Rising Baseball Stars 2021

Remembering
“Mr. Baseball,”
a legend
By: Tyler Meister
HHJ Staff Writer
It’s hard to think about Baseball
in these parts without thinking
about Claude M. Lewis.
Undeniably a renown legend of
Middle Georgia, “The Father of
T-Ball” impressed his mark on
the world through a career that
lasted over 28 years by guiding
the Warner Robins Recreation
Department, coaching, and
an acting Bailiff for the State
Court of Houston County.
As players come together
and form teams, play games
and put points on boards, it’s
important they know how the field got there in the
first place.
Lewis was born August 14, 1926, in Macon. He
attended Lanier High School where he played as a
4 Star Athlete, however before he was able to put
his earned scholarships to use, Lewis was drafted
by the Army to serve as a Squad Sergeant in
the 11th infantry Regiment K-9
Corps, active combat unit, for
World War II. Upon his return to
Middle Georgia in 1946, Lewis
attended Mercer University.
After a stint of time working
as Assistant Superintendent
of Recreation for the Macon
Recreation Department, Lewis
made his way to Warner
Robins in 1958, and began
working as the Superintendent
of Recreation here.
It’s been said before that Lewis
literally built the Recreation Department from the
ground up – when he arrived here, the Recreation
Department was made up of one building and a
ball field. Over the course of the next 28 years,
the name of the game was expansion. Land was
bought, facilities were built, and programs and
services were developed and organized.
20 RISING BASEBALL STARS 2021