The News Journal from Wilmington, Delaware • Page 26

04 Sunday News Journal, Wilmington, April 22, 1984 Varied careers come together in Delaware Hall Bill Doherty football Born: Feb. 21, 1927, in Wilmington. Sidelights: Dazzling career at Archmere Academy earned him a scholarship to Villanova, where he played two ways for the Wildcats, reaching supreme heights his senior year in 1948. That year, Villanova, under Coach Jordan Olivar, finished 8-2-1 during the regular season (losing only to Army 28-0 and Boston College 20-13) and then routed Nevada 27-7 in the Harbor Bowl at San Diego. Set two records that season most number of punts returned (25) and most yards gained on punt returns (365).

Dave May baseball Born: Dec. 23, 1943, in New Castle Sidelights: Broke into professional baseball at age 18, with Salem of the Appalachian League in 1962. Reached the majors in 1967, with the Baltimore Orioles. Played with the 01s in the 1969 American League Championship Series and World Series. In November 1974, was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Atlanta Braves for Hank Aaron, who broke Babe Ruth's all-time career home run record.

Tied for American League lead in total bases with 295 in 1973. Last major-league season The 1984 Delaware Sports Hall of Fame selections are Paul Chadick, Nate Cloud, Rill Doherty, Casimer Klosiewicz, Dave May, Rea McGraw and Al Neiger. Paul Chadick Rated one of Delaware's all-time basketball greats, he was a mem-: ber of the original Wilmington Blue Bombers team in the 1940s. "In those days, we played our home games Sunday afternoons at the Wilmington Armory," he recalled in a telephone interview from his home in Seminole, where he has resided since 1974. "We played in the American League, with teams like Trenton, Baltimore, Washington.

New York and the Philadelphia SPHAS. It was a very strong league, in the days before the NBA." As a starter in the Bombers' lineup composed mainly of New York City players, Chadick helped the team win two league championships. In addition to playing with the Rombers for five years, he also played professional basketball in Amsterdam. N.Y.; in Pennsylvania with Wilkes-Barre. Nanticoke and Sunbury; and in New Jersey with Trenton.

He captained Wilmington High's 1936 basketball team, played one season at Beacom College (later to become Goldey Beacom), and played 1 "2 seasons at St. Joseph's College (now a university) where, as a freshman, he cracked the starting lineup on a team that was later to be heralded as the Mighty Mites. Leaving college during his sophomore year, he served as player-; coach of the General Chemical team, leading that club to champi- ohships in the Industrial and Delaware River Industrial leagues. He also played for Sun Ship of Chester in the Delaware River Industrial League. His reaction to being tapped for Hall induction was "total surprise.

I had heard about the Hall of Fame for the first time about three years ago. Different people from Dela- ware visiting in Florida would stop in to see me and tell me how about it. They'd express surprise I wasn't in it. I told them. I guess my time will Nate Qoud one of the finest young men I've ever been associated with," Said Irv Wisniewski, former head 'basketball coach at the University of Delaware, describing Cloud.

was really the one who started it all by coming to Delaware. As a result, we were able to "get his brother, Pete. Dave Sysko, Billy Haggerty, Ronnie Smith, and many other other fine players. "He was the beginning of the three best basketball years we've ever had. as far as I'm concerned.

can't say enough good things about him. He was not only a super basketball player, but excelled in academics, earning a degree in engineering as well as a master's degree," said Wisniewski, Delaware's coach for 12 years. An All-Stater his senior year at Conrad High. Cloud became the second highest basketball scorer in I'niversity of Delaware history. In fi'2 games, he scored 1,167 points (18 8 average).

His senior year, he won the scor-ing-and rebounding titles and was named Most Valuable Player in the Middle Atlantic Conference. At Delaware's annual banquet, he received the Alumni Association's award as the outstanding senior athlete. He was the fourth draft pick of the New York Knicks in 1963. the first Blue Hen tapped by an NBA team. He did well at.

the Knicks' was in 1978, with Milwaukee and Pittsburgh. Nate Qoud Basketball Born: Feb. 13, 1941, Wilmington. Sidelights: First gained stardom his junior (1957-58) and senior (1 958-59) years at Conrad High. Won the Blue Hen Conference scoring championship and led the Redskins to the league's first championship his senior year, when he was named All-State.

lis MJ t- i i fir if Al Neiger Baseball Born: March 26, 1939, Wilmington Sidelights: Received a $40,000 bonus for signing with Phillies in 1959, after his junior year at the University of Delaware. Put in five years in the pros (1959 to 1963), playing in Williamsport, Johnson City, Chattanooga, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Buffalo. preseason tryouts, but was recruited and signed by the Wilmington Blue Bombers of the Eastern Professional League. "I still had a semester to go at Delaware to get my degree, so I decided to stay close to home. That enabled me to go to school and still play pro basketball," he said.

