An old song goes, “A man never stands so
tall than when he stoops to help a child.” Eddie Gratty stood tall in
Conway for 50 years for his positive influence on the youth he
coached. Eddie came to this country at an early age from Italy and
quickly developed a love for baseball. He was an excellent player
but soon directed his attention toward coaching. In 1954 he led the
Conway AC team to the American Baseball Congress state championship,
guiding his team unbeaten through the tourney. In 1961 Gratty was an
assistant under
Joe Zerilla as they brought the state title to the
Ambridge Legion team. In 1972 Eddie was the manager and Zerilla his
assistant when they led the Baden American Legion team to the state
finals. Eddie was recognized at the Dapper Dan banquet in 1969 and
Conway dedicated a public park to him in 1989. He died on March
10, 1977.
An old song goes, “A man never stands so
tall than when he stoops to help a child.” Eddie Gratty stood tall in
Conway for 50 years for his positive influence on the youth he
coached. Eddie came to this country at an early age from Italy and
quickly developed a love for baseball. He was an excellent player
but soon directed his attention toward coaching. In 1954 he led the
Conway AC team to the American Baseball Congress state championship,
guiding his team unbeaten through the tourney. In 1961 Gratty was an
assistant under