2022 Tacoma Pierce County Baseball Softball Oldtimers Renuion Program, Part 1

Kellie Ham

Committee

Ken Laase

Chairman

Marc Blau

Master of Ceremonies

Cheryl Blau

Gary Brooks

Doug Cail

Anne Cupp

Dave Demick

Don Gustafson

Dani Grant

Bronson Grant

Gayle Hazen

Shannon Heinrick

Pat Kelly

Karen Ivy

Ed Menotti

Adam Parks

Aaron Pointer

Margaret Rebillion

Dave Roller

Ron Staples

Joe Stortini

Teri Wood

Bob Young

Rocky Zlock

Welcome!

As Chairman of the Pierce County Baseball/Softball Old-timers Committee for the last fifteen years

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that worked diligently to help make the banquets of the past an exciting time for all involved. The teams, players, coaches, umpires, sponsors and others who have been honored for their achievements will not be forgotten. After much deliberation by our committee, it was decided that this upcoming event will be the last of the banquets to be held by the Old-timers Committee. The Tacoma Athletic Commission will continue to support the program with a display of past achievements by athletes of Pierce County’s past on the Sports Museum website, which will be updated periodically and continue on in perpetuity.

Schedule

Silent Auction

2:00–3:15pm

Suds ‘n Stuff, Buffet 2:00-4:00pm

National Anthem

3:00pm

3:00pm

INVOCATION

THANKS TO OUR TEAM OF WRITERS AND VIDEO

A big thanks to the following individuals for volunteering their time to prepare the biographical profiles you are enjoying in this souvenir program. They do it for the “love of the game” and we are appreciative of their dedication and interest in preserving our baseball and softball heritage:

Gary Brooks • Tyler Scott

Gail Wood • Bill Schey

Arnold Lytle • Nick Dawson

Victor Yoshida

Frank Colarusso

We also want to give a “shout out” to Doug Drowley (script), Mike Beers (videography) and Steve Thomas (narration) for their time, patience and endless hours devoted to creating the video presentations.

I would like to impart many thanks to all of my fellow committee members for their efforts in making each and every banquet a success.

—Chairman

Ken Laase

Bill Ralston—Born on May 9, 1945 in Whittier, CA, Bill Ralston was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1966 and signed to a contract by Tom Lasorda. He began his career in Ogden, UT and was called up in 1971 to play for the Spokane Indians of the PCL under Lasorda. Bill hit .301 and as a utility player he played 2nd, SS, and 3rd base, occasionally filling in for Ron Cey when he was on active military duty.

The team moved to Albuquerque in 1972 where they won the PCL championship with teammates Ron Cey, Davey Lopes, Tom Paciorek, Joe Ferguson, Steve Yeager, and Charlie Hough. Traded to the Twins organization after the 1973 season, Bill finished his career with the Tacoma Twins in 1974 and 1975. A teammate in Tacoma was Tom Kelly, former manager of the Minnesota Twins.

Bill served as the chapel leader for the Tacoma Twins, Tugs, Tigers and Rainiers for 28 years and he dedicated 8 years as a board member with Reality Sports, a non-profit sports ministry with a mission to teach excellence in sports skills and one’s faith in God.

Mission Statement

Tacoma-Pierce County BaseballSoftball Oldtimers Association

The Tacoma-Pierce County Baseball-Softball Oldtimers Association was conceived and organized to recognize and honor those participants whose commitment and dedication has resulted in a significant contribution to the history of those sports in the Tacoma-Pierce County community.

The Association shall conduct an annual awards ceremony for the purpose of inducting worthy members into the organization’s baseball, fastpitch, and slowpitch “Halls of Fame” and other related categories. In addition, certain special awards created to recognize and appreciate efforts “above and beyond” shall also be presented at the ceremony.

The Association shall establish the necessary criteria to determine nominations for the respective honors, and the Association shall elect inductees from those nominations.

Other goals of the Association shall be to establish a site, or sites, for its Hall of Fame(s) and the displaying of appropriate recognition for all inductees. The Association pledges cooperation with the Shanaman Sports Museum in developing its Hall of Fame plans to be certain of not conflicting with their already-established public displays.

The perpetuation and recognition of the sports of baseball, fastpitch, and slowpitch remain #1 priorities of the Association, and all efforts of the organization shall be directed toward enriching the phrase, “Play Ball”!

Tacoma-Pierce County Baseball-Softball Old-Timers Association Welcomes You To The

Last Hall of Fame Banquet

Since the late 1930s the Tacoma Pierce-County Baseball-Softball Oldtimers Association has been dedicated to recognizing and honoring the many players who have been instrumental in the growth of baseball and softball in our community over the years. Sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission, Columbia Bank, and the Tacoma Rainiers Baseball Club, a banquet is held in the spring to honor baseball and softball players, coaches, umpires and sponsors who have made significant contributions to the game.

In the past, these get-togethers have been very informal gatherings of fans, pros, amateurs, duffers and all people interested in America’s favorite pastime–BASEBALL! In the mid-fifties the banquet was held at the old “Firs” nightclub out on Pacific Avenue. Dill Howell and John Heinrick were the heads of this occasion. Then, in the sixties, with a great assist from the T.A.C., the next banquet was held at the Top of the Ocean Restaurant in Old Town. The get-togethers were held there until it burned down (no fault of the Oldtimers).

The gatherings then moved along with the T.A.C. to the 9th and Commerce location for about ten years. Here, Frank Ruffo, Rudy Tollefson, Harold Smith, Dan Walton and others, joined Heinrick to organize the affair. A lapse of four years followed until a committee again organized a get-together in 1985 at the Poodle Dog Restaurant in Fife, led by the hard-working Joe Hemel. The Poodle Dog was our home for the next five years.

The Oldtimers made the move to accommodate more fans by hosting the banquet from 1990–98 at the Puyallup Elks. From 1999–2009 our annual banquet was held at the Tacoma Elks Club and in 2010 and 2012 it was hosted at the Affifi Masonic Center. In 2013, the biggest function ever, featuring the 60th anniversary of the Cheney Studs baseball teams, was held at the McGavick Conference Center in Lakewood. In 2015, 2017 and now again, in 2022, we return to the McGavick venue for “The Last Hurrah!” Why is this the last banquet of the Oldtimers? Simple. We’re running out of true Oldtimers and there won’t be anyone left to celebrate with so we hope to go out in a blaze of glory!!

We are indebted for the continued support by our major sponsors–in particular the Tacoma Athletic Commission, Columbia Bank, the Tacoma Rainiers, the Ben B. Cheney Foundation, Connelly Law Offices, Kellie Ham Type & Graphics and Cascade Print Media. All have been very generous supporters and deserve to be recognized for their community service. Please be sure to let them know how much you appreciate it the next time you have the opportunity.

Today’s banquet promises to be another outstanding recall of the great moments in both baseball and softball in Tacoma and Pierce County. We are welcoming some of the finest athletes every to play, coach, umpire, and sponsor here. For some the recognition is long overdue.

Our list of talented Hall of Fame inductees with their outstanding list of achievements can be found on our website at www.oldtimerbaseball.com and in this souvenir program and will make for good reading. Be sure to take time to read about the incredibly talented inductees this year as well as those in the past. With-out a doubt, the National Past-time has been well-represented in Tacoma-Pierce County! In closing, remember… May continuing good health be your lot until the Great Umpire in the Sky dismisses you to the Clubhouse.

2022 Hall of Fame Inductees

Baseball: Tony Barron, Henry Bender, Gregg Leach, Mike Brooks, Jim Nettles, Mike Wholey

Fastpitch: Brian Sonntag (Modified), Audrey Lakowske Vaughn (Women’s)

Slowpitch (Women’s): Rhondi Adair, Lisa Barron, Cindy Van Hulle

Slowpitch (Men’s): Danny Cooley

Umpires: Craig Bolton, Melodie Fox, Lola Morrone

Broadcasters/Sports Writers: Mike Curto, Bill Doane, Jerry Howarth

Sponsors: Durobilt Furniture (Al Scott, mgr)

TEAMS:

1915 South Tacoma Tigers Baseball team: Walt Holmberg (Mgr.), Allan Browne, Hank Crowl, Nick Dahl, Gus Davis, Orville Eley, Jack Farrell, Ocky Haughland, Ocky Jensen, Eddie McTighe, Lester (Pat) Patterson, Julian Shager, Paul Shager, Roy Wilkowski and Ob Woods.

1970s–80s Little Jim’s Pub Slowpitch (14”) team: Jim Martin (Owner-Little Jim’s Pub), Denny Brand, John Bilski, Terry Burns, Phil Carmichael, Jeff Christiansen, Brian Hoff, Bud “Doc” Hoff, Wayne Hoff, Rick Keely, Larry Lucich, Ernie Manning, Mo Manning, John Mazzuca, Chuck McMillan, Denny Orr, Ed Pauschert, Darrell Prentice, Fred Richmond, Tom Rogers, Mike Thompson and Tim Thompson.

1980 NEAA Tacoma Longshoremen Connie Mack Baseball team: Joe Stortini (Coach), Tom Lizotte (Coach), Dan Leach (Coach), Toby Gratzer, Ted Henderson, Shawn Holland, Gary Leach, Gregg Leach, Shawn McDougall, Kurt Mueller, Barry Nelson, Rick Nordi, Todd Slingland, Joe Smith, Kevin Stock, Mike Stortini, Daren Waltier and Rob Weber.

TIPPING THE CAP:

Ron Zollo (dec)— Assistant GM, Tacoma Tigers baseball team

Don Mooney—1947 Tacoma Tigers batboy

Giovanni “John: Tomasi (dec)—1948 Tacoma Tigers batboy

Ken Higdon (dec)—1978 T-Yankees batboy and California Angels clubhouse manager

Nick Tucci (dec)—Usher/Ticket Taker–Tacoma Giants, Cubs, Twins, Yankees, Tugs, Tigers and Rainiers

Quinn Wolcott—Major League Baseball Umpire

Bill Ruth (dec)—Senior Slowpitch—W.E. Ruth Realty

Tacoma-Pierce County High School Sister City Cultural Exchange Program (1987–2009)

Cheney Studs—National Champions

2019 NBC National Champions

2015 NBC National Champions

2013 NBC National Champions

1960 ABC National Champions

1960 Cheney Studs—National Champions—Back row l. to r.: Ben Cheney (sponsor), Jack George, Ned Brown, Bob Maguinez, George Kritsonis, Jerry Jackson, Byron Johnson, Jeff Heath (coach), Monte Geiger, Joe Budnick (manager), and Gene Anderson (general manager). Front row l. to r.: Jim Broulette, Norm Pfeiffer, Gary Snyder, Steve Whitaker, Earl Hyder, Phil Swimley, Glenn Mattison, Mike Gillis (trainer), and Bill Gillis (batboy).

2019 Seattle Cheney Studs—Front Row l. to r.: Brock Gagliardi, Brady Hinkle, Henry Cheney, Ryan Budnick, Anthony Brady, Alan Vasquez, Mason Quinlan, Cody Culp and Zander Clouse. Middle Row l. to r.: Stephen Potter, Kyle Strash, Collin Wolf, Kyle Boe, Tegan Aden, RJ Green, Gavin Grant, Tony Henricksen, and Chris Remington. Back row l. to r.: Barry Aden, David Benson, Jacob Bradley, Merle Rowan-Kennedy, Michael Warnick, Brennen Hancock, Jared Wilson, Mitch Viydo and Jake Pauley.

