Special to the Record
Earl Joel Vigoda would have been 65 years old on July 23. He fought hard and gave it everything he had, but cancer got him.
Earl was a very good athlete and a very good friend to many. And when we say athlete, we mean baseball, basketball (He was always tall and in perfect shape, it seemed, and he did in fact, excel in a basketball game at the Boston Garden for an AZA team), tag rush football, wiffleball, boxball, street hockey, candlepin bowling, table tennis, and even pinball.
It was starting first baseman Earl Vigoda who helped produce Chelsea Little League’s greatest all-star team performance, leading the Chelsea Nationals to the Final Four in Plymouth. Playing in the District 10 championship game against Revere at McMackin Field (known then as Little Fenway), Earl had two run-producing doubles off Revere fireballing right-hander Steve DiCarlo, who would go to play hockey and baseball at Brown University and be drafted by the Oakland Athletics. Earl was so valuable to that team that Manager Bo Morse allowed Earl to continue to attend overnight camp (Camp Bauercrest) that summer.
Before each game, his parents, Henry and Phyllis Vigoda, would drive to Amesbury to pick up and transport Earl to the game – and back again to camp. That made Earl a legendary figure to his fellow campers who would wait anxiously until Earl returned to see if his team had taken its next step toward the Little League World Series.
It was a team of great players, including Earl’s Red Leg teammates, the incomparable Paul Wheeler, who hit three home runs in one City Series game (and went on to play Division 1 hockey at Maine) and shortstop Peter Hanlon, who excelled at Pope John XXIII High School. Paul Wheeler, a lefthander, and Carlos Moreno, a right-hander, were so dominant on the mound that they pitched back-to-back no hitters in the tournament. The team ultimately lost to Arlington North, 4-3, in extra innings in what was then a single-elimination tournament, not the double-elimination and round robin formats that exist today. It was win or you go home – and that’s what made the Chelsea Nationals’ journey so exciting to the many fans who attended each game and boarded a fan bus to Plymouth. Earl was very much the heart and soul of that Chelsea Nationals’ team. He played flawless baseball at first base and delivered clutch hits throughout the tournament. Earl went on to become a dean’s list student at Bryant College (now Bryant University) and had a highly success career in computer technology.
Later in life, Earl chose to devote his leadership and efforts to Temple Emmanuel, using his computer savvy to create a website for the Temple. He loved being part of the Temple Emmanuel family and president Sara Lee Callahan was so grateful to Earl for his volunteerism. There is no Chelsea Little League organization today. But thankfully there was a thriving baseball program in 1971 and Earl Vigoda helped make it an unforgettable summer for his teammates, their parents, Manager Bo Morse and Coach Bill Plona, and the Chelsea community.
Earl tried hard and valiantly to fight off the disease that invaded his body, but he couldn’t overtake it. He was blessed to have the support of his beautiful sister, Marla Beth Vigoda, president of the CHS Class of 1981, and Earl appreciated her majestic presence every step of the way. Friends will never forget Earl Vigoda, especially his interesting stories, his love of music and concerts, and his kindness and generosity.