GORHAM, Maine - The baseball season wasn't quite finished yet when the University of Southern Maine threw a retirement party for Ed Flaherty. And as long as he's still coaching, he'll fight just as hard to win the last game as he did to win the first. That drive is what makes him a Husky legend.
"I would like to be remembered as a guy who enjoyed kids, was a good guy, and was competitive," Flaherty said. "I believe competitiveness is a trait we don't teach as much as we should."
Flaherty had a lot of people to thank and a lot of stories to share at the party on April 27. It took place before a doubleheader at (where else?) Ed Flaherty Field in Gorham. Flaherty's current team stood along the first base line, while former players gathered on the third base side. Flaherty and his family occupied the infield grass in front of the pitcher's mound.
The well-wishers spanned all 39 years of Flaherty's career. Members of his earliest teams who first met him as teenagers now have grey hair. At 70 years old, Flaherty decided the time was right to retire. He wants to see more of his grandchildren, and he couldn't do that if he remained tied to his team.
A hug from the grandkids brings out a smile in Coach Flaherty.
The youngest members of the Flaherty family are in the early grades of elementary school. When they weren't required to sit still while their grandfather made his speech, they ran around the field chasing balls and each other. The hugs they gave to Flaherty were returned with a gentleness that ran counter to the intensity he brings to his job. READ MORE
