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Editorial
April 20, 1959
The Key West Citizen
Key West, Monroe County, Florida
What is this article about?
Joseph Ilisley recounts a conversation with Lt. Joe Petty about facing Bobby Feller in high school baseball and proposes an interstate playoff series for Key West High School against teams from other states to assess their standing, to be held in late June.
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Spent few interesting minutes talking with Lt. Joe Petty, a busy guy who doubles as Personnel Officer and Special Services Officer at the U. S. Naval Station the other day.
Among other things, he reported that Bobby Feller, famed former fireballing right-hander of the Cleveland Indians, could really throw the baseball as a schoolboy. Joe knows. He had a first-hand experience - striking out twice against "Rapid Robert" when the two faced each other in an Iowa high school game.
Pondering on this later, the idea struck home that it would be nice to find out once and for all just how the brand of high school baseball as played by our lads compares with that played in Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, Kentucky, Oklahoma or Texas, etc. high schools.
We have fine baseball team representing the Key West High School,
The writer believes it could take any schoolboy team in the state in a best-of-five game series although, under the present hurried play-off system, any team may well come up with an 'off night' and be eliminated in the chase for the state title. But our Conchs are a sharp, well-balanced outfit.
We could have a playoff with a representative team from any single state. That would tell us how we stand.
It could be played here following the regular season late in June.
It would take interest - and doing. One person or group couldn't make it. A community could.
Anyone interested?
—Joseph Ilisley.
Spent few interesting minutes talking with Lt. Joe Petty, a busy guy who doubles as Personnel Officer and Special Services Officer at the U. S. Naval Station the other day.
Among other things, he reported that Bobby Feller, famed former fireballing right-hander of the Cleveland Indians, could really throw the baseball as a schoolboy. Joe knows. He had a first-hand experience - striking out twice against "Rapid Robert" when the two faced each other in an Iowa high school game.
Pondering on this later, the idea struck home that it would be nice to find out once and for all just how the brand of high school baseball as played by our lads compares with that played in Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, Kentucky, Oklahoma or Texas, etc. high schools.
We have fine baseball team representing the Key West High School,
The writer believes it could take any schoolboy team in the state in a best-of-five game series although, under the present hurried play-off system, any team may well come up with an 'off night' and be eliminated in the chase for the state title. But our Conchs are a sharp, well-balanced outfit.
We could have a playoff with a representative team from any single state. That would tell us how we stand.
It could be played here following the regular season late in June.
It would take interest - and doing. One person or group couldn't make it. A community could.
Anyone interested?
—Joseph Ilisley.
What sub-type of article is it?
Sports
Community Engagement
What keywords are associated?
High School Baseball
Key West Conchs
Interstate Playoff
Bobby Feller
Naval Station
What entities or persons were involved?
Lt. Joe Petty
Bobby Feller
Key West High School
Cleveland Indians
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Proposal For Interstate High School Baseball Playoff
Stance / Tone
Enthusiastic Suggestion
Key Figures
Lt. Joe Petty
Bobby Feller
Key West High School
Cleveland Indians
Key Arguments
Key West High School Has A Strong, Balanced Baseball Team Capable Of Beating Any In State Opponent In A Series
Interstate Playoff Would Compare Local High School Baseball To Other States Like Iowa, Minnesota, Etc.
Playoff Could Be Held In Key West In Late June After Regular Season
Requires Community Interest And Effort To Organize