Message from Alumni Chairman
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POINTS OF INTEREST INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Diamond Legacy VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 2014 Graduate Corner 2 Frank Thomas Message From Alumni Chairman Notes from the 3 Alumni The Babe Ruth Alumni we remain Association Association has not connected published a newsletter for for the some time. many future generations of Endowed 4 Babe Ruth “leaguers”. Scholarship The main reason is that Named for Theresa Cleary, a member I hope you enjoy this issue Volunteer of the Alumni Executive Committee, was on an of DIAMOND LEGACY. Thanks to Those 5 extended leave due to the It’s been a while since we Who Contributed and give back to the passing of her 22-year-old connected and there has organization that provided son Matthew this last been so much progress. many memorable December. She is very experiences by supporting Objects in the 6 involved with the This is an important time the Babe Ruth League Mirror Alumni Association in Babe Ruth League’s rich Alumni Association. tradition and history. communications and website. We are happy The Alumni Association is Together we share great Julia “Ruth: 7 to have her back and are a non-profit organization responsibility because our Stevens eagerly moving forward that is administered by and beloved Babe Ruth League in growing and strictly relies on volunteers program depends on us to promoting the Alumni for its operation. All help them achieve their critical mission of Babe Ruth’s Major 8 Association. contributions, fees and donations go directly to the educating, transforming, League Debut During my travels to the Alumni Association to use and preparing our 2014 World Series, I had to support our mission of participants for the future. the pleasure of spending helping youth prepare to Alumni Spotlight 9 time with many Babe Ruth Our participants, meet the challenges of Paul Espinosa League volunteers. It was volunteers, and alumni adolescence and very moving to see how continue to amaze me, adulthood. inspire me, and I hope you receptive they are of the will be inspired to deepen Classmates 10 Alumni Association. I intend to engage and Celebrate 50 excite our alumni network your own involvement. Years It is my sincere hope that throughout the coming all members of the Babe Ask yourself, “Have I years. My intention is to Ruth League family will be made a difference? Am I work with the Alumni able to remember the making a difference? What towards understanding shared values that drew us can I do to make a and fulfilling the interests to the program in the first difference? and needs of our place and will look to the participants and to ensure future to make a difference PAGE 2 Graduate Corner — Frank Thomas Congratulations to Frank Thomas for being the latest Babe Ruth League alum to be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Before becoming a big leaguer, he played in the early 1980’s Columbus, Georgia Babe Ruth League. Thomas was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia, and attended rusted piece of rebar that he Columbus High School, where he reportedly found during a was a standout in both football and renovation project in Old Comiskey baseball. Park in the on-deck circle. Thomas spent 19 years in the majors Thomas’ accomplishments include as one of the most feared hitters in five straight All-Star Game the league. He was drafted by the appearances, two MVP awards, two Chicago White Sox in the first round Silver Slugger each at two different of the June 1989 Major League positions. and some of the most Baseball Draft and made his major impressive numbers in Major league debut on August 2, 1990. League Baseball history. In fact, Thomas is the only player to go He spent 16 years as the first seven consecutive seasons with 20+ baseman and designated hitter for homeruns, 100+ RBIs, 100+ walks the Chicago White Sox before and a .300+ batting average. There heading to the Oakland A’s and are only five other players in history Toronto Blue Jays. who have both hit more home runs and have a higher career batting Thomas was nicknamed “The Big average than Thomas: Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx, Willie Mays, Manny Ramirez, and Babe Ruth. On January 8, 2014, Thomas was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and officially inducted on July 26, 2014. Hurt” during the 1992 season by broadcaster Ken Harrelson. He was known for menacing home run power and he routinely swung a DIAMOND LEGACY VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 PAGE 3 Notes From The Alumni Association Alumni are one of Babe Ruth The Alumni’s objective is to raise can view the progress by visiting League’s greatest gifts to the $100,000. We are happy to report www.baberuthleague.org and world. Every day around the that we are at the 60% mark, but clicking the Alumni