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January 21, 2008
Diamond Dandies Make
Mural Event Fabulous
By Doug Kimsey
For The Common
Without
question, historians would agree that, through the ages, key exports
of Portsmouth, Ohio, have been shoes, shoelaces, steel, pig iron
and, of course, baseball talent.
Dating back 100 years, to the turn of the 20th
Century, this lively river town with the rich history has produced
more than its fair share of prominent figures, contributing mightily
to our National Pastime.
Many – including Wheelersburg’s Gene Bennett, who is in
his 56th year in baseball – were toasted and recognized
during last Wednesday’s Portsmouth Murals Baseball Banquet, billed
to “Celebrate Portsmouth’s Baseball Heritage.” More than 450
attended the 4th annual banquet at Friends Community Center, the
largest crowd ever.
“It must be the water,” marveled former National League
MVP and Cincinnati Reds’ great Barry Larkin, who was signed
professionally by Bennett. Through the efforts of Bennett and
others, the annual baseball-themed banquet has grown into the key
fundraiser to maintain and perpetuate the civic treasure that is the
murals.
Larkin did not attend the event, but contributed
remarks that inspired a Randy Nickels video “Small Town” featuring
clips and old photos of many of the 47 former players, umpires, team
executives, staff and friends who congregated for the murals
fundraiser.
Keynote speaker Chris Welsh, starting his 16th
season as the Reds’ TV color man, capped the program by
congratulating those in attendance for keeping the murals project
thriving.
“It is a true civic treasure you have here and it must
be supported,” Welsh said.
Welsh – and all other speakers – were welcomed to the
podium by master of ceremonies Bill Warnock, of The Community
Common and the Portsmouth Murals, Inc. Warnock seamlessly
weaved speaker and honored guests’ introductions and anecdotes into
the program, which lasted just short of two hours.
Other notables in attendance:
·
Al Oliver, the 1982 N.L. batting
champ with a .331 average, was a premier big league hitter in an
18-year career, collecting 2,743 hits and once batted over .300 nine
straight seasons. The Portsmouth native son was the first player
ever to amass 200 hits and 100 RBI in the same season in both the AL
and the NL. He was a member of the 1971 World Champion Pirates and
played four seasons in the same outfield with Hall of Famer Roberto
Clemente.
·
Gene Tenace, a Lucasville native
who played 15 seasons in the majors, smashing 201 homers, is the
first player ever to homer in his first two World Series at-bats in
1972. Tenace hit .348 in that series, clubbing four homers and
helping the A’s take the Reds in seven games. A patient hitter with
an incredible eye for the strike zone, Tenace six times drew 100 or
more bases on balls in a season, twice leading the league. He owns
three World Series rings.
·
Don Gullett, a South Shore native
who threw smoke for nine big league seasons, compiling a 109-50
win-loss record and a 3.11 ERA. Gullett, who debuted at age 19 with
the Reds in April, 1970, less than one year after graduating from
McKell High School, once scored 72 points in a high school football
game, frequently scored 30 points in basketball games and once
struck out 20 batters in a seven-inning prep game.
·
Gene Bennett, Reds’ front office
exec and baseball scout extraordinaire. Bennett signed Gullett,
Larkin, Chris Sabo, Paul O’Neill, Dave Tomlin, Jeff Russell and
Charlie Liebrandt to name a few. Bennett was named Topps Scout of
the Month 12 times and is a member of five Hall of Fames, including
Baseball Scouts.
·
Terry Craft, a South Shore native
who knocked around the minor leagues as an umpire for eight seasons
before getting the call to work the big leagues. Craft umped two
no-hitters and witnessed Robin Yount’s 3,000th career hit
and Ricky Henderson’s stolen base that made him the all-time
leader. Retiring in 2006, Craft resides in Colorado with his wife
and two children.
·
Brandon Webb, the 2006 N.L. Cy
Young Award winner. Webb, from Ashland, Ky., is 34-18 with 372
strikeouts the past two seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
·
Josh Newman, a left-handed pitcher
from Wheelersburg who made his MLB debut last September with the N.L.
Champion Colorado Rockies.
·
Hal McCoy, Hall of Fame baseball
writer for the Dayton Daily News. McCoy has covered the Reds
since 1972 and is currently the longest-tenured beat writer for one
team in the majors.
·
Randy Marsh, a 25-year veteran MLB
umpire from northern Kentucky. Marsh has worked four All-Star
Games, 12 division or league championship series and five World
Series.
·
Johnnie Lemaster, a Portsmouth
native who played in more than 1,000 games in the big leagues from
1975 to 1987. He is one of 43 major leaguers to hit a home run in
his first at-bat.
·
John Herrnstein, of Chillicothe, a
contributor and advisor to the Chillicothe Paints, an independent
Class A pro team entering their 16th season. Herrnstein
played in 220 games in the majors from 1962 to 1966.
MORE GOOD, MEMORABLE LINES:
“A lot of people don’t realize
it, but I was a 20-game winner in the big leagues. It just took me
five years to do it.”
Chris Welsh, 21-31
win-loss record, 5 MLB seasons
“Al Oliver
belongs in the Hall of Fame, not tomorrow, but yesterday.”
Chris Welsh
“(Former A’s owner
Charles O. Finley) was the cheapest guy I was ever around in all my
years in baseball. “
1972 World Series
MVP Gene Tenace, who battled “Charlie O” for a $1,000 a year raise
and a year’s worth of dog food in 1973.
“My feet never
touched the ground, all the way around the bases.”
Don Gullett,
describing his feelings as he circled the bases in the opening game
of the 1975 N.L. Championship Series following his first – and only
– major league home run. Gullett also pitched a complete game
victory over the Pirates.
“When Gullett hit
that home run, I said to myself, it’s time to go home – it’s all
over!”
Portsmouth native
Al Oliver, who was in center field for Gullett’s homer. He was right
– Cincy swept the Pirates three games to none en route to winning
the’75 World Title.
“I remember
calling my Mom after working my first game in the big leagues, in
1987 in Baltimore. I said, Mom, if they fire me tomorrow, I can
always say I’ve been in the big leagues.”
South Shore
native and MLB umpire Terry Craft, who was never fired and went on
to work more than 1,750 games in 20 seasons, including an All-Star
Game, and two league championship series.
“I hope I can give
back to baseball what baseball has given to me.”
Wheelersburg’s
Gene Bennett, who signed as a player with the Reds in 1952 and has
been with the organization as a scout, scouting supervisor and
special assistant to the General Manager.
(Doug Kimsey, a former Portsmouth-area
journalist, is now a teacher at Southeastern High School in
Chillicothe. He is team historian of the Chillicothe Paints.)
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