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At Fenway

Remy and Owen Coderre had their photo taken with Boston Police Officer Steve Horgan at Fenway recently. Courtesy photo.

 

 

 

 

By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC sporty shoutout is sent along to Woodstock constable and Putnam auxiliary policeman Stew Morse.  Despite having the difficult job of controlling crowds and traffic at big events or in downtown Putnam, Morse does it courteously and with a smile.  His friendly manner makes visitors and strangers feel welcome.

The Tourtellotte Memorial High School Athletic Hall of Fame, since its inception has honored former players and coaches and also some of its great teams.  On June 14 the Hall digressed from its usual format by honoring three former players who are the only trio to have the achievement that brought them the recent notoriety.

Nick Angelo ‘51, Tasi Vriga ’51 and the late Joe Augustinski ’52 were honored as the only basketball players in the long and storied history of the Tigers to have played on three State Championship teams.  The trio was part of the coach Jim Canty teams of 1949, 1950 and 1951 State title squads.  During those three years Angelo, Vriga and Augustinski were part of teams that posted a cumulative record of an incredible 70-5 log.  

The Hall research committee also discovered that these three hoopsters are the only players not only in North Grosvenordale but in all of Eastern Connecticut to have participated on three State Championship teams.

Big Doings In Boston

A few weeks ago Red Sox Nation was rocked when General Manager Ben Cherington made sweeping changes to the BoSox roster by unloading the likes of John Lester, John Lackey, Jake Peavy, Stephen Drew, Mike Carp, A.J. Peirczynski and Andrew Miller.  The big doings had Red Sox fans talking, something they’re still doing weeks later.  

A local family had other big doings in Boston on Wednesday, June 30 at the Red Sox versus Toronto Blue Jays game at Fenway Park.  Prior to the game Moe Coderre and his wife Pam along with their son Lance and his wife Lisa and their children, Emily, Owen and Remy not only saw the game but enjoyed a very special experience just before the start of the game.

Lance and Lisa Coderre and their family live in Waterford where they’ve become friends of Liz Sutman, who is the sister of Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker.  She arranged for the family to meet and chat with Walker out by the Toronto bullpen before the game.  As a bonus, the family was also introduced to Blue Jays coaches Sal Butera and former Red Sox ace relief pitcher Bob “Steamer” Stanley.

Remy and Owen also had their photo taken with Boston Police Officer Steve Horgan, who became famous during the 2013 World Series for the photo with his arms raised on a David Ortiz home run that sent the Cardinals’ outfielder head over heels into the bullpen.

The Old Guy Can Still Hit The Golf Ball

When people speak about the best golfers in northeastern Connecticut a name that surfaces all the time is Matt Smith.  What many forget is that the younger Smith learned his game from his dad Dale Smith. 

The elder Smith is still a very active golfer and recently proved he’s still got game.  Dale Smith, playing with his long time partner Jay Kunkel, competed in the Pleasant Valley Country Club Member-Guest Invitational over the weekend of August 9.

Smith and Kunkel proved that they are still the twosome to beat as they finished on top in the Master’s Division with a +7.   Smith and Kunkel have been playing together for years and have come out on top in some prestigious tournaments at Quinnatisset Country Club and Greenhill Golf Club in Worcester.  Whatever the competition the duo is a certainty to be in the mix for the top spot.

Familiar Face Behind The Bar

Patrons at J.D. Cooper’s Sports Bar may see a familiar face behind the bar serving food and libations.  The attractive young lady who fills the bill is a former Putnam High School standout athlete,

Michelle Gaimari, a 2008 PHS grad who attended Community College of Rhode Island, is a former ace of the Clippers softball pitching staff and the backbone of the Putnam volleyball team.  During her four years on the Woodstock Avenue campus, Gaimari earned varsity letters in both sports every year.

Today, Gaimari serves as the coach of the Clippers varsity volleyball program, a position she’s held for five years.  In addition to her work at Cooper’s, Gaimari is planning to re-enter the world of academia as she contemplates a return to college.

A Familiar Name Goes to the American Legion World Series

Sports fans that followed the action in the recent American Legion Connecticut State Tournament and the Northeast Regional Tournament were most likely puzzled and perplexed by the name of one of the teams.  That particular team went by the unusual moniker RCP (not to be mistaken with RPC).  RCP is the acronym for Rocky Hill, Cromwell and Portland.

RCP proved that the name isn’t what makes a great team.  Despite losing the Connecticut Legion Tournament to Cheshire, RCP qualified for the Northeast Regional event by virtue of its second place finish in the Nutmeg State tourney.  In moving on to the World Series in Shelby, North Carolina, RCP beat Milford, Mass., 5-4 on a walk off single in the bottom of the 9th inning.

RCP is coached by a name that should be familiar to Putnam area sports fans.  Jay Hickey, the former Brown University football and baseball standout guided his young team to the World Series despite beating some very long odds.  Hickey, an outstanding baseball mind, of course is one of the major reasons RCP sees itself traveling to the Carolinas.   

Hickey is the brother of former St. Mary School principal Phyllis Hickey.  As a college athlete he once graced the St. Mary’s Sports Banquet many years ago as the guest speaker.  The Hickey family is very athletic.  Jay Hickey’s brother Charley Hickey is the varsity baseball coach at Central Connecticut State University.  He previously served as the baseball coach at Providence College prior to the Friars disbanding their diamond program a few years back.

I’ll bet that all this material jogged some cobwebs in your brain or gave you information you never knew.  

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: Energy is contagious.  Ignore the elevator and use the stairs.

(If you have news worthy sports information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

 

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