Inductees

A native of Chester, Pennsylvania, Murtaugh was working with his father at Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. after he graduated from Chester High School when he took a pay cut to start his professional baseball career at age 19 in 1937.

Danny Murtaugh was a player, manager, coach and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He is best known for his 29- year association with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he won two World Series as field manager (in 1961 and 1971). He also played 416 of his 767 career Major League Baseball games with the Pirates as their second baseball. Danny signed at 19 a minor league contract with the St, Louis Cardinals.In June,1941, In the midst of his second consecutive stellar season with the Houston Buffalos in the Texas League, the Phillies purchased his contract and he began his big league career on July 3 as a defensive replacement and the next day became the Phillies starting second basement.

He got into a total of 257 games before joining the US Army in 1943,rejecting the opportunity to play baseball and served in combat with the 97th Infantry in Germany. Despite having good seasons in the minor.he did not catch a break for the majors until traded to the Pirates in 1948.He took over as the Pirates’ second baseman and hit .294, 149 hits and 71 RBIs. After slumping in 1949 he rebounded by hitting .294 in 1950. Overall, Murtaugh was a .254 career lifetime batter with 661 hits, eight
home runs and 219 RBIs in 767 games.
After retiring as a player following the 1951 season, Murtaugh was a minor League manager for the Pirates and joined the coaching staff of the Pirates In 1956 and succeeded Bobby Bragan as manager on August 4, 1958.In 1960, his third full season as manager he led the Pirates to a World Series victory over the New York Yankees. Which he did again in 1971 defeating the favored Baltimore Orioles.

Lawson began his career in New York, competing for the YMCA and the New York Athletic Club. In 1909, Mr. Robertson became track coach for the New York A. C. He then served as track coach at Brooklyn College and New York University. He was appointed head coach at the University of Pennsylvania in 1916 and held that position until he retired in 1947. Besides coaching at the U. of P., he also coached the U.S. Olympic track teams in 1924, 28, and 32. As a trackman himself, Lawson competed in the Olympics three times – 1904, 1906, and 1908. As a coach, he turned out such outstanding track stars as Barney Berlinger, Bill Carr, Ten Meredith, Gene Venzke, Bill McKniff, and Carl Coan. Few men have endured so long in the Philadelphia sports spotlight as Coach Robertson. His unique place in sports history won him a place in the Helms Hall of Fame.

Mr. Rogowicz chose the role of teacher/coach to a career with the New York Yankees. He has devoted 42 years to the development of young high school athletes. He coached at Plymouth, Newport Township, and Pottsville, piloting teams to many titles, including the coveted PIAA State Championship. In 1967, Mr. Rogowicz was named as the first Charter Member of the Susquehanna University Sports Hall of Fame, in recognition of his being the greatest all-around athlete in the university’s history.

Bobby started his 16-year major league with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1949 and ended it with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1964. Along the way he had a record of 119 wins, 99 losses and an ERA of 3.38. He was a three-time All-Star, won 8 Gold Gloves and was the American League MVP in 1952. He joined the 20 wins club that year with a record of 24-7, leading American League pitchers in wins and a 2.47 ERA. He took pride in his fielding and won four Gold Gloves in both the American and National Leagues. In 1962 he started the first game in history for the Houston Colt .45s (now Astros) and got their first win, throwing a complete game.

Nick was born in Bellaire, Ohio and was an outstanding lineman at BellaireHigh School and the University of Cincinnati before joining the Navy in 1943. After World War II he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had drafted him in 1943. With the Steelers, he wore #12 and lined up in the back field in the Steelers single- wing attack. When he retired, Nick remained in Pittsburgh and coached at Pittsburgh Central Catholic and worked construction. He returned to the NFL as a coach with the Steelers in 1954, the Packers in 1958 and the Eagles in 1959. He was named the Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach in 1961-1963, compiling a record of 15-24-3. He became an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns in 1964 and was named Head Coach in 1971, compiling a record 0f 30-24-2 over four seasons. Upon leaving the sidelines, he took a position as Assistant Supervisor of Officials of Officials on PA Hall of Famer Art McNally’s staff at the NFL office in New York.

Pete Suder was a member of the Philadelphia A’s for twelve seasons. He was a superb second baseman, and shared the major league double play record of 217 in one season for many years. Before coming up to the majors, Suder, in 1940, won the Most Valuable Player award while playing for Newark.

