dbrown@watarts.UUCP (Dave Brown) (03/01/85)
In a short discussion with Jeff Richardson, I remarked that Scott
Stevens, All-Star defenceman for the Washington Capitals of the N.H.L.,
was in a class of mine back in high school(I know; I'm young).
Mr. Richardson remarked about Bruce Boudreau, an man who never quite
made it in the N.H.L. This has got me thinking. It might be of interest
to those of you who read the net to start a discussion of who you went
to high school (or Grammer School or whatever there is in the rest
of Europe) who has made it in a major sport. Of course, a few rules:
1. PLEASE. Don't post in and tell us you are a personal friend of
Joe Jock; keep such relationships private.
2. Don't try to outdo each other; the tendency to brag is quite tempting.
3. Please avoid comments on the personal lives of such people; we've all
done things which we are ashamed of.
4. Make sure the person is or was known beyond your own area; A guy
who made it to AA Baseball or the Central League in Hockey, or
the Continental Basketball league is not really what we are
looking for.
5. Don't try for the superstar; I personally would be more interested
in a guy who tried to make it for a few years and did not quite
catch on, but who least made it to either the pros or a major
college or a major amateur status (e.g. gymnastics).
6. No really obscure sports. e.g. Bellybucking, North American Rounders
League(fictitious league but not the sport).
7. HAVE FUN; there has been a recent spate on net.movies about movies
shot where you live; try to do the same thing.
It should be an interesting discussion.
Sincerely yours,
DAVE BROWNcitrin@ucbvax.ARPA (Wayne Citrin) (03/03/85)
Well, Mark [I think that's his first name] Iavaroni went to my high school (John F. Kennedy, Plainview, NY) a few years before I got there. He played for the 76ers for several years, but was traded to the Dallas Mavericks this year. I haven't followed his career, but I guess he must have been fairly good to stick around with the 76ers. Don't know what college he attended. Wayne Citrin (ucbvax!citrin)
jlh@hou2e.UUCP (J.HEATWOLE) (03/04/85)
Marc Iavaroni attended the University of Virginia where he was a steady four-year starter, although he was never anywhere near "superstar" status. He had a reputation as one of the dirtiest players in the ACC.
kovalsky@spp2.UUCP (Bruce Kovalsky) (03/05/85)
Dave's subject is a good one...here's my 2 cents: I played Little League Baseball (!), went to the same high school, and same college, with Don Slaught, former catcher in the past few years of the Kansas City Royals. I heard he was just recently traded to the Texas Rangers, though. He only started to get recognition the past couple years, since they had Darrel Porter and another guy (forgot his name) ahead of him, but he had started to prove himself at the plate though, hitting over .270 last year in a semi- full time role. He also had a good playoff series this past year against the Detroit Tigers, hitting over .300 I think. I was quite surprised of his trade to Texas as I thought he had finally made a place for himself at K.C. He is not of superstar caliber, but is what you would call a solid ballplayer who can hold himself defensively, and has proven he can hit major league pitching. Some of you more diehard baseball fans have probably heard of him. I wish him the best of luck in the Texas organization. ----- Bruce Kovalsky ..!trwrb!trwspp!spp2!kovalsky "How do you make a small fortune in the stock market?" "Start with a large fortune."
sahayman@watcgl.UUCP (Steve Hayman) (03/05/85)
The San Diego Chicken and I both went to London Central Secondary School in London, Ontario. People used to call him Ted Giannoulas then. I have absolutely no idea how he turned into the Chicken, although I think his act is great! Ted has performed as the Chicken only once in London, at an exhibition basketball game between the University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College, both London schools. Unfortunately not as many people showed up as expected and the game was a big money-loser. Ted graciously waived his fee.
