Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Kirby, Quatrani installed in Pa. Hall of Fame
Love of the game. That’s what inspired a pair of local youth baseball coaches to be involved with a sport for decades. And the success of which they were part through those long tenures of coaching got Brad Kirby and Ernie Quatrani the distinction of being installed in a state hall of fame.
Kirby and Quatrani were among nine men added to the Pennsylvania American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame during ceremonies Friday evening. The event was a prelude to the Pa. State Tournament being staged this week at War Memorial Field in Ephrata, where seven regional champions joined host Ephrata in the dual bid to be declared Pennsylvania’s champ and qualify for the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Regional.
“I’m a junkie for baseball,” Kirby, a Norchester assistant, noted while awaiting the Bulldogs’ tournament-opening game with French Creek Valley Saturday. “I’ll be with these guys for five hours, then I’ll go home and find a game to watch.”
For Quatrani, whose coaching career dates back to 1973 and featured involvement at the high-school and college level alongside Legion ball, a similar connection to the sport was cited.
“I come from a family that loved baseball,” he said.
The honor bore added satisfaction for Kirby. Having the team out in force for the induction meant so much to him, as does its strong start — dominating wins over French Creek Valley (8-0) and Ephrata.
“It’s great, the guys being here playing for a state championship,” he said. “Having them be part of this is something.”
Kirby, an Owen J. Roberts graduate who played high-school ball (second base, some pitching) for Dennis McKernan in the late 1980s, was also on Norchester’s Legion program headed by Bill Scherfel. He rejoined the Bulldogs’ staff of Corbin Stoltzfus in 1994, where he stayed until 1999.
He went on to coach with Downingtown for two seasons, then came back to Norchester.
One particular notable season for Kirby was 1995, when the Bulldogs were state runners-up to Spring City and qualified for the Great Lakes Regional.
“The 24 years just runs together,” he noted.
Kirby’s son, Aaron, has Brad both as a father and coach. The younger Kirby, who plays center field for the ‘Dogs, got involved in the sport from the time “he could pick up a ball and bat.”
“He loves to win,” the elder Kirby said. At the same time, their on-field connection doesn’t impact their familial relationship.
“After the game, we’re still father and son,” Brad said.
Quatrani’s playing career extended to the end of his time as a student at Archbishop Carroll. He went on to coach at an early age, assisting scholastically at his alma mater and collegiately at St. Josephy’s University while also assisting with Ardmore Manor’s Legion program from 1973 to 1979.
“When I started coaching at Ardmore Manor (1973), I was 19 years old,” he recalled. “I learned at an early age you have to be a coach, not a buddy, even though I was close to the same age as the players.”
Quatrani became coach at Upper Perkiomen in 1979, and Perkiomen Post in 1987. He stayed with both programs until 2010, reveling in the close connection between them.
“I felt fortunate the Legion territory was the same as the high-school territory,” he said. “There was an advantage to the teams playing together ... being a smaller school, there was a more level playing field. The only thing that changed from one to the other was the uniforms and leagues.”
Quatrani’s memories of his coaching tenure include his son, Matt, having played for him. He also had championship teams during his time.
“I always think back fondly on the championships,” he said. “We had three at the Manor and some at Perkiomen. We also got to regionals.”
At the same time, there were teams that held a place in Quatrani’s heart, primarily because of what they achieved in the course of a season.
“I remember teams that may have finished only a game or two over .500,” he said. “It was a privilege for me to go out there and coach them.”
The HOF’s Class of 2021 also included men from the state’s southeast region like Stering “Yogi” Lutz (Reading) and Michael Mentzer (Coatesville). Rounding out the group were Bob Gorinski (Latrobe), who reached the major leagues with the Minnesota Twins in 1977; Robert Mahalidge (Archbald), Tim McQueeney (Erie), Edward “Jake” Whetstone (Schuylkill Haven) and Louis Wolber (Beaver Falls).