The Blair County Sports Hall Of Fame Danny Napoleon Sprung from Claysburg all the way to the By NEIL RUDEL those families. Napoleon was born in Claysburg, at Altoona Mirror home, the son of Dan and the former Jennie Townsend. laysburg's first inductee into the Blair County "Don's mother Mary was like my second mother,'' CSports Hall of Fame admittedly doesn't have too Napoleon said. "We lived in a row of houses, and I many vivid memories of could look out my back - Claysburg. door and see Don's That's because he house." moved when he was 12 While growing up, -- nearly 50 years ago. Witherspoon was able to But the memories identify Dan's athletic Danny Napoleon does prowess early. have are good ones. "He recognized He fondly recalls when we were kids that playing "all kinds of he was special,'' sports,'' and in a league Witherspoon said. "Even "up behind the high when he shot marbles, his school." hand-eye coordination And he fondly was a lot better than recalls how the town anybody. My brothers nurtured all of its youth. and I were pretty good "We had a lot of fun athletes, but Dan could out there," he said. throw a rock 50 yards "Knowing everybody and knock a bottle over. that lived there, and We played cowboys and everybody was your indians and he'd catch parent. If you did some - you by hitting you with a thing (wrong) and your crab apple. It was like he mother wasn't around, never missed. You could you'd catch it from any - tell he had a special tal - body. It was a good ent -- even at 9-10 years community, and they old." took care of each Witherspoon gradu - other." ated from Claysburg in Napoleon's interest 1960 as a three-sport let - in sports began by termen. He has won - watching his dad, dered just how much Daniel, play for a better the Bulldogs would Claysburg team in the early 1950s. have been had Napoleon not moved with his family "They would play teams from Altoona and I would to Trenton. go to the games with him,'' he said. "We probably would have won a couple champi - One of the few local people who knew Napoleon onships -- in baseball in particular,'' he said. growing up was Don Witherspoon. The two were Napoleon's baseball career dawned at Morrisville cousins. In the 1950s, Claysburg had about 30 African- (Pa.) High School, where he graduated in 1959. American families who came from South Carolina to "I played all sports -- baseball, football, basketball work in the brickyard. and track,'' he said, "but I loved baseball." The Witherspoons and Napoleons were two of He went to Lincoln University in Oxford, Pa., but he -15- The Blair County Sports Hall Of Fame returned home follow - to go out and play ing his dad's premature every day keeps your death at 45 in 1961. competitive edge,'' he From there, he went to said. "I think I would Trenton State during have had a much the day and worked in longer career in the big the brickyard at night leagues because the before moving on to second year, I was hav - Rider University. ing a real good year in He played well (-A) Jacksonville enough at Rider to be after I got sent down." drafted by the New He was going to be York Mets in 1963 and recalled but he was he proceeded to tear derailed by a groin up the New York Penn injury. Napoleon retired League, ripping 36 from baseball and has home runs and driving worked as a car assem - in 134 in his first season bler for General Motors at Auburn, N.Y. in Wilmington, Del., for That led to an early the past 25 years. He call-up by the Mets. has three children, "The way the rules including son Danny, were back then, they who will present him Danny's post-baseball life now focuses on his family. either had to protect into the Hall. you and put you on the 40-man roster or lose you,'' he Though many youngsters in Claysburg had never said. "With the year some of us had as rookies, the met him, they were inspired by Napoleon's climb to Mets protected five of us." the big leagues. That included Danny, Ron Swoboda and Tug "I never really heard of him or knew of him until he McGraw. was actually with the Mets,'' Claysburg native Terry Napoleon appeared in 80 games with the Mets, Lingenfelter said. "People recognize the fact that he including 68 games in 1965 and 12 in 1966. He strug - was from Claysburg and being from a small town, it gled to consistently and was used mainly as a utili - gives you inspiration to go out and see if it's a possibili - tyman. ty if you could do it someday." Napoleon's career batting average was .162 in Lingenfelter and his brother, Denny, both played 130 at bats. at Penn State. Denny Lingenfelter spent time in the "I look back on it as it was great ' organization and to be in the big leagues but the Claysburg product Dave Hoenstine older I got, the more I thought it was the ' rookie would have been better if they sent league MVP who earned a short me out to play (into the minors),'' Napoleon bio stint on the Reds' big-league roster. he said. "If you sit around and not Napoleon hasn't been back to play most of a year, you lose a lot. Claysburg often. He returned in the The big leagues are great, but Sport: Baseball. early 1990s for a town reunion, maybe it would have been better Hometown: Claysburg. including "a lot of the people who for my career if I would have gotten College: Rider. had moved away." sent out." He clearly wasn't sitting Hall of Fame achievement: Danny played in the minor around waiting for a call from the Spent the 1965 and part of leagues with and Cleon Blair County Sports Hall of Fame. the 1966 season with the Jones and joined the likes of Ed New York Mets. "I said 'are you kidding?' At Kranepool, Jesse Gonder, Al first, I wondered if they were serious. Current occupation: Jackson, Ron Hunt and Roy Then it sunk in,'' he said. "I may see Assemblyman. McMillan with the Mets. people I haven't seen in years. I "The pitching was the biggest Current residence: have a lot of old memories but Trenton, NJ. adjustment but just the opportunity good memories." -16-