Newark American Little League: Ernie F. Silva

Ernie Silva was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1950 and played at the minor league level until he entered the military in 1952. He served in Korea from 1952-1953, and finished his term in the service by playing baseball in Okinawa.   Ernie got out of the military in 1956 and married his wife, Mary. At 28 years old, he felt his baseball playing days were over, and turned to his trade as a millwright machinist to support his family.

Ernie moved to Newark in 1961, and started hanging out at the Connie Mack and high school practices and games to help coach. In 1964, he began his own managing career with the Foster Freeze Phillies. At that time there was only one little league ballpark in Newark, and it was located behind Milani school.   

As Ernie continued to manage, and the popularity of Little League continued to grow, he saw a need for a new field to support the growth. Ernie “Newark’s Mr. Baseball” Silva, helped to build the first fields at Newark American Little League. He gave of himself sacrificially and unconditionally to the boys who played Little League in this town, he was the consumate teacher, and his managing style was unmatched. There were only two types of boys playing ball in those days, those who played for Ernie and those who wanted to.

Each year the road to the league championship drove right through Foster Freeze and Newark American. Look at the banners around the Major league diamond, and you’ll see Ernie’s teams, and his legacy. Ernie wasn’t interested in having a winning ball club before the season began. He was only interested in making winners and if you were touched by his life, you were a winner.

Ernie was a consummate teacher. His teaching, whether about bunting, sliding, stealing, pick off moves, player positioning, or recognizing pitches, would not only be for his own team, but for other teams when he was scouting or umpiring.   But those who knew Ernie learned that he teaching didn’t stop with the fundamentals and history of baseball, but he was teaching you about life. Respect, sportsmanship, teamwork, hustle, he put the game in perspective. He made it fun. He made you want to work hard. He made you want to do your best. He was always there to give you a pat or a word of encouragement.

Ernie had a tremendous effect on the boys he managed, coached and taught. Even after three of his four children had moved out and started families of their own, he could still be found right there at the ball field.

In 1981 at the age of 54, Ernie was stricken with lung cancer. Through the radiation, the weight loss, the pain, and the difficulties walking, he was still there at the ball field. One day I met my father at the ball field to watch a game with him. He got out of his truck on crutches, barely able to walk and was in extreme pain. We sat together in the stands and Dad pointed out particulars of each player that he knew and what their strengths and weaknesses were and what he was working on to help them. Never once did he complain about his pain. That was the last Little League ball game that he got to see. Shortly after that, he went into the hospital and never came home again. Ernie Silva literally dedicated his entire life to the game of baseball. The last 20 years of his life was spent at the field that now bears his name. This was his field of dreams, and is the reason why your field is named the Ernie F. Silva Memorial Sports Complex.

--Brad Silva