KINDERHOOK -- As the story goes, it's been 57 years since Dick Doran has been allowed in Kinderhook.
Allowing Doran, now 78, to return to the village was part of a meeting that also involved further discussions on future paving projects, light fixture ownership, fire police issues, and other matters.
Part of Wednesday night's Village Board meeting was spent recognizing Doran's attendance. The East Greenbush resident visited to thank the board for passing a resolution in September that ended a ban on his presence, which he claimed was the result of baseball heroics.
Doran told the board that he was involved in 1-0 a baseball game locally in 1947, after returning from World War II. He said he was fielding in a game in which Kinderhook faced East Greenbush, and he allegedly made a spectacular catch that resulted in a win for the away team.
As a result of this catch, Doran told the board that his baseball glove was banned from the town by local officials. When he next played the Kinderhook team, Doran said he played bare handed. He said after making a similar amazing catch, Doran said local officials banned him from the village.
The Village Board was contacted on the matter and decided to grant Doran permission to return. Upon researching the topic, Mayor Jim Dunham said village records couldn't confirm that he had actually been banned.
Both Doran and the infamous glove appeared in the Village Hall at the meeting. Doran said the glove had been in a museum in Florida and made a special trip in recognition of the board's gesture.
To whoever posted this story...thank you! I gave Dick a call and did a brief interview with him...what a delightful guy! I'm going to write up a feature piece about his "ban" from Kinderhook that will air this coming Saturday morning (during the Joe Gallagher show) on 810--WGY.