Previous Hall of Fame Inductees

(Thru 2017—No inductions from 2018–2021)

Baseball—Morry Abbott, Harold Adams, Roy Archer, Primo Artoe, Rick Austin, Sonny Bailey, Jesse Baker, Cy Ball, Lou Balsano, Otto Balmer, Tony Banaszak, Jr., Rick Barnhart, Art Berg, Ron Billings, Earl Birnel, Les Bishop, Dale Bloom, Frank Bonaro, Ray Brammer, Denny Brand, Jack Bratlie, Jess Brooks, Dick Browse, Frank Brozovich, Gordy Brunswick, Luther Carr, Frank Cey, Ron Cey, Vern Champagne, Jim Claxton, Gene Clough, Dick Colombini, Howard Davis, Bob Dawson, Sr., Mike Dillon, Fred “Buzz” Doane, Richard “Butch” Dunlap, Ozzie Edwards, Cliff Ellingson, Jim Ennis, Les Faulk, Bob Fredricks, Bill Funk, Maury Galbraith, Jim Gallwas, Holly Gee, Ron Gee, Bill Geppart, Skip Gillis, Ron Goerger, George Grant, Dick Greco, Al Greco, Sr., Cy Greenlaw, Merle Hagbo, Dave Hall, Don Hansler, Ed Hardenbrook, John P. Heinrick, Andy Helling, Joe Hemel, Ron Herbel, Garry Hersey, Gordy Hersey, Bill Hobert, Bob Houston, Glenn Huffman, Earl Hyder, Floyd “Lefty” Isekite, Jack Johnson, Rick Johnson, Bob Johnson, Ken Jones, Arley Kangas, Frank Karwoski, Joe Keller, Rod Keogh, Andy Ketter, Dave Ketter, Horace “Pip” Koehler, Bob Kohout, Vern Kohout, Vic Krause, Earl Kuper, Ocky Larsen Sr., Mike Larson, Tony Lavorato, Rick Lewis, Al Libke Jr., Bob Lightfoot, Bryce Lilly, Chuck Loete, Jim Lopez, Larry Loughlin, Bob Maguinez, Mel Manley, Harry Mansfield, Al Manter, Floyd Marcusson, Larry Marshall, Vic Martineau, David Mathews, Allan Maul, Neil Mazza, Doug McArthur, Frank McCabe, Ed McCoy, Barney McFadden, Bob McGuire, Art McLarney Sr., Jack McStott, Pete Mello, Lornie Merkle, John Milroy, Dave Minnitti, Phil Misley Jr., Joe Mlachnik, Bill Moe, Gary Moore, Vern Morris, Frank Morrone, Dave Molitor, Jimmy Mosolf, Ford Mullen, Bill Mullen, Bill Murphy, Stan Naccarato, Jim Neeley, Bruce Nichols, Harry Nygard, Clyde Olson, Marion Oppelt, Gus Paine, Dick Palamidessi, Bill Parker, Craig Parks-Hilden, Don Paul, Roger Peck, Jim Pelander, Al Pentecost, Cap Peterson, Randy Peterson, Aaron Pointer, Gilly Portmann, John Pregenzer, Bill Ralston, Larry Rask, Jim Rediske, Fred Rickert, Marv Rickert, Jim Robinson, Rance Rolfe, Pat Rooney, Duane Rossman, Ernie Ruffo, Frank Ruffo, Pete Sabutis, Joe Salatino, Cliff Schiesz, Hal Schimling, Dick Schlosstein, Ken Schulz, Marv Scott, Don Semmern, Hank Semmern, Bill Sewell, Doug Sisk, Otto Smith, Bob Snodgrass, Joe Spadafore, Ray Spurgeon, Ron Staples, Con Starkel, Kevin Stock, Wes Stock, Ron Storaasli, Mic Stump, Jack Tanner, Morry Taylor, Elmer Thiel, Frank “Bush” Tobin, Erling Tollefson, Rudy Tollefson, Bill Turnbull, Art Viafore, Chuck Viafore, Heinie Vogel, Dave Voss, Stan Wallace, Carl “Kak” Wasmund, Pat Weber, Phil Westendorf, Russell White, Russ Wilkerson, Ray Wing, George Wise, Steve Whitaker, Mike White, Paul “Doc” Wotten, Roy Young, Ed Yusko, Bill Zenk Jr. and Mike Zenk.

Fastpitch Softball—Doug Adam, Don Anderle, Mickey Bartels, Keith Bauer, Ken Bauer, Jay Beach, Gordy Bendick, Betty Rowan Bland, Lloyd Blanusa, Hal Blumke, Bill Boyer, Wally Brebner, Glen Collins, Mary Jane Bramman Cooper, Merle “Butch” Corbin, Frank Davies, Glen Davis, Dave Demick, Tony DeRosa, Esther Deuel, Marian Ricono Dubois, Bill Dunham, Ron Fawcett, Bob Frankowsky, Vern From, Lloyd Glasoe, Pete Guthrie, Trish Hackett, Mike Healy, Jack Hermsen, Les Holtmeyer, Gene Horan, Bobby Howard, Hank Jarvits, George Karpach, Pat Kelly, Tom Kenyon, Mike Koppa, Art Lewis, Fran Luhtala, Kermit Lynch, Earl Mahnkey, Don Maitland, LaVerne Martineau, Louise Mazzuca, Roger McDonald, Dick Milford, Darron Nelson, Lowell Nelson, Shirely “Mac” Olsen, Dan Oliver, Darvee Olsen, Dean Pitsch, Bill Potthoff, Woodrow Red, Bosco Reopelle, Lou Rickenbacker, John Rockway, George Roket, Bill Ruehle, Peggy Moran Ruehle, Harry Rush, Ed Sabol, Delores “Dee” Sagmiller, Larry Slovek, Ken Stancato, Pat Strachan Stavig, Gene Thayer, Leonard Thomas, Tommy Thomas, Bud Thomsen, Cleon Tungsvik, Ron Vandegrift, Alec Watt, Dick Webster, Gertrude Wilhelmsen, Joyce Jones Wolf, Phil Yant, Dick Yohn, Cot Zehnder, Bill Zenk Sr., Margaret Zepeda, Bob Zurfluh, Don Zurfluh, and Tom Zurfluh.

Slowpitch Softball—Doug Armstrong, Dave Benedict, Kay Bentley, Earl Birnel, Dave Bishop, Mel Burrell, Carlos Canty, Jan Chase, Todd Cooley, Ken Deforrest, Bill Fleener, Cal Goings, Nancy Craig, Dick Halleen, Margaret “Maggie” Heinrick, Kathy Hemion, Whit Hemion Jr., Jerry Henderson, Nancy Jerkovich, Ken Jones, Joe Kilby, Joe Kreger, Brett Kreuger, Ken Laase, Jim Lane, Lynn Larson, Lloyd Livernash, Peg Loverin, Dan Lowery, Dan Luhtala, Marco Malich, Ron Mattila, Art McLarney, Sandy Molzan, Dick O’Brien, Trena Page, Vicky Panzari, Butch Pasquale, Jim Petersen, Darleen Peterson, Gordy Pfeifer, Louise Rota, Linda Rudolph, Dick Samlaska, Jack Scott, Steve Shackett, Joe Stortini, Jerry Thacker, Ken Schulz, Margaret Steeves, Alice Textor, Phyllis Textor, Terry Trowbridge, Dan Valentine, Rich Van Dyk, Sue Vincent, Bill Wheeler, Dave Wilsie, Bill Winter, Jan Wolcott, Jim Wolcott, Joyce Wolf, Bob Young and Dick Zierman.

Broadcasters & Sportswriters—Rod Belcher, Ed Bowman, Stan Farber, Jerry Geehan, Don Hill, Ed Honeywell, Nelson Hong, Clay Huntington, Gary Lindgren, Earl Luebker, Elliott Metcalf, Tom Page, Art Popham, Bob Robertson, Art Thiel, Dan Walton, and Karen Westeen.

Umpires—Ron Adams, Joe Bailey, Hal Berndt, Bob Corbin, Clarence Dean, John Everett, Rick Fox, Ron Grassi, Paul Gustafson, Dick Hassan, John Heinrick, John Holliday, Bob Huegel, Joey Johns, Dave Kerrone, Ken Laase, Bruce Ledbetter, Rick Lewis, Steve Liptrap, Ted Lopat, Lornie Merkle, Dave Minnitti, Frank Morrone, Ken Murrie, Jim Oleole, Fran Pinchbeck, Gerald Redburg, Chuck Ruth, Ron Shaw, Clarence Stave, David Van Hulle and Jerry Woods.

Sponsors—Jim Bartle & The Haven Pub, Frank Baskett/Baskett Lumber Co., B & I Sports and Ron Irwin, Darold Billings/Billings Electric, Cammarano Bros., Inc., Ben B. Cheney/Cheney Lumber Co., Wes & Dodie Drake/Wes’ Super Mart, Rufus “Boots” Christian/Pacific Mutual Fuels, Harry Esborg/Hollywood Boat & Motor, Jerry Foss & Wested Tire, Ples Irwin/Irwin-Jones Motors, Don & Rita Kitchen/ Schooner Tavern, Spud Hansen/Spud’s Pizza Parlor, St. Ritas’s Church/Sons of Italy, Len Manke & Cloverleaf Tavern, Malcolm Soine & Soine’s Shoes, Tacoma Elks Club, Charlie Thomas/The Wolfpack, Mike Tucci/Tucci & Sons, Washington Hardware, and Alden Woodworth/Woodworth Co..

2022 Previous Hall of Fame Inductees continued

TEAM RECOGNITION:

Teams not honored in: 2011, 2004, 2003, 2000, 1997, 1996, 1987–1989

2017

2002–1016 Tacoma Tugs 55+ Baseball Team: Jim Lopez, Dave Mathews, Marse McNaughton, Jim Moore, Marc Mullins, John Olerud, Bill Ralston , Steve Rapkoch, Dave Reynolds, Mike Slattery, Ron Staples, Mic Stump, Par Weber and Dan Wombacher.

2015

1978–79 Cody’s Tavern/Justus Cedar Homes Men’s Slowpitch

Team: Dick Zurfluh (manager-deceased), Jerry Archer, Jim Archer (batboy), Doug Armstrong, Mark Belvin, Mel Burrell, Dale Failey, Dan Greco (dec.), Jim Hadland, Tim Thonpson, Greg “Lumpy” Johnson (dec), Gary “Rhino” Jones, Wayne Knippel, Dan Luhtala, Larry Lynott (co-sponsor), Cody Miller (co-sponsor), Dave Roller, and Skip Thiel.

1970’s Coach House/Tacoma Office Supply Men’s Slowpitch

Team: Bob Allen, Clay Angle, Russ “Odie” Baker, Rusty Bass, Brian “Butch” Brenno (dec), Mark Bender, Mike Brown, Carlos Canty, Dave Carlisle, Al Carlson, Bob Cason, Dennis Collers, Steve Curran, Jim Darland, Bob Fagering, Scott Hanson (dec), Jerry Henkel, Marco Hernando (coach), Mike Holland, Bob Hyppa, Ron Jakes, Larry Johnson, Larry Joy, Dave Kancianich, Joe Kilby (dec), Ed Lowery (dec), Larry Marshall, Dick Marzano, John Marzano, Ed McGrath, Denny Miller, Tom Miller, Bob Mitchell, Bill Murphy, Monte O’Brien, Vern Olin (owner, Coach House Restaurant), Dale Reese, Mark Ross, Jim Ryan, Howard Schantz (owner, Tacoma Office Supply-dec), Art Scheetz, Denny Snell, Don Stewart (dec.), John Thoma, Bob Tibbits, Dick Tomko, Dave Vossler, Jim Warter, Frank Welcome (dec) and Rick Welfringer (dec).

2012

1975–81 BJ’s All Stars Women’s Slowpitch Team: Joyce Wolf (coach), Nancy Craig (assistant coach), Sue Carter, Mary Dengler, Melodie Fox, Debbie Gray, Wendy Hawley, Denise Hoober, Diane Irish, Pat Kearney, Linda Kays, Sandy Molzan, Suzy Neuman, Trena Page, Vicki Panzeri, Darleen Peterson, Sue Ray Harding, Louise Rota, Ardi Schrag, Sue Showalter, Alice Textor, Phyllis Textor, Yvonne Via, and Sue Vincent.

