Carroll M Rines of Portland was known as "The Eye" to Telegram League batters for more than 30 years having umpired a wide range of fields. He umpired and supervised sports programs while in the army in WWII and squeezed in similar duty in the European Theater. He has long been an area ball and strike pillar. Selection of Rines marks the Hall's first father-son combination. His dad, the late Alton (Allie) was a Hall choice in 1974. Rines has been a sports writer with Portland papers for 38 years. Vern Putney Maine Sunday Telegram 10/26/75
USM Hall of Fame
"Longtime sportswriter Carroll Rines of Portland is the second inductee. A 1938 Gorham State Teachers College (now USM) graduate, he was a Guy Gannett Publishing Company sportswriter for 38 years and an active umpire for 45 years. Known to many by his nickname “The Eye,” Rines was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975. He now is involved in SMVTI and Cheverus High athletic programs."
From Chebeague Island News
Carroll 'the eye', Rines, 88 Oct. 30, 1915,-March 28, 2004
Born into a South Portland 'baseball family' , he was the son of Minnie M. and Alton A. Rines. His dad, Allie, was an outstanding semi-pro catcher who played for 'town teams' all over Maine. Thanks to his dad, Carol was in baseball for over 75 years as a mascot, batboy, player, coach, writer, official and just plain fan.
A graduate of Gorham State Teachers College in 1938 with a B.A., Carroll trained as an educator. He served as a member of the 19th Armored (Tiger) Division in combat duty as a 'scout' guiding truck convoys through France, Germany, Austria, Bavaria and Italy in the European Theater of War.
Carroll was a sportswriter for 38 years for the Portland Evening Express and the Maine Sunday Telegram. As well as one of New England's busiest baseball umpires having called more than 4,400 games over his 44 year umpiring career. During his long career , Carroll umpired in Babe Ruth League, Pony League, American Legion, high school, prep school, college, semi-pro and professional baseball circles. He was umpire-in-chief of the Telegram League, first umpire-in-chief and first basketball commissioner of the Cumberland County conference. He also served as Umpire-in-chief of nearly all southwestern Maine summer leagues for nearly a quarter of a century.
When he retired from the newspaper, he 'couldn't stand the inactivity' so he joined Cheverus High School as the assistant athletic director on a voluntary basis for over twenty years. He, also, served over four decades as the Sports Information Director for the Southern Maine Technical College.
Carroll had numerous honors bestowed upon him. He was inducted into the University of Southern Maine's Husky Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1974, he and his dad, Allie Rines, were the first father-son duo to be named to the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.
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