Baseball pioneer to get Barrington thank you

On opening day next month, Barrington Youth Baseball and Softball will present a special honor to the man who started the program more than 50 years ago.

Before the season's first pitch April 19, former longtime Barrington resident Tom English will receive the league's Founders Award. The award recognizes those who helped play a vital role in its development.

"He is the ultimate founder," said Brad Sparesus, the league's current executive director.

It was English, along with a dozen other businessmen and parents, who helped create the village's first youth baseball program in 1949.

"We all came out of the war and we were looking for things to do in the community," English said.

Starting from scratch, he had no guide on how to run the league, so he wrote a letter to the original Little League founders in Williamsport, Pa., asking for help.

The officials who'd started the country's first youth baseball program 10 years earlier wrote back with their rules and some tips on how to run the league.

"It was a lot of work because it was nothing that had been done before," English said.

Sparesus said those early organizers "learn(ed) some tough lessons doing it that way. But, we are certainly benefiting from his work."

At the start, just 100 players and four baseball teams made up the league. Now there are more than 1,600 players and 100-plus baseball, softball and T-ball teams.

English said the key to its early success was community support.

"It was something that the parents wanted," he said. "It was nice, clean fun."

Today, English is 84, retired and living in Ormond Beach, Fla. While in Barrington, English and his wife, Mary Lou, had 13 children, eight of whom played in the league.

Son Brian, a former player, is thrilled his dad is being honored.

"It think it is terrific," he said. "The starting of the league has touched a whole bunch of lives."

The league plans a special pregame ceremony at 11:30 a.m. April 19 at Langendorf Park, 235 Lions Drive, to honor English.

"It is a neat way to look back at our beginnings," Sparesus said.

For more information on Barrington Youth Baseball and Softball, visit bybs.net or call (847) 304-5244.