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Flashbacks From The Hall of Fame Inductions…..

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Flashbacks From The Hall of Fame Inductions…..

Too wet, too hot, and too humid to do anything else, I took time to watch Sunday’s Hall of Fame ceremonies in Cooperstown. Saw a lot of people that I once knew, and enjoyed every minute of it.

Between rainstorms and suffocating humidity Sunday, I sat on the couch with a sleeping bulldog and took in the Hall of Fame ceremonies from Cooperstown.

For Ichiro Suzuki, Dick Allen, Dave Parker, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner, baseball did it with grace and respect for both the people, and the game.

And representing the game, some 50 past Hall of Fame inductees showed up, including Sandy Koufax, Billy Williams, and Juan Marichal, heroes from my youth and baseball fantasies in my then home community of Getaway, Ohio.

Publisher Sonny Fulks writes OHSAA sports and Ohio State baseball for Press Pros Magazine.com.

Knapke Kitchens and Baths sponsors University of Dayton sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.

Yes, there is a place called Getaway, alongside Symmes Creek, on state route 378, with two churches, two cemeteries, some old familiar names, and a lot of memories. It’s where I caught the school bus to go to the first and second grade at Chesapeake East Elementary…and it’s where I received my first pack of baseball cards. I still have them.

But that had nothing to do with Cooperstown, and Sunday, except for the part it played in launching a 60-year path of loving baseball as an under-talented, but over-achieving player in high school and college.

And failing to overcome my deficiencies as a player, I had eight memorable years in the minor leagues as an umpire (A, AA, and  AAA), coming within one level of making it to the major leagues. Short of making it that far, I smile now when I think of how many people, and how many places, I experienced along the way.

Sunday brought back some of those memories. When they introduced Dave Winfield as a returning hall of famer, it made me think of the April day in 1972 when he hit what my pitching coach Dick Finn called a “not ready for the Big Ten” fastball off me onto the roof of the North Athletic Facility…dead center field…probably 450 feet!

Former Phillies slugger Richie Allen was inducted for being one of the most dangerous power hitters of the 60s and 70s era.  He was famous for swinging the biggest bat in the major leagues and for saying this about the introduction of AstroTurf:  “If a horse can’t eat it…I ain’t playing on it.”  In 1965 I saw Allen hit a home run OVER the scoreboard at Crosley Field and onto I-75 south.

Tony LaRussa got dumped in Des Moines in 1980 for claiming as a lawyer he knew the rule book better than Triple A umpires.

Former Cubs reliever Lee Smith was introduced…and I worked home plate in Smith’s first professional appearance for the Chicago Cubs. Smith was a huge man, threw murderously hard – as hard as anyone I ever saw in professional baseball – and while he was warming up for the first inning he threw a fastball so hard that his catcher missed it altogether and it struck me directly in the mask, tearing it off my head and staggering me backwards. I hadn’t even called an official ball or strike yet, and it was an inauspicious beginning. My neck hurt for weeks.

Harold Baines was introduced, and frankly when I worked games for the White Sox AA and AAA teams in the late 70s I questioned whether he would even make it to the major leagues. Now he’s a hall of famer, though a lot of baseball writers I’ve met question it.

When I was in AA and AAA I had Alan Trammel, the Tigers’ great shortstop. I remember him from playing in the Southern League in 1977, the awful heat and humidity, and his work ethic to come to the park early every day and take extra ground balls in that Montgomery, Alabama, heat. It’s little wonder he’s in Cooperstown.

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I saw Jim Leyland introduced, the former manager for the Tigers, Pirates, and Marlins, and I remember him from the Florida State League in 1976. Leyland was a chain smoker, always had one fired up in the dugout, and he drove a cherry red Cadillac Eldorado convertible up and down the main drag in Lakeland after games.  And he was never alone.

Tony LaRussa was introduced as the hall of fame manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. I knew LaRussa from AAA in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1978. I threw him out of a game one time for arguing a rule interpretation, producing a rule book from his hip pocket during the heat of the moment. What got him pitched was when he said he had a law degree and understood the rules better than a Triple A umpire.

