Enfield Baseball Alumni Set for Battle of Powder Hollow

ENFIELD, CT — The nickname Raiders may have been taken away upon the consolidation of Enfield and Fermi high schools in 2016, but for around 75 former Enfield baseball players, they will be Raiders forever and are eagerly awaiting another chance to take the field wearing the old EHS colors.

That chance arrives Saturday, Aug. 5, when four teams of former Raiders will take the diamond at Powder Hollow Park in the Hazardville section of town for the aptly-named "Battle of Powder Hollow."

Baseball alumni from a 40-year period covering 1966 to roughly 2006 will be represented at the extravaganza, which grew out of a rivalry game played last year between members of the 1994 and 2001 Raider teams. The opening matchup is slated for 10 a.m., followed by a second game and then a title contest between the two winning squads.

Brian Riley, who played on the 1994 team and was an assistant coach in 2001, organized last year's game, as well as this year's festivities, from his home in Gilbert, Ariz.

"We had always wanted to find out who was better: the 1994 team or 2001," Riley said. "I had a lot of guys from other years tell me they wanted to participate in something like this, so it grew from just two teams to opening it up to all former Raiders."

Bob Bromage, an Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame inductee who led the Raiders as head coach for 38 years and is currently head coach at East Granby High School, will guide the Pocumtuc team, which appears to be loaded with pitching. Hall of Fame hurlers Dave LaRussa, Jack Taylor, Brad Tweedlie, Mike Maier and Joe Dippel are on Bromage's team, along with Freddie Medina, a key player on the 2001 Class L runnerup who is the all-time school record holder with 38 victories.

"After last year's game, I look forward to seeing how competitive these guys still are," Bromage said. "The kids playing now in high school can learn a few things from watching these guys. They have not lost their competitiveness."

Other coaches will be current Enfield Eagles skipper Jay Gaucher (Sioux), 18-year Enfield assistant and former Fermi head coach Bob Cressotti (Cherokee), and longtime Little League and Babe Ruth League coach Tom Owens (Navajo).

Riley said longtime Enfield American Legion coach Fran Slattery was initially planned to direct one of the teams, but he passed away suddenly last September.

The oldest...errr..."most veteran" returnees expected to play are 1966 graduate Charlie Ragno, another member of the Hall of Fame, and catcher Randy Ladd, who still plays on Cape Cod 50 years after graduating with the Class of 1967.

"This is going to be a big day," Ladd said. "I'll go easy on the less experienced guys."

Ladd spent two years as bullpen catcher for the Bradenton Explorers of the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball Association. Among the players on that team were major league legends Graig Nettles, Al Oliver, Hal McRae and Cesar Cedeno, with former New York Yankee third baseman Clete Boyer as manager.

Players will be coming back to Enfield from all over the country, including Arizona, Florida and West Virginia, for the wooden bat game. Bats, balls and helmets are being supplied by Tim Mayo of the Dream Bat Company.

The Enfield High School field hockey team will be selling concessions throughout the day, and Nana's Ice Cream will be on hand for cold treats.

Those unable to attend will be able to watch the games live on the Battle of Powder Hollow Facebook page.

Riley said all the hard work and planning required for an event of this magnitude is worth every ounce of effort, thanks to the camaraderie and brotherhood exhibited by the coming together of Raiders from all eras. He hopes to make the event an annual gathering.

"Listening to stories is the best part of it all," he said. "Without this, I never would have known about guys like Mike Krikorian (the all-time Enfield home run leader) and Jack Taylor (who pitched in the Philadelphia Phillies organization in 1976). I could not have done this without everyone who pitched in, and I couldn't be more grateful for that."

Photos courtesy of Enfield baseball alumni