David Morgan, 3, sits atop a table full of baseball memorabilia at the
River Rats’ home opener Wednesday. John Swartz/Sun Journal
John Swartz
Sun Journal
June 3, 2007 - 10:51PM
New Bern’s David Morgan may only have a slight understanding what’s going on when he attends the New Bern River Rats baseball games this season. But one thing’s for sure — he appears to be having a blast. And he can’t even see the game. Morgan is only 3 years old, and he’s the godchild of “the baseball card guy” Thomas Covitz, who is a staple at the Rats’ games. For Morgan, he has quickly become a part of one of the River Rats’ traditions. Only in its third year playing in the Coastal Plain League, New Bern holds its home games at Boykin Field — a park with plenty of foul territory for fly balls to land. Every time a young fan snags one of the foul balls, a booming voice comes over the loud speakers, reminding the fans to take the foul ball to Covitz’s tent. That’s where the fans meet the young Morgan. The 3-year-old has an important job — he’s tasked with handing out packs of baseball cards to the fans in exchange for those foul balls. “He’s my godson, and since he’s been 2, I’ve been trying to break him into baseball,” Covitz said. “I came up with the idea last season, because I’ve got so many baseball cards, and I think its cute to have him give out the cards to everybody else instead of me.” “Kids know kids best.” Covitz’s card collection is vast, but he doesn’t mind seeing it dwindle given the delight of the young baseball fans. “I never wanted to get rid of anything,” Covitz said of before he started giving away his baseball cards. “Now, I’m getting older, and I just want to share with the kids.” Covitz’s collection also spans over several decades, and his love for the American pastime is rooted deep in his childhood. “I was a kid,” he said. “I lived three blocks from Yankee Stadium. I saw (Mickey) Mantle play; I saw (Roger) Maris play. I grew up with baseball. I’ve been collecting cards since I was about 5 or 6 years old.” Now, Covitz is passing along that love for baseball, and card collecting, to Morgan. And Morgan is passing those cards right along to young River Rats’ fans. John Swartz can be reached at (252) 635-5668 or jswartz@freedomenc.com.
Sun Journal
June 3, 2007 - 10:51PM
New Bern’s David Morgan may only have a slight understanding what’s going on when he attends the New Bern River Rats baseball games this season. But one thing’s for sure — he appears to be having a blast. And he can’t even see the game. Morgan is only 3 years old, and he’s the godchild of “the baseball card guy” Thomas Covitz, who is a staple at the Rats’ games. For Morgan, he has quickly become a part of one of the River Rats’ traditions. Only in its third year playing in the Coastal Plain League, New Bern holds its home games at Boykin Field — a park with plenty of foul territory for fly balls to land. Every time a young fan snags one of the foul balls, a booming voice comes over the loud speakers, reminding the fans to take the foul ball to Covitz’s tent. That’s where the fans meet the young Morgan. The 3-year-old has an important job — he’s tasked with handing out packs of baseball cards to the fans in exchange for those foul balls. “He’s my godson, and since he’s been 2, I’ve been trying to break him into baseball,” Covitz said. “I came up with the idea last season, because I’ve got so many baseball cards, and I think its cute to have him give out the cards to everybody else instead of me.” “Kids know kids best.” Covitz’s card collection is vast, but he doesn’t mind seeing it dwindle given the delight of the young baseball fans. “I never wanted to get rid of anything,” Covitz said of before he started giving away his baseball cards. “Now, I’m getting older, and I just want to share with the kids.” Covitz’s collection also spans over several decades, and his love for the American pastime is rooted deep in his childhood. “I was a kid,” he said. “I lived three blocks from Yankee Stadium. I saw (Mickey) Mantle play; I saw (Roger) Maris play. I grew up with baseball. I’ve been collecting cards since I was about 5 or 6 years old.” Now, Covitz is passing along that love for baseball, and card collecting, to Morgan. And Morgan is passing those cards right along to young River Rats’ fans. John Swartz can be reached at (252) 635-5668 or jswartz@freedomenc.com.
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