stevev@tekchips.UUCP (Steve Vegdahl) (03/06/85)
Dick Ruthven (sp?) was a senior at Irvington High in Fremont (CA) when I was a freshman there. Didn't know him at all, but cheered him on at the baseball games. He played outfield (center, I believe) when he didn't pitch. He had a terrific ERA and a respectable batting average. If I recall correctly, he is now with the Cubs and is a team-mate of Dennis Eckersley; I seem to remember that the latter pitched for our cross-town rivals, Washington High. I'm not sure if they ever pitched against each other in high school. Steve Vegdahl Computer Research Lab. Tektronix, Inc. Beaverton, Oregon
wildbill@ucbvax.ARPA (William J. Laubenheimer) (03/06/85)
I don't know any sports stars from my own high school days myself, but
I do know of a few "once-removed"-type connections. Specifically:
The SO of a friend of mine knew Kansas City Royals relief ace Dan
Quisenberry in high school;
Another friend played on the same high school tennis team with Leif Shiras,
a medium-ranked player on the pro tennis circuit these days;
A cousin is married to the cross-country coach at Michigan State. Prior
to this, he was a top cross-country runner himself at her high school, ran
for the University of Wisconsin cross-country team as they achieved several
high finishes in the NCAA's, qualified for the 1984 Olympic marathon trials,
and was under contract to a shoe company, competing in major distance events.
Bill Laubenheimer
----------------------------------------UC-Berkeley Computer Science
...Killjoy went that-a-way---> ucbvax!wildbillhalle@hou2b.UUCP (J.HALLE) (03/06/85)
One sports star from my high school is Jane Blalock, the lady golfer. I'm glad to see her doing well again, recovering from the bad back that seems to plague golfers. (She used to be perpetually among the top 10.) Sherm White, the defensive end for the Bengals and some other teams, did not go to my school, but his kid sister did. We had several classes together until they moved. (AF brats.)
wall@fortune.UUCP (Jim Wall) (03/07/85)
Well, it wasn't exactly at the high school, but rather the local junior college. I was in a karate class that practiced outside during the summer, right near the shot put area. At the same time that we would practice, so would Brian Oldfield, a world class shot-putter; and at the time (I believe) national champion. We got to know him pretty good, a nice guy. I think the strongest memory I have of this was him doing a juggling routine with three (and then four) 16 pound shot puts. Picking them up in one hand is bad enough and he was handling them as others do to tennis balls. -Jim ....!amd!fortune!wall
paveleck@ihldt.UUCP (Bob Paveleck) (03/07/85)
I'm not sure whether or not you'd call bodybuilding a sport, but a guy from my high school (Reavis High School, in Burbank, IL) named Lance Dreher was voted either Mr. Olympia or Mr. Universe a couple of years ago. He graduated either in '72 or '73 (before I got there). Also, Willy Roy, the coach of the Chicago Sting professional soccer team, was a state-qualifying wrestler at Reavis (back in the late '50's or early '60's).
bob@security.UUCP (Bob Jordan esq.) (03/08/85)
I didn't know him personally (he graduated a few years after I did) but I went to the same High School as Andy VanSlyke (St. Louis Cardinals). His father was (and still is I think) the principal of New Hartford High School in New Hartford, New York, a suburb of Utica. I vaguely remember watching Little League games that my little brothers played against his team, mainly because he was the principal's son.
gayde@ihuxp.UUCP (Peter Gayde) (03/09/85)
My high school, Brother Rice, in Birmingham, Michigan has gained
quite a reputation (at least in Michigan) as a "jock" school. Among
the athletes who attended Rice are:
Greg Collins - former NFL defensive back
Tim Andree - former basketball center for Notre Dame
Kevin Smith - former guard for Michigan State and lately in the CBA
John Shasky - current forward/center for U of Minnesota
Brian Brennan - Doug Flutie's favorite receiver in 1983 at BC
and currently with the Cleveland Browns
Paul Jokisch - wide receiver at U of Michigan
Brad Cochrane - defensive back at U of Michigan
Dave Yarema - starting QB at Michigan State
At one time we had the sons of 5 former Detroit Lions playing on the
1975 State Champion football team (sons of Leon Hart, Tobin Rote,
Earl Morrall, Jack Simmons and Darris McCord). Two sons of former
Lion Mel Farr were on the 1983 State Champion football team, including
Mel Farr, Jr. who is now at UCLA. Also, the hockey coach at Rice is
Eddie Giacomin.
Some of you may have seen the interview shown on Christmas Day done
by NBC's Al McGuire about the two 7 foot 3 inch twins (that's not a typo)
now playing on the freshman basketball team at Rice. Mike and Jim Lanier
have a long way to go but, as they say, their potential is unlimited.
