The story behind "Hayseed"

The name for this blog came from a newspaper article from June 5, 1965. This is the original article wtitten by Mike Mersch.

“Dogpatch” Jets Stun Holmes, 1-0

Kentucky Post

My Mike Mersch

Kentucky Post Sports Editor

June 5, 1969

Lexington: It was one of those Kentucky high school storybook classics that has been told and retold a thousand times.

Confident, polished team from the big city matched against hopeless, hand-me-down uniformed hayseeds from Dogpatch.

And yesterday in the state High School Baseball Tournament the nonchalant city slickers learned a lesson the hard way.

Holmes unbelievably lost to the little North Marshall, 1-0, after wasting three golden chances to scope.

“I can’t believe it” said Holmes coach Bob White. “They (North Marshall) are terrible. They couldn’t beat Maysville.

“We hit the ball and has the chances to score but…”

Charitably, North Marshall is a comical team. No two infielders, for instance, wear identical uniforms.

First baseman Rich Hughes, who has the only new glove on the team, wears a long-sleeved sweat shirt under his uniform.

Second baseman Mitchell Holland wears a dark sweater. Shortstop Pat Walker-whose hat has two shades lighter blue than Holland’s-is bare armed.

Every starter has a tattered piece of uniform all his own. It’s hard to get mad at a team like this. Maybe that was Holmes trouble.

From Herman Harrington’s first pitch to Holmes lead-off man, pitcher Jimmy Wolfe, this had the makings of a weird game.

Wolfe sliced a ball directly to left fielder J. D. Barrett. The senior flyhawk didn’t have to move. But he did.

He did a littke shuffle with his feet, swaggered left, then right, and somehow came up with the ball. The Jets (like Mets) fans roared.

Second batter Gene Martin poled a mighty poke to left center where center fielder Dale Smith made the catch to the right of the 400 foot mark.

Neither team threatened early. But Holmes’ center fielder Ronnie Ryan and Gene Martin both tested Barrett again in the third inning.

Barrett, between a timeout to repair his glove after Jim Wolfe’s double, made staggering catches on liners from each.

Holmes had its first serious threat in the fourth inning.

Third baseman Gene Stephenson got his second single, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. He died there when Dennis Wolfe and Jamie Hansel truck out.

The winners scored the game’s only run in the sixth when Walker drew a base on balls and stole second. Third baseman Barry Faith promptly stroked a single to center to score Walker.

In the bottom of the sixth, Holmes threw another scare into the Jets.

Jim Wolfe walked and Gene Martin singled him to second. Right fielder Rich Pershing returned Martin’s hit to the infield but threw it over the head of second baseman Faith.

Walker ran down the ball while Wolfe and Martin Moved to second and third. Walker threw the ball over the head of third baseman Faith.

Catcher Jim Smith backed op the play but no one covered home. Wolfe came halfway home but went back when Smith went for the plate.

With men on second and third, shortstop Leo Foster, rated top player here, struck out. Stephenson popped up behind the plate and Smith’s lunge at the ball was so funny, Harrington was laughing. Smith caught it.

Then Dennis Wolfe leveled a long blast to left center that J.D. Barrett somehow huled in for the third out.

In the last inning, Speaks hit a one-out triple over 400 feet to the right center.

But he was out in an attempt squeeze play. Ronnie Ryan bunted and Speaks started for home, stopped, then started again. He was out by six feet.

North Marshall, whose infielders seemed astonished when Holmes’ Tommy Martin grounded out for the last out, meets state champion Ashland today.