1976–80 Tacoma Firefighters Men’s Slowpitch Team: Ken DeForrest (coach), Bob Bender, Dave Carr, Tim Chandler, Dave Deskins, Ralph Guelfi, Jim Hook, Mike Krueger, Dick Moore, Bob Schierman, Gary Schiesz, Ron Stephens, and Dave Wilsie.

2010

1979PolarBearsFastpitchTeam: Dick Pollen (coach), Mike Konda (Assistant Coach), Connie Bridges, Margaret Cassidy, Peggy Ellis, Elaine Folgers, Jody Grace, Trish Hackett, Kris Lemon, Cindy Miller, Darvee Olsen, Debbie Osada, Kathy Pandrea, Terri (Pollen) Koberstein, Margaret Steeves, Vi Stewart and Lorie Timberman Mulhern.

1966–1983 Tony’s Wahzoos Women’s Slowpitch Team: Judy Alexander, Jan Chase (coach), Julie Christensen, Nancy Craig (Player/Coach), Karen (Hanson) Pelton (Player/Coach), Margaret Heinrick (Player/Coach), Gail (Adler) Carlson, Leslie Albert, Michelle (Armstrong) Foran, Lynda (Butt) Hodgkiss, Dar Cartwright, Meredith (Fry) Doran, Nancy Goodwin, Mary Hause, Sandy (Hanson) Lucich, Gayle Hazen, Shannon Heinrick, Paulette Hoover, Nancy Jerkovich, Laurie Jones, Kris Kade, Gretchen Kade, Teresa Kade, Patti Knight, Barb Kuni, JoAnne McCaffrey, Sheila Samuelson, Stephanie (Stiltner) Pinard, Lynette Tallman, Vicky Thompson, Sandy Turnley, Terry Veitz, Debbie Viafore, Patti (Vogel) Moffett, and Fran Wax.

2009

1949KStreetCityLeagueChampionshipTeam: Earl Birnel, Frank Bonaro, Frank Cey, Vic Martineau, Pete Mello, Dave Minnitti, Frank Morrone, Al Otto, Gus Paine (Mgr), Joe Paine (batboy), Larry Rask, Gene Ribar, Fred Rickert, Pete Sabutis, Dick Salatino, Joe Salatino, Cliff Schiesz, Hal Schimling, Ed Yusko, and Art Viafore.

1991People’sChurchUSSSAMen’sChurchAWorldChampions: Ron Coder, Tim Cutter, Dave Glenn, Jerry Henderson, Ivy Iverson, Dave Nusser, Owen Shackett, Steve Shackett (coach), Darrell Shively, Mike Stevens, Scott Stolzenberg, Dan Valentine, Ralph Van Dyk, Rich Van Dyk, Kurtis Wells, and Doug Weston.

2008

Wilson High School (1977) State Championship Baseball Team: Bob Lightfoot (head coach), Hank Jarvits (Assist. Coach), Henry Bender, Mike Cheesman, Howard Kimura, Jim Koenig, Ken Lamb, Tab Lively, Mike Maxwell, Fred Minniti, Don Pratt, Dennis Randall, Rich Rhoads, Alan Stoops, Mike Wiese, Greg Wooldridge, and Kari Rein (statistician).

2007

Manke&Sons(1974)Men’sFastpitchTeam: Lowell Nelson (mgr), Keith Bauer, Jay Beach, Bill Boyer, John Collins, Lloyd Glasoe, George Hunter, Hank Jarvits. Tom Marshall, Darron Nelson, Gene “Chico” Thayer, Ken Thomas, Tommy Thomas, and Ron Vandegrift. Lakes High School (1974) State Championship Baseball Team: Ed Hardenbrook (coach), Steve Anderson, Joe Betzendorfer, Scott Brunick, Jim Carberry, Jim Charboneau, Larry Corbin, Richard Hassan, Richard Hendrickson, John Higginbotham, George Hilbish, Tom Mann, Richard Martin, Jeff Mitchell, Gary Olson, Mike Reffner, Richard Rodewald, Bruce Roth, and Mike Wholey.

2006

1994

1954 Ben’s Truck Parks Fastpitch Team

1969 Tacoma Cubs Pacific Coast League Champions

1993

1957–1958 Woodworth Contractors Baseball Team

1965–1971 Heidelberg Men’s Slowpitch Team

1992

1937 Johnson Paint Baseball Team

1952 Irwin-Jones Dodgers Fastpitch Team

1991

1956 Stanley Shoemen AABC National Champions Baseball Team

1990

1945 Todd-Pacific Stores Machinists State and NW Region Fastpitch Champions

1961 Tacoma Giants Pacific Coast League Champions

Dill Howell Award Recipients

2017 Jim Nettles & Bill Ralston

2015 Nash Bishop & Ed Niehl

2012 Gary Petersen 2010 Tony Anderson 2009 Frank Colarusso

2008 Kevin Kalal

2007 Jim Kittilsby

2006 Doug McArthur & Baseball Tacoma Inc.

2005 Roy Murphy

2004 Don Danielson

2003 Joe Stortini

2002 Dick & George Pease

2001 Marv Scott 2000 Holly Gee

Robertson

Gottfried & Mary Fuchs Foundation 1997

Spud’s Pizza Parlor

Marc H. Blau Meritorious Award Recipients

2017 Whit & Shirley Hemion and Owen Shackett, Jr.

2015 Craig Lowry

2012 Jeff Buhr & Dick Pollen

2010 Tony Milan

2009 Harland Beery

2008 Bob Christofferson

2007 Gary Nicholson

2006 Clarence Seman

2005 Brad Spry, Gordon Spry, Louis Spry, and Steve Spry

2004 Jack Murphy

2003 Tony Anderson

2002 George Quigley

2001 Ken Wilson

2000 Bob Maguinez

1996–99 Not Awarded

1995 Joe Hemel

1994 Jerry Geehan, Don Hill, and Clay Huntington

1993 Tak Ikeda and Pat Steele

1991 Dr. Sam Adams, Dr. Robert Johnson, and Dr. Robert O’Connell

1992 Maurice Turnbull, Bill Turnbull, Dave Turnbull, Donald Turnbull, and Doug Turnbull

MARV SCOTT COACHES AWARD:

2017 Bob Lightfoot & Bruce Nichols

2015 Holly Gee & Marco Malich

2012 Andy Helling

2010 Merle Hagbo

2009 Roy Anderson

2008 Barry Crust

2007 John Heinrick

2006 No Recipient

2005 Bill Mullen

2004 Marv Scott

CY GREENLAW OLD-TIMERS SALUTE:

2017 Ted Lopat & Bud Thomsen

2015 Earl Birnel, Harry Nygard & Hank Semmern

2012 Vern Kohout

2010 Cliff Schiesz

2009 Dick Greco

2008 Pete Sabutis

2007 Dick Milford

2006 Pat Rooney

2005 Walt Jutte

2004 John Milroy

In Memoriam

May 31, 2017–March 20, 2022

Apologies

those who may have been overlooked.

Dill Howell Award

Named after longtime sport enthusiast, Dill Howell, the award in his honor is given an individual who exemplifies Dill Howell’s passion, commitment, and continued support for baseball in the Tacoma-Pierce County community.

Dillard (Dill) Howell was one of the original founders and directors of the Tacoma Athletic Commission which was established in 1943 to promote sports and civic betterment. And, the TAC is the longtime sponsoring organization of the annual Tacoma-Pierce County Baseball-Softball Old-timer’s banquet, an event that Dill worked on regularly.

Dill began his career in the sporting goods business in 1922 as a salesman at Kimball’s Sporting Goods and later became the store manager. In 1936 Kimball’s was sold and Dill founded Howell Sporting Goods which he operated until retirement in 1978. Howell Sporting Goods handled most of the athletic equipment and uniform needs for the area high schools as well as CPS and PLC and Dill was always very supportive of all local sports in the community.

Dill was very instrumental in keeping semi-pro baseball alive in the area and was actively involved in the organization and operation of the Tacoma City League, Industrial League, and Valley League over the years. In many respects, he was the glue that kept these leagues going, always helping the teams out with baseballs, uniforms, bats, gloves and much more. It was a commitment to the sporting community that he made on a consistent basis and it is because of this commitment that the Tacoma-Pierce County Baseball-Softball Oldtimers Association proudly recognizes Dill Howell on an annual basis with this award named on his behalf.

Dill Howell Award Recipients:

Ben Cheney, Rosy Ryan, Bobby Adams and Mikal Thomsen

Ben Cheney

Without Ben Cheney, Tacoma wouldn’t have the longest tenure of any franchise currently in the Pacific Coast League (now more generically called Triple-A West).

Over 60 years of longevity in the storied history of the Coast League became an impromptu reality in 1960. That’s when Cheney contributed $100,000 to join funding from the City of Tacoma and others to build a stadium in less than 100 days that would allow the San Francisco Giants Triple-A team to move from Phoenix. Using light towers and seats from Seals Stadium in San Francisco (the light towers still stand and there are a handful of the original box seats still around the area), the crew completed the stadium which has since featured Cheney’s name.

Dill Howell Award Recipients

The Cheney name had previously become synonymous with local sports as Ben Cheney used profits from his lumber business to start a charitable foundation and sponsor many youth and adult amateur athletic teams. Cheney sponsored dozens of teams in multiple sports, including some that advanced beyond local leagues to win national championships.

The Ben B. Cheney Foundation has been a long-lasting success and contributor to the communities in which the Cheney Lumber Company had mills. The foundation still provides support to a variety of athletic endeavors and many other causes and needs in the community.

Cheney was born in Lima, Montana in 1905. After his mother died, he moved to live with his grandparents in South Bend, Washington—on Willapa Harbor—at age 9.

After he earned a basic education in business, Cheney went to work as a stenographer at the Dempsey Lumber Co. for just $85 a month. In 1929, Cheney was hired by the Fairhurst Lumber Co. primarily as a wholesaler. In 1936, he founded the Cheney Lumber Company, establishing mills in Tacoma and Medford, Oregon. He standardized the production of 2-by-4 wall studs creating a more efficient sawmill process with less lumber waste. Many of the teams he sponsored

Ben Cheney—Baseball’s hero in Tacoma-Pierce County.

2022 Dill Howell Award Recipients continued

were known as the Cheney Studs, a name that continues today with a semi-pro baseball team in the area.

It was an earlier version of the Cheney Studs baseball club that was frequently competitive in the American Amateur Baseball Congress national tournament. After placing second a couple of times, the Studs won the national championship in 1960. Cheney made that accomplishment possible with his financial support.

Many local teams and athletes went on to where Cheney-sponsored uniforms long after Ben Cheney died in 1971.

Today, a life-sized statue of a smiling Ben Cheney holding a bag of peanuts resides in a seat behind

home plate at Cheney Stadium.

“Tacoma is a much better place for his having passed through here,” Tacoma News Tribune sports editor Earl Luebker wrote after Cheney’s death.

Rosy Ryan

For nine years starting in 1951, Tacoma did not have a minor league baseball team. No pro team to cheer for local baseball fans.

But then in 1960, W.D. “Rosy” Ryan, who was a teammate of Babe Ruth with the New York Yankees in 1928, became an unlikely person to help bring minor league baseball back to Tacoma fans.

Rosy Ryan, Tacoma Giants General Manager, holds the trophy won by the Tacoma Giants in 1960, Class AAA winners of the National Association Attendance Derby with 270,0324 fans pouring through the turnstiles at Cheney Stadium.

It all began with a phone call from Ryan, who at the time was the general manager of the Phoenix Giants. Ryan called Clay Huntington, a Tacoma Athletic Commission director and told Huntington that if Tacoma would build a new stadium, the Phoenix Giants, a Triple A minor league team, would come to Tacoma.

