If you played youth baseball in West Columbia in the 1960s, you probably know Donnie Sox.

Sox coached baseball, ages 10-to-12, for 18 years. He started in the 1950s and coached into the 1970s.

The affiliation varied from Little League and Dixie Youth to Little Boys Baseball.

It was an age before X-Box, daily cartoons on TV and a computer in most every home.

“We had 130 boys try out. More boys than we could put on each team would come out,” Sox said. “They hustled and they wanted to play.”

When he first began coaching, youth baseball was played on Reagan Field on Sunset Boulevard, where Capital Square is now. The field was across from House of Raeford and Bridgepointe Condominiums.

And If the boys were playing for Sox, they were playing for gold. Of his 18 years, his youth teams won three State Championships.

Sox is proud of what his teams accomplished, but he does not brag. For all of his years coaching, Sox’s team was league champion 15 times. His team was second twice and third once.

“We won the league 10 straight years,” said Sox.

Some of the names he recalls are: Oscar Kennedy; Jeff Hipp; Tom Hughes; Sonny Robinson and Bubba Williams. Sox said he is reluctant to mention his players’ names because he’d like to name all of them if he could.

Other coaches in the league were Carl Bouknight and James Derrick.

His sons, Wally and Scottie played for him, too. Wally is well-known for his days of coaching quality youth baseball in the West Columbia area.

Scottie Sox was a pitcher for his father on a state championship team.

“Kids wanted to play for him,” said Scottie Sox. “He won a lot of games and he won a lot of lives. People loved my father.  I remember they’d say ‘Donnie Sox for governor’ in West Columbia.”

And Donnie Sox said his efforts are not forgotten.

“I have players come back to see me. And they thank me,” said Sox. “They tell me I made a difference in their lives.”

Sox also said he had some help.

“The first black coach to coach youth baseball in West Columbia was Willie Butler,” Sox said.

Butler and Sox worked together at Mt. Vernon Mills.

“Willie came and watched the team practice and fell in love with it,” said Sox. “So I asked him if he wanted to coach. We worked together and he was a great coach.”

Sox said his friendship with Butler has been lifelong. They are still the best of friends.

Scottie Sox said he remembered going to Waycross, Ga. to play.

“They had a sign at the pool at the hotel that said ‘Whites Only.’ Daddy said we’re all going to swim,” Scottie Sox said. “And we all did go swimming.”

Black players and white. Color did not matter to him, it’s what’s inside you.”

Sox said his love for baseball did not just involve coaching kids. He also played at Brookland-Cayce High School in the early 1950s. Then he played American Legion baseball.

“I was a pitcher and I played center field,” Sox said.

He said he always promised the parents of his players he would make sure their grades did not suffer, and he played by that same rule.

“After high school, I went to Clemson,” Sox said. “I loved baseball, but I had to study. I could not play and make the grades.”

In his career at Mt. Vernon Mills, Sox said he played softball with well-known West Columbia residents, including former Mayor Earle Williams who passed away in December at age 101. Sox said Billy Lynn Williams also played.

“I remember us playing softball and Billy Lynn’s knee would pop out the socket, and they’d lay him down on the ground and put his knee back into place and he’d get up and play,” said Sox.

“It was a great time,” said Sox, “I really loved baseball.”