Mike Cubbage
He was easily identifiable because he was the infield allstar with the glasses. According to all accounts from players of the era who knew enough and had seen enough of Mike Cubbage on the diamond, he was the real deal.
Charlottesville native and baseball icon Michael Lee Cubbage passed away on August 10ththis month, age 74. Cubbage from an early age into his teen years at old Lane High School was a three sport allstar, baseball, football and basketball, but baseball was his first sport and where his legend and lore began. The Cubbage family lived walking distance to the youth league ball diamond off of McIntire Road in Charlottesville where a young Mike sent baseball’s rocketing skyward away from the field and into the roadway—maybe beyond.
In the median area of the roadway in an aluminum summer lawn chair sat his mom Marge seeing all she needed to see of her elder son on the diamond.
She must have been pleased as legend has it, she pitched as much bp to Mike growing up as any coach and often had the bruises as proof. For further inspiration Mike had elder cousins—The Haney Brothers of Orange County already making plate appearances in the Big Leagues.
By high school at Lane Mike was on the Major League radar but stayed the course with plans toward college at the University where he played a season at quarterback. Cubbage was the talk of the town in Charlottesville by the early 70s, always in the newspaper accompanied by a box score touting his RBI’s and putouts at third base.
Like his peers in the Valley League where he played his summer baseball, the only thing he loved more than watching a baseball gaming was suiting up and playing. Burley field in Charlottesville was homefield for the Charlottesville Hornets and in the 1970s the stands at the formerly segregated high school field were filled for baseball games senior league through amateur. Players in all divisions of semi-pro, amateur played at Burley Field and when not playing stopped by the field to watch night games even for half an hour, noting different teams and players, inquiring about a first baseman, centerfielder or power hitting short stop. Everyone knew Mike Cubbage and it stands to reason he got to know a number of the area players, players playing black baseball included, who by 1970 began subbing in and out of lineups in the Rockingham County League and the Valley League, Sims, Slaughter, Doyle, Awkard, Diggs.
Color and division of play non-withstanding—they all loved to play baseball. Perhaps expressed best by old-timer Cool Papa Winston of Fluvanna, “on the record and off the record, there was no telling who’s line-up they might make an appearance.” “You had your ball glove and you were always ready to go into a game and enjoy it…
Did Cubbage play in or against black teams from the Shen-Valley League? Despite not having the actual proof, a sense of the times, competition and camaraderie would say yes it was probable on some summer night off the record. Mike Cubbage might have played with and against The Avon A’s, South Garden and Sperryville Tigers.
“Mike, could you play a few innings at third base, short stop” was all that needed to be said. In the mid-Atlantic South of the late 1960s and early 70s still new to integration players like David Wyant, the Utz Brothers of Madison County and Michael Cubbage often unknowingly diffused conflicting feelings and actions with sportsmanship and friendship. If you could play, you could play, come on into the game.
When his eventual Major League signing came in 1974 with Texas and then the California Angels the next season, it was exciting to see someone from my home town hit a home run on TV.
Michael Lee Cubbage played eight years in the Major Leagues followed by years of coaching and managing in the Minor and Major League systems, all total nearly fifty years in and around professional baseball. A Charlottesville legend and Virginia Sports Hall of Famer; Tip of the cap and journey on Michael Lee Cubbage.
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