SKOWHEGAN — Baseball is in Colin Quinn’s blood.
As the life-long Skowhegan resident watches Andy Valley play Riverside, Mass. in the 11-and-Under New England Cal Ripken Tournament at the Carl Wright Complex Wednesday, he still remembers the first time he fell in love with the sport.
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“I was seven years old,” the now 71-year-old Quinn said. “(I played) Little League right here in Skowhegan back in the early (1950s).”
Baseball and Skowhegan have long been a part of Quinn’s life. After high school, he went on to play at William Penn College (now William Penn University) in Iowa, and upon graduation returned to Maine where he has been a fixture in the local community since.
He spent 18 years teaching at Skowhegan Area High School, where he has had several stints coaching basketball, football and baseball.
“I started in ’66 and after I got done I stayed with the youth programs in Skowhegan and I just got done as assistant basketball coach (at the high school) three years ago,” Quinn said. “It’s been an ongoing process. I’ve coached little league, youth leagues and I’ve helped out in the high school level.
“…I’ve just been involved with the young kids my whole life,”
That is only part of what has brought him to the Carl Wright Complex this past week though; he is also there for his new business — the Quinn Wood Bat Company.
“I started it two years ago,” he explained. “I needed something to do in my retirement and so far it’s gone very well.
“..I have a large wood lot, I get all the wood off my own lot and I bought a CNC computerized lathe that makes the bat every six minutes. I go ahead and make them, then I sand them and paint them different types of colors. The kids love them.”
Throughout the tournament Quinn certainly had his fare share of customers, but one of the biggest boosts to his new company has come from his son, Garrett.
A former Skowhegan and University of Maine pitcher, Garrett Quinn is the pitching coach for Division I Liberty University — which has made the regionals of the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons.
“He helped me get started,” Colin Quinn said, “and he gets me a lot of contracts down there that I have to ship bats to.”
The elder Quinn also said he and his wife, Bonita, have had the chance to spend some time in Myrtle Beach, S.C. during the winter the last few years and take in a few of their son’s games, but for now he’s enjoying himself.
Enjoying the town he grew up in and the sport he fell in love with more than 50 years ago.
Evan Crawley—621-5640
ecrawley@mainetoday.com
Twitter: @Evan_Crawley
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