NECBL holds inaugural Hall of Fame Dinner
Published on January 10, 2011 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) News Release
The New England Collegiate Baseball League held its inaugural Hall of Fame Tribute Dinner at the Boston Marriott Newton Grand Ballroom on Saturday.
Inducted into the league's Hall of Fame were Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier, Colorado Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta, former Boston Red Sox and Tampa Rays pitcher Mark Malaska, former MLB Commissioner and NECBL president Fay Vincent and NECBL founder and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Joseph Consentino.
Ethier, who just became a father for the second time, sent a video message thanking everyone for the honor. Keene Swampbats GM Kevin Watterson accepted the Vermontgranite plaque for Ethier.
Iannetta spoke of how much his summer with the Newport Gulls helped his career.
Malaska was also grateful for the two seasons he spent under the tutelage of Danbury Westerners manager Moe Morhardt.
Vincent, via a video message, spoke of the importance of the NECBL to the burgeoning careers of collegiate baseball players and how much he loves the wonderful atmosphere of a game played on a warm New Englandevening.
Consentino insisted that the success of the league was due to the untiring work and dedication of past and present NECBL officials and individual team franchise volunteers.
Co-hosts for the event were the radio voice of the Red Sox, Joe Castiglione, and his good friend Morton Dean, the Emmy Award-winning television news correspondent and anchor.
Castiglione introduced a video by his son Duke, who's a sportscaster for the Fox affiliate in New York City. Duke Castiglione made the audience laugh when he mentioned his summer playing in the NECBL in 1994 convinced him he should go into broadcasting and not pursue a career as a player.
The NECBL Stand-Up Guy Awards were handed out to Bill Buckner, Lou Gorman, Skip Lockwood, Joe Morgan, and Robin Roberts (posthumously). This award recognizes outstanding MLB players and executives, who in addition to their baseball accomplishments have shown exemplary character during their careers.
Buckner mentioned that one of the highlights of his career was coming back to the Red Sox in 1990 at age 40 and hitting an inside the park home run.
Former Red Sox GM Gorman spoke of how much he enjoys working with the Newport Gulls and the NECBL.
Former Sox pitcher Lockwood and former Boston manager Morgan recounted some of their baseball experiences.
Robin Roberts Jr. accepted the award for his father, Cooperstown Hall of Famer Robin Roberts. Robin Jr. mentioned that his dad was a basketball star at Michigan State but two summers pitching in Montpelier, Vt., catapulted him into the Major Leagues three years later with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The NECBL DH Awards were given to former Cincinnati Reds home run and RBI champion George Foster and former Red Sox All-Star pitchers Bob Stanley and Bill Lee. This award recognizes a charity championed by a MLB player, manager, coach or executive. The NECBL gave each recipient a check for $1,000 to their chosen charity and pledged proceeds from a game "50-50 raffle" from each NECBL team for the next two seasons.
Foster told some humorous baseball stories and spoke of his own charity, the Foster Safe Youth Network Foundation, helping inner-city youngsters and children of military personnel stationed overseas to learn life-lessons through the sport of baseball.
Stanley told a touching story of how his young son was diagnosed with cancer and how the Jimmy Fund helped his family and his son, who soon will celebrate his 30th birthday.
Lee accepted a donation to the Travis Roy Foundation and had the audience laughing throughout his time at the podium declaring at the end that because of his work with the Russian national baseball team it was he and not Ronald Reagan who defeated communism.
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- NECBL holds inaugural Hall of Fame Dinner - NECBL
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