Although only 25, Don Tollefson’s journalistic experience belies his youthful age. He entered Stanford Univ. when 17 and almost immediately became a part-time correspondent for both the Associated Press and San Francisco Chronicle. As a sophomore in college, Don became sports editor of The Stanford Daily, and during the next year and a half he moved ahead rapidly from entertainment editor – to news editor – and finally editor-in-chief as a 19-year-old junior. While still an undergraduate, Don left Stanford to become a full-time correspondent for the Associated Press in 1974. His first assignment was to cover the Patty Hearst kidnapping. For 6 months he lived outside the Hearst mansion in Hillsborough, California – sending dispatches around the world for the AP. In the fall of ’74, Don became the youngest network football announcer ever when he joined ABC Sports as announcer for college football. He came to ACTION NEWS in 1975 and served as a general assignment reporter and suburban bureau chief – before becoming sports director in 1976. Don Tollefson’s record speaks for itself – he is a man on the move.

Mickey Vernon was born in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania and attended Villanova University before his major league debut on July 8, 1939. During World War II he served in the United States Navy missing the 1944 and 1945 seasons. In 1953, Vernon’s .337 average denied Cleveland’s Al Rosen (.336) the Triple Crown. The following year, 1954, Vernon had a career high 20 home runs, 97 RBIs and a career high 14 triples. He led the American League in doubles with 33 and second in total bases with 294. Vernon played for 14 full major league seasons (400 bats and more) in his 20-year career. He wound up batting over .335 twice, over .300 five times, and over .290 nine times. He was a two- time AL batting champion. In 1946, his .353 batting mark eclipsed Ted Williams by 11 points. He appeared in 2,409 MLB games without playing in the post-season, third most in history behind Ernie Banks and Luke Appling. As a Pirate coach, he finally earned a World Series ring when the Bucs triumphed in seven games over the New York Yankees.

Former world middleweight boxing champion. Won the title from Vince Dundee whom he defeated in 1934. Yarosz boxed for 13 years before retiring in 1942 with 106 wins, 21 defeats, and 2 draws. Among Teddy’s top opponents were Babe Risko, Billy Conn, Archie Moore, Ken Overton, Solly Krieger, and Ezzard Charles.

All-State halfback Williamsport High; 4 years University of Pittsburgh halfback; coached 24 years, including Pitt 4 years; Waynesburg College 2 years, with 19-1 record; Nation's No.1 Small College Team 1966. One year Assistant with Steelers. Voted M.V.P. Pitt team 1949; played in Blue-Gray game.

Incredible 4-sport athlete - Football, Basketball, and Track, Shenandoah High. Matriculated at Albright College, Captained football and baseball. Professional football with Shenandoah Presidents, Reading Keys, Paterson Panthers. Baseball career spanned 9 years. Managed Joplin, Missouri team last half of season in 1935. World War II at North Carolina Pre flight, played football & baseball. Was only minor leaguer in starting line-up that included future Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Johnny Sain. Coached football at Albright, Muhlenberg and West Chester. Selected quarterback on All-time Albright team. Coached for Ashland High School, guided them to Southern Conference in 1948.

Outstanding High School Football player at Jeannette High School, Penn State University and a 9 year star halfback career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Gained over 4,000 rushing yards as a Steeler halfback and nearly 1,500 yards in pass receiving.

Lock Haven College 1942-68; College record 153 wins, 39 losses (Best won-lost record ever produced in NAIA), 5 ties. Had 3 National Champions - Gus DeAugustino, Gary Simons (3 times) and Fred Powell. Two on U. S. Olympic teams - DeAugustino, Simons (twice) - teams had conference record of 87-6-2, won conference championship 8 times, 1961. Elected to National Helms Wrestling Hall of Fame 1963; elected to Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame 1972; elected to NAIA National Hall of Fame 1963.

He player 13 years in the NFL - 6th leading rusher at the time with 6,803 yards. Scored 48 touchdowns. Played with Steelers 1960-65. Now resides in Pittsburgh. Voted High School Athlete. of the Twentieth Century in California last year.

Created and pioneered national renowned Sports Research Institute; Athletic Director at Penn State 18 years; Miami of Florida 3 years; Assistant Athletic Director and Basketball Coach at University of Michigan 12 years; Vice-President and Secretary - Treasurer of N. C. A. A.; member of N. C. A. A. Executive Policy Committee; President of ECAC; Recently retired, was considered one of nation's top Athletic Administrators and Promoter of Sports Safety.

