Greensboro Reds and the Greensboro NABA to be a part of historical baseball documentary on War Memorial Staduim

Enad Haddad and his Greensboro Adult Baseball team, the Greenboro Reds, are getting ready to be a part of a major baseball documentary on Greensboro’s War Memorial Stadium….Brian Dunphy, with Greensboro Community Television, is producing this documentary and filming will take place beginning at 5:30pm on Saturday July 12 at Greensboro’s War Memorial Stadium…This will be major piece and a very big part of Greensboro’s professional baseball history….

Just look at some of the names that Brian will be bringing back for Enad Haddad and Reds to recreate:

You’re it Boys(Greensboro Reds). You are about to step in the roles of legends: Satchel Page, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Don Mattingly, Emo Showfety, Alan Ashkinazy, Johnny Mize, Clay Hopper, Rube Eldridge, Jim Bucher, Jim Bouton, Ken Mckbride Derek Jeter, and others.

The stadium was a tribute to WWI veterans built so that it wasn’t some “useless monument”. Some have even gone as far as to call it the “Field of Dreams” It has survived WWII, The Cold War, Vietnam, and The Gulf War I and II. Two movies were shot in it “Leatherheads” and “Bull Durham”

This project maybe 4 parts spanning from 1930-1934, 1941-1942, 1945-1968, then 1979-2004. I know the uniforms won’t exactly match all the time periods, but we can make it work.

THE RUNDOWN for next Saturday and this is what Brian is looking for…..
-I want a shot of you guys walking into the stadium through the tunnel.
-In the dugout greasing up a ball, tying shoes, having a drink ect…
-Wide shot of you guys warming up playing catch in the outfield, stretching,
-2 guys in the bullpen warming up.
-batting: hits hits and more hits. going to get shots of grounders, bunts fly balls, and the little mannerisms hitting your cleats with your bat, fixing your cap, practice swings (all in the details)
-Pitchers: righties, lefties. for the early times 1930 era most pitchers had that high kick, 3 quarter, side arm, overhand, I also want the little mannerisms..the stare-down, shake off.
– I want to run this down with every position. Even a manager giving signs of the base line.
-shots of running, stealing, doubles triples, home runs. Pretty much every possible scenario.

JACKIE ROBINSON: On April 10th, 1951. The Dodgers played an exhibition game against the Greensboro Patriots. Jackie hit a double that scored three runs when LF Shorty Brown lost the fly ball in the sun. He slid into second. the 2nd baseman already knew he was safe and tagged him hard in the face. You could hear it from the stands. (We can smack the glove on my hand to edit that sound in). Jackie Got up brushed himself off and then stole 3rd base. “He gave every ounce of ability” a teammate recalled “If he hit the ball back to the pitcher he ran out all 90 feet.”

-I can’t even tell you how important this scene is in the documentary and to the history of Greensboro. What makes it even more significant is the fact that his “Turn the other cheek” clause in his contract ended in 1949. So he could have retaliated if he wanted to… he chose not to… what a player.
My personal highlights were: homering off Joe Black in the deciding
game and Robinson hitting a line drive to me in right center, three
skips into my glove. He rounded first base, acting like he would
stop. I used to pick guys off first on the play pretty often. This
time Casey had told me that Robinson would be watching for my
throw. So after I caught the ball on the bounce, I faked a throw
behind him. And sure enough, Robinson took off for second. I threw to
Billy and we had him out by ten or fifteen feet.

I’ll never forget the sight: Jackie getting up, dusting himself off,
and giving me a little tip of the hat, his eyes saying, “I’ll get you
next time.”

After the Series he came into our clubhouse and shook my hand. “You’re
a helluva ballplayer,” he said. I thought, “Man, what a class guy. I
never could have done that, not in a million years.” I’m a really bad loser.

-Rube Eldridge: Pitcher who drank moon shine before games which led to “The Barleycorn Fadeaway”..I would say more like sweet chin music. He had a nasty knuckleball and would have been a major Leaguer if it weren’t for his drinking and desire to stay in the Carolinas. for this we need a mason jar and a batter who is willing do duck.

I call this section HOME RUN DERBEY:

Emo Shofety: Local Legend out of Elon. All-Star and league leader in Home Runs: (35). I call him the local Babe Ruth

Mickey Mantle: Came to play an exhibition game in War Memorial April 6th, 1954. He hit a home run in the Tennis Courts.

During WWII Ted Williams was at a base nearby walked into Showfety’s clothing store the local store bought some shirts and Hit a home run over the right field fence that night in an exhibition game.

In 1945 while most of the pro’s went off to war: Greensboro fielded a team with no affiliation: most of the players were teenagers. they had a 53-83 last place season and set a Carolina League Record of 479 Errors…that will be fun to recreate. I call this who’s on first.

Click Here
(Abbot and Costello’s ‘Who’s on First’)….

After this I need sounds: cheers from the dugout, I would also like someone to give me Some umpire calls: ball, strike, out, safe, boos on a bad call, …which gives me another great idea: what would a baseball game be with out an argument on a call and a manager being thrown out of a game.

We also need some team shots just messing around naturally, spitting,

extras: strike outs, walks.

-Thanks for all your Help Greensboro REDS!!!

Any questions good luck. Your about to play a vital role in Greensboro Baseball History. Many Thanks and well have fun doing this I promise.

You have heard from our producer Brian Dunphy and now it is time for, Lights, Camera and ACTION!!!!!