That phone call started the construction of Tacoma’s “100-day Wonder.” Ryan›s proposal started the construction of Cheney Stadium, which was remarkably built in about 100 days. It took only three months and 14 days to complete the stadium, which was finished in time for the start of the April 16, 1960 opening game between the Tacoma Giants and the

CHENEY FIELD—TIGER BALL PARK—On August 18, 1952, Ben Cheney posed with a few of the dignitaries on hand to dedicate the ballpark purchased by Mr. Cheney for the city of Tacoma. He said, “The main thing I’m interested in is for the kids to have a decent place where they can play baseball and football or any of their other games.” The dignitaries on hand were, L-R, Robert B. Abel, Dill Howell, Clay Huntington, Mr. Cheney, Fred Henricksen, Tom Cross and Tom Lantz. Ben Cheney had exercised his option to purchase the former home of the Western International league baseball club, Tiger Ball Park, from the San Diego Padres. After annual rentals totalled the $42,500 sales price, title to the park would pass to the Metropolitan Park District. Mr. Cheney was wearing the uniform of the “Cheney Studs” team from Medford, Oregon, who played against the Tacoma city league champion Brewers. The Cheney Lumber Company logo of a “stud” horse was on the baseball diamond’s fence and Ben Cheney’s jacket.

Brad and Ben Cheney watch a game at Cheney Stadium.

The front office staff of the 1960 Tacoma Giants included L. to R.: Lew Matlin (Business Manager), Harry McCarthy (Ticket Manager), Rosy Ryan (General Manager), Tiny Starr (Concession Manager), Jim Kittilsby (Assistant Ticket Manager) and Mabel Hartford (Secretary).

Portland Beavers.

After bringing the team to Tacoma, Ryan became the general manager during the Tacoma Giants era through the 1965 season with the San Francisco Giants as the parent team. Under Rosy’s tenure, the Giants finished second in their first season and then won the Pacific Coast League crown in 1961 with a 97–57 record including a remarkable 57–10 record in the last half of the season, led by Most Valuable Player, Dick Phillips. In addition to the PCL championship, those first six seasons proved to be memorable for a variety of reasons. The “big” Giants played Tacoma in an exhibition game every year, showcasing numerous to-be Hall of Famers including Willie Mays, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, Orlando Cepeda and Willie McCovey. And numerous players advanced to outstanding major league careers such as pitchers Eddie Fisher and Ron Herbel, outfielders Matty and Jesus Alou, Jose Cardenal and Cap Peterson and infielders Jim Ray Hart, Tito Fuentes, Gil Garrido and Chuck Hiller among many. Tom Haller was a mainstay behind the plate for San Francisco and relief pitcher John Pregenzer gained a measure of notoriety with the creation of the John

Pregenzer Fan Club in the Bay area.

Ryan, himself, pitched in the major leagues from 1919 to 1933. While pitching for the New York Giants, he appeared in three straight World Series from 1922 to 1924. He picked up a win in a 3–2 victory against the New York Yankees to help the Giants win the 1922 World Series. With the Giants clinging to a 4–3 lead and with a runner on first base, Ryan struck out Babe Ruth. In another game, Ryan became the first relief pitcher to hit a home run in the playoffs.

Ryan pitched for the New York Giants from 1919 to 1924, the Boston Braves from 1925 to 1926, the New York Yankees in 1928 and the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1933. He finished his career with a 52–47 record and a 4.14 ERA.

Ryan was born in 1898 in Worcester, Massachusetts and died Dec. 10, 1980 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Bobby Adams

As the general manager of the 1969 Tacoma Cubs, Robert “Bobby” Adams put together one of the greatest teams in Tacoma AAA baseball history. The Cubs won the Pacific Coast League pennant that year, and 26 members of the roster went on to play in the major leagues.

Bobby was born Dec. 14, 1921, in Tuolumne, Calif., a small town in the Sierra Nevada Mountains east of Stockton. His propensity for baseball was soon obvious, and at the age of 24 he made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds on April 16, 1946. It was the first season in a solid 14-year major league career for Bobby as a third baseman and second baseman. In 1,281 games, he compiled a .269 batting average with 188 doubles, 37 home runs, 303 runs batted in and 591 runs scored.

Bobby spent nine seasons with Cincinnati, the first five as a backup despite hitting his personal single-season best .298 in 262 at-bats in 1948. Finally in 1951, Bobby earned the Reds’ starting job at third base, finishing the season with a .266 batting average. He followed that with his most productive season in 1952, leading the National League in games played with 154, at-bats with 637 and in singles with 152. He also put up career-highs in

hits with 180 and doubles with 25 and finished the season

Reviewing construction plans at the Casa Grande training complex for the Giants are l. to r.: Don Dittman, Ben Cheney, Rosy Ryan, Pat Boone and Jerry Geehan.

Bobby Adams enjoyed a 14 year major league career including ten seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, one with Baltimore and three with the Chicago Cubs.

“BREAK IT UP”: Two men in blue, Alex Salerno, right, and Paul Kelly, separated feuding players during a fourth-inning melee on the mound between the Rainiers and Giants last night at Sicks Stadium. The main participants were Johnny Pesky (22), Rainiers manager, and Eddie Fisher (without cap, facing camera), Giants pitcher. At left, wearing a jacket, was Elmer Singleton, Rainiers pitcher. Times photos by Vic Condiotty.

with a .283 average. In 1953, he scored a personal season best 99 runs while hitting .275 in 607 at-bats stretched over 150 games. On May 13, 1954, he hit a leadoff homer against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts, the only hit allowed that day by the eventual Hall of Fame inductee.

Bobby split the 1955 season between Cincinnati and the Chicago White Sox, played one season with the Baltimore Orioles in 1956, and finished his 14-year career by playing three seasons with the Chicago Cubs.

At the close of his career, Bobby spent time helping his young major league teammates hone their

craft, so it was no surprise when the Cubs offered him a coaching position and a spot in the club’s experimental College of Coaches.

In 1966, Bobby moved into the front office when the organization named him President of the Triple A Tacoma Cubs. He spent five years in that role, culminated by the team’s 1969 PCL championship. Among the players on that Cubs squad were Aaron Pointer, Mike White and Bobby Gene Smith, who made Tacoma their home, and North Thurston High School graduate Darcy Fast.

After the Cubs moved their Triple A affiliate to Wichita, Kansas, at the start of the 1972 season, Bobby returned to coaching for the Cubs, retiring from a long and illustrious baseball career in 1973.

Bobby contributed significantly to a strong Adams family baseball legacy. His brother Dick played one season with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1947 and ten seasons overall in professional baseball and his son Mike, who played for the Tacoma Twins in 1972 and 1974, compiled 152 plate appearances over five major league seasons with three teams.

Bobby settled in Gig Harbor, where he passed away at the age of 75 on Feb. 13, 1997.

The Poodle Dog congratulates the Baseball-Softball Oldtimers for their commitment to America’s Pasttime. We enjoyed hosting your get-togethers in the 70s and 80s and invite coaches, players and fans to stop by again and enjoy great meals from our friendly staff.

Bobby Adams sells tickets to fans while Ben Cheney sells the popcorn.

2022 Dill Howell Award Recipients continued

Mikal Thomsen

A highlight of Mikal Thomsen’s upbringing in University Place in the 1960s was the opportunity to watch the Tacoma Giants play Triple-A baseball at Cheney Stadium.

After a successful business career, in 2011 Thomsen took on a much more involved role with the hometown team, leading the new ownership group of the Tacoma Rainiers. It was a fulfilling moment for him. When he was just 3 years old, according to the “family folklore,” Thomsen attended the inaugural game at the new Cheney Stadium in April 1960 with his father.

“I grew up going to games at Cheney, watching the Giants and the Cubs and the Twins,” Thomsen said in a story run in the Tacoma News Tribune. “It’s a dream come true to be part of the ownership group of my hometown team. Just wish my Dad had lived long enough to see it.”

Thomsen, who graduated from Curtis High School in 1974 and WSU in 1979, began working for McCaw Communications’ cellular division in 1982. He founded Pacific Northwest Cellular in 1992. After a series of acquisitions and mergers, Thomsen became the COO of Western Wireless in 1994 and Voice Stream in 1996.

Thomsen, who has two sons and lives with his wife in Bellevue, serves on nine boards. That includes the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. He is also on the

Board of Governors of the Washington State University Research Foundation. As the CEO and leader of The Baseball Club of Tacoma—a 15-person group of Tacoma Rainiers owners—Thomsen is driven to make it fun for the fans.

“Success, to me, is making this the best baseball stadium it can be and the best fan experience it can be,” Thomsen said.

Thomsen is experienced in owning sports teams. He was part of an ownership group of the Seattle Sonics, the former NBA team. He was also part owner of the Walla Walla Sweets, an amateur baseball team in the West Coast League.

Kris Negron shows off the trophy as he led the Rainiers to the Triple A-West crown in his first season as a manager. On the right, leading the cheers are owner Mikal Thomsen and team president Aaron Artman.

Mikal Thomsen, owner of the Tacoma Rainiers, surveys the scene of the newly renovated Cheney Stadium prior to the start of the 2011 season.

Thomsen enjoys the 2015 World Series.

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Marc H. Blau Meritorious Service Award

Ask any of our “Old-Timers” and they will say—Nobody in Tacoma or Pierce County has done more to perpetuate the organization than Marc Blau. It is fitting that a Meritorious Service Award should bear his name. His volunteer efforts have gone above and beyond.

A TAC member since the 1980s, Marc has channeled his passion for sports by focusing on working on several projects that help to embrace the history of sports in our community and highlight the athletic achievements of our past sports heroes.

He teamed up with Clay Huntington as the driving force behind the creation of the Shanaman Sports Museum of Tacoma-Pierce County which opened in 1994 at the Tacoma Dome; he was chairman for over 10 years of the TacomaPierce County Baseball-Softball Oldtimers Association and instrumental in numerous team reunions; he is chairman of the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame: he is the Executive Director for the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame; and he is chairman of the Banquet of Champions. He also authored, with co-author Doug McArthur, “Playgrounds to the Pros: An Illustrated History of Sports in Tacoma-Pierce County”, a book that captures the history of over 35 sports.

He is relentless in his pursuit to preserve our sports history and his volunteer efforts in doing so were the basis for renaming the Meritorious Service Award on his behalf. Upon further review, he’s been more than relentless! “Driven” might be a more appropriate word.

Meritorious Service Award Recipients—

Gary Brooks and Sandy Mollzan

Gary Brooks

Gary Brooks had an up-close baseball experience as a pitcher at the University of Puget Sound in the early 1990s. Then he got another up-close view of the sports world, as a writer on the award-winning sports staff of the Tacoma News Tribune through the end of 1998. He coordinated the TNT high schools coverage for a few years, worked as Larry LaRue’s primary backup on the Seattle Mariners beat and wrote a baseball Q&A column called Ask Brooksie.

With the emergence of the internet, to start 1999 Brooks became the Major League Baseball editor at CBSSportsLine.com, which at that time was the content provider and site manager for MLB.com before Major League Baseball created its own advanced media team. For the All-Star games, playoffs and World Series, Brooks traveled and wrote for MLB. com. That put him in the clubhouse at Yankee Stadium when the champagne was being sprayed and players were celebrating after the New York Yankees swept the Atlanta Braves in the 1999 World Series.

In 2000, he left sports journalism to work at Russell Investments. Eventually, he became a Certified Financial Planner and, since 2008, has owned a financial advisory practice. But he didn’t stay away from the inside view of baseball for long.

Marc H. Blau Meritorious Award Recipients

2022 Gary Brooks Sandy Mollzan

2017 Whit & Shirley Hemion

Owen Shackett, Jr.

