Cheraw names field after Brewer

The Cheraw High School athletic Web site lists Tom Brewer as “the first professional athlete of merit from Cheraw.”

It was only fitting then that on Saturday, the Braves renamed their baseball field after Brewer.

“You couldn’t name a field after a more deserving person,” Cheraw baseball coach and athletic director David Byrd said. “He’s everything you could want from a volunteer and a coach and more. You can’t begin to measure his impact on this program and this community.”

After a stellar career at Cheraw, Brewer attended Elon University. After an stint in the Army, he was signed as an amateur free agent by the Boston Red Sox in 1951.

Brewer made his major league debut in 1954 and went on to pitch for eight seasons before arm trouble cut his career short. He went 91-82 with a 4.00 ERA in 241 games.

Brewer had his best season in 1956 when he went 19-9 with a 3.50 ERA, earning him a spot in the all-star game.

“The biggest thrill I have and I’m sure the kids have is hearing stories about who he played with and who he played against,” Byrd said. “You’re talking about playing with guys like Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra. To hear him talk about pitching against those guys is just amazing.”

Brewer has been the pitching coach for the Braves since 1995. His No. 13 jersey was retired by the school on Nov. 3, 2006.

Several Pee Dee teams in baseball/softball polls

The Pee Dee is well-represented in both the coach’s baseball and softball polls.

Lake City baseball is ranked fourth in the Class 3A poll while Dillon and Cheraw are ranked second and seventh, respectively, in Class 2A.

In Class A, Johnsonville ranks highest at fourth while Lamar and Lake View round out the poll at spots nine and 10.

In softball, South Florence sits in the fourth slot for Class 4A while defending Class 3A state champion Darlington is ranked seventh.

Cheraw holds the No. 2 spot in Class 2A as does Lake View in Class A. Johnsonville and Carvers Bay are third and fourth in Class A and East Clarendon and Latta are seventh and eighth.

Did you know ...
Crescent High School holds both the state and national record for most consecutive softball state championships with 11 (1987-97).