Monday, August 6, 2007

Final Season Blog Entry

The 2007 season is over, and I for one have enjoyed every moment. I would like to personally thank all the Railroader players & coaches, fans, and owners for a great season of baseball. There are game memories galore to remember with pleasure. We would like to hear from you too, our loyal readers. We hope you have enjoyed the season and all that it stands for, good wholesome fun!

This final blog entry also serves as a place for everyone to express they appreciation to the Railroaders and their organization. For content purposes, all posted comments will be reviewed before posting. “Thank You” to all who have supported this effort in 2007!

21 comments:

  1. I would just like to take this time before I leave Fulton and thank everyone in the community and all the people that were apart of this organization for a great 2007 summer. I know I played in New York last summer and this was just so much better as far as player wise, fan wise, and ownership wise. I have had so much fun this summer and leaving the team and the community is hard to do but I am glad we as a team could give Fulton something in the end! I just want everyone to know though, that I appreciate everything and will never ever forget the summer of 2007! Thank you all and God Bless!

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  2. I couldn't be more proud of the way this entire organization conducted itself both on the field and off. Even when we encountered bumps along the way, everyone connected with THIS ORGANIZATION acted with aplomb and decorum.

    Alice and I had Railroaders players who visited our family's pool on a number of occasions this summer. They were always polite and respectful of others who may be at the pool at the same time. While the players did appear to have fun,(I'm not sure I ever understood "dibble dabble") they were very solicitious of the youngsters who were swimming.

    While every member of the owners' group made sacrifices this year, my hat is particularly off to Mike Smith, Cubb Stokes and Richard Parham. These guys devoted an incredible amount of time and effort to a successful year for the Railroaders in 2007.

    Brian Hicks did a good job of recruiting players this year. He, David and Jonathan did a great job of managing this team to the 2007 KIT League Pennant winners circle.

    All the while, the team, field managers, owners and our fans conducted themselves with CHARACTER and CLASS. Between this AND the Pennant, one could ask for little more.

    To our players and managers, thanks for an incredible year. YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME IN FULTON! We hope this was a good experience and summer for you.

    To all our fans, thanks to you for your blood, sweat, tears and support during the season. We will work hard during the next 10 months to make 2008 a successful season as well!

    Dan Voegeli

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  3. I would like to thank the owners and the community of Fulton for welcoming the players and their parents to their wonderful town of Fulton. Our family visited Fulton for 9 days to watch Kyle play and we were welcomed with open arms. The owners always came up and talked to us during the game, as well as various members throughout the town. They gave us their "reserved seats" to sit in, they let us charge camera batteries in the concession stand, and shared with us many amusing stories. The mayor there is so warm and friendly and came and wished us a safe trip back to Houston the night before we left. Kyle has told us of the many people in the town that has fed them, brought food to the trailer and, and played "washers" with them! I know this will be a summer he will remember for a long time, and we as parents are very grateful for everyone that took part in caring for the players! We are so proud of the Railroaders and their accomplishments. I know it was a very long summer and they were tired and ready to get home, but they fought to the end. Thank you, Fulton, for everything!

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  4. Thanks to the Railroaders{team&management}for a wonderful season it's nice for the city of Fulton to have such a clean& wholesome form of entertainment.Our players always played with enthusiasm&class,we would welcome them&their families back anytime.Good luck in all your future endeavors guys 7 i hope your memories of Fulton are fond ones.

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  5. I forgot to thank the "webmaster" of this website. When you are miles away from the game, it was so nice to keep up with the day to day action of the ball games. We would sit by the computer after a game and wait for the score and summary to be posted! You do an awesome job and the loved ones back home appreciate it very much. This site is heads above the other websites in the league!

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  6. I would like to once again, on this site, thank all of the wonderful people whom were associated with the Railroader’s organization. The Fulton community should be proud of what they are doing here with this team. I certainly understand and appreciate the endless amount of work that goes into creating an environment where these kids could once again enjoy playing baseball; experience some life long memories with friends; and at the same time improve as a player. There were a lot of tired players, who were ready to go home at the end, but when it was over, you could see this sense of them wanting to hang around, as if they didn’t want it end. In listening to the conversations I could understand why. Somtimes people come together from all directions and create something special.