2015 Craig Lowry

2014 No Banquet

2013 No Banquet

2012 Jeff Buhr & Dick Pollen

2011 No Banquet

2010 Tony Milan

2009 Harland Beery

2008 Bob Christofferson

2007 Gary Nicholson

2006 Clarence Seman

2005 Walt Jutte

2004 Jack Murphy

2003 Tony Anderson

2001 George Quigley

2000 Ken Wilson

2000 Bob Maguinez

1996–99 Not Awarded

1995 Joe Hemel

1994 Jerry Geehan

Don Hill

Clay Huntington

1993 Tak Ikeda

Pat Steele

1992 Dr. Sam Adams

Dr. Robert Johnson

Dr. Robert O’Connell

1991 Maurice Turnbull

Bill Turnbull

Dave Turnbull

Donald Turnbul

Doug Turnbull

Since 2006, Brooks has been an official scorer for the Tacoma Rainiers. He splits duties with other scorers, now working a limited set of games each year just to have a reason to keep going to the ballpark. The official scorer keeps the record of the game and makes decisions regarding hits vs. errors, unearned runs, and other rules for how plays are scored. Occasionally, that leads to differing views with a manager or player, some less pleasant than others.

A 1990 graduate of Battle Ground High School, Brooks has been a frequent writer/editor of programs and website content for events like this one. He is a member of the executive board of the Shanaman Sports Museum of Tacoma-Pierce County. He was also a contributing writer for the book “Playgrounds to the Pros— An Illustrated History of Sports in Tacoma and Pierce County.”

Brooks is a lifetime member of the Tacoma Athletic Commission and a member of the TacomaPierce County Baseball-Softball Oldtimers Association event committee. He’s also a member of selection committees for the Tacoma Athletic Commission’s Distinguished Achievement Awards and the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame.

A former sportswriter for The News Tribune, Gary is one of the official scorers for the Tacoma Rainiers.

2022 Meritorious Award Recipient continued

Sandy Molzan

In her 30s, Sandy Molzan had a full-time job at Cheney Lumber and was an accomplished softball player, playing third base for national tournament caliber teams. She had plenty going on, but the late 1960s and early 1970s were also an emerging time for female sports opportunities.

To help give more girls and women a chance to play, Molzan carved out time after her Cheney Lumber work to be a recreation supervisor for women and girls programs at the Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department.

Working late afternoons, evenings and weekends, she organized events, scheduled officials, ran instructional clinics, supervised rec-league play and made sure things were done right. During this time, Title IX was passed, providing equal funding for girls’ athletic programs in the schools shifting some of the play from rec leagues to the new WIAA state high school system. With competitive opportunities expanding for women and girls, Molzan participated as an official for local volleyball matches and basketball games. She rose to a national rating as a girls, women’s and college basketball referee.

Molzan, a 1954 graduate of Stadium High, competed on the basketball court and softball fields for many years as well. She was a member of a Cheney Lumber basketball team that was a state qualifier. In fastpitch and slowpitch softball, she played for several teams from the mid-1950s until the early 1980s. First for Darigold, then Hollywood Boat & Motor, before joining the Cage Tavern team in 1965. That team became the first from the area to play in a women’s national tournament, traveling by bus to Omaha, Nebraska. Later, Molzan was a standout on the Creekwater Dispensary team that also went to a national tournament. Over the years, she also played for Spud’s Pizza Pete, B&E Tavern and B.J.’s All-Stars. She frequently received all-star awards at major tournaments. She was a tough competitor on the field and appreciated by many for her efforts off the field as well. That is why she is recognized with the Marc Blau Meritorious Service Award.

1995 OMT SLOWPITCH TEAM—

Back row l. to r.: Shirley Hemion, Donna “Yaki” Kerns, Vicky Miller, Rhondi Adair, Lisa Barron, Alesia Williams, Julie ?, Trena Page, Cathy Swanson, Chris Phillips, Stephanie Rezentes, Teddi Bottiger, Patty Blanchard and Whit Hemion. Front row l. to r.: Unidentified, Kathy Hemion, Becki Wetli, Kathy Kinnaird, Laurie Callahan, Cathy Percy, Wendy Tibbs and Carol Auping.

1966 SPUD’S PIZZA PETE SLOWPITCH TEAM Front row l. to r.: Rick Turnley, Sandy Molzan, Shirley Mazzuca, Sam Turnley, Virginia Gilson, Yvonne Via, Norma Vittori, Laura Herbert and unknown. Back row l. to r.: Spud Hansen, unknown, Jan Chase, Della Meyers, Joyce Wolf, unknown, Jodi Bisak, Alice Jacobson, Nancy Craig, Maggie Heinrick and unknown.

Sandy Molzan played the “hot corner” with stellar defense in a fastpitch and slowpitch career that spaned from the 1950’s thru the 1970’s.

Marv Scott Coaches Award

Little did Tacoma City League fans know that they were in for a rare treat indeed, with the ball diamonds of the 40’s and 50’s influenced by Marv Scott whose positive coaching style affected numerous athletes.

A graduate of Stadium High School, Marv toiled at the hot corner for the Tacoma Tigers of the Western International League for the 1946 season, compiling a .283 batting average but Marv’s calling was to teach and coach and the next year he was back at his alma mater, serving as head coach for the Tigers of Stadium from 1947–57.

Scott then moved on to Wilson high to coach the Rams when that school opened up in 1958 and he remained the varsity coach through the 1967 season with several City League titles under his belt. Already involved as a part-time scout, Marv then went into it full-time, spending 25 years as a scout with the New York Mets, earning World Series championship rings from 1969 and 1986.

Joe Stortini who played against Marv and later coached with him at Wilson recalled, “I really admire how he managed his time. If it rained he never wasted a turnout opportunity. We’d go into the gym and he’d spend an hour explaining the finer points of the game. He was a real perfectionist when it came to baseball. Coach also felt that the first thing players needed to do was to learn how to hold a bat and bunt. He always said that if you could learn to bunt you would be a better hitter. In fact, a lot of his teams would win games even though they would not get the ball out of the infield.”

“Marv would have been a great National League coach because he loved the small ball concept of moving the players along with the short game. His teams were always well drilled and they loved to bunt,” said Stortini.

Joe concluded, “What impressed me the most was not only how well-prepared he was, but that he made sure his boys were, too. He was pretty even-tempered and he would never embarrass a player. If he was mad, he would take the player aside from everyone, have a one-on-one conversation, and create an understanding between both of them. I marveled at how he dealt with the players.”

Denny Brand played for Marv at Wilson in the mid-60’s and vividly recalled, “Coach could spot talent better than anyone ever knew. He was what I would call ‘a man’s man’ and you just wanted to do well for him, play hard, hustle, and not let him down. He shared his knowledge and taught us to respect the game. If we made an error we still came off the field with our head up. If we struck out, we hustled back to the dugout. He taught us to be glad for the opportunity to be playing baseball and to realize that no one was bigger than the game. We were in awe of him,” commented Brand.

Joe Stortini, still actively playing Senior Softball summed it up appropriately when he said, “When I look back at high school coaches, I realize how lucky I am that I got to play for Bill Mullen and coach with Marv Scott. Without a doubt they were the best and they certainly don’t make coaches like Marv Scott anymore.”

Marv Scott Coaches Award Recipients: Barry Aden, Dennis Mullens, Joyce Wolf and Roy Young

Barry Aden

With more than 1,100 wins in a 30-plus-year coaching career, Barry Aden has left a mark on countless local semiprofessional players.

Born July 12, 1961, Aden was a three-sport star at Liberty High School in Renton, earning six total letters across football, basketball, and baseball. He earned All-KingCo honors as a pitecher his senior season before graduating in 1979. Aden continued his playing career in both baseball and basketball at Centralia College. In 1980, the St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the eighth round (No. 188 overall) of the draft, but Aden declined to turn pro. The following year, the Cardinals picked him in the second round (No. 33 overall) and offered a $40,000 signing bonus, but he again declined to sign and instead enrolled at Eastern Washington University.

Aden earned second-team all-con ference honors his fi nal season at EWU despite suffering a ruptured elbow ten don. His playing ca reer continued in the Western International League and Pacific International League, where he compiled a 100–32 record in a lengthy career span ning 1980–2007. Dur

Marv Scott Coaches

Award Recipients

2022 Barry Aden

Dennis Mullens

Joyce Wolf

Roy Young

2017 Bob Lightfoot

Bruce Nichols

2015 Holly Gee

Marco Malich

2014 No Banquet

2013 No Banquet

2012 Andy Helling

2011 No Banquet

2009 Roy Anderson

2008 Barry Crust

2007 John Heinrick

2005 Bill Mullen

ing the 1995 MLB player’s strike, Aden briefly donned a Mariners uniform as a replacement player. He compiled 13 innings in 11 appearances.

While Aden’s playing career stands among the best of Puget Sound area athletes, it’s been as a manager that he has truly excelled. Across multiple teams and more than 30 years, Aden has compiled a 1,128–445–6 record—an outstanding .714 winning percentage.

Among the highlights of Aden’s managerial career included three National Baseball Congress World Series championships with the Seattle Cheney Studs, claiming the title in 2013, 2015, and 2019. He has managed the Seattle Studs, Tacoma Timbers and Seattle Cheney Studs to a fifth place or higher finish 13 times at the NBC World Series since 1992. His record at the NBC World Series is 88–45, qualifying for the NBC

World Series 25 times and finishing second five times.

Aden’s teams have won the Pacific International League championship 21 times and the Kamloops International Tournament title 13 times. Finally, he coached baseball at Liberty High, his alma mater, from 1985–95, compiling a 107–82 record and being named Seamount League Coach of the Year three times.

His tremendous coaching impact has earned Aden numerous hall of fame honors, including induction into the Hall of Fames of the National Baseball Congress (2011), Grand Forks Invitational Baseball Tournament (2012) and National Semi Pro Baseball (2014).

Dennis Mullens

Before decades as a coach and official in Pierce County, Dennis Mullens grew up in a town of his own name with a high school just the same. Mullens, West Virginia is a small mountain town in southwestern West Virginia. The town still exists, although it was nearly destroyed by flooding in 2001, but Mullens High School does not. It was merged into another in the 1990s.

Dennis Mullens graduated from Mullens High in 1968, eventually landing in Tacoma. Much of the time since, he has been on a softball diamond, basketball court or football field. Mullens has earned the Marv Scott Coaches Award for a career that started in 1980 with a Pierce County Parks and Recreation team called The Misfits. Mullens has been a player/coach for most of the past 40+ years and hopes to carry on many more.

The Misfits started a long line of league and tournament champions under Mullens. The Misfits qualified for national tournaments in 1984 and 1985 out of the C Metro ASA League. They won the top-level co-rec league at Pierce County Parks five times. In 1986, Mullens’s team was the first Metro Parks modified fastpitch

team to win the Fall league.

In 1993, Mullens started the first of several versions of a team called No Fence Too Far. The first ilteration of the squad played in the Pierce County C League, winning six league titles. A senior team followed that won the Pierce County Parks Half Century Plus Slowpitch League for five straight years. The Senior 50–60 age group A version of No Fence Too Far won five state senior tournaments from 2006 through 2014 and placed second twice. Players on those teams included: Tom Shaw, Tony Gagliardi, Karl Knable, Arnie Ikel, Ralph Tipton, Tom Palmer, Ron Matilla, Tully Swanberg, Skip Baebler, Dan Lowery, OJ Moe, Ken Laase and Earl Snell. The Senior team placed second in two world tournaments, 2012 and 2015, playing as a Major Team (SSUSA).

In 2010, playing in the first open senior league (SSUSA) at the RAC in Lacey, No Fence Too Far went 28–2 to win the league. No Fence Too Far won tournaments in Yakima and Wenatchee and has gone to Bullhead, Arizona for 14 years as a Major team (SSUSA), placing first six times.

In 2021, in the 70 and over group, No Fence Too Far won the championship game of the Bullhead tournament 15–0 in 5 innings. Players on that team included: Mike Spellman, Mike Moeller, Mike Ryan, Jim Glockner, Rick Littlejohn, OJ Moe, Tom Shaw, and Ralph Wyman.

