Ed Acker sat in the dugout of the French Creek Valley American Legion home field in Saegertown twirling a baseball around with his fngers. His hands show his age and his work, bent and gnarled slightly, but fit to the ball perfectly. "This is what I lived for!'" he said as we took a break from the heat while making a couple portraits for a story. A story he never, ever would care if it was written or not. A picture he reluctatly posed for would also fall into that category. "I didn't do anything for the recognition, I did it for the kids, and they were good kids. I love this game.' Ed Acker is sort of a local legend. He taught hundreds of young people the game of baseball and subsequently about life. He said that no one was allowed to swear. That was one of his rules. He thought baseball was a game meant to be played for fun and with the developed skills to win. Listening to his stories you know he had fun. Listening to people remembering his coaching you know he taught the skills to succeed. Including a time he didn't even stop throwing batting practice even though blood was flowing from his face where a baseball had came back and caught him. Oh and that dug out we were in and that field we took pictures on was named Ed Acker Field. He lives the sort of life worth recognition, whether he wants it or not.
Here are a couple of neat things shared by a couple people who love him.
"Back when he was coaching legion over 30 years ago and at the very last game he announced to the guys on his team that he was retiring. As he walked out of the dugout he took and threw away his spikes( they had seen their last days). So about a month later they had a banquet. My dad got up to speak and the boys asked if they could interrupt for a moment. The whole team stood up and gave him a gift, inside the box were the spikes that he tried to throw away. The team got them out of the garbage and gave him the spikes back and they asked him to reconsider, and the rest is history." - Mary Crum - Daughter
Honestly, I don't have a favorite story of my papa. Every moment with him is special. Listening to stories of him growing up and coaching/playing baseball is always entertaining for me. He could tell me the same stories over and over and it would never get old. My papa is my inspiration and when I get older I wanna be as good as a person he is. -Hannah Crum, grand-daughter
Here is Pete Chiodo's story about Acker.
http://meadvilletribune.com/sports/x228005412/Former-coach-honored-for-his-contributions
Here are a couple of neat things shared by a couple people who love him.
"Back when he was coaching legion over 30 years ago and at the very last game he announced to the guys on his team that he was retiring. As he walked out of the dugout he took and threw away his spikes( they had seen their last days). So about a month later they had a banquet. My dad got up to speak and the boys asked if they could interrupt for a moment. The whole team stood up and gave him a gift, inside the box were the spikes that he tried to throw away. The team got them out of the garbage and gave him the spikes back and they asked him to reconsider, and the rest is history." - Mary Crum - Daughter
Honestly, I don't have a favorite story of my papa. Every moment with him is special. Listening to stories of him growing up and coaching/playing baseball is always entertaining for me. He could tell me the same stories over and over and it would never get old. My papa is my inspiration and when I get older I wanna be as good as a person he is. -Hannah Crum, grand-daughter
Here is Pete Chiodo's story about Acker.
http://meadvilletribune.com/sports/x228005412/Former-coach-honored-for-his-contributions
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