Rowe's first pitch on Tuesday meant more than you might think

This took me a little while to get to, but I think it’s a story Knights – and Charlotte O’s fans – would appreciate.

When Tommy Rowe got the invitation to come to BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte for the O’s reunion, he had no idea what he was getting into.

Two days before the reunion, he began the drive from New York to the Queen City with his wife, Nicole, and two kids, Alex and Jordan.  

I’ll try to let Rowe tell the rest…

“I can’t even begin to describe it,” said Rowe, who was a member of the O’s from 1979-1980 and again in 1982.. “It was what should have been a 10 and a half hour trip, but it probably wound up taking about 15 or 16 hours.

“It was literally 1:00 in the morning on a dark road (in Virginia) and my wife is in excruciating pain. Unbearable. She couldn’t take it anymore. I started saying, ‘Can you make it to Charlotte?’ Because I know they have big hospitals there, but she couldn’t.”

At the time, Rowe believed his wife was suffering from her fourth bout of pancreatitis in the past three months.

“At that point, I just picked up my phone and looked up the nearest hospital and pulled off the highway,” he said. “We then got lost, because it wasn’t where it said it was. (Nicole) was crying and I’ve got my two little kids, who are seven and 11 years old in the back, trying to sleep.

“Finally, we find an ER and I get her inside and I’m running back and forth between my two kids and her. Eventually, she told me to go and take the kids and get them to Charlotte and into bed.”

So that’s what Rowe did. Meanwhile, Nicole, after being stabilized, was transferred to Carolina’s Medical Center in Charlotte.

“There she had emergency surgery,” continued Rowe. “We have, unfortunately, been to every major hospital in New York, and (CMC Main) ranks right up there with any of them. There were the most incredible, friendly, people there and they might have actually found something that was being overlooked before. They might have helped save her life.”

Of course, Nicole wound up missing the Charlotte O’s reunion while she recovered in the hospital and was heartbroken.

Upon hearing about Rowe’s situation, the Charlotte Knights offered to do something special for the family.

“The Knights gave us a personal tour and then invited me to throw out the first pitch (Tuesday),” said Rowe. “I can’t thank them enough; they’ve made this trip, something special for my wife, because now she feels like she’s a part of it. She’s so happy. She was devastated she missed all the reunion festivities.”

Rowe said that seeing his old teammates and the Crockett family was an incredible help.

 

“I got to the hotel and was there with everyone to take the shuttle over to (BB&T Ballpark), but my head was half there,” he said. “At that point, (Nicole) was still in Virginia in a hospital and we didn’t know what was going on.

“Everyone was there for me,” Rowe continued. “They offered to watch the kids, they went to see Nicole for me. Between that and what the Charlotte Knights have done for me, it’s just been unbelievable.”

During his playing days, Rowe was famous for his curveball. It was difficult to tell if that's what he threw out on Tuesday. Either way, it was one of the more impressive tosses BB&T Ballpark has seen. 

Video: Despite rain, Knights honor the Crockett family and Charlotte O's

Jim (left) and Frances Crockett (right) - photo by Jeff Siner

By Seth Lakso, Charlotte Observer Correspondent 

A steady rain ruled out the possibility of the Charlotte Knights and Gwinnett Braves playing any baseball on Friday night at BB&T Ballpark, but for the fans who braved the puddles to make it out to the ballpark, it was still a night to remember.

The rain held off just long enough for the Knights to make it through their tribute to the Crockett family and the Charlotte O’s, a Class AA Southern League affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles that played in Charlotte from 1976-1987.

The Knights brought over 40 former O’s players, coaches, and staff members out on the field for a pregame ceremony. Later, many signed autographs for fans, as they huddled together under the stanchions.

Among those in attendance were former O’s manager Grady Little, Jeff Schaefer – who won a championship with both the O’s and the Charlotte Knights – and local hero “Cat” Whitfield. 

The highlight of the night came when Whitfield, who is famous for being “the guy” who started at shortstop over Cal Ripken Jr. when they were both with the O’s, played the Star Spangled Banner on his guitar for a lucky group of about 200 in the Club Lounge along the first base line.

“The plan was for me to play the national anthem before the start of tonight’s game,” said Whitfield as he tuned his guitar. “Everyone just pretend we’re outside. Oh yeah, this is going to be the Charlotte O’s version.”

If you’ve ever heard the band Boston play the Star Spangled Banner, that’s the way Whitfield played it on Friday night.

As he played, a gathering of former ballplayers turned into something that could be more aptly described as a family reunion. And in many ways, that’s really what it was.

When Frances Crockett was the O’s President and General Manager, Magnolia Avenue – where Crockett Field stood and the O’s played – was almost never without her or one of her five children.

Debbie, her eldest, supervised the vendors at the park. Lisa, worked as a uniformed hostess. Jimmy worked on the grounds crew, Betsy ran the souvenir stand, and the youngest, Ron, was the team’s ball boy.

If you worked or played for the O’s, you were, for all intents and purposes, a Crockett.

It was by reaching out to the family – famous for its ability to draw in a crowd with various promotions – that Charlotte Knights’ Director of Public Relations and Media Relations, Tommy Viola, was able to secure the attendance of so many former O’s.

“This was a day that we’ve been planning since the end of the 2013 season,” said Viola. “Obviously there was rain and the game, unfortunately, was postponed. But if you walk around and see these guys together now, they’re just having such a great time. To have them all back and in one room together, it’s been exciting.”

As a Charlotte resident since his baseball career came to an end, Jeff Schaefer, has had the unique perspective of seeing the Charlotte O’s come full circle into today’s version that’s back in Uptown.  

“When I first got here in 1982 and Frances (Crockett) and her family were the one’s running the team, it was a different environment,” said Schaefer. “It was really a family atmosphere and the front office was close with the players.

“It’s amazing,” he continued. “You go back 30 years and some faces you remember and some you don’t. There’s less hair, bigger bellies, you know, all that good stuff going on. But you reconnect pretty quickly. We’re a baseball fraternity and as soon as you recognize someone the stories come rushing back and the conversation flows like we’re back on the bus going to Memphis.”

Grady Little, who managed the O’s from 1983 to ‘84, summed up the day well.

“This Crockett family, they're promoters,” he said. “And this deal that they’ve promoted here tonight with the Charlotte Knights organization is outstanding.”