When not swinging for the fences, Mullens often had a whistle in his mouth. He has refereered football for 44 years. He was the white hat (head referee) for the 2002 4A state championship football game. Mullens was the 2015 recipient of the Connelly Law Offices Excellence In Officiating Award for football. He has officiated basketball just as long, working nine WIAA state tournaments. Mullens has also been a long-time umpire for SSUSA, ASA, NSA and USSSA games.

No Fence Too Far 55 & over slowpitch team—Front row l. to r.: Tom Shaw, Karl Knabel, Skip Baebler, Ralph Tipton and Arnie Ikel. Back row l. to r.: Dennis Mullens, Tulley Swanberg, unknown, Tony Gagliardi, Ron Mattila, Tony Brock, Jeff Highum and Harlan Ward

Manager Barry Aden accepts the National Baseball Congress World Series championship trophy following the Seattle Cheney Studs’ 5–4 victory over the Cheney Diamond Dawgs in 2019. The team was led by outfielder Henry Cheney, the grandson of Ben Cheney, who founded the Studs in 1954. Henry led the team with a .429 batting average and scored what would be the game-winning run, ultimately being awarded the MVP trophy.

2022 Marv Scott Coaches Award Recipient continued

Joyce Wolf

Joyce (Jones) Wolf started coaching slowpitch softball in 1972, and for the next 10 years her Tacoma/Pierce County teams thrived in elite-level competition in both the Northwest and on the national stage.

That is why Wolf, who died Aug. 14, 2020, at age 90, is receiving the Marv Scott Coaches Award this year.

In one five-year stretch, Wolf’s teams won 235 games and lost only 29. In her first three years as coach, when Wolf was recruiting top players and her City League sponsors changed three times, her team won 151 games and lost 19.

Not bad for a player who graduated in 1949 from Stadium High School, where she was a competitive swimmer and diver, and almost immediately joined the Pacific Mutual Fuelerettes, a fastpitch team full of young women who “lived and breathed softball,” in Wolf’s words. Telli Pagni, then Frank Cey, the father of former Los Angeles Dodgers great Ron Cey, was their coach.

In her seasons with the Fuelerettes, who annually provided some of the top individual and team talent the in local circuit, Joyce got used to winning. The 1949 squad placed third in the state tournament. In 1950, Wolf and many of the same players were on the Tacoma Orphans, so named because they couldn’t find a sponsor. A year later, Wolf was back with the Fuelerettes as the team built a 15–1 record and won the county softball championship.

Joyce went on to play two seasons with Tacoma’s PVT Rustlers and three seasons with Hollywood Boat & Motor, the latter of which played in a travel league with teams from Vancouver, B.C., Portland, Utah, California and Arizona.

When she switched to slow-

pitch in the 1960s, her first team was The Cage Tavern (1965–66). It became the first Tacoma team to play in the slowpitch nationals. Then she joined Spud’s Pizza (1967–71), before she started coaching.

In Wolf’s two years sponsored by the B&E Tavern, one year with Creekwater Dispensary and an eightyear run with BJ’s All-Stars (1974–81), she established her coaching credentials with her teams’ glossy records and by winning 19 out of 22 tournaments.

The Creekwater team qualified for the National Championships in Elk Grove, Calif., and two more of her teams qualified for nationals in the next six years. Those teams produced many stars. Catcher Phyllis Textor was MVP of Creekwater for regionals, one of five players on the regional all-star squad. Pitcher Pat Kearny had a microscopic ERA of 0.20.

Wolf recounted some of her teams’ exploits in writing.

“In 1975 we won four tournaments,” she wrote. “In a tournament in Aberdeen we won without a run being scored against us. I’m not sure, but I think that is some kind of record for slowpitch.”

Recounting 1975, she wrote, “We successfully defended our Northwest Regionals (title) played in Seattle. We placed four players on the All-Star team: Sue Vincent, Textor, Trena Page and Vicki Panzari.”

After the BJ’s team disbanded in the early 1980s, she coached one more year with B&I. Page and Vincent followed her there as players, and Page stayed on to play and coach B&I.

In her spare time, Wolf was a nationally rated basketball referee. She worked for the Park Board and also called games for UPS, PLU and Olympic College. She spent 37 years in Civil Service and two years in the Army at Fort Lewis. After retiring from the Civil

L. to R.: Joyce Wolf, super fan Harold Larsen, Sue Vincent and Nancy Craig of Creekwater Dispensary slowpitch team.

Second baseman Joyce Jones Wolf, infielder for Hollywood Boat & Motor, scoops up another grounder with ease.

2022 Marv Scott Coaches Award Recipient continued

Roy Young

Roy Young is working on his fifth decade as an influential coach in the Tacoma School District. A 1974 graduate of Mount Tahoma, where he was an infielder on the baseball team where he played for Dean Mellor and Ken Schulz, Young’s coaching career started in soccer and softball before settling in for an incredible stretch of longevity on the baseball diamond. Roy retired from teaching in September of 2021.

After graduating from the University of Washington in 1979, Young has spent the rest of his life coaching kids. He was the baseball coach at Tacoma’s Foss High School, a position he held from 1988–2017. Young’s effort has been evident in his influence on many players and also in the quality of the baseball facility at Foss, which has seen a transformation over the years on the bluff above the Cheney Stadium parking lot. Young picked up some turf skills with summer work on the crew at Cheney Stadium and Safeco Field under former head groundskeeper Bob Christofferson.

In 2008, the Washington State Baseball Coaches Association honored Young with the Don Freeman Award for dedication and commitment to high school baseball. In 2011, Young was inducted into the WSBCA

Hall of Fame. Now, he adds the Marv Scott Coaches Award to his résumé.

In an uncommon coaching pairing, Young has been a diving coach in the Tacoma School District for 40 years. In addition to his high school coaching responsibilities, Young also spent a dozen years running baseball summer ball teams (Tacoma Dodgers, Foss Legion). Roy coached 117 high school seasons, most of them in the Tacoma school district. He had 12 state champions in diving, 2 state titles (Connie Mack & Babe Ruth) in summer baseball with the Dodgers and coached 4 All-American divers at the University of Puget Sound.

Young’s spikes have also torn around the basepaths as a player. He was a member of the Tipton’s Carpet Service slowpitch team from 1976–80 and the Angelas and Pederson’s modified fastpitch teams from 1980–91.

Roy Young coached the Foss High school baseball teams from 1988–2017.

CY GREENLAW OLD-TIMER’S SALUTE AWARD

The “Cy Greenlaw Old-timers Salute Award” is named after one of our area’s most gracious and kindhearted individuals to ever set foot in a ballpark. And, as the first recipient of the Oldtimer’s Salute Award in 2003 it is only fitting to honor one of Tacoma’s true pitching legends!

A three-sport star at Kapowsin High School, Cy made a name for himself in the old Tacoma City League and played nine seasons in the minor leagues. In 1935 he was a member of the Tacoma City League champion Superior Dairy team coached by Ocky Haughland. In 1937, Greenlaw pitched for Johnson Paint of Tacoma which finished firth at the National Baseball Congress tournament in Wichita, KS.

In 1940 he played for Vancouver, B.C., in the Western International League before the he joined the U.S. Army in 1941 and after the war ended he joined the Tacoma Tigers of the Class B Western International League and was an 18-game winner in 1946, winning a 3–0 seven-inning no-hitter against the Yakima Stars at Tiger Park. In fact, Greenlaw is one of only 14 pitchers to ever throw a no-hitter in local professional baseball history. But his career was on the decline. After three seasons with Tacoma, he played three more seasons with Wenatchee before retiring from baseball in 1951.

Cy Greenlaw Old-timer’s Salute Recipients: Lloyd Blanusa, Kathy Hemion, Earl Hyder, George Grant, Dick Zierman and Mary Jane Bramman Cooper

Lloyd Blanusa

Perhaps the first thing you should know about Lloyd Blanusa is that Hall of Fame pitcher Pat Kelly considers Blanusa the greatest fastpitch softball pitcher of all time in Pierce County. That could tell you everything you need to know. But there’s much more to his story.

Born Sept. 13, 1928 near Buckley, Blanusa was a threesport star at Buckley High School (now White River). He earned all-conference honors in football, basketball, and baseball as a senior. Recruited to play football at College of Puget Sound, he instead joined the basketball team for two years. More importantly, though, he joined the Kappa Sigma fraternity and started playing intramural fastpitch softball.

After taking over as the team’s pitcher and leading the squad to a perfect record, Blanusa began his Tacoma playing career with Red Spot Electric. One year later, Tacoma’s top team—the Irwin Jones Dodgers—picked him up, and they went all the way to the state tournament semifinals. That began a run that qualified the team for nationals each of the next two years, although they only went one year, and featured Blanusa no-hitting Boise in the regional final in 1953.

CY GREENLAW OLD-TIMER’S SALUTE AWARD RECIPIENTS

2022 Lloyd Blanusa

Kathy Hemion

Earl Hyder

George Grant

Dick Zierman

Mary Jane

Bramman Cooper

2017 Ted Lopat

Bud Thomsen 2015 Earl Birnel

Harry Nygard Hank Semmem

A career move to the South Kitsap School District shifted Blanusa to a team in Bremerton for the next several years before returning to teach at his alma mater in 1957. The next seven years saw time with numerous Tacoma squads and quite the assortment of memorable games, but his teams could never quite make it back to nationals. Quick side note for perhaps the most memorable of those games—up 1–0 in the final inning of a game against Richland, Blanusa was called in from the bullpen as the closer when a missed call turned the final out of the game into the tying runner on first. The next batter powered one out of the park to turn the 1–0 lead into a 2–1 deficit. In the bottom of the inning, two quick outs set up a last chance, and Blanusa had the opportunity to go from goat to hero after the previous batter worked a walk. Unfortunately, it was not to be, as Blanusa popped out

Lloyd Blanusa pitched for Wood Realty in 1956.

Lloyd shows off that he can still fit into his 1950’s CPS letterman’s sweater.

to second base. But the umpire called it back on an illegal pitch, giving Blanusa another chance. He took advantage of it—in his own words, “Next pitch, right in my wheelhouse (I didn’t have a wheelhouse) and wow, it went way over the right field fence for a walkoff home run. My most memorable at bat in 22 years of playing softball.”

His desire to return to that top level took Blanusa to the Doghouse Restaurant team in Seattle in 1965. They made it all the way to the metro finals but fell 2–1 in 11 innings. However, the powerhouse Federal Old Line team picked him up, and he won two games at regionals enroute to the championship and a berth at nationals in Florida.

Overall, Blanusa totaled 22 years pitching in his fastpitch career, with 17 in Tacoma, three in Seattle, and two in Bremerton. His teams played in 11 Northwest Regional Tournaments and two national tournaments, and he is a member of the Northwest Hall of Fame and the Kitsap Hall of Fame.

But do you really think the greatest fastpitch pitcher in local history would only have career highlights on the diamond? Of course not. Blanusa took the head basketball coaching position at White River High School in 1972, and the following year he led the squad to the Class A State Championship. And he continues to put his athletic talents to use on golf courses around the area.

Kathy Hemion

One of the best female athletes in Tacoma history, Kathy Hemion graduated from Lakes High School and from Western Washington University. She went on to a successful coaching career at Pacific Lutheran University.

Born in Seattle on July 29, 1952, Hemion attended Lakes High School when girls sports were not as well accepted as boys sports. That has changed for the better since 1970, when Kathy graduated, but the lack of opportunities didn’t stop her from becoming a successful athlete.

Hemion competed in basketball, volleyball, field hockey, synchronized swimming and tennis at Western, but it was in basketball where she made her biggest mark. During her four seasons as a Viking, the team twice advanced to the AIAW national tournament, and as a result she is now a member of the WWU Athletic Hall of Fame.

