For nearly half a century, it’s a name that has been synonymous with Lehighton High School baseball.

Tom Schaeffer coached the Indians’ junior varsity team in 1976 and two years later, he became the head varsity coach for 18 years until 1996. He coached his three sons - Tom, Matt, and Corey - during that tenure. Last year, Corey took over the program as the head coach and his son, Grant, now plays the middle infield positions for the Maroon and White.

But, before one thinks this is just another episode of Daddy Ball, where a high school player gets to play every inning just because he’s the coach’s son, that’s not the case with the Schaeffer family.

“If another kid was better than my sons at their positions, my sons would have to sit the bench,” said 83-year-old Tom Schaeffer, who was known for his tough demeanor when he coached back in the day. He said that many parents don’t realize the pressure a coach’s son feels every time he steps across the white lines.

“You got to know that if you are a coach’s son,” Tom said, “You’d better be the best you can be at your position so the coach is showing no favoritism.”

Corey Schaeffer came up through the ranks in Lehighton, first playing Little League before he later became a three-year starter for the varsity. He was an All-League selection at second base each year, and also was a front-line pitcher.

“No question that I liked playing second base more than pitching,” Corey said. “I didn’t like the pain in my arm every time I threw a game. We used to rub our arms with something we called ‘Cream of Jesus,’” he said with a laugh.” It was like Ben Gay and it helped us get through the game.”

Corey was recruited and played center field for two years at Monmouth University in New Jersey. He then transferred to Northampton County Community College to study the funeral business and he now operates Schaeffer Funeral Home in Lehighton. He was inducted into the Carbon County Hall of Fame in 2018.

Tom - recognized as a Top 10 Pennsylvania award winning chemistry teacher at Lehighton High School for 41 years - retired in 2005. He also coached Indian basketball, and began the school’s golf program in 1964.

Tom said the game of baseball has changed ever since parents became involved.

“I started the junior league programs in Lehighton,” he explained. “We had six teams, and we let the kids pick their own teams and name their own captains. No parents were involved.”

He was very demanding of his players, something that his son, Corey appreciated.

“He knew how to push my buttons,” Corey explained. “When I played for him, we lived for sports and to be competitive. We thrived on it. Today, with the technology that stimulates kids every few seconds, the game of baseball is too slow for some of them and they can lose focus.

“While technology doesn’t require that they think much, baseball is a thinking game. You have to know what to do before the ball is put into play. I had a kid quit after a week because he said it was too boring.”

“The problem is computers and cellphones,” Tom said. “There’s little love for the game like we had.”

The lack of focus needed for a player to have success was a problem even when Tom coached. He remembers a game when he went out to the mound and told his third baseman that if the ball is hit to him, he should throw home to get the runner from third out at the plate.

“The ball was hit right to him,” Tom said, “So, what does he do? He throws to first and they tied the score.”

When asked if a father-coach takes the game home with his son to the dinner table, Corey makes it a point to not do that with Grant.

“The game stays on the field,” he said. “Although, I’m still very competitive, you have to understand that most kids today don’t carry that ‘win at all cost’ mentality. They just want to have fun playing.”

The father-son relationship can be strained when he’s also called by the name, “Dad” so Corey saw the need to check in with Grant before he applied for the Lehighton job.

“Do you want me to be your coach?” I asked Grant and he said ‘Sure.’”

The Schaeffer name has been synonymous with Lehighton High School baseball for many years and next year, Corey’s daughter, Rowan will begin her softball career playing for the Tribe.

The beat goes on, and the Schaeffer name goes on with it.

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ONE FOR THE BOOKS

… It was a historic day on the boys’ side of a Schuylkill League track meet on Wednesday, April 14. The Weatherly boys recorded the program’s first-ever victory in a 78-55 win over Panther Valley. The Wreckers won again against Schuylkill Haven this past Wednesday.

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CENTURY MARK IN GOALS

… On Saturday, April 17, Alexandra Bush reached a career milestone with the Pleasant Valley girls’ lacrosse team in a memorable 12-11 win overtime win against Parkland. Bush scored six times, pushing her over the century mark in career goals. As of Monday night, Bush has 114 career goals, with 46 this season. Teammate Brielle McInaw is nearing her 100th-career goal as well, with 88 goals to her credit as of Monday.

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CHERISHED MOMENT ON THE DIAMOND

… Lehighton’s Dylan Bowman was in command at the plate and on the mound on Saturday, April 17. In three plate appearances against Lincoln Leadership Academy, Bowman delivered a two-run home run, recorded two singles, scored three runs and finished with three RBIs in the Indians’ 17-0 victory over the Warriors. On the mound, he tossed four shutout innings of ball without allowing a hit, striking out six and walking only three batters.

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THIRD TIME IS A CHARM

… Northwestern’s Justin Holmes drilled a baseball over the outfield fence three times in a 11-2 nonleague win over Blue Mountain on Monday, April 19. Teammate Rafe Perich started the home-run barrage with one himself. Two batters later, Holmes followed with his first with a two-run home run. His second dinger came with a three-run blast in the fifth. Holmes capped his day with another two-run shot in the sixth inning, and finished with seven RBIs. According to Northwestern baseball records that date back to 1983, it’s the first time a player has ever hit three long balls in a single game.

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RECORD BREAKERS

… Several area athletes have been rewriting the school records over the course of this track and field season. On Saturday, April 24, at the annual Upper Darby Invitational, Jim Thorpe’s A.J. Bailor not only posted two first place finishes, but he also knocked off another school record with a throw of 146-9 in the discus. And then on Monday, April 26, Kaila O’Connor crossed the finish line in a time of 26.24 seconds in the 200, setting another JT track and field record. Weatherly’s Ricky Ray also set the school record in the long jump with a leap of 15-9 in Wednesday’s meet against Haven. Tim Maguschak also lowered his school record in the 300 hurdles at the meet with a time of 51.50.

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SEEING THE BALL WELL

… Morgan Farthing has been zoned in at the plate for the Northwestern softball team this season. In five games over the last week and a half, all victories, Farthing was 8-for-12 with three home runs, four singles and a triple. She also has 13 runs scored, 11 RBIs, seven walks and six stolen bases. The Tigers have earned wins against Palisades (24-6), NDGP (11-1), Wilson (12-2), Saucon Valley (19-8) and Palmerton (8-5) during that stretch.

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DINGERS GALORE

… Megan Green has been having a season to remember for the Palmerton softball team. The senior slugged her 10th home run of the season in an 8-5 setback to Northwestern on Monday. With the home run, she moved one step closer to the Palmerton softball record books for number of home runs in a single season. The current home run record in a season is 11 by Coleen Hahn, who went on to hit 11 back in 1988. The last Bomber to get close to that mark was Nicole Levandusky, who finished with nine in 1995.

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TICKET PUNCHED

… With a 9-4 overall team record, the Jim Thorpe tennis team punched its ticket to take part in the District 11 Class 2A Team Tournament this season.