An early round selection of the Houston Astros in the 1969 amateur players draft after a stellar baseball career at Benedictine High, Mike Easler trod the border line of a major league career for 10 long years before finally locking down a big league berth with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1979 World Championship team as a […]
Even in the 1940s when 6′ 5″ high school basketball players were considered giants, Marlo Termini was still classified as a “mighty mite.” Thus it was understandable why the 5′ 2″ Holy Name High School junior guard captured the imagination of Cleveland sports fans when he led his team to its first-ever city cage championship […]
One of the original Cleveland Cavaliers, Bingo Smith was picked in the 1970 expansion draft from the San Diego Rockets, who had made him a first round choice in the previous year’s college draft. The ex-Tulsa University All-American became an instant hit in Cleveland with his patented rainbow jumper often fired from the farthest reaches […]
On a red letter day for amateur wrestling in the U.S in 1971, Chardon Hilltopper freshman Leroy Kemp decided he was not cut out to be a basketball player and grudgingly decided to give wrestling a try. But his interest grew after attending a wrestling camp where several U.S Olympians were training for the 1972 […]
For a half-dozen unforgettable years, Carol Heiss Jenkins was the greatest ladies figure skater in the world. She was World Champion in 1956-57-58-59 and 60, U.S. Champion in 1957-58-59 and ’60, Olympic Silver Medalist in 1956, and finally the Olympic Gold Medalist in 1960. Her marriage to another Olympic Champion, Hayes Jenkins, in 1956 brought […]
Native Clevelander Tom Jackson launched his illustrious football career at John Adams High where he starred for two seasons before moving on to the University of Louisville in 1969. After winning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors as a sophomore in 1970 and as a senior in 1971, he began a history-making 14-year […]
Brian Dowling is an athletic legend at St. Ignatius High School. He led his team to a City Basketball title, sinking four clutch free throws in the title game’s last 34 seconds to turn a 13 point deficit into a 53-50 victory. He also made the state tennis doubles finals as a sophomore and the […]
On May 15, 1981 Lenny Barker carved a special niche for himself in the history of Cleveland Indians baseball by pitching the 12th perfect game in major league history, handcuffing Toronto 3-0, striking out 11 Blue Jays along the way. It was, however, far from the only highlight of his four-plus seasons with the Tribe. […]
Chairman of the Physical Education Department of Western Reserve University from 1926 to 1971, he was chairman of the National Physical Fitness Committee of the AAU from 1974 through 1977, a member of the AAU’s National Gymnastics Committee form 1963-76 and a member of the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Committee from 1968 to 1971. Served as […]
A major figure in the development of amateur baseball in Cleveland, he served as president of the Cleveland Baseball Federation from 1960 to 1976. Served as a member of the board of the Federation from 1948 until 1960 and chaired the Class “F” baseball program for youngsters for 12 years. Also served as a member […]