ELLWOOD CITY BASEBALL

Today's Schedule

Lawrence County Little League

No games scheduled.

Lawrence County Minor League

No games scheduled.

Lawrence County Farm League

No games scheduled.

Ellwood City Instructional League

No games scheduled.

Ellwood City Tee-Ball League

No games scheduled.

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Game Action Photos under Pictures 

Lions vs Neshannock

Moose vs Mohawk

P.J. Construction vs Shenango

DeCaro Law vs New Castle

Nalco vs Wilmington

Tomon's vs Hazen Insurance

Saxon's vs Tomon's

Venezie's vs Mohawk

Hoffmeier's vs Breaking Bread

Mario's Giant Eagle vs Laszlo's

Wesbanco vs Pangonis

Johnny's vs EC Forge

I grew up in a single parent home and my coaches were like fathers to me. The men who volunteer to coach Little League teams today usually have sons playing on the team. In my day, local men voluntarily coached because they loved the game. I've been blessed.  Ellwood City was a wonderful place to grow up.

Dick Freidhoff was my manager in Little League and he instilled in me a love for the game of baseball. We practiced every day. Those practices were so rigorous that the games were easy and fun. Winning was expected.

Dan Oliastro

 Ellwood City

Congratulations on 75 years of Little League Baseball in Ellwood City. Quite a milestone particularly when little leagues elsewhere seem to have migrated from friendly competitions among your buddies to parent-driven AAU and traveling squads limiting participation and fun.

 Ellwood City Amateur Baseball was great preparation for the high school team from Little League(1959-1962) to Pony League(1963-1964) to Colt League(1965-1966) to American Legion(1967-1968). Scouts showed up at the high school games, even including Pie Traynor in 1968 and getting drafted by the Cleveland Indians that may not have happened if not for the success of the high school team. I also credit the American Legion experience under Al and Harry Miller, who scheduled varied competition including visits from the Little Pirates, for Dave Blazin and I getting scholarships and playing together at the University of Iowa. Our Hawkeye team won the the 1972 Big Ten Championship and is the only Iowa team to have played in the College World Series. 

So great memories of Little League Baseball and the entire Amateur Baseball Program in Ellwood City! Many thanks to all the wonderful coaches who gave their time and mentoring to us. And to the sponsors, organizers behind the scenes, and supportive parents that made so many happy memories for many. It has positively affected all of our lives.

Ray Smith

West Des Mones, Iowa 

Dad loved when summer came...that meant baseball season was here. We never saw him because he would be working with the young kids to develop their baseball skills at the Ewing Park field. He loved coaching the Moose team. He always seemed to get the boys playing their best. 

 When he was Commissioner to give my mother something to do (instead of yelling at the umpires), he set up two barrels with a board over across the road from the field and had her sell candy and pop that eventually evolved into the concession stand inside the gate. The umpires thanked him! 

Baseball made my dad happy...coaching the young players develop their talents and skills made him happy. Being at the ball field was his happy place.

Cookie Freidhoff-Bowman

Lexington, Kentucky

Our Moose team won the first three championships. Dick Freidhoff was our coach and was the best baseball coach I ever played for  including at Columbia University. Amazingly at eight and nine years-old, he was teaching us situations and anticipation.

Jim Navolio

Versailles, Kentucky

I spent some of my greatest times and have some of my most wonderful memories playing or watching games at Ewing Park. 

I played for the Moose. Amazing team-even more so the coaching staff. Most teams practiced once a week, we practiced two or three times and never lost. We piled into Dick Freidhoff's station wagon in Ewing Park and went to Ellport for practice. I played for Hall of Fame third baseman Fred Lindstrom at Northwestern and for Johnny "Double No-Hit" Vander Meer in the Cincinnati Reds organization. There is nobody close to Dick Freidhoff-without a doubt the greatest coach I ever played for.

Ron Hughes

Jacksonville, Florida    

I played for the Moose in Little League. My mother kept a scrapbook of all my games. During the Moose's three-year run from 1950-1952 our record was 45-1. I was the only player that started every game during those years. Dick Freidhoff was such a class individual-what an experience playing for him.

In American Legion we won the Lawrence County Championship in 1958. We beat New Castle, 4-3. Ron Hughes was at second base and I hit the longest ball I ever hit. The ball went so far over the left fielder's head  that he didn't even try to retrieve it and Ron scored the winning run. Loved to beat New Castle. 

Ron Mazzano

Data Point, California 

The Ellwood City Baseball Program was one of a kind. We had great presidents running the leagues. I always like coaching and being on the board to run the leagues. I was able to see all these players that came before me and all the ones that followed to show everyone how Ellwood City Baseball was played. Who can forget all the fantastic players we generated out of the Ellwood City Baseball Program. Its been a wonderful life and we still miss Ellwood. 

Mike Laitinen

Woodbridge, Virginia

I had the privilege of playing for Dick Freidhoff's first Moose Little League team in 1950. Winning the championship was a memory I will never forget! Coach Freidhoff taught me the art of pitching leading to a successful career in baseball. We practiced or played almost every day and the game became an integral part of my youth.

Joe Cioffi

Ellwood City, Pennsylvania 

My fondest memories are when I was eleven in 1961(future Hall of Fame Los Angeles Dodgers manager) Tommy Lasorda and (future San Francisco Giants' manager) Charlie Fox gave a clinic at Ewing Park. Also when I was twelve in 1962 our Little League All-Stars won the New Castle and Ellwood City Little League tournaments. Unfortunately, Ellwood City was not entered in Little League Baseball to compete in the Little League World Series in Williamsport. I truly believe we could have made a run with the talent we had. 

David Blazin

Dunedin, Florida

Complete memories are being compiled on 75th Anniversary  page.

The 74th Ellwood City Little League Tournament, the second oldest Little League tournament in the country, will begin on July 14th. The tournament, which began in 1952, is second in years only to the Little League World Series which will hold its 78th tournament this season. The tournament will be played nightly at the Ewing Park Baseball Complex. The games, held nightly under a Little League approved lighting system, will be at Freidhoff Field in the Ewing Park Baseball Complex. Freidhoff Field has a grass infield, bleacher seating for 300 surround the field, an electric scoreboard, press box and concession stand. The 22nd Home Run Derby will be held before each team's first three games. A minimum of two PIAA umpires from the Lawrence County Umpires Association will umpire every game. A minimum of three PIAA umpires will umpire the championship round. The tournament is restricted to teams with players ages 12 and under that participate in a regular season league of teams 12 and under. Players participating in travel leagues must be a member and participate in their sponsoring organizations league. Any violation of this policy will be forfeiture of any games played by their team. Ellwoodcitybaseball.com will have comprehensive coverage of every game with over 100 pictures and play-by-play game reports. Ellwoodcity.org will provide additional reports.  A team trophy and individual trophies will be awarded to the tournament champions and runners-up. The Home Run Derby champion will be awarded an individual trophy. The tournament is a modified double-elimination with a three-game minimum. To ensure your place in the tournament make your check for $400 payable to: ECABF. The mailing address is Don Mancini, 50 Pittsburgh Circle, Ellwood City, PA 16117. For further information on the tournament contact Don Mancini at 724/290-4226 or dmancini@zoominternet.net.