Last week, we lost the man who brought organized baseball to Oxford’s youth.
In 1953, Charles Curtis planted a seed in this community.
That seed was called the Oxford Midget League and it consisted of 19 pint-sized players who took on those tough farmboys from Dryden in their first game.
In the ensuing decades that tiny league swelled into the Oxford Recreational Baseball Association (ORBA) we all know today.
Last season, a total of 574 kids, ranging in age from 5 to 14, played on ORBA’s nearly 50 teams.
And that doesn’t include the 110 local kids, age 9-16, who played on the 10 Federation League teams in 2008. Practically all of those kids got their start on ORBA teams.
What a marvelous and enduring legacy Mr. Curtis left behind for future generations.
Because of him, every spring and summer hundreds of kids get plenty of fresh air and exercise while learning the value of sportsmanship, teamwork and practice.
Because of Mr. Curtis, each child gets to play on his very own ‘field of dreams? where lasting memories are created, friendships are forged and confidence is built.
It may sound cliche, but it’s true that one person can make a difference, whether it’s in the great big world or a small town in northern Oakland County.
When a person dies, the most they can hope for is that they left this world in a little better shape than they found it.
Charles Curtis certainly did that for Oxford and we’re eternally grateful to him.
We’re confident he’ll be watching ORBA’s 2009 season from the ultimate ‘sky box.? ? CJC