--
Peter Gayde AT&T Technologies Naperville, IL
ihnp4!{iwslc,ihuxp}!gayde
Work: (312) 979-7598
Home: (312) 963-1109urban@spp2.UUCP (Mike Urban) (03/12/85)
My brother went to high school (Hamilton HS, LA) with Sidney Wicks,
who achieved some notability in NCAA (uh, at UCLA?). The fact
that I can't recall a single detail of Wicks's pro career, if any,
demonstrates some interesting aspects of my memory.
--
Mike Urban
{ucbvax|decvax}!trwrb!trwspp!spp2!urban
"You're in a maze of twisty UUCP connections, all alike"jeff@dciem.UUCP (Jeff Richardson) (03/12/85)
I don't know whether this counts or not, since I didn't go to school with
him, but another professional athlete I know is Bruce Driver, the rookie
defenseman with the New Jersey Devils. I got to know him through his brother
Gary, who was in my class at the University of Toronto. When our class hockey
team (called the Engineering Red Wangs) decided to play summer hockey, we
needed a couple of reinforcements to replace the people who lived out of town,
so Gary talked Bruce into joining us.
A few years later I was back in the same league with a different
team. Whenever I told anybody that I played for the Red Wangs, they would say
"oh yeah, I remember them. There was one really great player on that team,
number five I think." Bruce Driver also played for the University of Wisconsin
(two NCAA championships) and for the 1984 Canadian Olympic team. I haven't
seen him since, I think, his second year at Wisconsin. Gary Driver used to be
on this net, but I don't think he is anymore.
--
Jeff Richardson, DCIEM, Toronto (416) 635-2073
{linus,ihnp4,uw-beaver,floyd}!utcsrgv!dciem!jeff
{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!dciem!jefftron@fluke.UUCP (Peter Barbee) (03/15/85)
For what it's worth, I attended Roosevelt High School in Seattle, Wa. with James Edwards of the Phoenix Suns. Actually we both attended the same junior high school where I made the basketball team and he didn't. James led Roosevelt to the state championship in 1973, then led the Washington Huskies to the NCAAs in '77. He was drafted by the Lakers, traded to Indiana, signed as a free agent with Cleveland, and now plays for Phoenix. C'est tout.
val236ah@unm-cvax.UUCP (03/20/85)
Way out here in Los Lunas (the middle of nowhere), at our high school was the runner Chuck Aragon. He is a miler and has been for several years. He almost made the Olympics (he was 4th in the trials by only .03 seconds..)and would have made it in the games had Sidney Maree given some consideration to his injury (pulled hamstring, or something like that). Look of him in any of the upcoming mile events. He usually isn't the winner but he is usually in the top 5 or so. He is a small town hero out here. Ronald C. Rosul Jr. (val236ah) val236ah!unm-cvax!unmvax
dah@dcdwest.UUCP (David Hughes) (03/21/85)
I went to high school with Cheryl Miller, the highly publicized women's basketball star from U.S.C. We both attended Riverside Poly High, Riv., Ca. '78-80. I was on the men's team and we used to practice against the women's team to give them practice for the state tournament. Dusty Baker also came from my high school. Omedah.
mengm@homxa.UUCP (P.MENG) (04/16/85)
-=-=-=-=>
I went to Brick Township H.S. in New Jersey where everyone
lives and breathes football. For being such a "powerhouse",
however, only one that I know of made it to the NFL. Art Thoms
made it and played with Oakland for @9-10 years as a defensive
tackle. I was a freshman when he was a senior. Our parents
knew eachother, he went out with my sister at one time, a
friend of mine married his sister, etc, etc.
Up till a couple of years ago Art played on our softball
team whenever he was in town to visit his folks (he resides
in Oakland). Unbeleivable how far he could hit a softball
(he was also drafted by the Mets).
Oddly enough, he was never that good at football in H.S. He
finally matured at Syracuse and became Oakland's #1 draft
pick (@1969).
My friend, the one who married Art's sister, used to
follow the Raiders around occasionally and stay in the
same hotel. He used to tell some pretty wild stories about
some of the things that went on the night before the games.
Peter Meng