| School: Wilson | Graduation Year: 1976 |
Year Inducted: 2019
Sports Played: Baseball
High School Honors: 3 Baseball letters. 1st Team All-PIL and
All-Metro as Junior and Senior, 1st Team
All-State as Junior, 2nd Team All-State as
Senior, Played in State-Metro Series, NW
Regional All-Star, American Legion State
Champion Watco Electric Team as Junior,
1975 Pitching Record, 12-1 at Wilson, 17-0
at Watco, 3-year combined Wilson and
Watco Pitching Record 50-8.
Post High School Career: Oregon State University and Portland State
University, 2 Baseball letters each. Played Adult
Baseball (MSBL) for 30 years post college.
Has been in the construction business for over
20 years. Has a career as a musician, touring
with the Petty Fever Tribute Band for the past
10 years.
Commentary:
Growing up playing homerun derby and 3-on-2 baseball with brothers, Dan and Dick, and friends, Nick and Steve George is how it started. "America’s Game" was so fun I couldn’t play it enough, and in the process accidentally got pretty good at it.
As a sophomore, I made the Wilson varsity team, and like so many before and after me who had the privilege of being coached by the legendary Jack Dunn, that is when my education in the game, and life in general, truly began. (Jack Humphrey and Walt Looney also were both positive influences on my life.)
My coaches taught me to respect the game, opponents and, especially, teammates. "It’s a thinking man’s game," they’d say. We won many games by out-smarting the other team, even if they had more physical talent.
My parents, Dick and Rosie, and sister, Sue, were all very supportive along the way. I remember them driving to Sheridan, Wyoming, to watch Watco Electric make it to the American Legion regional championship game. My little brother, Jeff, came along as bat boy. Little did I know that little squirt would precede me into the PIL Hall Of Fame in 2018.
Thank you to the PIL for this honor. It’s a team award, and I couldn’t have done it without those guys!