Today, we proudly celebrate 75 years of PONY Baseball and Softball! Seventy-five years ago today, members of the Welfare and Recreation Committee met with Mayor Wilson and Councilmen Goodridge and Shrontz in the Conference Room of the Observer Publishing Company to discuss the creation of a baseball league for boys who had outgrown Little League. That conversation sparked what would become the Pony League. A dedicated group of leaders stepped forward to shape the league’s future, including Lew Hays, William E. Amos, J. Howard Ware, John Sorice, Morris Weber, and Paul S. Shearn. Many went on to serve on the Board of Directors, helping it grow far beyond its roots. Within the first year, the founders established the league’s initial age group, 13- and 14-year-olds, developed its constitution, and named George Mucey chairman. They also announced that the first Pony League field would be laid out in Washington City Park.