Association globe, alumni are engaging the we need your further support to logo. world and making a positive reach our goal. difference to others and their We also hope that in the future communities through their A profound sense of pride for one our Alumni will establish the careers and professions, volunteer Babe Ruth League volunteer has Alumni Association’s presence on contributions and personal been transformed into a new many social media sites like projects and passions. endowment for the Babe Ruth Facebook and Linkedin and League Alumni Association. The remain active in maintaining Our alumni body is growing and Irby Luquette Endowment these sites. becoming more diverse. Strategic Scholarship has been established goals are aimed at increasing by Luquette’s son, Gary Luquette We are proud to welcome Russ & membership in the alumni of Montgomery, Texas. The June Diethrick (Jamestown, NY), association, strengthening alumni endowment will be available each Robert & Nancy Faherty engagement, and increasing year, beginning in 2014, to award (Pennington, NJ), and Gary exposure for the Alumni deserving Babe Ruth League Luquette (Montgomery, TX), as Association, leading up to Babe graduates from the Southwest new members in the Golden Ruth League’s 65th anniversary in Region with a college scholarship. Alumni Club. Membership in 2016. this elite club is $5,000 (a onetime After careful study and review gift or installment plan). This Our guiding vision is to ensure with members of the Babe Ruth club will be closed forever when that Babe Ruth League alumni are League program, the Alumni the 1,000th member joins. If you integral and engaged members of Association will be charging a consider yourself one of Babe the Babe Ruth League membership fee in the future. Ruth League’s biggest fans, we community, proudly contributing Present plans are to charge $20 for invite you to become a member to and benefitting from the an annual membership and $250 while the opportunity still exists. achievements of Babe Ruth for a lifetime membership. We In addition to that good feeling League and its fellow alumni. have found these fees to be you will get because of your nominal when comparing them to additional support, membership In our first full year of operation, other alumni organizations. entitles you to special benefits we have raised close to $86,000 in and recognition. donations and pledges. This is a In order to further engage alumni tribute to the newly established and promote the association a lot As you can see, we are making Alumni Committees and the of work has been put into great headway. Long-term goals support of many state and designing and creating a new are being discussed, such as regional officials who have taken alumni website. Most of the membership drives, fundraising the initiative to promote and raise content has been entered. There and campaign initiatives, as well funds for the Alumni Association. are still a few tasks that need to be as alumni association events. completed, such as setting up The Capital Building Campaign links, creation of online forms and Success isn’t going to happen Committee has been hard at work a few accounting procedures. We overnight, but with every new raising funds to help finance a hope to get the site up and step, we will be closer to victory. new BRL Headquarters Building. running in the near future. You VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 PAGE 4 Endowed Scholarship Named for Babe Ruth Volunteer A profound sense of pride for one Babe Ruth League volunteer has been transformed into a new endowment for the Babe Ruth League Alumni Association. The Irby Luquette Endowment Scholarship has been established by Luquette’s son, Gary Luquette of Montgomery, Texas. The endowment will be available each year, beginning in 2014, to award deserving Babe Ruth League graduates from the Southwest Region with a college scholarship. The financial assistance the students receive from the Endowment Fund may be applied to their college tuition and/or books. The Endowment Fund strives to promote the pursuit of higher education by alleviating financial barriers. Irby Luquette of Abbeville, Louisiana, has given 58 years of dedicated service to Babe Ruth League as a coach, manager, League President, District Director, State Commissioner, Regional Commissioner, Tournament Director and World Series consultant. Luquette was the coach of the first Louisiana state champion team when he coached the 1962 Vermilion Babe Ruth team (today, he still goes to watch the local Vermilion team compete). Luquette has not only been involved with Babe Ruth at state and regional levels, but served many terms as a Tournament Director for many District, State and Regional Tournaments. In 1974, he served on the World Series committee in Abbeville. This was the very first tournament to show a profit, also breaking the record for attendance at that time.