Ted Page (April 22, 1903 - December 1, 1984), nicknamed "Terrible Ted", was a baseball player from 1923 to 1937. Page played for numerous Negro League teams, including the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords. He was born in Glasgow, Kentucky in 1903. In his early years, Page said that he had no awareness of racial differences. His family moved to Youngstown, Ohio when he was nine and they lived in a neighborhood largely composed of families of European descent. He said that many of his childhood friends were Polish and Italian.
In 1923, Page signed with the Toledo Tigers, but he was cut before playing a game. Over the next several seasons, he played for the Newark Stars, Brooklyn Royal Giants, and Baltimore Black Sox.
Page played with the Homestead Grays in 1930 and 1931. He moved on to the Pittsburgh Crawfords, where he batted in front of Cool Papa Bell.
In 1934, popular major league pitcher Dizzy Dean assembled a team of major league players and a team of Negro League players to tour large metropolitan areas and play exhibition games against each other. The Negro League team included Page, Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Buck Leonard, Jud "Boojum" Wilson and Cool Papa Bell. The major league team included Paul Dean, Larry French and a retired Hack Wilson. Page said that his team won seven out of nine matchups.
After retiring from baseball, Page operated a bowling alley in Pittsburgh. Tragically, he was bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat on December 1, 1984. Jeffrey Sullivan, 20, was charged with his murder. Sullivan had performed yard work for Page and said that Page owed him money. Sullivan was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving a life sentence.
In August 2013, the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project announced that it would hold a ceremony to mark Page's grave at Allegheny Cemetery in Pennsylvania. His ashes were thought to have been lost, but they were located in a community cellar at the cemetery. During his later life, Page raised money to mark the grave of Negro League star Josh Gibson at the same cemetery.

All-American team two years (1960-61); Team Captain of the U.S. Naval Academy Squad; Most Valuable Player Award in North-South All-Star Game; Elected to U. S. Naval Academy Hall of Fame; Winner of Stuart Oxnard A ward, Outstanding Collegiate Lacrosse player.

Attended North Braddock Scott High School - All WPIAL 1944-45; Penn State; Look All-American 1948; Pittsburgh Steelers 1950-57; All-Pro 1956; Had most yards rushing for Steelers 5 out of 8 years with Steelers. Then coached high school.

Sheckard played with Brooklyn, Baltimore and Chicago, National League teams 17 years; Lifetime fielding average .956, batting average .274; In 1899 stole 77 bases. Lifetime steals 460. Walked 147 times with Cubs, 1911; Lifetime walks 1135; Played in 4 World Series, 1906-07-08-10.

Pitched in 2 World Series, led National League in pitching 1925-1926 - won 21 games in 1926 - was used many times as a pinch hitter. Control pitcher, developed slow ball. Had over 15 years in baseball - managed local town teams. Given the Nostalgia Award by St. Louis Baseball Writers Association in 1962.

All-State Football Williamsport High; All-American Racing Villanova 1936 and 1937; Most Valuable Player. College All-Star Game 1938; All-Service All-American; Coach 40 years; inducted into Williamsport and Reading Hall of Fame; President and Organized Berks County Chapter, Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame; Chamber of Commerce Courage

45 years in boxing; 40 years as second and referee; Refereed championship fights and judged championship fights; selected as one of top three referees by Don Dunphy in 1969; Has handled over 400 fights, most of them feature fights. Has contributed time and money to Polio Athletic League in Delaware County for over 20 years and has devoted many hours in helping promote amateur fights for servicemen in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Refereed Turner-Gavilon fight and judged two of Marciano's Championship fights.

Played in World Series 1954 against New York. Played in All-Star Games in 1949-51, and 1957. Played just two weeks short of 20 years in the Major Leagues. Home Runs 278; R.B.L's 1351; Grand Slam Home Runs 10; Lifetime average .278.

Steelton native attended Gettysburg College 1936-40. All-Conference choice in football and basketball, also high jump. Coached high school from 1940-48 when he entered the college ranks. Became head coach at Gettysburg in 1952. Harvard head coach from 1957-1970; most victories of Harvard coaches; 4 times New Enagle "Coach of the Year."

Chick played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Giants (1938 -1932), Philadelphia Phillies (1933 – 1934) and St. Louis Cardinals (1934, 1936), he was primarily a center fielder. Fullis batted and threw right-handed. Born in Girardville, PA, Fullis posted a .295 batting average, with 12 home runs, and 167 RBIs in 590 games played during his career. He was a member of the Cardinals’ 1934 World Series winners. Fullis was forced to retire at age 33 due to eye trouble.