The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1936-11-23
FRED kSHMORE
SPORT FIGURE
FOR37 YEARS
Naugatuck Athlete Finds
Truck Job Easier Than
Juggling Football
Especial 10 The Democracy

Especial 10 The DemOcraU
Naugatuck, November Is. -
Thlrty.seven years Is many q mans
lifetime and Is long, long time to
be actively engaged in any one
sport. But that's the record OF a
well-known Naugatuck man, Fred
Asl,more, who In his prime was
one of the top-noteh football, base
ball and basketball players in the
state and up to four years ago
participated In baseball games.
Freddie, as he is Familiarity known
started playing baseball at the age
Of II and was good enough to make
the Naugatuck town team, which
was rated highly In the state IN
those days. Fred quit playing when
he became 81 years old and COM
pleted o mark that many athletes
now In their prime here will never
came close TO eQualling.
wiry man that he was In his youth
and at present Is III the trucking
business, and despite his advanced
years he finds II easier than some
OF the Strenuous football games IN
which he played, =,
He has seen many changes IN
sports, especially In basketball and
football. He has played with ath-
letes some now dead, whose names
are still remembered by many Maui
gatuckians, Jimmy Jacanelli, Dick
Tuckey, Darby o'Connell, and q
host OF others.
Freddie can talk In gripping FASH
lon for hours Of crucial baseball,
football and basketball games N
which he participated, and has o
keen memory for the details.
Lightweight Backfleld
He was ut one time O member OF
football backAeld here that had
three men Weighing las pounds and
the fourth, $50 pounds, that In the
days when the teams came big and
heavy. This backtield made up IN
speed whatever advantage 1t missed
In weight,
Fred at one time coached the
Naugatuck high school basketball
team and we'll remembers O Naugy.
Crosby high encounter here when
George Taylor was playing for Cros-
by. Taylor, later q well-known
coach, was q fine left-handed
shooter and the local team found
itself In q position where II had to
use Martin 0arrick, later a star, but
then q substitute.
Garrick was playing guard and on
Fred's instructions played Taylor on
the left hand side so well that cVe-
ming that the waterbury star was
held TO one basket and NAugatucE
won. Fred also helped In the
coaching OF high school football
teams and later kept In shape aS
physical instructor for q number
Of years at the Naugautck "Y".
All this time he was playing with
teams from Naugatuck or surround
Ing places but Us he grew older nc
confined his activities mostly TO
baseball.
He we'll recalls q time when Peter
J. Foley, well known NaugatucS
high school coach, had as busy an
afternoon as he wanted playing
ball IN Massachusetts,.
Pete was q top-notch player, MT
Ashmore relates and he and Fred
die were playing on team that
went TO Pittsfield, Mass. lost u game
there and went TO North Adams the
next clay 10 play.
Hard On Pete
A Waterville man was the pitcher
for Ashmore's team and Pete was
playing IN the outfeld, The North
Adams team came to bat In the
first inning and the first batter
raped out triple over Pete's head
The neXt doubled over Pete's head
before Mr.. Foley had chance to
catch his breath. The third man up
homered and Pete, with tagging
steps, came up TO the pitcher and
asked him to wait before the next
delivery In order to let him get his
breath. Tho home team scored nine
runs that evening and when the
Foley Ashmore nine finally came In
from the field, Its manager said TO
the pitcher "You had q pretty tough
time out there, didn't your" the
twirler unconcernedly replied, "Oh,
that wasn't so bad, I've had q lot
worse"
Mr.. Ashmorc said that often
when no goes 10 towns IN various
parts of the state he finds friends
with whom or against whom he
played. About sly years ago he was
playing out-of-town and met q
spectator who had played with him
80 years before and who was
amazed to think that Freddie was
still poking them out,
He believes that now there isn't
the team play that was the usual
thing In his prime, "They shoot for
the headlines now" he said, regard
less OF whether their play helps the
team" Freddie looks back on his
long athletic activities with many
pleasant memories and no regrets,
His SON, Fred, Is now star volley
ball player, and another son, Jack,