One last swing

FLORENCE – Gerald Griffin has been spending a good bit of time lately at Clifford Cormell Field. He said he’ll probably be there again today when No. 6 Francis Marion hosts Coker in the Patriots’ final regular season home game of the year.

Griffin, of course, is an old baseball junkie, having played at North Carolina before coaching the Patriots from the inception of their program in 1973 through the 2000 season. Art Inabinet has coached FMU since then.

But maybe there’s more to Griffin’s presence at “the Cliff” lately than just the fact he’s watching the program he started soar to potentially new heights. The Patriots are on the verge of winning their first regular-season Peach Belt Conference championship, needing a win this weekend against Georgia Southwestern or a loss by Armstrong Atlantic State to do so.

And maybe Griffin knows today might be his final chance to watch the Patriots play on the field he helped build. FMU is scheduled to move into its new facility next season (the field will still carry the Cormell name). Outside the Patriots possibly hosting an NCAA regional, today could be the final game ever played at the current Cormell Field.

Needless to say, that has dredged up a few memories for Griffin.

It’s always that first team, though, that sticks out a little more than the rest, he said. That team had some names on the roster that many people in the Pee Dee today, young and old, will recognize outside the college baseball realm: Perry Stokes, who played shortstop for the Patriots and has coached basketball and baseball at Timmonsville High for years; Tommy Johnson, who has coached successful basketball teams at West Florence and Wilson and who now coaches at Socastee; Randy Willis, who pitched for the Patriots and coached baseball and other sports at Hemingway and later his alma mater Johnsonville before becoming principal at Johnsonville Middle School.

And there are plenty of others: Wayne Huggins, Carlton Caulder, Johnny Dew, Mickey Leviner – the list goes on.

And don’t forget some of the opposing players who have played at Cormell Field through the years. Former University of South Carolina standouts Earl Bass, Hank Small and Jeff Grantz were on the 1974 team, coached by Bobby Richardson, that played the Patriots when Cormell Field was dedicated on March 5, 1974.

The previous April 3, the Patriots played on their new field for the first time against South Carolina State. The Bulldogs had Donnie Shell, who went on to star as a defensive back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Gene Richards, who later starred for the San Diego Padres.

Johnson was the first Patriot to score a run at Cormell Field in that game against the Bulldogs. Imagine Johnson rounding third and scurrying down a baseline painted on Astroturf. Cormell Field wore an Astroturf infield until it was replaced with natural grass in 1984.

It wasn’t unique, but it was rare. There were a handful of facilities that used the artificial turf/natural grass combination, according to information from the Francis Marion athletic department.

Griffin said the decision to make the field part Astroturf was made before he ever arrived at Francis Marion in the summer of 1972, but that it was the right decision at the time.

“It was a great move as far as putting us on the map with our baseball program,” Griffin said. “Even if I had been involved in the decision, I probably would have gone along with it.”

Willis was one of many players from the area that might never have played beyond summer league baseball without the Patriot program. And going from playing in Johnsonville on a dirt infield and an outfield that doubled as the football field, to setting foot on Cormell’s artificial turf was a big deal.

“We didn’t even have grass infields in high school,” Willis said. “Playing on that Astroturf was kind of the big time. And as a pitcher, I loved it because on that infield, the ball took true hops.”

That’s not the only reason Willis – and other pitchers – have loved playing on Cormell Field over the years. Home runs don’t come easily there, which is just the way Griffin said he wanted it.

Only one year in the field’s history have there been more home runs than games played: The Patriots and their opponents combined for 23 dingers in 20 games in 1993.

Griffin said he determined the 320-foot distance down the lines by standing at the plate, tossing balls into the air and hitting them as far as he could. He had always wanted, he said, a 400-foot center field.

“I just didn’t want a cheap home run,” Griffin said. “I didn’t want a ball that shouldn’t be a home run being a home run. And I had no background in pitching. I played infield and I was a hitter, so you would’ve thought I might go the other way. But I just wanted it to be an honest home run.”

“Well, he accomplished that,” Inabinet said, smiling.

After transferring from Barton, Sam Pepper hasn’t played much for the Patriots this season because of injuries. But he remembers what it was like coming to Cormell Field as a visiting player, especially one with a little bit of pop in his bat.

“I hate it. I came here for Barton my freshman year and they (FMU) had a left-hander throwing about 90 miles an hour,” Pepper said. “I connected with one, pure barrel, perfect backspin on that ball. It just took off and I rounded first base with my hand in the air and it just hit off the fence. I was like, ‘What is going on here?’

“Then last year we came here, and we had three of us just crush balls to center field, easy home runs in any other park, and here they’re routine fly balls. It’s not fun hitting here.”

But for a pitcher? Pure heaven.

“We didn’t have hardly any home runs hit when I played there,” Willis said. “I’d like to say that’s because we had such good pitching, but that wouldn’t be telling the truth. The ball just doesn’t go anywhere.”

So hitters will have one more chance, at least, to conquer Cormell Field today. The Patriots and Cobras have combined for just 23 home runs all season, including 14 by FMU.

Regardless of how tonight’s game plays out, there will be mixed emotions for some.

“This is our home field,” Inabinet said. “We like playing here. At the same time, we’re excited about moving into a new stadium. There’s some sadness and joy here as the conclusion to Cormell Field’s days come to pass.”

GAMEDAY

Who: Coker at Francis Marion

When: 6 p.m.

Where: Clifford Cormell Field

Admission: $6 adults, $4 students, FMU students free with valid university ID.

CORMELL FIELD FACTS:

– FMU record at Cormell Field: 643-286-1 (.691 winning percentage)

– Last 19 seasons: 483 games, 339 home runs hit – 0.7 homers per game

– Highest scoring games: Francis Marion beat Longwood 24-13 on Feb. 24, 1995. No home runs were hit in the game. The Patriots beat Columbus College 26-11 on March 29, 1993, when there were seven home runs hit.

A list of “firsts” from the first game at Cormell Field, Francis Marion’s 3-2 win over South Carolina State on April 3, 1973:

– Run: Donnie Shell (S.C. State)

– Hit: Ronnie Miles (S.C. State)

– FMU hit: Steve Roberts (single)

– FMU run: Tommy Johnson (second inning)

– RBI: Billy Shelly (FMU)

– Win: Mickey Leviner (FMU)

– Save: Willie Forte (FMU)