| School: Benson | Graduation Year: 1981 |
Year Inducted: 2013
Sports Played: Football, Basketball, Baseball
High School Honors: Football: 3-year letter winner; All-PIL as a Junior and Senior; All-State as a Senior; Metro area Player of the Year as a Senior; Shrine Game. Basketball: 3-year letter winner. Baseball: 3-year letter winner; Metro-State All-Star game, 1981.
Post High School Career: Baseball at PSU, 1st Team All-Pac 10 pitcher in 1984; drafted by Montreal Expos and played pro ball for 2 years, 2 years pro ball in Europe; put on clinics in Holland; 10 years semi-pro ball in Portland
Coach Little League Baseball in Sellwood.
Commentary:
I have always been lucky. I’ve had great coaches my entire life and I am a product of their coaching, teaching, knowledge and passion. All my High School coaches have won a state championship and are all in the PIL Hall of Fame (Bill Ranta, Dick Gray, Bill Dressel), as are my college coach (Jack Dunn) and my father (Tom). These men and others taught me that hard work, composure, attention to detail, and more hard work was the path to success. The commonalities they share are a passion for the game, a drive for winning, and a distaste for loss or failure. They knew you could always get better, learn more, and work harder. These attributes apply to all aspects of my life and make me who I am.
Today I am thankful for all the time, coaching and support people have given me in my athletic career and life. I am giving it all back, paying it all forward, in hope that someday, somebody else will stand up here and say how lucky they are!
I work in the family business, Oregon City Sporting Goods. I enjoy coaching youth baseball and football and playing “old people” baseball.