MSBL’s Very Own Phillie Fanatic Publishes Book
By Steve LaMontia, Director of Communications
Steve Potter was the founder and President of the Kennett Men’s Senior Baseball League and is an inductee and former Vice President of the Kennett Oldtimer’s Baseball Hall of Fame and now resides in Clearwater, Florida. His son Nolan is the current President and co-founder of the Brandywine MSBL. They may very well be the only Father/Son combo to establish and become president of their own MSBL leagues.
Steve has recently published a book, available on Amazon, titled ‘Life in the Minors, 5th Annual Phillies Minor League Digest’, and wanted to share some details with us. We’ll let Steve describe his journey in his own words below.
Submitted by Steve Potter, MSBL President, Player and Author
This is Steve Potter, former MSBL President and player. I was recently very fortunate to co-author a Phillies minor league history book, ‘Life in the Minors, 5th Annual Phillies Minor League Digest’, an historical book that details the franchise’s minor leagues from the first affiliate in Hazleton, PA, to the current structure. I worked alongside Phillies legend Larry “the Baron” Shenk and the foreword was written by Phillies broadcaster Tom McCarthy. The Phillies issued a press release about it recently. (below)
‘Life in the Minors, 5th Annual Phillies Minor League Digest’, an historical book that details the franchise’s minor leagues from the first affiliate in Hazleton, PA, to the current structure.
The 355-page book, filled with over 170 photos, many of historic significance, is available now in both color and black and white. A portion of the proceeds will go to Phillies Charities, Inc. (Click on the cover above to be directed to the Amazon page)
Steve Potter, a retired Pfizer executive, first published an annual Minor League Digest following the 2016 season, detailing a recap of the Phillies minor leagues and players. Without minor league baseball in 2020, Potter and Larry (Baron) Shenk, a retired Phillies executive, combined to produce a book capturing the history of 115 Phillies minor league affiliates. The foreword is written by Tom McCarthy who began his broadcasting career as the voice of the Trenton Thunder. Jim Peyton is the Editor.
The book also features interviews with Phillies legends about their time spent in the minors, including stories from Dick Allen, Larry Andersen, Bob Boone, Larry Bowa, Greg Luzinski, Charlie Manuel, Mickey Morandini, Jimmy Rollins, Mike Schmidt, Bobby Wine and Rick Wise. Adam Haseley and multiple current Phillies minor league players also share their experiences in the game. Plus, there are stories from Frank Coppenbarger and Scott Palmer, who each played one game in the minors even though they weren’t professional ballplayers.
“My career concluded with the Phillies, but I intermingled with many of their legends when I was a minor leaguer,” said Pat Gillick, Hall of Fame executive who’s playing career is featured in the book. “My first manager was Billy DeMars. In every league I played, the Phillies had a team. Managers like Paul Owens, Andy Seminick, Frank Lucchesi. I played against guys like Pat Corrales, Lee Elia, Norm Gigon, Ray Culp, John Herrnstein, Dick Allen, Dennis Bennett and Danny Cater.”
“This is really a unique book,” Gillick added. “No other book to my knowledge covers the minor league history of any team.”
The manuscript details every minor league team in Phillies history, from Appleton (WI) to Huron (SD), Magic Valley (ID), Reading (PA) and Walla Walla (WA). Among the many team names are the Mountaineers, Peaches, Manufacturers, Muckdogs, Papermakers, Johnnies, Red Barons, Threshers, Blue Jays, Marlins, and Padres. The most prominent, obviously, is the Phillies.
Additional stories are included from other minor league personnel, including managers, coaches, executives and broadcasters.
Continuing photo contributions to the annual digests were made by Cheryl Pursell (Lehigh Valley), George Youngs Jr. (Reading), Michael Dill (Jersey Shore) and Mark Wylie (Clearwater).
Added Potter, “If you purchase a copy on Amazon, I will donate any profits to Phillies charities. Also, if you’re interested in the daily events of spring training follow me on philliesbaseballfan.com or on my Facebook page ‘Phillies – A Fan’s View’