He played five seasons (interrupted by Army service) with the Bombers. "Being drafted by the Knicks is one achievement of which I'm very proud." he said. "In those days, the NBA had only 10 or 12 teams." During his scholastic career at Krebs Junior High and Conrad, he was a third baseman on the baseball teams. Bill Doherty Red Rlaik, at the time he was head football coach at West Point, described Doherty as "one of the best defensive backs I've seen in years." members Paul Chadick Basketball Born: May 25, 1918, Wilmington. Sidelights: Was the only local player on the original Bob Carpenter-owned Wilmington Blue Bombers team that played in the American Basketball League before and after World War II.

Before the pros, he starred at Wilmington High, earning a scholarship to St. Joseph's College for basketball. form a weightlifting club at Pulaski Legion but it didn't work out. "He was very proud of his Army service. He was only 20 when he went in; served with the 3rd Army, 33rd Construction Battalion.

His group put up 30 miles of telephone poles for communication lines on the way to Berlin." At Wilmington High, he was co-captain of the 1939 football team with Al Tribuani, a 1977 Hall of Fame inductee. He made all-city in 1939 as a tackle, when the Red Devils finished 7-1. He also competed in track (shot put, discus) in high school. After World War II, he played sandlot football and was a starter on the Polish Eagles' state championship team of 1948. Dave May "I'm very happy.

This is really one of my life's fulfillments. It's something I've been hoping for," said May, reacting to his selection. "Like any athlete, I like to be appreciated, especially by people in your own state. This is a big achievement for me. Next to being voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, I can't think of a higher honor." The former William Penn High athlete (baseball, basketball, football) played in 1,253 major-league games over a 16-year career, as an outfielder with Baltimore, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Texas.

He was with the Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 World Series. He was named to the American League All-Star team in 1973, the year he batted .303 with 25 home runs and 93 RBI while with Milwaukee. The first half of the '73 season, he was leading the American League in practically every hitting category. "After the All-Star break that year, I injured my hand," he recalled, "and got off to a slow start the last half of the season. But I was still able to finish with .303.

1 felt I could've hit for a higher average if it hadn't been for the injury." "Being selected to play in the All-Star Game has to be one of the highlights of my career. May said his only regret is that he wasn't able to play more during his early years in the majors. "When I was sitting around in Baltimore, I would've liked to have played more. That's the only thing that bothered me. "I guess one of the reasons I had to sit around was Frank Robinson, I was his backup.

He used to kid me, called me his caddy." Hall of Fame For the Villanova star of the late 1940s, that was high praise. "Everybody seems to remember me for offense, but I was noted for defense when I played at Villanova," said Doherty. He was one of the finest all-around athletes to come out of the state and is the only athlete in Villanova sports history to start on the varsity football, basketball and baseball teams as a freshman. Although only 5-feet-9, and 158 pounds, Doherty was the lone Villanova football player to go both ways quarterback and safety. And he was an "iron man." "I played four years of varsity football and the worst injury I suffered was a couple of broken ribs against Kentucky my senior year," he recalled.

"I sat out three practices but, wearing a pad around my ribs. I was in there starting in the next game." Jordan Olivar, Villanova football coach, described Doherty as "the best all-around back I ever coached." He was voted Villanova's MVP in football as a senior. At Archmere Academy, he quar-terbacked two straight undefeated teams and was an All-Scholastic basketball player, leading the state in scoring his senior year. Casimer Klosiewicz In 1940, he lifted a combined total 720 pounds for a state record for 165-pounders, including a press record of 205 pounds that still stands. That same year he won the senior Middle Atlantic AAU and National Junior AAU titles at 148 pounds.

He was unbeaten in Delaware weightlifting competition at 148 and 165 pounds in 1937-38-40 as a member of Delaware and Wilmington Boys Club teams. He qualified for the 1940 U.S. Olympic weight-lifting team in competition at New York's Madison Square Garden. But his dream of being in the Olympics was never fulfilled. The Games, scheduled to be held in Helsinki, were canceled because of World War II.

He continued his weightlifting in Delaware, winning the state and senior Middle Atlantic titles at 165 in 1941 and keying the state championship Delamore Barbell Club. "It was at Wilmington Boys Club that first got my brother interested in weightlifting," Sigmund Klosiewicz said of his younger brother, who died March 24, 1972, at the age of 52. "After the war, he tried to Casimer Klosiewicz Weightlifter 12, 1920, in Wilmington; Died: March 24,1972. Sidelights: Klosiewicz (right) played offensive and defensive line at Bayard Junior High and Wilmington High. His outstanding record-breaking accomplishments qualified him for the 1940 Olympic weightlifting team.