After graduating in 1974, Hemion returned to her hometown where she picked up slowpitch softball, playing left-centerfield for numerous league and tournament championship teams during the summer months. Among that group were Spud’s Pizza, McKnight’s Foods, and B&I Sports. Her squads consistently won league and tournament titles and qualified for nationals, with a best finish of seventh place. In 1994, she was inducted into the USSSA Slowpitch Softball Hall of Fame in the state of Washington.

Hemion continued to play slowpitch softball until retiring from the sport in 2000. Besides softball, she was an active participant in local volleyball and basketball leagues. She came from a family of athletes, as her brothers Whit, Jr., and Jack were also top local slowpitch players, and their parents followed all of their children’s athletic exploits with joy, encouragement, and tailgating supplies.

Beyond her playing career, Hemion built a strong coaching resume. She led the Pacific Lutheran University women’s basketball program from 1975-85, coach-

A Lakes HS grad, Kathy Hemion was inducted into the USSSA Slowpitch Hall of Fame in 1994.

1951 Irwin-Jones Dodgers Fastpitch Team— Back row

l. to r.: Joey Johns, Dick Milford, Bill Bridges, Jack Hermsen, Bob Gunderson, Bob Frankowsky, Alex Watt, unknown and Lloyd Blanusa. Front row l. to r.: Wally Brebner, Ples Irwin, Doug Adam and Dick Salatino. Photo courtesy of Bob Gunderson.

2022 Cy Greenlaw Recipients continued

ing the team to a national tournament berth in 1980 and to an 18-win season in 1982. She also coached Lute volleyball for 10 years and softball from 1975–76, an era in which the game was of the slowpitch variety.

Hemion, who served as a collegiate basketball official for several seasons, retired in 2014 after 28 ½ years teaching Special Education in the Tacoma School District.

Earl Hyder

Born October, 15, 1932, in Nashville, Tennessee, Earl Hyder started making headlines as an all-city and all-state football player and an all-state baseball player at Lincoln High School, where he graduated in 1952. One of his high school highlights came on the gridiron, where he ran back an 82-yard punt for a touchdown with less than two minutes to go to claim the 1952 Turkey Day Game—along with the city, league, and state championships— with a 7–6 win over Stadium High School.

Hyder played amateur baseball in the area’s City, Sunset, and Valley Leagues for more than a dozen years. He was a key component on two teams that won American Amateur Baseball Congress National Championships and on another that finished second. He was also noted for hitting the first home run at Heidelberg Park when it first opened.

Hyder played center field on the 1956 Stanley Shoemen team that became the first club west of the Mississippi River to take the title, claiming state, regional and national championships that year. He was joined in that outfield by current TPC Hall of Fame members Bob Maguinez and Ron Storaasli, the trio arguably one of the greatest “homegrown” outfields to

play baseball in Tacoma. Hyder and Storaasli played at Lincoln High, while Maguinez prepped at Stadium. He had previously pitched a two-hitter to claim the league championship in 1955.

Hyder played 12 years with the Cheney Studs. In 1960, his two-run homer in the ninth inning against Detroit in the AABC title game won the national cham-

pionship, allowing the Cheney Studs to take home the trophy. He had 11 hits in 20 at-bats during the series, a .550 average, and he earned All-America honors that year. Sandwiched in between the title years was a second-place finish with the Woodworth Contractors in 1958.

Hyder continued his involvement in athletics by playing for the Lucky Lager slowpitch team that competed in the highly competitive Western Washington League as well as working as a baseball umpire and basketball official. He also worked as the City of Puyallup’s recreation director prior to retiring.

Earl Hyder holds a plaque commemorating the historic first home run hit at Heidelberg Park when it first opened in 1956. Looking on are Tom Cross, Clay Huntington and Stan Naccarato.

Earl Hyder hit the game-winning home run to propel the Cheney Studs to the 1960 AABC National Championships.

Cy Greenlaw Recipients continued

George Grant

George Grant was a twosport star at Stadium High School and University of Washington. Born March 13, 1938, in Everett, Grant graduated from Stadium in 1956 and UW in 1960.

Grant was a three-year letter winner in both baseball and basketball at UW, and he was also a team captain in both sports. He earned MVP honors on the baseball diamond with a batting average of .389. He received all-state recognition in high school and all-conference honors in college and spent three years playing in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Grant was the star shortstop on Stanley’s Shoemen of Tacoma and the Seattle Cheney Studs in 1956 and 1960, respectively, as each team claimed a national amateur baseball title. He went on to lead the Tacoma Plywood team to the national AAU Basketball championship in 1971, where he was named Tournament MVP. That makes him one of the few athletes to have made key contributions to national championship teams in multiple sports.

Grant was named among the 100 Best Athletes of the Century in Tacoma and the Top 60 in the history of the Washington Huskies. And he isn’t through adding to his list of achievements, as he’s continued to play shortstop in dozens of senior slowpitch softball games per season long into his eighth decade.

Dick Zierman

Dick Zierman was born on January 22, 1938 and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1956 where he was elected President of the Varsity Letterman’s Club his senior year. Dick was an all-around athlete for the Abes, competing on the football and basketball teams while also finding time to contribute to the track team’s success as well. In football, Zierman played end for Coach Norm Mayer’s team along with teammates Doug McClary, Herm Magnuson, Jerry Williams, Jim Jones and Harry Harper, the team’s leading rusher and scorer. He also coached and played in a recreation departmentsponsored flag football league and won five championships.

In addition to Dean’s Tavern, Dick Zierman also played slowpitch for Glo-Worm, West End Tavern, Players, Hi Hat, Schlitz, Wested Tire and with powerhouse Heidelberg for five seasons.

1953

His senior season, Dick and teammates Tom Knight (880-yard run) and Dwayne Rader (Mile run) shared tricaptain responsibilities on the track team, coached by John Sharpe. In fact, the trio competed at the state meet and lettered all three years for the Abes. As a senior, Dick won the Tacoma City League high jump championship, clearing 6’4” and qualifying to compete at the state track and field championships on the Washington State University campus in Pullman. Dick also ran the 120 High Hurdles and occasionally ran the half mile when Chuck Gilmur, the field events coach, asked him to fill in if a teammate was missing. At 6’4”, Dick was a valuable commodity on the basketball floor for the Lincoln five and he also played on the Bernie’s Men’s Wear AAU hoopsters club of 1958–59 in addition to playing for Western State’s 1972 County League championship team.

American Legion Post 138 Junior Team—The American Legion Post 138 team played in the Southwest Washington American Legion Junior Baseball tournament at Cheney Field in August of 1953. The local team was pitted against teams from Spokane, Yakima, and Bremerton to determine the representative in the state classic to be played the following week at Cheney Field. Back row l. to r.: Larry Pentecost, Phil Farmer, Tom Sonneman, Dick Peterson, Don Weber, George Grant, and Ed Faker, host city general chairman. Front row l. to r.: Russ Franzen (Coach), Bob DeRosa, Harding Roe, Jerry Maule, Mike Cranston, Ron Girdler, and Jim Degenstein (manager). Missing: Ron King and Walt Kaplin.

A football official for 21 years, Zierman’s allaround athletic skills were most evident on the diamond after high school. He played baseball, fastpitch and slowpitch softball and was a pitcher, catcher and outfielder. After playing for the Bernie’s City League baseball entry in 1957 he turned to slowpitch where he enjoyed considerable success as a sponsor, player and coach.

Slowpitch teams that Ziggy (aka Z-man) played for included the Glo-Worm, West End Tavern, Dean’s Tavern, Players and Hi Hat Cabaret teams, Heidelberg (five years), player-coach for Schlitz, and player-coach for Wested Tire, crowned the 1976 Western Washington League Champions.

Among his individual honors, he was a member of Fort Ord’s Army fastpitch championship club, MVP in the 1966 Metro Invitational, MVP of the Heidelberg Invitational in 1972, and was named to fourteen all-star teams as a player.

Dick’s love for outdoor activities was not restricted to the ballfields as golf, fishing and hunting were a close second. In fact, when in doubt, he could often

be tracked down at the Brunswick Tavern in Othello. One of his proudest moments was twice being elected Washington State President of Pheasants Forever.

In 1973 Dick joined the Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department overseeing the maintenance of the entire Sprinker Recreation Center complex and subsequently retired from Pierce County as the Superintendent of Facilities Maintenance after 27 years. He was the first person, along with his Sprinker maintenance crew, to put ice in the Tacoma Dome and manage it during the 1987 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships.

Married to Beverly for 55 years they own EZ Auto License & Title in Spanaway.

1969 HEIDELBERG SLOWPITCH TEAM—Front row l. to r.: Jerry Ehnat and Don Kitchen. Middle row l. to r.: Jerry Thacker, Ted Whitney, Dick Zierman, Dave Bishop. Jim Lane, Al Reil. Back row l. to r.: Ken Schulz, Dick Samlaska, Butch Pasquale, Gordy Pfeifer, Marco Malich, Bob Young, Terry Trowbridge and Mike Zenk.

Mary Jane Bramman Cooper

Mary Jane Bramman Cooper really was a girl in a boy’s world on the sandlots of Iowa. As a child aged 9–15, she honed her skills in sandlot hardball games playing against the best boys on the block.

To hear Mary Jane tell it, “My baseball days began on the sandlot. In the late 40’s I was fortunate to have a friend ask if I wanted to play ball with them. Our team was made up of working women and housewives… we were a motley crew! Annie Kauzlarich was a homemaker who pitched two games back-to-back with a no-hitter in regional play. She was short and stout and couldn’t run so she had to hit a triple to get on base—but she sure could pitch!”

“Mainly, I want to say how it was no comparison to the opportunities young girls have today. Once when we played in a tourney in Bremerton and the game went late, we had to drive for hours to get home because the Narrows Bridge was down. That made for a late night with work in the am. Nowadays I thoroughly enjoy watching the girls play

on television. How different things are!”

From 1942–1951, Cooper played fastpitch for teams in Iowa, Texas and Western Washington. Between the years of 1948–1951 she played in four Washington State Tournaments, three regional tournaments and several invitational tournaments, representing the Sumner Maids-Sumner Athletic Club in 1948 and 1949, the Tacoma Fuelerettes in 1950 and Pacific Mutual Fuels in 1951. Her team-high batting average always landed somewhere between .350–.400, and she helped lead her teams to three state tournament championships playing shortstop and centerfield. Cooper’s playing career ended in 1952 when she started to raise her family, but she found her way back into the game as a fastpitch coach in the early 1960s. She also received a plaque honoring her as the “Most Loyal Fan” of her grandson’s games, emblematic of her desire and commitment to support the sport any way she can. Born on May 18, 1923, Cooper is a native of Davenport, Iowa, and graduated from Clinton High School in 1940. She was inducted into the Fastpitch Softball category of the Tacoma-Pierce County Baseball-Softball Oldtimers Association in 2008.

Mary Jane played in four Washington state fastpitch tournaments with Sumner AC, The Tacoma Fuelerettes and Pacific Mutual Fuels.

Mary Jane’s family knew that as a .350 hitter in fastpitch she didn’t miss often which is why they are standing behind her… Smart kids.

The TAC supports sports and the youth of Pierce County, And the TAC Needs You

If supporting youth and sports in Tacoma-Pierce County is appealing to you, joining the Tacoma Athletic Commission should be a “priority”. No other sports-oriented organization in Pierce County ever has done more for our kids and their sports, and 2022 is the TAC’s 80th year of doing just that.

Nearly $5 million has been donated to schools, recreation departments, boys and girls clubs, deserving teams and individual athletes during that time thanks to TAC dues and special events staged by Commission members. Among the fund-raisers which the TAC supports or sponsors are the Banquet of Champions, the Shanaman Sports Museum of TacomaPierce County, the annual Golden Gloves amateur boxing show, and a TAC Golf Tournament.

