The Tyler Courier-Times from Tyler, Texas • 52

Tyler Carler-Tlaes-Telegraph 2 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1982 SeC. 4 WEEKDAY Steve Sinclair GOLF SPECIALS FOR 1982 Salty Still Catches Baseball Fever in his life he'll never forget. "I ENJOYED it, but I never knew better," said Parker. "But when I got to the big leagues (as a coach), I knew I had been wasting a lot of good years. "We had a traveling secretary but that was about it.

A manager in those days was everything and that included being the trainer. "I can't say it was that tough, though. We were doing the best we could do at the time," added Parker. "In my AT THE AGE when many men would be thinking about retirement, F.J. "Salty" Parker still retains that same enthusiasm for baseball he had nearly three decades ago when he was manager of the Tyler Tigers minor league team.

He looks forward to the first signs of warm weather when he can pick up a fungo bat and spray grounders to kids in the infield. Baseball is not his job, it's his life. From his Houston home, Parker anxiously awaits his OPEN TO THE PUBLIC GARDEN VALLEY SPORTS RESORT, INC. MONDAY CLUB DAY (Your club is dosed so come to ours!) $10 Includes Buffet Lunch, Green Fee and Cart TUESDAY SENIOR CITIZENS DAY HALF PRICE WEDNESDAY SCRAMBLE THURSDAY LADIES' DAY BEGINNERS DAY (FREE CLINIC) $10 Includes Buffet Lunch, Green Fee and Cart LOOK FOR OUR CATFISH NIGHT annual trip to the San Francisco Giants spring training facility in Arizona to instruct infielders on the basics of the game. In this age of specialists, Parker works with the parent club during the spring and the minor league affiliates, with the exception of the Class AAA team, throughout the summer.

Officially, his title is Minor League Infield Instructor. "ONCE THE season starts, I set up a schedule and go to each city twice to make sure they're doing what the Giants expect them to do. You know the managers have enough to do and take care of Parker, who got his nickname back home in Illinois at age 10 by being addicted to salted peanuts, has been in baseball more years than he might be willing to admit. A slick-fielding shortstop, Parker played in the big leagues three months with the Tigers in 1935. He was sent back to the minors and injured a shoulder in '37, putting an end to his major leage dreams at the ripe old age of 23.

His coaching career began two years later and his first managerial assignment was at Lubbock. He came to Tyler in 1953 and coached the Tigers of the old East Texas League for two seasons. It was a period One life insurance policy for your two-income family? Gary Thedford has the answer to protect you both and cost less than two separate policies. Southwestern I if Garden Valley Sports Resort, Inc. Rt.2, Box 501 Lindale, Texas 75771 People with Answers 400 First Place, Tyler, TX 175702 214592-4327 case, I loved and enjoyed baseball so much I never thought it was a chore." He remembers names of men connected with the team with surprising ease men like Jack Wolf (public relations director and a whiz with statistics), Judge Otis Dunagan, Henry King, Raymond Polk, Thomas B.

Ramey and Otis Burton (directors) along with co-owner J.C.Stroud. Tyler's minor-league entry at the time was not affiliated with any major league team, somewhat of a rarity in those days. HIS TWO-YEAR stay in East Texas came to an end in 1955 when the then New York Giants offered him a job in their organization. He eventually became third base coach of the parent organization and began an association with one of the greatest players of the game Willie Mays. Trying to coach Willie Mays at times proved frustrating, but at the same time, it was an exhilerating experience.

"No one instructed or coached Willie Mays," reflected Parker. "He was one of those rare individuals. "As a third base coach I would tell him to slide, keep coming or hold up but not once would he pay any attention to me or any other coach. He had great instincts. Everything he did was spontaneous.

In fact, Parker uses the "Say Hey Kid as a yardstick to measure all other players. "TP tlrftTTI Tl 4- nvnnnf io.ir Ann try kn ira 1 COTE MO' (Armstrong Sir; nice to come home to CfiRRUfilTED COOL OMt" jSSY, FLOOR STEEL RuQrlilu VCOVERING 8Ft.Long$49910F, 251 VINYL $6)99 NO WAX Reg 3n SQYD t.5 A A Tf JV Ul UC lUUgll tA CApcvl I- TV! UlU, HI 1st. tint. Willie Mays," he said. "You really don't know how fine a baseball player is until you live with him." In 1962, he changed unforms for the Cleveland Indians.

That stop lasted about a year. From there, it was stops with the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Houston Astros, California Angels and back with the Giants. Whew! Maybe it was his five-year residence in Houston which left him with his most memorable moments both good and bad. As third-base coach for the Dome Dwellers in '72, Parker was named interim coach following the firing of manager Harry Walker by Judge Roy Hofheinz. It was Aug.

26 and the Astros were mired in last place of the National League West, Leo Durocher was to take over the club the following day. GOING INTO the bottom of the ninth, Houston trailed the Montreal Expos by a run. A two-run double by Cesar Cedeno propelled Houston to a 6-5 win. "I worked with Leo a month," remembered Parker. "I guess Leo was a great baseball man but I was let out at the end of the season." Needless to say, Durocher and Parker had their differences of opinion.

Parker looks at the month he spent with Durocher with not-so-fond memories. But that's part of baseball. Now, creeping up on 70, Parker is not sure how many more years he plans to stay in the game. It's never easy to leave something that's been a part of your life six decades. "There will be two factors," said Parker.

"One is health and the other is being able to keep a job. I've been fortunate as far as my health is concerned. I can still do a day's work. "I FEEL like I have the same enthusiasm. I've been looking forward to leaving for spring training.

They say baseball is a beautiful disease. Once it gets in your blood, it never gets out." Corsicana Cagers Drop UIL Suit ENNIS, Texas The two inelgible players on the Corsicana, Texas, basketball team have dropped their suit against the University Interscholastic League because Corsicana Independent School District forfeited its district championship. The players, Bernard Walker and Bill Harp, son of Corsicana High School Principal T.Y. Harp, were declared inelgible because they participated in a summer basketball camp. The high school boys dropped their suit Friday agaist both the league and the school district after the school decided to voluntarily forfeit the second-half Disrict 6-AAAA East Zone title.

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