Finding glory in foul play

A man never forgets his glory days, even if they consisted of two foul shots in 1951.

Wayne Thompson, 67, a retired editorial writer for the Oregonian newspaper, was watching the Red Sox at their spring training ritual last week. But he was thinking about the New England championship game when his Bangor High School faced the famous Hill House High from Connecticut at Boston Garden.

“They killed us,” said Thompson, while watching the Red Sox paste the Cleveland Indians.

But Thomson, the eighth man on a nine-man squad, sank two foul shots just before the half.

“It was my sports career highlight. My parents had just bought a new black-and-white television and they got to see me play on what must have been the first live telecasts on WABI-TV,” he said.

He can easily recall the glory days and the stars of the team, John Pelky, Web Clark, Dick Russell, Joe Gould and Eric Sementelli. The coach was Donald “Red” Berry. “He was tough, but he was a good coach,” he said.

Just when his senior year at Bangor High School started, Thompson expected to become a starter on the team. But his father got transferred to Aiken, S.C., and the family had to move from the home on 10 Boylston St. in Bangor.

“My sister and I resisted mightily. But we moved anyway,” he said.

That was the end of his sports career since he couldn’t get along with his new coach in South Carolina.

Just because he left New England, Thompson never left his beloved Red Sox behind. “I told my wife early on that when you sign up with the Red Sox, you sign up for a lifetime of disappointment.”

He started following the team in 1947, and his favorite players were Ted Williams, slugging first baseman Walt Dropo, Johhny Pesky and Bobby Doerr.

Now retired from the editorial page, he volunteers to attend the spring training games at Fort Myers to cover the team. This year he is doing a piece on pitcher Alan Embry, who has Oregon connections.

“I can remember how hard it was to make the Bangor team. There must have been 30 kids trying out and we would check every day to see who was cut, with our fingers crossed. It was a thrill when I made the team. I think I can empathize with the kids down here when they are ‘on the bubble’ for making the team,” he said.

To anyone who will listen, Thomson can recall his brief sporting career at Bangor high School and the two foul shots at Boston Garden.

It’s more than most of us ever did.

Send complaints and compliments to Emmet Meara at emmetmeara@msn.com.