In terms of honors and awards, the TAC conducts the High School Athlete of the Month Award ceremonies three times a year, selects both a male and female Athlete of the Year from those ranks (each receive TAC college scholarships) and awards the Clay Huntington Sports Communication Scholarship. The Dick Hannula Award is another TAC honor, given to the Amateur Athlete of the Year in Pierce County. Tonight’s induction of new members into the Tacoma-Pierce County Old Timers Hall of Fame is another TAC tribute to sports in our community.

If the TAC is destined to continue its efforts of support, it needs the help of civic-minded, sports-minded citizens like you. A TAC individual membership or a TAC Corporate/Business Membership is the ideal way to assist this worthwhile cause. An application below will enable you to join now. Or you may locate an application form on line at www.tacomaathletic. com. For information, contact TAC membership chairman Karyn Siegrist at 253-759-1124 or via email at karyntac@gmail.com.

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TAC MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Name

Phone_______________________________________________

Address____________________________________________

E-mail address__________

Individual Membership - $100, Corporate Contributions$250, $500, $1000, $2500, $5000. Enclose check.

Mail to: Tacoma Athletic Commission, Box 11304, Tacoma, WA 98411

2022 Hall of Fame Inductees

BASEBALL

Tony Barron

Tony Barron is the first Spanaway Lake High School graduate to ever play pro baseball. Born Aug. 17, 1966, in Portland, Barron graduated from Spanaway Lake in 1984. He attended Green River Community College and eventually transferred to Willamette University in Salem, Ore. He is also the first Willamette player to make the majors, drafted in the seventh round of the 1987 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played in their system through 1993.

Barron will best be remembered in the big leagues for a high-flying, diving catch that ended with his face making hard contact with the old-school Astroturf of Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium to help preserve a 2–1 for the Phillies. The catch is lauded among the best in baseball history and received heavy rotation on ESPN on the night he did it—July 31, 1997 and well beyond.

It was the highlight of his short major-league career, which lasted all of 210 plate appearances and 58 games— one with the Montreal Expos, the rest with the Phillies —but it was hardly indicative of Barron’s accomplishments in professional baseball. He was, in many ways, the archetype minor leaguer, playing from 1987 until 2002 in 21 cities and five countries. Everywhere he went, the results were the same—the man could hit.

Barron hit .284 in the big leagues, .291 overall in the minors, .296 in Triple-A and .292 in Double-A. He hit 199 career home runs— four of those in the majors—and stole 174 bases, but mostly he was gifted at getting on base, with a major-league onbase percentage of .329 and spent his career well over .350 in the minors.

Through the lens of modern advanced statistics, Barron was probably a better player than he was given credit for during his brief time in the ma -

jors. His 57 games for manager Terry Francona and the Phillies produced 1.8 wins above replacement (WAR).

“I have always said that if I came up 10 or 15 years later, it could have been different,” Barron said. “Especially with the Dodgers. They just always had guys who had been there forever and who just kept hanging around, so it was hard to get a chance.”

In fact, it was when one of those older players was traded late in the season—Philadelphia shipped Darren Daulton to the Marlins—that Barron got his biggest chance in The Show. That season was Barron’s last in the bigs, however, as he was the last cut from the team’s Major League roster the following spring, then suffered an ill-timed injury, and spent the next six years mostly at the Triple-A level and finally in Mexico, where he eventually called it a career. But first he had a spectacular 2000 for Monterrey, hitting .356 with 18 home runs and 93 RBI in 118 games—a career year regardless of level. When he stepped away from playing, he spent a year as a hitting coach in the Phillies organization, before returning to Pierce County.

“I was just so happy to play,” Barron said. “I would not trade nothing for it. I just loved going out there, playing, taking BP, being in the clubhouse, being around the guys… who wouldn’t love playing the game for 17 years?”

His wife Susan kept him going in the game despite the strain it sometimes placed on their family life.

“After five or six years you get frustrated, see guys get promoted ahead of you or whatever, you think about quitting and every time I would think about it, my wife would say, ‘Listen, how many guys out there would love to be where you’re at right now? Just keep doing it until it’s over and, right now, it’s not over. As long as I had a team to play for and was ready to play, I was on the plane, wherever they wanted me to go.”

Barron could always hit—.284 in the big leagues and .291 overall in the minors.

Tony Barron was the first Spanaway Lake HS grad to play in the major leagues.

2022 Hall of Fame Inductees continued

Henry Bender —As the Seattle Mariners struggled through their inaugural season in 1977, they looked to a local high school star to help bring about a brighter future. With their second round pick in the amateur draft (No. 52 overall) the Mariners selected Harry Bender from Wilson High School.

Bender had just finished a dominant senior season as the starting catcher at Wilson, leading the Rams to the 4A State Baseball Title with a championshipgame victory over Redmond 6–5 at Sick’s Stadium, the former home of the Seattle Pilots. One magazine ranked the Rams as the sixth-best high school baseball team in the country.

Bender, who was born Jan. 26, 1959, in San Diego, Calif., hit five home runs and threw out 24 wouldbe base stealers as the catcher for the Rams during his senior season. His performance earned all-city and all-state recognition, along with 1977 Tacoma Athletic Commission Athlete of the Year honors, and he quickly signed with the new hometown team and joined the Bellingham Mariners.

In Bellingham, Bender played 14 games, going 10-for-48 (.208 batting average) with two doubles, one RBI, one stolen base and four walks. Bellingham won the Affiliate Division and beat the Portland Mavericks in three games to win the NWL title. As a catcher, Bender had 85 putouts and 10 assists in 96 chances, a .990 fielding percentage.

The following year, Bender moved to the rookie league Butte (Mont.) Copper Kings of the Pioneer League. He appeared in 46 games at catcher and first base and went 39-for-146 (.267) with four doubles, three triples, three home runs and 19 RBIs.

Beyond the baseball diamond, Bender was also a two-way force for Wilson High School on the gridiron. He earned all-city honors three times as an offensive guard and twice as a linebacker.

Mike Brooks—Although Mike Brooks was grew up and attended college in Southern California, he’s made a major impact on baseball and softball diamonds in the South Puget Sound.

Born May 6, 1950, in Los Angeles, Brooks graduated from West Covina High School in 1968. That year, the Minnesota Twins selected him as a shortstop in the ninth round (No. 196 overall) of the amateur draft.

Brooks played the next eight seasons in the Twins’ farm system, making the 40-man roster in 1970 and 1972. He totaled 730 minor league games, hitting .265 (708for-2,676) with 297 runs, 100 doubles, 33 triples, 31 home runs, 307 RBIs and a .361 slugging percentage.

It was his baseball career that brought Brooks to Pierce County. He played 119 games for the Tacoma Twins, the AAA-affiliate of the Twins, during the 1972 season. Playing mostly third base, he hit .276 (121-for438) with 12 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 42 RBIS and a .333 slugging percentage.

Brooks again played in Tacoma during the 1973 season before he was included in a four-player trade on Oct. 11, 1973, that sent him to the Cleveland Indians organization. He played 222 games at the AA and AAA levels in the Indians’ organization from 1974–75. Across his eight-year professional career, Brooks was a three-time All-Star (1968 Gulf Coast Twins, 1969 St. Cloud Rox and 1971 Lynchburg Twins) and a two-time team MVP (1969 and 1971). Following his playing career, Brooks returned to the Pierce County area. Here he continued his playing career on the softball diamond

Henry Bender was a second-round pick of the Seattle Mariners in the 1977 amateur draft and played in Bellingham with future Mariner Dave Henderson.

Mike Brooks made his debut with the Tacoma Twins in 1972 as a slick-fielding infielder.

After eight seasons in professional baseball, Mike Brooks remained in Tacoma where has coached and offered hitting and fielding instruction for over 25 years.

and shared his experience with younger players as a coach and manager.

Brooks headed the University of Puget Sound Loggers baseball team for one season in 1985. He was the head coach of the Cascade Christian High School baseball team in 1997, guiding the Cougars to a fourthplace finish in the state tournament in Spokane after Cascade Christian went winless the season prior. He coached the Cougars to league, district and regional championships that season. He also served as the hitting coach at Corban University in Salem, Ore., in 2010.

On the softball diamond, Brooks played slowpitch as an infielder for Wested Tire (1976–77), Tacoma Slo Pitch (1978), Peoples Church (1979–82) and West Coast Awards (1983), reaching the national tournament with Peoples Church. He played modified fastpitch as an infielder and pitcher for Tacoma Modified (1984–85), The Heel (1988) and B&I Sports (1989), reaching the national tournament with all three teams.

Brooks continues to work as a baseball and softball instructor, working with Fastpitch Northwest since 2019 after previously starting and working at Puyallup’s Grand Slam USA (1993–96), Pacific Sports Center (1998–2000) and Pro Series Baseball Training (2000–20). He also coached baseball for the NW Timberjacks (1999–2017), Baseball Northwest (2001–11) and Team Northwest Baseball (2012–15). Brooks coached Team Northwest Baseball to the 15U Perfect Game MLK championship in 2014 and a third-place finish for 18U in 2012.

Gregg Leach —There are some athletes for whom just one sport isn’t enough. Gregg Leach is one of those athletes.

Born in Tacoma on Sept. 26, 1963, Leach was a three-sport star at Wilson High School. He played free safety on the gridiron, guard on the hardwood, and infield on the baseball diamond from 1980–82.

Leach twice earned all-league honors on the baseball diamond, as he led the team in hitting for the 1981 squad that finished second in the AAA baseball tournament. As a senior, he was voted Most Inspirational, and he’s since been inducted into the Wilson Athletic Hall of Fame. In club play during those years, he was named Most Valuable Player on his 32–0 16U team in 1980.

After graduating from Wilson, Leach stayed in the area to attend Pacific Lutheran University. At PLU, Leach hit .349 for his career, finishing with 93 runs, 135 hits, 26 doubles, 73 runs batted in, and 62 walks. Each of those marks ranked among the PLU all-time top-five when he graduated. Beyond individual numbers, Leach helped end a postseason drought and led the Lutes to the district playoffs his final three years, falling just short of qualifying for the NAIA World Series in 1985 and 1986. He was named the team captain and twice

earned first-team all-league honors.

Once his playing career wrapped up, Leach turned his attention to coaching. But once again, one sport was not enough. He has coached Spanaway Lake junior varsity baseball (1987–89), middle school basketball football and JV baseball at Montesano Junior and Senior High Schools (1989–91), Lincoln High JV volleyball (1994), Wilson High “C” team volleyball (1995–98, 2007–present), Wilson JV basketball (1995–96), “C” team for nine seasons and varsity from 2005–08, Wilson “C” team baseball from 1996–2005 and JV from 2006 to present.

Leach has also coached girls basketball at Wilson and was named Bridge Division Coach of the Year in 2007 after coaching the Rams to the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. Leach’s Rams won the Sumner 4A Holiday Tournament that season.

Jim Nettles —Jim Nettles had a five-decade career in professional baseball as a player, manager and coach. Born on March 2, 1947 and raised in San Diego, Calif., Jim was a fourth-round pick of the Minnesota Twins out of San Diego State in 1968. An outfielder and first baseman, the lefty swinger hit 16 home runs and drove in 57 runs in 587 major league at-bats spread over six seasons with the Twins, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics.

Jim made his major league debut with the Twins on Sept. 7, 1970, and he and his brother Graig homered in the same game on Sept. 14, 1974, when Jim was with Detroit and Graig was with the Yankees. They became the fourth brother duo to homer in the same game in major league history, and they rank 10th all-time among brother combinations with 406 major league home runs.

In 1989, he and Graig played together for the St. Lucie Legends and Bradenton Explorers of the Senior Professional Baseball Association. While playing Triple A ball in 1973, Jim hit .262 and clubbed 15 home runs for the Tacoma Twins. Among his teammates that season were Tom Kelly and Charlie Manuel, who would later manage the Minnesota Twins and Philadel-

A very rare photo of Jim Nettles hitting a home run—one of only 16 in his major league career. You find the baseball card and he is happy to sign it.