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1961 Mickens High Graduate Lived The Dream Of Many Youths

Photo from George Pressley

George Pressley, of Blanton, played baseball in the 1960s for several teams in the Cleveland Indians farm system.

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By IMANI ASUKILE

Tribune correspondent

Published: November 13, 2008

Many boys see professional sports and entertainment as their passports to fame and fortune. Such dreams are particularly strong in small towns.

George Pressley, 65, a 1961 graduate of Mickens High School, dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player - of playing in the World Series.

So he put together a plan to make his dream come true. After graduation, he and a few of the guys drove to Plant City for a tryout with the San Francisco Giants. That's a tough way to make it to the major leagues, but a true athlete won't rest until he's taken his best shot.

"I pitched five innings and did not give up a hit," he recalled. "The Giants asked me how much would it take to sign me. I did not know about how to negotiate, so I told the man $25,000. That was the last I heard from the Giants.

"I received offers from the Dodgers and Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies. They flew me up to Minnesota and wanted to sign me right away. They were going to send me to Little Rock, Ark. I asked them for permission to come to Florida to get some clothes before heading to Little Rock."

A few years earlier, in 1957, Little Rock had become the focus of national attention with the integration of Central High School. The TV images of racially charged demonstrations did not set well with the 6-foot-4 right-hander.

"Then, one day, I was out in the yard and a big Lincoln pulled up in the driveway. Hooter Evers of the Cleveland Indians came with an offer. I signed a contract for a $6,000 bonus and $800 a month."

A Team Player

Pressley's quest to play in the majors began in Dubuque, Iowa, where he played the 1962 season. After going 13-7, Pressley moved to Burlington, N.C., where he played for the Indians of the Carolina League. He won 15 games, posted a 2.96 earned-run average and was an all-star.

He played for two Eastern League teams in 1964 and 1965, in Charleston, W.Va., and Reading, Pa. In 1966, Cleveland signed him to the Reno Silver Sox team in the California League. Pressley finished his career as a short relief pitcher with a 6-5 record. He pitched in 39 games.

"I developed a Sandy Koufax elbow, spurs on the elbow," he said. "They wanted to operate, but I declined the offer."

It was a short end to a great ride.

The youngest of six siblings, Pressley was born in Brooksville and raised in Blanton, where his family farmed.

School Full Of Talent

Back then, baseball was king here.

"People just loved baseball, and there was not a lot to do then," Pressley said. "The days were much simpler, and the ballgame was about all people had to look forward to. It did a lot for the community, like professional teams do for the big cities."

Pressley's alma mater, Mickens High School, was a hotbed of talented baseball players. The school won state championships in 1953, 1963 and 1968. But Pressley wasn't just a baseball talent. He also excelled in basketball and football.

He walked away from baseball in 1966 and came back to make a life for his family in Dade City. In the five years he had been gone, though, the world had undergone a tremendous change. The prospect of being an orange picker for the rest of his working life was daunting, so he moved north at the tail end of the Great Migration. He cast his lot in Philadelphia, where he worked for 21 years as an auto body repairman. He and his wife, Ernestine, were intent on spending the rest of their lives up North, until they had to return home to help family members care for their aging parents.

By then, it was the mid-1990s, and development had replaced much of the local citrus industry they knew before moving away. Pressley took a "soft job," working 71/2 years for Brinks Security.

He loves telling his story. James Irvin, the revered community leader, is the target of one of his favorite baseball stories. Pressley claims Irvin once called one of his best pitches a ball.

"I know it was strike," he said. "When it was my time to bat I thought I would ask Mr. Irvin where was that pitch. Mr. Irvin said, 'You missed by less than an inch.' That is when I realized Mr. Irvin did not see the pitch, it was so fast."

Pressley is one of the most confident men I have met in some time. If you meet him, I'm sure you'd come away with the same feeling. I wish one of the high schools would extend Pressley an invitation to throw out the first pitch one day. He deserves it.

Imani Asukile is a longtime Dade City resident and a founder of the African American Heritage Society of East Pasco County. To suggest a future column, e-mail idasukile@yahoo.com.

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