Esquire softball team inducted into Louisiana ASA Hall of Fame

An area softball team that since has become family gathered in Hammond last weekend to be inducted into the Louisiana Amateur Softball Association Class of 2015 Hall of Family.
The Esquires Men’s Softball team, comprised mostly of men from Morgan City, was inducted as part of the ceremony at the Magnuson Grand Hotel and Conference Center.
Herman Hartman Sr., who served as coach/player/manager, said the group was known in south Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas for both their love of softball and their discipline and will to win.
He said one of their “outstanding traits” was they prayed before and after each game.
The team formed in 1971 and continued until 1996, attending a lot of state tournaments during that time.
While the team was primarily comprised of Morgan City members, one player, Ernie Watson, came from Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Hartman said the team ceased playing in 1996 because some members were no longer able to play or they had other interests.
“I had a son that was a pretty good athlete, and he was playing high school football, so it was time to turn our attention to something else,” Hartman.
However, even though they don’t play anymore, Hartman said they still meet often for crawfish boils or barbecues.
“We changed from a softball team to a family,” he said.
Team members inducted include Harold Babineaux, Frank Bartley, Melvin Bartley, Joey Bruni, Ron Case, Harold Charles, Barry Clarkson, Elisha Dangerfield, Sammy Dangerfield, Ricky David, Buell Durham, Wallace Fleming, Gary Foulcard, Mark Fouquier, Tommy Gros, Grayling Hartman, Herman Hartman Jr. Herman Hartman Sr., Kenwood Hartman, Marshall Hartman, Sam Hawkins, J.B. Jackson, Herbert Jenkins, Larmen Jenkins, Alfred Kemp, Clarence McGuire, Harrison Pierre, Alroy Reaux, Randolph Schexnayder, Dwight Smith, John Vital and Ernie Watson.
Members inducted posthumously were Jerry Butler, Morris Charles, Gerald Neddie, Roy Patterson, Reginald Rideau, Leo Rollins and Fulton Washington Sr.
The team was joined in the 2015 class by William Arthur, Jesse Barksdale, Jeffrey Burns, David Danna, Alcide Dupre, Donny Goodwin, Kenny Husser, Ronnie McLin, Owen Ridgdell, Carl Shetler, John Terry Smith, Erath Girls’ Softball League, City of Hammond Recreation Department, City of Lake Charles Recreation Department and the City of Slidell Recreation Department.