remember Elmhurst” platform. Many times, old photos from way back are posted by lifetime Elmhurst resident Vince Spaeth and others as well. Almost every street shot or aerial view brings me back to some great memories. Here’s just a few of them.
Plunkett Park back in 1972. Ballfields galore and that large structure on the lower right is The Courts still under construction. On the lower left is Elm Field which had a homerun fence and brick dugouts which made us little leaguers feel like we were in the big leagues.
PLAY BALL! From age 9 to 16 I played in the Elmhurst Baseball League and loved every game and every practice. For Farm through Pony League, I was a member of the Orioles then in Colt league I played 2 seasons with the Red team. So many games were won and some lost as plenty of those contests were played at these locales. The field on Plunkett Park’s west side had lights and playing the occasional night game was a huge thrill for us ballplayers.
Butterfield Park was loaded with fields too and on the one furthest to the north east is where I hit two triples in a game against the minor Tigers. (Guys of average speed would’ve legged out homers, but that’s O.K.)
There were other parks too that housed our games. East End, Elm Field with the dugouts, Armitage, Sandburg, Jefferson, Eldridge and even York Commons. York Commons was where I threw my first ever 7 inning complete game beating the Brewers from the Elmhurst North team 6-5. They tried stealing home on me twice and twice were called out; the 2nd time being the last out of the game!
Seeing these aerial photos makes me smile when they get posted. The games were special as were all the friends I made on my teams and our opponents. Some of those guys I still stay in touch with to this day.
Butterfield Park, another baseball haven along with picnic grounds and tennis courts.
SAM’S FOR A SNACK-Sam’s Place 4 Hotdogs was located at the corner of Spring Road and Eggleston street. Our Orioles manager Mr. Parilli treated to us to more than a few post-game ice cream treats at Sam’s. This hot dog joint was popular among York High School students who would take quick lunches there since it was just 3 blocks south of the school. Whenever our dog Coach would escape the house and go for a run looking for love, my mom and I would get in the car and catch up to our pooch. Coach loved car rides so we’d open a door and he’d hop right in. To show there was merit in his coming back to us, my mom would drive us to Sam’s where we’d get some eats and share a hot dog with Coach. I always thought it was cool that Sam’s female employees could work in cut off jean shorts, t-shirts and flip flops. I remember them being several years older than me and being very cute.
Long gone but never forgotten, Sam’s Place for Hotdogs.
GOOD SPORTS-For any Elmhurst athlete (young or old) Chipain’s Sporting Goods was the home for all equipment needs. Walking into that narrow but packed floor to ceiling store, the rich and engrossing aroma of leather footballs, basketballs, Adidas & Converse shoes, cleats and Wilson baseball mitts was what hit you first. Jerseys, jockstraps, swim goggles, letterman’s jackets, hockey sticks, football helmets, fishing tackle & licenses, Chipain’s had everything any sports enthusiast needed. My last two baseball mitts, both Wilson A-2000s, were bought there along with loads of other sports needs. Even when the huge Sportmart store opened in Lombard, most of us still opted to buy our athletic equipment from Chipain’s. These days that store space is called Sandlot Sports which sells trading cards and other sports memorabilia which is fitting to the legacy of my childhood sports mecca.
For any Elmhurst athlete, Chipain’s Sporting Goods was THE place to go to get needed gear.
EVERYBODY IN THE POOL! While the newer built and kiddie friendly Smalley Pool is the current swimming spot on Elmhurst’s south end, York Commons Pool was in that original location. This is where I and my neighborhood pals spent a dozen summers starting at age six. I remember having a plastic-coated card pass the first year. After that, each of us who got a season pass was given a small metal token that was sewn on to the only swimsuit we wore for the whole summer. For my first 3 summers at York Commons, I took swim lessons which taught me all sorts of strokes and skills for the water that remain with me to this day. This past summer I got to better know Peggy Babyar, a retired educator. We ended up realizing Peggy was one of my swim instructors way back then! She must’ve done a good job training me because I haven’t drowned yet. The 12 foot deep end housed the low and high diving boards and there was plenty of room to swim throughout the place. Teen girls would cover themselves in baby oil and suntan lotion as they laid out on angled wooden loungers. Night swimming until 9 pm was also a regular happening, that is if we weren’t playing a baseball game that evening.
Looking to the northwest from this angle, photos of York Commons Pool are not easy to find. The ladder on the lower right was in the 12 foot deep end where you’d find the diving boards; two low dives with the high diving board in the middle. Countless hours were spent here every summer.
So there are just a few of the locales from my past and I wouldn’t trade those places and times for anything. Although one more hotdog or ice cream from Sam’s would sure be nice.
NEXT BLOG- Not sure. When I know, you’ll know.