Moyer, Lepre inducted into Perky Hall
The playing careers and lives of the Perkiomen Valley Twilight League’s two 2012 Hall of Fame inductees have been remarkably similar to one another.
Their Perky careers both began in 1980, though with differing teams. The two contemporaries would end their league tenures within a year of each other, and as teammates. During their time in the Perky League, each experienced great success, as part of a team and individually.
And today, both are coach- es at the high school level, passing along their knowledge of competitiveness and sportsmanship to a new generation of athletes.
They even are the same age, 51.
For Paul Lepre and Todd Moyer, the connection to baseball and the Perky League has been alive for PRrH WKDn 30 yHDrV. ,W wLOO continue, as the two were enshrined in the league’s Hall of Fame during a ceremony SrLRr WR GDPH 3 RI WKH FKDPpionship series.
This is such a great feeling,” Moyer said following the ceremony. “It’s funny, though, you get to see some of the guys you played against. In some cases, it’s just like when I left. The Altieri boys (Bob and Matt) are here, Vince (Elsier) is coaching down at third base like always and (Fred Faison) still amazes me.”
Moyer was present for the induction. Lepre ended up missing the ceremony as he was delayed in returning home from a family vacation.
“WKHn , firVW KHDrG,” Lepre said Wednesday, “it just brought back so many great memories of all the friendships you develop in the Perky League. The great teams you play on and the rivalries that develop.”
Lepre played a total of 16 seasons in the Perky League, spanning from 1980 to 1996. HH SODyHG firVW IRr 1Rrristown, then Trooper and finDOOy wLWK CROOHJHYLOOH. Moyer played in 14 seasons, his Perky career also beginning in 1980 and ending in 1995. He never wore any uniform other than Collegeville’s.
Moyer won 10 championships with Collegeville while LHSrH wRn fiYH FrRwnV, IRur with Collegeville and one with the A’s. Each played multiple positions – Moyer is credited with having played all nine positions during his Perky career. Each had also been a Most Valuable Player recipient.
Still, while the careers and achievements are so similar, Rn WKH EDVHEDOO fiHOG, WKH WwR men seemed like such opposites.
“WH DrH GHfinLWHOy DW GLIferent ends of the spectrum, Todd and I,” Lepre said. “I kept most things in and Todd wore it on his sleeve. Where we’re the same, though, is that we both played with a lot of intensity.”
Moyer laughed at the difference between the two, and the friendship which developed because of it.
“Paul is the nicest guy in the world,” Moyer said. “1HYHr GLG , HYHr VHH KLP get mad at anybody. His being with some of the rest of us at Collegeville, all those crazies, that was interesting.”
Moyer was one of the many Perky League players who came through the Boyertown baseball program, migrating to Collegeville for Perky games. After three seasons in the league, Moyer was signed to a minor league contract by the Pittsburgh Pirates, spendLnJ 1983 DnG SDrW RI 1984 Ln the Pirates farm system. He returned at the end of the ’84 season, in time to help CollegHYLOOH EHDW LHSrH’V 1RrrLVWRwn WHDP Ln WKH finDOV. 0RyHr DOVR missed the 1986 season when he spent a year helping coach the Boyertown Legion program.
HLV firVW 09P VHDVRn came in 1982. In 1989 he won the triple crown, hitting .459 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI. The following year, he again led the circuit in hitting with a .476 average.
“There were always such great rivalries, but you always respected guys as players,” Moyer said. “We played hard, but in the end, we have a lot of good friends here and a lot of good times.”
Lepre has the rare distinction of playing in the championship series for three differHnW IrDnFKLVHV: 1RrrLVWRwn, Trooper and Collegeville. He was there nine times in DOO. A SLWFKHr, firVW EDVHPDn DnG RuWfiHOGHr, LHSrH wDV WKH league MVP in 1992 when he hit .427 with seven homHrV DnG 37 5B,. HH DOVR wRn seven games on the mound that summer.
HH VSHnW KLV firVW VHYHn VHDVRnV wLWK 1RrrLVWRwn EHfore moving over to Trooper in 1987, where he began as just a player and became the player-manager in 1989 when the team reached the championship series.
Lepre did not play in 1990 – he was managing J.P. Mascaro in American Legion ball at the time. He then took on a new role in the Perky League as he began umpiring games. That continued into 1991 when Mike Creciun, Lepre’s former manager DW 1RrrLVWRwn, FRnYLnFHG WKH left-hander to return to the league with Creciun’s current team in Collegeville.
He spent six seasons with Collegeville, winning the title four times.
“7KH firVW WLPH wH wRn WKH FKDPSLRnVKLS wLWK 1RrrLVtown, in ’85, that was a big deal,” Lepre said in recalling his fondest moments in the league. “We were a young team, we had gotten there D IHw WLPHV, EuW wH finDOOy broke through that year.
“One of the other times wDV JHWWLnJ WR WKH finDOV wLWK Trooper in 1989. That was something they had never done.”