Old Timers Baseball Association's Scholarship Program and Its Impact on the Nashville Community

Baseball loves numbers, so how about these two: 356 and $642,871.

Now, in true baseball fashion, the question arises: Where did those numbers come from?

That’s the total number of high school students and the scholarship value that they have received — including this year’s award group — from the Nashville Old Timers Baseball Association in the last quarter-century. More than 60 years after the group’s launch in the late 1930s, the Association gave $2,000 scholarships to four deserving high school seniors in 1999, and the theme of supporting youth baseball has remained a focal point.

“We wanted to do something good for high school baseball players, no matter if they were stars on the field or not,” said board member Billy Griggs, who — along with fellow members John Morgan and Rip Ryman (deceased) — introduced the scholarship idea in 1997 before the proposal was finalized two years later. That mentality remains vital today, as the head coach of the Nolensville Stars Little League team has repeatedly highlighted the importance of engaging youth in the community through baseball, and the Old Timers Association emphasizes that focus with the scholarship fund.

The Association raises money for the scholarship fund by holding a golf tournament each year. In order to be eligible for consideration, applicants must be high school seniors and members of the baseball team at their respective Middle Tennessee high schools, with financial need also a factor in determining award recipients. Ability as an athlete is never a factor in awarding scholarships.

In 1984, an Old Timers creed was adopted. It reads: “To enjoy fellowship with baseball enthusiasts and to honor and support the great game of baseball at all levels,” and this approach — which continues the idea first introduced by Association founder Harry Rogers in 1938 — has maintained the Association’s tremendous impact on the community across all generations, both on and off the field.

For those interested in attending the banquet on Sunday, January 15 at Sonesta Nashville Airport (600 Marriott Dr., Nashville, TN 37214), tickets are still available via?this link?or at the door. Doors open at 6 PM and the banquet will begin at 6:30 PM. The cost to attend is $100.