And let me add Johnny Bench, and the one time I worked behind him in a morning workout in 1977 during spring training.

The Reds were trying to decide on whether to sign or release pitcher Gary Nolan, coming off an arm injury. And at old Al Lopez Field in Tampa there was a screen 20 feet behind home plate with Sparky, Larry Shepard, and Bob Howsam watching from behind it.

Bench was not too happy about catching a Triple-A game at 10 am, and when he walked out to the plate he looked at me and said, “How’d you get this gig?”

I answered, “How did you get this this gig?”

Nolan was terrible, but the Reds kept him anyway, only to release him in May.

Hal McCoy with a Dodger great that hasn’t made it to Cooperstown (yet), Claude Osteen.

I was fun to watch, and fun to reminisce over old names and memories. There’s 357 members of the hall of fame, and proudly, our own Hal McCoy is one of them. Hal was enshrined in 2002 for his meritorious contribution to the art of baseball writing, and he annually votes on player membership to the hall of fame.

I have friends and past teammates who actually played professional baseball – Heath Murray and Craig Stammen – but I dare say that few had more fun and better memories having made it that far than I did without making it.  Except for days with guys like Lee Smith, I suppose.

And Hal would tell you that it’s a long way from growing up in Akron (which he did) to making it to Cooperstown.  But not as far as it is from Getaway, down on Symmes Creek, on route 378.

You could look that up, as hall of famer Casey Stengel once said.  Casey was usually right.

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Owens, Zukley Sweep United East Women’s Track & Field Athlete Of The Week Awards

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1 hour ago

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December 29, 2025

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LATHAM, N.Y. – Juniors Savannah Owens (Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson) and Jillian Zukley (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s indoor track & field team claimed the United East Conference Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week awards as released by the league office Tuesday (Dec. 9).

Owens was named the United East Track Athlete of the Week for the first time in her career while Zukley garnered United East Field Athlete of the Week honors for the fifth time during her indoor career.

St. Mary’s College opened the 2025-26 campaign at the Christopher Newport University Holiday Open on Dec. 6.

Owens broke a school record in her return following a year away from the Seahawks indoor and outdoor track & field teams. The 5-5 sprinter took second in the 600m with a program record of 1:44.22, breaking the previous school record of 1:49.93 set by teammate Avery Arizzi ’27 on Dec. 2, 2023. She also placed third in the 800m in 2:35.81 while leading off the fourth-place 4x400m.

Following her performance, Owens leads the conference in the 800m while ranking 18th in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Zukley qualified for the 2026 All-Atlantic Region Track & Field Conference (AARTFC) Championships (Mar. 6-7) in the weight throw in the first indoor meet of the season. The 6-3 thrower opened her junior campaign with a bang as she captured the shot put with 11.67m. She then came in second in the weight throw with a school record 15.11m, knocking off her own record of 13.79m set on Jan. 31, 2025, at the Marlin Invitational.

Zukley currently leads the league in both events while ranking fourth in the Mid-Atlantic region in weight throw and sixth in shot put.

SMCM will be idle until the new year when St. Mary’s College travels to the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, N.Y. to compete in the Spartan Invitational hosted by St. Thomas Aquinas College. Action is slated to begin at 12 pm on Friday, January 9.

2025-26 United East Conference Women’s Indoor Field Athletes of the Week

2025-26 United East Conference Women’s Indoor Track Athletes of the Week



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Purdue Volleyball Adds ACC All-Freshman Outside Hitter to 2026 Roster

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7 hours ago

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December 29, 2025

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Purdue has added a young star to its 2026 roster via the transfer portal. The Boilermakers landed a commitment from former Georgia Tech outside hitter Mimi Mambu. She comes to West Lafayette with three years of eligibility remaining.

Mambu spent her freshman season with the Yellow Jackets and was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team. She averaged 2.923 kills per set and hit .155 for the year. The 6-foot outside hitter also totaled 48 blocks and averaged 1.067 digs per set.