    We are eternally appreciative to everyone, the players, coaches, fans, community, parents, who all helped make the experience a good one and in taking care of the players, in keeping them safe and tending to thier needs. The “total team effort" was what produced the success and without any piece of it, the outcome would have been less. Everyone's support for Chris during the ups and downs was always positive and we are again extremely appreciative.

    I would also like to thank the Website Administrators, for being our lifeline to the players when we couldn’t be there. Like the Bondy family, being at a distance, we spent a lot of time watching the computer for updates and reading the game summaries and even the Hoghead website was also fun to get a flavor of what was going on.

    Good luck in the coming years and keep creating great memories.

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  7. To all the players, coaches, owners, fans, families, and anyone else who was involved with this great Fulton Railroader team:

    I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who put so much time and effort into making this season a success. I had a blast this summer and made great friendships with people who were complete strangers when I first arrived. The city of Fulton definitely made us feel right at home; from feeding us, doing our laundry, and giving us places to go in our spare time...it has all been great.

    And to all the players:

    I would've given anything in the world to have been out there on the field with you guys playing the last couple weeks. Good luck this coming year and I wish you guys nothing the best. I love all you guys and if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to call. It's been a pleasure. Take care.

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  8. Thanks Railroaders for a very enjoyable season.Very high level of play. Brought back memories of 54 years ago when I played baseball with and against Kitty League players in Jackson TN.This was old time baseball the way it used to be played.Wish the best to all the players.Looking forward to next year. C G

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  9. WOW what a ride on the train this season, It was FIRED UP and ROLLIN thanks to a really great bunch of PLAYERS,COACHES,FANS,SPONSORS,SUPPORTERS,AND ALL THE FOLKS BEHIIND THE SCENE,together it has been a great ride I will always remember. This community was blessed and given something we should never forget, the guys were just awsome,I wish them all the best of luck and please keep in touch from time to time ,let us know how u doing,(my e mail is greerservices@bellsouth.net)
    for such a short span of time, I sure will have lots of great memories and I thank you!Finishing the regular season 07 pennant winners is something all should be very prowd of. The railroaders gave all area baseball fans thrills and excitement to otherwise boring nights of watching tv re-runs.Great job on THE WEBSITE hoghead!Rattler,hate to hear ya movin off,It was so great to see our guys come together as a team and a family to do what they did this season,I feel they will always be a railroader no matter where life takes them.Thanks agin to all the folks that make Railroader baseball happen in Fulton!!
    Keep Rollin!!!!

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  10. lets have a hand for Hoghead...we couldn't have won the pennant without him..his daily comments created a stir among the league and its fans..it also created the mistique of who he was...i still don't know..however Hoghead, you state that you want to play for the railroaders next year,,,listen closely...alhough your hair is similar to Varnuums and your beard is almost as thick as Hodskins, your left arm does not come close to Lucas' or any of the other pitchers on this years team!!!!! so do all of your fans a favor and continue to do what you do best and keep the team and fans all "fired up" and the train goin full speed ahead into 2008 with the best blog in the KITTY League and a REPEAT championship...

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  11. It has certainly been an honor and pleasure to be a part of the Railroader team and family. Corey had a great time!! He had an opportunity to get to know some great people and players that he will remember for a lifetime. Our trips to Fulton were wonderful - everyone made us feel so welcome. You have a great organization with high standards and great ethics. You give these boys a chance to enjoy baseball while learning and improving a on their own abilities and character. Your community will always be a part of their lives and long remembered after baseball is done.

    A special thank you to Miss Elaine and Nicky Forrester. We always felt like you had a special eye out for our boys. We felt like you cared for them like they were your own and we appreciated you being there while we were so far away. They all loved you both so much!!

    Thank You to ALL of the board members and volunteers. Your countless hours of support and work are truly appreciated. You make all of this possible for these young men and the community. You have done a WONDERFUL job!!!!!!

    To Hoghead and the webmaster - you are AWESOME! You made us feel like we were a part of every game!! We cannot tell you the the amount of time we spent reading your words and feeling like we were a part of the team. You keep everything positive but truthful and we certainly appreciated your insight and enthusiasm. We liked hearing all of the opinions and comments on the hoghead blog!!!

    To Coach Hicks, Coach Eastes, and Trainer Jonathan DeMarie - Thank you for ALL that you have done this summer. You sacrificed so that our boys could play ball. It was challanging at times and you all showed great character and professionalism. Thank you for all that you did for Corey. Your support and understanding will always be remembered.

