Former Trenton mayor ready to lead baseball resurgence

Jul 03, 2010

By: Andria Carter

By ANDY EDWARDS and BEN DOODY
For The Trentonian
Baseball’s decline in Trenton has happened simultaneously with a drastic drop-off in interest among African-Americans – a trend that has dismayed Doug Palmer.
“I grew up in the era of the 50s and 60s, when baseball was king, when it was truly American’s pastime,” he said. “Every kid had a glove and a bat and a torn-up ball. We used to play pickup games in school lots, on baseball fields, with any kind of ball we could find.
“I think that baseball has experienced a decline, especially with African-Americans, which impacts inner-city baseball. Football and basketball have just overtaken the popularity. You don’t need anything but a ball and you’ve got a game going. Baseball is a little more expensive, and you need a lot more players. It’s lost a lot of appeal to urban youngsters and that’s too bad, because you can make an excellent living playing baseball.”
The North Trenton and Chambersburg leagues have combined to form one team, for instance, for the last two District 12 tournaments, but the team still had to forfeit a game last week because it couldn’t field a full roster for a tournament pool play game.
Palmer, though, still fondly recalls his days as a Little Leaguer, when he played for West End from 1962-64 and was part of a District 12 runner-up as a 12-year-old.
His best season in Trenton came in 1970, when, as a standout on the Trenton Scroths, he led the Mercer County American Legion League in batting average and home runs, falling one RBI short of the triple crown.
Palmer brings that resume to the table as a member of the newly founded Trenton baseball advisory board, which The Trentonian set up as part of its Trenton Baseball Revival project.
The ex-mayor said he’s taking an objective but optimistic approach to the situation: There are a number of complex problems. They won’t be easy to fix. But progress remains possible, especially in areas such as coaching.
“First and foremost, training coaches in every aspect of the game, but also getting coaches who played in the game, who are interested in the game, and it’s not an ego thing,” he said regarding of the advisory board’s missions. “It’s not all about winning. It’s about teaching these kids the basic fundamentals.”
“You have to get kids interested in baseball,” he added. “If they continue to work and succeed, you’ll get more and more. There needs to be a real focus and a plan, and I would involve all four little leagues. We need a school of baseball in the inner city.”

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