“What a wonderful Christmas gift to get the commitment from a smart and dynamic student-athlete,” coach Dave Shondell said in a statement. “We’re excited to have this hard-hitting high-flyer join our team after such a strong first season at Georgia Tech where she helped lead them to an NCAA tournament appearance. We watched Mimi play in high school and knew she would be a special player. Mimi learned so much about our program from Kash [Akasha Anderson] and Isabelle Bardin who are good friends from the D.C. area.”

Shondell saw Mambu up close during the 2025 season. On Sept. 3, the Boilermakers hosted Georgia Tech in the Stacey Clark Classic. The Yellow Jackets won the match 3-1, and the freshman hitter ended the evening with 10 digs and seven kills.

Georgia Tech ended the year with a 16-14 record.

Mambu will likely fill a void left by Purdue senior Akasha Anderson, who proved to be one of the top hitters last season. After transferring in from Michigan State, the senior averaged 2.911 kills per set and had a .282 hitting percentage. She only got better as the season progressed.

Mambu will join a talented and experienced roster in West Lafayette. She joins All-Big Ten selections Kenna Wollard and Grace Heaney at the pin-hitter spots. She will also be playing alongside All-Big Ten setter Taylor Anderson and All-Big Ten honorable mention libero Ryan McAleer.

Purdue closed out the 2025 season with a 27-7 record and a trip to the Regional Final round of the NCAA Tournament.

Mambu had ups and downs

Mackey Arena hosts the NCAA volleyball match between the Washington Huskies at the Purdue Boilermakers

Mackey Arena hosts the NCAA volleyball match between the Washington Huskies at the Purdue Boilermakers | Chad Krockover / For The Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As any freshman might, Mambu had some highs and lows throughout her freshman campaign. She reached a double-digit kill total in 13 of Georgia Tech’s 30 matches.

Mambu also had some off days, though. On five occasions, she ended a match with a negative hit percentage. Three of those came against Louisville, Pitt, and Purdue, all of which made deep runs into the NCAA Tournament.

Mambu is a tremendous athlete with high-flying ability and a strong arm. The biggest focus for Shondell and the Boilermakers will be to develop some consistency, but Purdue’s coaching staff has proven it can correct some of those issues.

Plus, with a full year of college volleyball now under her belt, Mambu is likely to show major improvement from her freshman to sophomore season.

Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can’t-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for the Purdue Boilermakers on SI newsletter!

Related stories on Purdue volleyball

PURDUE FRESHMAN HITS TRANSFER PORTAL: One of Purdue’s freshmen from the 2025 recruiting class entered the NCAA transfer portal and has already found a new home. CLICK HERE





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How does a Q-Collar work?

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7 hours ago

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December 29, 2025

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Cougars come back to win Pop-Tarts Bowl 25-21 over Georgia Tech – BYU Athletics – Official Athletics Website

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12 hours ago

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December 29, 2025

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Fourth Quarter

On second-and-nine, Bachmeier found Roberts in a tight window for a gain of 18. Damuni added four yards, and on third down, Roberts caught a 7-yard pass to move the chains. Bachmeier and Ryan connected for the seventh time, this time for 13 yards to pin BYU at the Yellow Jacket six-yard line. After Kingston recorded a four-yard carry, Nawahine took the direct snap and plowed into the end zone. Keeping the offense on the field to go for two, Bachmier rushed it into the end zone to cut the deficit to three.

BYU forced the game’s first three-and-out. Kingston returned the punt 34 yards to set BYU up at its 45.

Bachmeier pitched to Damuni for a gain of five on first down. The freshman running back gained one yard on the next play, but the Cougars were unable to convert on third-and-four, and Vander Haar and the punting unit returned to the field, resulting in the second three-and-out of the game.

An illegal snap penalty pushed Georgia Tech back to its four-yard line. On second-and-14, King hit Rutherford for a gain of 12, and then another illegal snap penalty was enforced on the Yellow Jackets to set up third-and-seven. Haynes got just short of the line of gain before Glasker and Tanner Wall tackled him to force a punt. Kingston returned the punt four yards and set BYU up at its own 30 with 5:44 on the clock.

