NEWBERRY — The 2015 American Legion World Series champions were honored at an awards banquet Saturday night which was headlined by former New York Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson.
Chapin-Newberry, which represented American Legion Posts 193 and 24, went on an historic run this summer finishing with a record of 32-1 and brought the series title back home to South Carolina for the first time in 80 years.
Richardson, who was himself a Legion ball player in Sumter, recalled how he came to play for the New York Yankees.
At the age of 14, Richardson went with his Legion team to see the 1942 film “The Pride of the Yankees” starring Gary Cooper.
“When I saw that film I said, ‘Man, what a great ball club, I’d like to be a part of that,’” Richardson said.
It just so happened the following year that a Yankees farm team held spring training in Sumter of all places.
According to Richardson, the team’s manager Mel Smith, who had seen him play in high school, approached him and said, “When you graduate I’ll make sure you’ll have a chance to sign with the New York Yankees.”
Signing with New York right out of high school, Richardson spent two years in the Minor League before getting called up to the majors at just 19 years of age.
The Yankees would go on to win the American League Pennant nine of Richardson’s first 10 years in New York and a total of three World Series titles.
He was and is the only player to be named World Series MVP of a losing team when he received that distinction in 1960.
With many good years still ahead of him, Richardson decided to retire from professional baseball at 31 so he might spend more time with his wife, Betsy, and their children.
This left Richardson searching for a job back in his home state.
“Paul Dietzel asked me to be the coach at South Carolina. I turned him down twice,” Richardson said. “Finally the third time he said, ‘I’m not going to ask you but one more time, but I’d really like you to come.’”
That third time Richardson finally accepted the offer and enjoyed a successful coaching career at USC going 51-6 in 1975 and losing to Texas in the final game of the College World Series.
Richardson retired as Athletic Director at Liberty University in 1990 and returned to his hometown of Sumter.
Throughout his entire career he said his experience playing Legion ball has always stuck with him in the words of the American Legion Code of Sportsmanship which reads:
“I will keep the rules. I will keep faith with my teammates. I will keep my temper. I will keep myself fit. I will keep a stout heart in defeat. I will keep my pride under in victory. I will keep a sound soul, a clean mind and a healthy body.”
“I’ve thought a lot about those rules and I think they are rules that can be applied to life,” Richardson said.
The players of the 2015 Chapin-Newberry team were, after many more speeches, awarded their World Series Champions rings.