Pottstown greats honored
Pottstown great Shantz, 1972 Ches-Mont championship team honored
POTTSTOWN » Still a very spry man at the ripe age of 92, former Major League Baseball pitcher Bobby Shantz paid another visit to his hometown of Pottstown May 1.
The 1952 American League Most Valuable Player, who played 16 years in the big leagues, was back home where the Trojans’ baseball diamond is appropriately named in his honor “Bobby Shantz Field.”
While signing autographs on baseballs and caps, Shantz also talked baseball with fans, young and old, men and women, sharing many great memories of the game they all still love.
It was a day of celebration for Pottstown baseball as the 1972 Ches-Mont League championship squad was also honored, celebrating its 45th anniversary.
The current Trojans were up for their game with such quality company on hand but saw Phoenixville break up a 1-1 tie after five innings with a three-run sixth inning en route to a 4-2 win.
Shantz, a 1943 Pottstown High School graduate, also delivered the ceremonial first pitch from the mound prior to the contest.
The diminutive Shantz won 119 games during his MLB career. Also a demon in fielding his position, the left-hander was an eighttime Gold Glove Award recipient. Shantz made three All-Star Game appearances in 1951, 1952 and 1957.
Shantz was a member of the 1958 World Series champion New York Yankees.
Following his retirement, Shantz came back home to Pennsylvania but settled mostly in Bucks County. He operated bowling alleys in Chalfont for years. He also owned an ice cream business in New Britain.
“It’s nice to see Bobby come back again,” said current Pottstown head coach Jeff Evans. “Obviously, for what he did as a big league pitcher. He is 92 years old, but he was running around. He went out there and was able to throw right-handed.”
Phoenixville’s Zach Masalski pitched six innings for the win, giving up threats and two unearned runs with five strikeouts and one walk. Luke Bagley hurled an inning of relief for the save, allowing one hit and one walk.
Pottstown’s Chris Stone pitched six innings and yielded seven hits and four earned runs with one strikeout and one walk. Timmy Dobbs pitched an inning of relief with one strikeout.
Phantom catcher Nick Opalkowski finished 3-for-4 with a double. Freshman Brandon Fink ripped a tworun double to give the Phantoms the lead in the sixth. Fink also scored one run. Freshman Will Trianosky had one RBI, one run and one walk. Brown, Kyle Bennick (run) and Masalski also had hits for the Phantoms.
Ron Fausnaught and Nate Camacho (sacrifice) scored runs for the Trojans. Jake Eagle, Josh Gery, Jimmy O’Donnell and Dalton Mullen had hits for Pottstown. The Trojans also honored their 1972 Ches-Mont League championship baseball squad, which is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year.
Head coach Ron Hallman was present, along with a number of his former players. Many of those Trojans were standouts in multiple sports, which all agree was a major reason for their success.
Pottstown also captured championships in football and basketball that school year of 1971-1972 and contended well in other sports, too.
The Trojans’ baseball team that year featured the likes of ace pitcher George Bailey and an outstanding all-around player in outfielder/pitcher Marvin Whitehurst, a left-handed speedster and solid hitter who went on to play three seasons of minor league baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ system.
“I still remember how great athletes they were,” said Hallman, who also assisted head coach Jan Fritz with Pottstown’s basket-
ball title team that winter. “They were all multi-sport athletes, and you don’t see that now. They could run, throw and do everything. The thing that stood out the most was their speed. They were big and fast, and they could score runs.”
Hillman recalled his dynamite pitching duo of Bailey and Whitehurst, who were virtually unbeatable throughout the season.
“They were both excellent pitcher,” said Hallman.
And while stressing their versatile athletic prowess, Hallman pointed out how Pottstown won the All-Sports Trophy in two straight years, with one of them being 1972.
There were other top athletes and leaders, including shortstop Steve Verbit and second baseman Jack Deloplaine, who were also leaders on the football team, too, as quarterback and running back, respectively. Verbit went on to play at Delaware and is still active as a collegiate football coach. Deloplaine spent a number of years playing in the National Football League with the Pittsburgh Steelers, after an impressive collegiate career at Salem.
Bert Skarbek played a steady role as a contributor offensively and defensively. Outfielder Keith Stahl proved to be a vintage slugger. The power hitter blasted some tape-measure shots around the buildings in the Pottstown facility outfield.
“We had that drop driveway,” Hallman said, pointing to a long distance at the old section gym. “He hit one that rolled all the way to the old gym and past there on the bounce. He could hit.”
“That era was loaded,” said Hallman. “All the coaches were blessed.”
“We clicked on one rhythm,” said Bailey. “It was just a breed of athlete that I don’t think we’ll see again. We just all clicked. We were great. We had some of the best athletes I have ever seen. We were all in one.”
Asked about his repertoire that long ago, Bailey said it still included a fastball, curveball and knuckleball. He also tried a slider and was attempting to develop a screwball at that time.
Bailey remembers playing with the Baby Steelers and then in the Blue Mountain League for two years before closing out his playing career.
Bailey, who had a tryout with the Phillies, said he will never forget striking out former Phillie greats Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski during a practice game. Bailey also became great friends with former Phillies shortstop Bobby Wine, who was from Trooper.
“He took me under his wing, but I just never made it big-time,” said Bailey.
Bailey then turned to other employment. He retired as a steel worker following 29 years. He drove tractor trailer for another 10 years and had assorted other jobs.
“I always had physical jobs, and it took its toll,” said Bailey.
Whitehurst switched to softball, playing in numerous leagues around the area after baseball before calling it all a career in 1992.
“We had a great team of athletes,” said Whitehurst. “We had committed guys. We were all committed. We really helped each other. George was the best pitcher in the Ches-Mont. Back then, we played year-round. The thing is, we had fun. When we were playing, we never thought we’d lose a game. When we were behind, we knew we would come back. We were that confident.”
Whitehurst talked about his years spent in the Pirates organization.
“It was a learning experience that I will always remember,” he said. “I thought I knew a lot about baseball, but I learned a lot. I made some friends for life that I still see.”
Whitehurst recalled how former Mercury Sports Editor Ken Murray, who covered the Trojans during that 1972 season, talked to him at spring training in Bradenton, Fla., after Murray moved on to write for the Baltimore Evening American.
Whitehurst is currently employed at the Norristown State Hospital.
“I still get the itch to play,” he said. “But I know that I am 63 years old now.”