Following two incomplete passes, Bachmeier found Kingston at the BYU 34, and he advanced to the 43-yard line to grab the first down. Phillips secured a 14-yard pass from Bachmeier, and then Kingston caught a 15-yard pass to cap three consecutive first downs. After an eight-yard pass to Ryan to the Georgia Tech 20, the running back room led the way, kick-started by Nawahine picking up nine yards with a hurdle over a defender. Bachmeier passed to Damuni for a gain of seven, and then the Providence, Utah product powered into the end zone for his first career touchdown. Alongside Ferrin’s extra point, the Cougars took the lead, 25-21 with two minutes left.

Ferrin’s kickoff was returned 13 yards to pin Georgia Tech at its 21. Nusi Taumoepeau and Lutui hurried King and his pass fell incomplete on first down. On the next play, King lost the ball on a low snap but recovered his fumble for a loss of five yards. On third-and-15, another pass fell incomplete, forcing fourth-and-15. On the play, King went deep to Rivers for a gain of 66 at the BYU 18 with 52 seconds on the clock. The defense held the Yellow Jackets to three-straight incomplete passes, setting up fourth down with 14 seconds remaining. King attempted to hit Haynes in the end zone but his pass was intercepted by Johnson to seal the Pop Tarts Bowl victory 25-21.



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Kats take care of Biblical Studies 117-57

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12 hours ago

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December 29, 2025

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HUNTSVILLE — Sam Houston bounced back from a loss in the Conference USA opener to wrap up nonconference action with a 117-57 victory over the College of Biblical Studies at Johnson Coliseum on Sunday.
 
The Bearkats (8-4) controlled the temp on both ends of the court, shooting close to 60 percent while limiting the Ambassadors to 31 percent. Sam Houston used its height advantage to dominate the paint, outscoring Biblical Studies 62-12 and outrebounding the Houston area team 66-29.
 
Isaiah Manning led the Kats with a career-high 27 points to go along with 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. Freshman Jacob Walker also scored a new career high with 24 points, Veljko Illic added 16 points and nine boards, freshman Matt Dann chipped in a career-high 12 points, freshman Jacoby Coleman finished with 11 and Damon Nicholas Jr. had 10.
 
Sam Houston built a huge first-half lead and never looked back.
 
The Kats went on a 10-0 run thanks to back-to-back 3s by Walker and Manning, who added a pair of layups to grab a 23-10 advantage. Dann punched in consecutive dunks after a free throw and a two more layups by Nicholas to cap the run at 19-0 to put the game away early as the Ambassadors went more than seven minutes without scoring.
 
Sam Houston shot a blistering 66 percent from the field in the first half, making 25 of 40 shot attempts. The Bearkats also held Biblical Studies to just 23 percent shooting to build a commanding 59-21 lead at the break.
 
Conference USA action resumes Jan. 2 when Sam Houston heads to Bowling Green, Kentucky to face WKU at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
 



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Texas A&M star Ifenna Cos‑Okpalla signs with League One Volleyball

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15 hours ago

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December 28, 2025

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Dec. 28, 2025, 12:20 p.m. CT

At the end of the season, after some of the adrenaline from the Texas A&M championship run had subsided, head coach Jamie Morrison revealed that a few players on his roster would have the opportunity to compete at the next level. While he didn’t name names, we had a pretty strong idea of which standout athletes he was referring to.

On Sunday morning, it was officially announced that senior middle blocker and 2025 NCAAVB Champion Ifenna Cos-Okpalla signed a professional contract to play with League One Volleyball (LOVB) Salt Lake. She joins senior opposite Logan Lednicky in the league, who recently signed with LOVB Houston. Cos-Okpalla was also drafted by MLV but ultimately chose to pursue her career with LOVB. We knew a move was coming soon after the news broke that she had signed with Valor Sports Agency just days before this announcement.





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