He competed as a member of local weighlifting teams. Al Neiger In the spring of 1959, as a junior at the University of Delaware, he led the nation in strikeouts with 166 over 103 innings, with a 9-3 record and a 0.88 ERA. The lofty credentials earned pitcher Al Neiger District II MVP honors and first-team All-America, the first Blue Hen to be so named. The high marks also earned him a professional baseball contract, with the Phillies. That year he played with Johnson City of the Appalachian League.

"One achievement I'm proud of," said Neiger, now in his 20th year as production superintendent with NVF Wilmington plant, "is making it to the majors within a period of 13 months. I signed with the Phillies in June 1959, and in July of 1960 1 was up with the Phillies. "Pete Rose and I have something in common," he quipped. "We both got our first major-league hits off the same pitcher. Bob Friend Neiger's career was short.

He was up with the Phillies for 66 days and got to bat only twice. A former Wilmington High ath-. lete, whose career lasted from 1959 to 1963, Neiger knows he was not elected because of his professional career. Neiger still holds University of Delaware records for strikeouts in a season (166), career ERA (1.08), and is tied for most shutouts in a season (3). Rea McGraw Football, baseball coach Born: Born June 28, 1902, in Chester, Died: April 22, 1969 Sidelights: Coached many outstanding athletes during long career at P.S.

du Pont High. Won nine varsity letters at the University of Pennsylvania, three each in baseball, basketball and football, and also captained the undefeated Red and Blue eleven in 1924. Rea McGraw His achievements as a coach at P.S. du Pont High in football and baseball over a 24-year period (football, baseball) have been well chronicled, but not as well as his achievements as an athlete. McGraw, who died in 1969 at age 67, captained Penn's 1924 undefeated football team.

As a punt-returner at Penn, he was once featured in Ripley's Believe It Or Not syndicated feature for never having fumbled a punt during his collegiate career except in his final game. "Penn had special football pants for my father," his son, James who lives in Woodbine, recalled. "The pants had fur-lined pockets to keep his hands warm while he was awaiting to field punts. "Although mv father was-born in Chester, he played his first organized sports, in church basketball leagues, in Wilmington," he said. "He was sort of a rarity at Penn in that he was a left-handed passer in the single wing under Coach Harvey Harmon." McGraw started his football coaching career at Chestnut Hill Academy then went to Atlantic City High, winning four New Jersey state championships.

He returned to Penn as freshman coach and assistant to Harvey Harmon, varsity coach. The last stop was P.S. du Pont, where he started in 1938 and retired in 1963 at age 61. Past induc tees into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame: 1976 Jimmy Caras, billiards; Judy Johnson, baseball; Mrs. Marion MacLure, tennis; Creighton Miller, football; Vic Zwolak, I track; 'Eddie Michaels, football; Ed "Porky" Oliver, golf.

1977 Ed Koffenberger, basketball; Frank Newlin, recreation administrator; Nancy Sawin. field hockey; Al Tribuani, boxing; I Ron Waller, football; 'Vic Willis, baseball; 'Bill McGowan, base- ball umpire. 1978 Bob Carpenter, baseball administrator; Dave Douglas, golf; Dim Montero, football coach; Dave Nelson, football coach; Tex Warrington, football; 'Dallas Marvil, football; 'Charles M. 1 "Buck" Wharton, football. 1979 Billy Cole, football player and coach; John Grier, trapshooting; Millard Naylor, football coach; George Schollen- berger, football coach; Chris Short, baseball; 'William J.

du Pont I thoroughbred racing administrator; 'John "Sadie" McMahon, baseball. 1980 Johnny Aiello, boxing; Huck Betts, baseball; Al Cartwright, sports writer; Tom Hall, football; Madge "Bunny" Vosters, squash and tennis; 'Gerald "Doc" Doherty, athletic administrator; 'Bryan Field, thoroughbred racing administra-! tor. 1981 Bernard "Bunny" Blaney, basketball and football; George "Shorty" Chalmers, baseball, basketball and football; -Eddie Cihocki, baseball; Pat Knight, athletic administrator; Bill Skinner, track and field; 'Ralph Sasse, football coach; 'Matt Donohue, baseball. 1982 Chip Marshall, baseball; the Rev. James V.

O'Neill, 'football coach; Frank Shakespeare, Olympic oarsman; Ellis Tay-; lor. golf; John Tosi, football; 'Frank Coveleski, high school coach; 'Cliff Garvine, amateur sports promoter. 1983 Dallas Green, baseball; William D. Murray, football I coach; John J. Mulvena III, football; Edward W.

Hazewski, bas-. "ketball; Jacquelin Pitts, lacrosse; 'Johnny Y. Cooper, wrestling and boxing coach; 'Rosemary Y. Miller, trapshooting. Inducted posthumously..