August 2, 2007

Two teams, two players joining Hall
Staff report

Two teams that brought national attention to the Lowcountry highlight the Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame's induction class of 2007.

The 1955 Cannon Street YMCA team and The Citadel's 1990 College World Series team lead the class that includes Modie Risher and Anthony Jenkins. Formal induction into the Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame will take place on the field at Riley Park on Aug. 17 prior to the Charleston RiverDogs' game against the Augusta GreenJackets. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

The 1955 Cannon Street YMCA team represented the first African-American Little League team in South Carolina, winning district, state and region champ-ionships when other teams refused to play them. The team advanced to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., but was not allowed to participate. They have since been recognized by Little League Baseball and have been invited back to Williamsport for a special ceremony.

The Citadel's 1990 College World Series team, the only military school ever to participate in the NCAA World Series, was coached by Chal Port, who was inducted into the Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame last year. The Bulldogs won the Southern Conference championship and beat Miami to win the Atlantic Regional. The Citadel won one game against Cal State-Fullerton but twice lost to LSU. The team finished the season ranked No. 6 nationally.

Local product Anthony Jenkins (Stratford High) was a standout on that

Citadel 1990 College World Series team and scored the winning run in the 12th inning with a dramatic slide to beat Cal State-Fullerton. The speedy outfielder, a member of The Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame who was the 1990 Southern Conference Male Athlete of the Year, was named to the first-team 1990 All-America squad.

A standout three-sport athlete at Burke High School, Modie Risher went on to play in a Negro Baseball League for the Jacksonville Eagles, where he faced off against such legends as Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Jackie Robinson. He also played locally for the Charleston Black Socks and the Orangeburg Tigers. Following his playing career, Risher was a highly successful coach at his alma mater, Burke High, where he coached baseball and football for more than 25 years.

Last year, Ty Cline, Mike Cook, Gary McJunkin and coach Port comprised the Hall of Fame's Class of 2006. It marked the first time that amateurs and teams were considered for induction.

The Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame is jointly coordinated and operated by The Post and Courier and the RiverDogs. The Hall of Fame is located inside Riley Park. Voting was conducted by the readership of The Post and Courier through an official ballot.