    To the Fulton Community - What a Great Town. We loved to see how you open your arms to these young men and their families. We will always remember your community with great respect and love.

    To Missy Shy - thanks for all of the great pictures on the slide show. We loved seeing ALL of the boys in the great action shots. You have a fine son and we truly appreciated your hospitality at the away games. Corey talked about it often and had a great time!

    We hope that we have not left out a thank you to anyone. There are so many that make the Railroaders and the entire KIT league possible and we want you to know that we are truly grateful.

    We are so proud of the 2007 Railroaders!!!!!

    We invite you all to come and see the Hill College Rebels play next year. You will see eleven KIT league players at their best. We will save a seat in the stands for you!!!!

    With Love and gratitude,
    Gene and Jill Brown

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  12. Thanks for a great season, and to the great guys for a wonderful season and for playing as a team and successfully winning the pennant for fulton and the railroader organizaton.
    Nicky and I feel like we have sent our children to school. we really like to take care of them, if it be by feeding them, taking them fishing, cooking meals, making cherry cheesecakes, doctor appts, washing clothes and etc. This is what we love and these young men are wonderful . I have already received calls to let me know they got home ok.
    Please know we will be following your season and want to hear from you often. nforrest@apex.net.
    Thanks for the memories.
    We love you, Nicky and Elaine

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  13. To all RailRoader supporters, players, owners, and coaches:

    When this summer started I was deciding if my baseball career was over after two rough seasons at Cncinnati. I got the opportunity to come to Fulton and would like to thank everyone who made that possible. I had an amazing time this summer,hanged my life,and devoted myself to baseball again. I have memories I will take with me all my life from the small town of Fulton. I just wanted to get on here and tell everyone involved in this organization thank you for this summer.

    Special thanks to Mr. Voegeli for letting us use the pool so much. Thanks Cubb, Mike, and Richard for working so hard on the field. Thanks David Greer and HogHead for being our biggest fans all year. Thanks Miss Elaine for the many meals and the haircut.

    CORY HODSKINS aka "Luigi"

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  14. Just a thought..... I think it would be nice if Team Management could maybe put up a little banner at the field, (nothing fancy or expensive), just something that listed the players names, and that they were League Champions and Tournament Runner up in 2007. That way when these players come back through this part of the state again someday, perhaps with thier own families they will stop by and show their kids where they played summer ball in the summer of 2007.

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  15. Did everyone see that the Official KIT League web site finally has recognized Fulton Railroaders as the regular season champs. I am so happy to see this - Looks Good !!!!

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  16. Yes, the KIT site finally recognized the Railroaders. And the Greyhound site did get a last "dig" in by posting their all time record (3 seasons worth)against the Railroaders. They just need to show off more, how sad. As someone has mentioned before, at least we're improving!

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  17. I REALLY THOUGHT THAT THE UNION CITY OWNERSHIP HAD MATURED A BIT AFTER THE SEASON, BUT SEEMS THEY STILL LACK CLASS,TO PUT IT FRANKLY
    LOOK AT THEIR WEBSITE.

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  18. excellent idea on putting up a banner or sign for all to see who played on the Championship team in 2007. wheels are already turning on the project and a place has been secured for year round display. what a summer and keep the great comments coming. thanks... c. stokes

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  19. Mr Greyhound says Facts is Facts.

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  20. Okay, enough on UC. It's pretty plain to see where both teams stand and how they feel. Let's keep the comments on the Railroaders. No more comments on the rival will be allowed under this blog entry.

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  21. To all that was involved with the Railroader organization, I want to personally thank you for all you have done to make this summer so memorable.

    Baseball has been my passion since I was able to pick up a ball, and I can say that this summer has been one of the closest teams I have been a part of. I had my doubts when I had never been out of state for months at a time, but everyone in the community contributed to making our summer enjoyable. A special thank you to the coaches and owners as well as Nicky and Elaine Forrester for all their hard work and commitment. We always wanted to do something fun on our days off and everyone would go out of their way to make that happen.

    I tried to give everyone my number and I tried to get others before I left. I would do anything for those guys as well anyone else that was involved in the team. I wish the best of luck to everyone and hope to keep in touch.

    I will miss everyone and thanks again for everything. Good luck to next year’s team they have some big shoes to fill!

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