- August 9, 2026
Palm Coast resident Robert "Chick" McGuire recently turned 92. For his birthday, his neighbor Joan Soldano took him to the indoor batting cages at Hit House Academy in Bunnell.
McGuire took his cuts with the old wood bat that he had stored away for 60-plus years.
McGuire, who has lived on Eastland Lane in Palm Coast for nearly 29 years, grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey, served in the U.S. Army in the mid-50s and began working as an electrician by day and bartender at night.
His favorite memories involve softball. He didn't grow up playing baseball. There was no Little League in Bayonne then, he said. But he played in the Monsignor Doyle and Brotherhood softball leagues in Bayonne for more than 14 years.
"I played third base and was a good player but only had three home runs in all those years,” he said.
Picking up his old bat again, he said it felt a lot heavier than he remembered.
"But I was able to hit a few line drives, and it felt good," he said after the batting cage session. "Next time I’ll swing for the bleachers."
