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Tri-Co adds six to Hall
of Fame
From Morning Call
Staff Reports
The
Tri-County Baseball League Hall of Fame recently inducted six new members.
The new
inductees -- Ron Holum, Alex DeLeon, Harold "Wheaties" Heavener, Leon Houp,
Dave Chandler and Mike Thomson -- bring the Tri- Co's Hall of Fame
membership to 82.
A closer
look at each 1999 inductees:
* Ron
Holum: He played from 1956 to '68 for Spring Valley, Bingen and the
Bethlehem Giants and was a member of the Giants' 1967 championship club. In
that title season he hit .364. He was known for being a good contact hitter
and a clutch RBI man. He was also a reliable infielder who played either
third base or shortstop and occasionally filled in at catcher.
* Alex
DeLeon: A Hellertown and Bingen standout who came into the league in the
mid-'50s and played through 1966, DeLeon was a craftsman at the plate. He
was known as a contact, high-average hitter who also could lay down a key
bunt when required. He also shined on hit-and-run plays. His best year
offensively was 1961 when he hit .321. He also played solid infield defense,
usually at shortstop.
* Harold
"Wheaties" Heavener: He played from 1947 through 1966 with Richandtown and
helped that Bucks County area team win a league title in '47. He was a
sure-handed infielder with good range. Offensively, he hit for a good
average and had a high on-base percentage.
* Leon
Houp: A championship player on various teams in the Boyertown area, Houp won
the 1962 batting title with an average of .424. He also won the the '66
batting crown with a mark of .465. He was among the league leaders in stolen
bases and covered a lot of ground defensively in center field.
* Dave
Chandler: A hard-throwing pitcher known for one of the best sliders in
Tri-Co history, Chandler played with East Texas and South Whitehall in a
career that spanned from 1981 to '96. He finished among the league's career
leaders in wins (39) and strikeouts (318). He had a lifetime ERA of 3.91,
while pitching mostly for losing teams. He was 5-2 in 1988 and had a 2.11
ERA in his final season in '96.
* Mike
Thomson: He made what became known in Tri-Co lore as "The Catch" in 1986. It
was Game 3 of an opening-round series for his Delaware Valley team against
Limeport. It was the only playoff series in Del Val history. Thomson's
all-out diving grab ended the game to preserve a 6-5 win that secured the
series. Thomson's best season offensively came in 1989 when he hit .349.
From The Morning Call --
December 23, 1999
Copyright
© 1999,
The Morning Call
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