125 Years Ago, 1896

Taken directly from The Vindicator:

“Disgraceful the conduct of a Jackson ball player in the Tod House office. Attacks umpire Hogan, indulging in most profane language and should be called down.”

No baseball player since the present season opened has conducted himself in such an ungentlemanly and rowdy manner as did Outfielder John Schrader of the Jackson (MS) team in the lobby of the Tod House on Monday morning. This man, Schrader, is certainly little credit to any ball team and Manager Lynch should either muzzle his foul mouth or President Powers should, in the interest of the game, expel him from the league.

On Monday morning Schrader made an outrageous attack on Umpire Hogan in the lobby of the Tod House. Hogan had fined him $5 in Wheeling for unbecoming conduct, and Schrader sought to get even with him. In most profane language he heaped his filthy abuse on the head of the umpire and this in the presence of a large number of guests. Whatever may be Hogan’s failing as an umpire, he is at least a gentleman and he refused to notice the filthy and profane abuse of Schrader, and left the room. Several people who were present said it was an outrage and freely expressed their disgust.

Schrader is the same man who Umpire McNierney was forced to eject from the local grounds for profane language uttered in the presence of a grand stand full of ladies. Unless Schrader can be made to bridle his tongue, Manager Scheible will work in the interest of the game if he protests against his playing on the local grounds.”

40 Years Ago, 1981

At Warren’s Packard Musical Hall 2,500 people lined the ring for a nationally televised fight with several Mahoning Valley boxers set to compete. Youngstown’s Jeff Lampkin and Braceville’s Randy Stephens were on the card but most fans were focused on Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, as he eyed his 20th straight victory. The fight was originally blacked out in the Youngstown market, but WKBN-TV announced that it planned to air the event locally.

“Today, Raymond became a boxer,” noted Murphy Griffith, Mancini’s trainer. The 20-year-old Cardinal Mooney graduate hammered Jose Luis Ramirez with a 12-round, unanimous decision. With the win, he successfully defended his North America Boxing Federation Lightweight Championship title. “Ramirez was a good fighter and he’s a southpaw. Besides that, we knew that he was a good fighter off the ropes. It was very hot in here also and we knew that the pace was going to be a big key in the fight,” Mancini recalled. Every fan in the room was on their feet as Mancini leaned on Ramirez. “I think it was the greatest feeling I’ve ever had in the ring and all through the fight I could hear them chanting ‘Boom, Boom, Boom’ and it was just great.”

The win also helped Mancini fulfill a lifelong dream as he was set to meet the World Boxing Council Lightweight Champion, Alexis Arguello, in a championship fight at the Playboy Club in Atlantic City, New Jersey. “I’m excited about signing to meet Arguello. He’s one of the greatest fighters of all time, a living legend,” Mancini noted. “My father didn’t know about it, and when I told him right before the fight, he couldn’t believe it. I want this for him more than I want it for myself.” Lenny “Boom Boom” Mancini, Ray’s father, was a top lightweight contender but never got his chance at a world title because of World War II.

• Compiled from the archives of The Vindicator by Traci Manning, MVHS Curator of Education.