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By Ron P. Coderre
A sporty hello from RPC goes out to all around ‘good guy’ Stan Sheldon of Pomfret. A former standout Putnam High School athlete, when Pomfret kids attended Putnam, Sheldon still enjoys sharing the memories of days gone by with friends. He’s also a former Pomfret first selectman.
John Smutnick is like fine wine. It seems that the 61-year-old Smutnick appears to be getting better with age. A resident of Pomfret in the summer and Avon Park, Fla., in the winter, the retired Connecticut conservation officer, enjoys golf and softball year round. During the summer he’s a member of Quinnatisset Country Club, where he’s highly respected for his long ball hitting ability.
In the winter in the Sunshine State, Smutnick plays in local softball leagues and on two travel teams. His talent as a hitter and slick fielding, strong arm shortstop was noticed by the South Florida Heat from Miami. He was asked to join the team and is among their leaders in offense and defense.
The Heat recently returned from the Senior Softball USA East Coast Champions Tournament in Raleigh, N.C. Among the more than 30 teams in the tourney the Heat finished second, posting a 5-2 record. According to Smutnick, his offense was slightly off as he batted .550 with one home run. The fine showing in North Carolina helped the team qualify for the Senior Nationals in Las Vegas in September.
Smutnick is a 1968 graduate of Putnam High School, where he starred in baseball and football for coach Jim Greenhalgh. Following his high school graduation, he went on to UConn, where he received a bachelor’s degree in forest recreation in 1972.
Local Golfers Fare Well in Norwich…
Northeastern Connecticut golfers invaded Norwich Aug. 2 for the Senior Invitational Tournament held at Norwich Golf Course. According to reports emanating from the Rose City, the locals fared very well in all age groups.
In the Freshman Flight for golfers 50 through 59 the champ was longtime golf standout from the Norwich area Dave Jones, who carded a 69. Two locals George Dumas (73) and Dave McNally (74) finished third and fourth respectively.
The Sophomore Flight title, ages 60 through 69, was captured by Quinnatisset Country Club member John Smutnick with a gross of one over par 73. A fellow Quinnatisset member Fran Baranski finished fourth in the flight with a 76.
In the Junior Flight for players age 70 and up, ‘The Legend’, John McCormac walked away with the Net title with a score of 69. McCormac also of Quinnatisset edged another Quinny player, Cliff Aubin by one stroke as Aubin recorded a net 70.
Recalling A Tiger Hall of Famer…
In the continuing weekly series on the Tourtellotte Memorial High School Athletic Hall of Fame, RPC highlights a member of the Hall’s Class of 2010, Brian Murphy.
Murphy, probably one of the best all-around athletes to ever grace the Tourtellotte campus, enjoyed a spectacular three-sport high school career from 1972 through 1975. Murphy starred in baseball, basketball and soccer for the Tigers. Although he was the captain of the basketball team, Murphy carved his niche as a baseball player for coach Tom Auclair.
As a pitcher Murphy was the ace of the area. The lefthander had better than average speed, great control and threw a variety of breaking balls, which kept opposing batters constantly off balance. In 1975 Murphy’s mound heroics earned him All-State recognition and the opportunity to move on to a career at Eastern Connecticut State University under coach Bill Holowaty.
Murphy toiled for Holowaty from 1976 through 1979. Although he started as a member of the Warriors junior varsity squad, he was soon promoted to the varsity when injuries befell the pitching staff. Taking advantage of the situation, Murphy only looked forward and never looked back.
As a junior Murphy led the nation in pitching victories and was recognized as an NCAA Division III All American. He was named All New England in 1978 and 1979 and was honored as the ECSU Most Valuable Player in his senior year. He’s currently ranked number eight in career victories for the Warriors.
Murphy was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1979 and enjoyed a successful two-year minor league career with Greensboro in the South Atlantic League, where he was selected an all star both seasons. His roommate in Greensboro was Yankee great and current Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly. The pair remains close friends today.
Murphy went on to a career in corrections for the State of Connecticut, eventually becoming commissioner. Following his retirement he was recruited by Rhode Island to fill the commissioner’s position on an interim basis, a job that eventually became a permanent position.
The Tourtellotte Hall of Famer was selected to the All Time Baseball Roster at Eastern in 2009. In 2010 Murphy’s alma mater enshrined him in the ECSU Athletic Hall of Fame for his exploits in baseball.
Former Area Resident in Afghanistan…
Doug Smutnick, a former Pomfret resident, is currently on a three-month assignment in Afghanistan with the Arkansas Air National Guard. Smutnick is a 1995 graduate of Woodstock Academy, where he starred in soccer and baseball. Following graduation from the Academy, Smutnick went on to Westfield (Mass.) State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree. While at Westfield he was a pitcher on the baseball team. As a member of the Arkansas Air National Guard, the 35-year-old Smutnick is flying the A-10 jet.
Smutnick and his wife live in Arkansas, where they run a large farm. He’s the son of John and Laura Smutnick of Pomfret.
RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.