| School: Franklin | Graduation Year: 1984 |
Year Inducted: 2016
Sports Played: Football, Basketball, Baseball
High School Honors: 1-year Football Letterman, PIL1st Team, Senior, Quarterback.
2-year Basketball Letterman, PIL 2nd Team, Senior.
3-year Baseball Letterman, PIL 1st Team, Senior, Pitcher, Shortstop; winning Pitcher, 1984 State Metro All-Star Game.
Post High School Career: 4-year Letterman, Portland State University; graduated 1988. Drafted, San Francisco Giants, 1988. Played European Baseball 16 years in The Netherlands (1989-2006). 10 time Dutch National and European Cup Champions. Dutch League MVP, 1993. Olympic Pitcher Dutch Netherlands in 2000. Lifetime 3.19 ERA; .341 batting average. Coached 2011 Dutch Little League team to National Title, European Title and trip to LL World Series. Masters Degree International Business, European University. Currently Director of European Customer Operations for Nike (23 years).
Commentary:
I feel very fortunate to be inducted in the PIL Hall of Fame. Fortunate to have grown up in a sports minded family where I first learned about sports watching my dad play competitive softball across the Portland city and Northwest parks.
Having parents that support you in your passions and are there for you through thick and thin is priceless and I have been fortunate that both my mom and dad are two of the kindest, most generous and balanced people I know.
I have also had the good fortune to be the second of four brothers. Always someone to play backyard ballgames. I cannot think of a better preparation for sports than four boys competing daily at almost everything. I was fortunate to have my older brother Kurt there to pave the way. I learned a lot in my youth through watching him compete and to the way he approached sports. There wasn’t a kid in the neighborhood who worked harder to become the best he could be and through his drive and determination, winning and success was always the expectation.
Therefore, for me, it is great that I can follow both my dad Tom and brother Kurt into the PIL Hall of Fame.