First spring game thrills local dad

Father of a Marine who was killed in Iraq is honored at Reds spring training.

Photos: 2010 Reds spring training

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By Rick McCrabb, Staff Writer Updated 1:46 AM Saturday, March 6, 2010

MIDDLETOWN — Two ceremonial first pitches weren’t enough for Dave Spencer of Madison Twp.

When the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians opened spring training on Friday, March 5, at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz., Spencer was scheduled to throw out the first pitch.

But his spot on the mound was taken by a female Air Force tech sergeant from the local base and Joe Morgan, a member of the Big Red Machine.

Spencer, whose son, Marine Lance Cpl. William D. Spencer, was killed four years ago in Fallujah, was in Arizona representing Impact A Hero, whose mission is to assist Wounded Warriors, injured soldiers from around the country.

Despite the first-pitch snub, Spencer said he was “honored and thrilled to be on the field.”

He wasn’t disappointed he was replaced by a member of the Air Force and a Hall of Famer.

“She was local and these people love their heroes and warriors,” he said Friday night from the ballpark. “And who could say anything to Joe Morgan?”

Spencer described the park as “beautiful, top-notch.”

Then he added: “They went all out to take care of the Reds.”

Before the game, Spencer said he couldn’t remember the last time he threw a baseball 60 feet, 6 inches, from the pitcher’s mound to home plate.

“I know it wasn’t this decade,” Spencer said, “and it may not have been last decade.”

Spencer said he wore his “Little Billy: Never Let ’Em Forget” T-shirt under his Reds jersey. Spencer said he practiced throwing a baseball under water, so he expected to “throw some heat.”

Spencer flew to Arizona on Thursday and he will return to Middletown today, March 6. He and his wife, Dawn, live in Madison Twp.

ontact this reporter at (513) 705-2842 or rmccrabb@coxohio.com.

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