Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 30, 1994 TAG: 9407020002
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO ROANOKE TIMES
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
How many runs have you scored? How many runs have you allowed? What's your won-lost record? Your batting average? How many outs are there?
Even keeping track of balls and strikes is referred to as ``the count.''
But for Jack Metcalf, catcher for the South Roanoke United Methodist Sox, numbers are not all that important - even if he can put up some significant ones.
For the record, Jack is 70. When he was born, Walter Johnson and Rogers Hornsby were major league stars. Connie Mack was a middle-aged manager. Lou Gehrig rode the bench.
And for the record, Metcalf joined South Roanoke United Methodist Church in 1937, the year after Joe DiMaggio joined the New York Yankees.
But from here on in, most of the numbers are supplied by Metcalf, and therefore are subject to asterisks.
The average age of the Sox players is about 40. ``Throw me in, and the average is about 57,'' Metcalf said with a wink.
But in spite of his senior citizen status, Metcalf is a regular on his team, which competes against the likes of Baptists, Lutherans, Catholics and Episcopalians in the Roanoke City Parks and Recreation Men's Independent Church League.
``Competes'' may be a little misleading. This season, South Roanoke has won one game - by forfeit. Few players on the team are sure how many they've lost, but the consensus is that the figure approaches double digits.
``Last year, we were 2 and a lot,'' Metcalf said, laughing. ``I honestly don't know how many games we played.''
This is Metcalf's second year on the team, and he claims he was recruited strictly to fill out the roster. ``I knew how to hold a bat, and I do own a glove.''
``I gave him permission to be the water boy,'' said Metcalf's wife, Kathryn. ``Next thing I knew, he came back playing.''
His teammates insist that Metcalf's attitude, his enthusiasm and ability are all valuable.
Winning or losing is clearly not the most important thing to this group, and Metcalf reminds his team of that, albeit often subconsciously.
``The point of all this is to have a good time,'' said teammate Bill Martin, 54. ``We want to go out, enjoy ourselves and forget it when it's over. And Jack does that.''
Metcalf does possess athletic ability. He is a patient hitter who knows how to get on base. In a June 14 game against the Knights of Columbus, an 11-0 loss that was called after five innings because of the ``slaughter rule,'' Metcalf reached base in both of his at-bats.
Although neither at-bat resulted in a clean hit, Metcalf's hustle down the first-base line appeared to create havoc in the field.
``Jack gets a lot of hits because he waits for good pitches,'' said teammate Bruce Muncy, 44. ``And one game, to save the inning, he slid into third.''
Metcalf also has tagged out several runners at the plate. ``I don't get them all the time,'' he said.
``One game, I got decked. Of course, the throw was in the dirt.''
Against the Knights of Columbus, Metcalf dived into the dust, tagged a greedy runner and prevented a run from scoring. Sox first baseman Bill Brenton immediately turned to the opposing base coach.
``Do you know how old that guy is?'' Brenton asked. ``He's 70!''
A 1941 graduate of Jefferson High School, Metcalf attended Virginia Tech, working his way up to second-team wingback on the 1942 football team. He weighed 197 pounds, 40 more than his current weight.
After two years in the Marine Corps, he returned to earn a degree in business from Tech. Football was no longer an option.
``After the war,'' Metcalf said, ``there were 300 guys who came out for the football team, and all of them were taller, bigger, faster and meaner than I was.''
After graduation, he entered the life insurance business, a profession he continues to practice. He has represented Jefferson-Pilot for 31 years.
He continues to stay physically active, playing tennis and golf. ``I also walk two miles a day.''
When he's not playing sports or selling insurance, Metcalf is often involved as chairman of the Roanoke County Board of Equalization, which listens to residents' complaints over real estate assessments.
He is not the only athlete in his family. Kathryn Metcalf played basketball for Boones Mill High School and National Business College.
Their sons, Jackson and Phil, were high school stars and college lettermen in various sports.
But Jack Metcalf downplays his accomplishments. ``My batting average is about .120,'' he said, pulling a figure out of the air.
``This year will probably be it.''
Memo: NOTE: A different version with a different photo ran in Current July 7,