Let me start off on a sad note. David Cupp passed away on Sunday evening at the Hollidaysburg Veterans Home. I always knew him as “Mugsy” and everyone else called him “Cuppy.”
He was, as long as I can remember, the coach of the Tigers in the Tyrone Minor League. I played on the Cards. They were always fun team to play against. Whether he won or lost, Cuppy always took care of his players and showed them the fun of baseball.
One time, we were playing the Tigers and Barb Miller hit a ball that cleared the Shea Field left field fence, and now that it is 26-years later, I can say it was a fair ball. Thankfully, the home plate umpire saw it differently. He called it foul. The next pitch, I drilled Barb. There was no way I was giving up a homer to a girl. I did the same thing that year to Lisa Conner.
Cuppy gets up in the dugout and yells, I know what that is all about Harlow, and left it at that. Barb laughed at me at first base, and my coach came to the mound. My coach was Barb’s dad Tom Miller. That tells you how much respect Barb had for Cuppy, that she didn’t play for her Dad. Tom came to the mound and told me that I can see you hitting the batter after getting drilled like that, but next time, throw a curve ball.
There could have been fireworks after the game, but there wasn’t. Cuppy just laughed when he shook my hand.
Cuppy will be missed by many people who played for him as kids in the Tyrone Minor League and many that played against him.
One week from today, there should be a new resident of the Tyrone School District if the YMCA Board of Directors follows through on what was agreed to when the director was hired. Let’s see if it happens.
Congratulations to Chris Lash for becoming the topic of discussion for 15 minutes at Tyrone Borough Council last night.
Good Luck to the Bellwood-Antis Blue Devils as they play Farrell this Saturday afternoon.
Enjoy your week, and we’ll talk Tuesday.
