This page is dedicated to my teammates at Carver High School in tiny Mount Olive, North Carolina,
the Pickle Capital of America. Not only was these guys teammates but some of my closest friend, so it was destine for my friend
since 7th grade, Hubert "Daddy" Wooten and I to end up playing together a short while after high school with the Clowns, before
I signed with the Braves. Not only was he a good friend, he taught me and helped develop my basketball game, but I never reached
his level of basketball. He was a high caliber all-star.
To all the guys who helped me develop my reputation and have kept the legend alive
for over 35 years, I say thank you. If I omitted anyone, it was purposely or inadvertently.
Ray King and Truman Grimes who had the task of holding onto my
calling card."The Fast Ball".
George Thompson, Ray Robinson, Hubert "Daddy" Wooten", Bobby Korneagy, Bobby Cromartie.
Let me pay a lasting tribute to the late, Billy Southerland. He was the star of our high school
basketball team, called Scoop because his hands was so big he could scoop just about every rebound in sight.
Three years older than me, my first encounter with Billy Southernland was in a sandlot field
in Newton Grove, NC. He was in the 11th grade and I was a 14 year old eight grader, playing baseball with men, and soldiers
from nearby Ft. Bragg. He stood about 6'6" and I was about 6'0' at the time.
It was the only day I ever feared anyone on a baseball field. He played with the dreaded King
Gang, a group of some of the most feared and talent players I have ever seen. I tried to beg off facing them but my dad and
my uncle T-Meat insisted that I could handle them. To intimidate me, they had Scoop batting first, and on that day,
I became a headhunter with a renown reputation of hitting batters. My catcher, Bruce Bennett called for a high one on the
inside and I shook him off, he comes trotting to the mound and said dammitt "Boy, Hit Him" I kicked a high fast ball in the
mid 90's range that cracked his helmet . Scoop became known as the lumber man in our neck of the woods, because on this day,
he took a lot of timble back to the bench along with his team, who I shut out. Later on in life, we discussed that
day and he swear I was throwing over a 100. Scoop, I miss you.
Thanks guys.
