May 8, 2019 -- The Heights High School baseball team dedicated its new field and honored the 1947 state champion team on Saturday. Due to the weather conditions, the ceremony was held inside the Heights High cafeteria. The current players were joined by the four remaining members of the 1947 championship team: outfielder Albert Morhard, assistant team manager Alvin Kitay, catcher Martin “Marty” Blake and pitcher Morris “Moe” Savransky, all from the classes of 1947, ’48 or ‘49.
Krissy Dietrich Gallagher covered the event for Cleveland.com:
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- At first glance, it looked like the 45 young men of Cleveland Heights High School’s varsity and junior varsity baseball teams, standing tall and strong in their uniforms, were the athletes being honored on Saturday (May 4).
But no, it was really the four elderly gentlemen seated in front of them -- one with a cane, another blind -- who were the heroes inside Heights High’s cafeteria.
What was supposed to be a field dedication with a ceremonial first pitch, followed by a double header, instead turned into an indoor event with hot chocolate and donuts, because of the rain and thick fog that lay over Cleveland.
For the last four years, the Heights baseball teams have played all their home games at nearby Forest Hills Park while the high school was undergoing renovations. On Saturday, standing water and mud rendered their brand new field on the high school campus unplayable.
Video courtesy of Adam Dew; photo by Melissa Rink.