MILROY - If you ever been near the Yeagertown dugout at a Mifflin County Babe Ruth game, the noise coming out of it can be loud and boisterous.
Talk about contrasts of the men in the dugout. Manager Fred Zook isn't shy about barking out orders.
Meanwhile, his third base coach, Mike Milliken, doesn't usually have a whole lot to say unless he is guiding a Yeagertown runner home.
As a long time manager of Yeagertown, Zook is already in the Pennsylvania Babe Ruth Hall of Fame.
Now his third base coach will be inducted today at 6:30 p.m. in the opening ceremonies of the District 7 14- and 15-year-old tournaments at the Armagh Memorial Field.
To go into the Hall of Fame, a coach or manager must have at least 10 years of service before he becomes eligible to be inducted.
Fact Box
What: Babe Ruth awards ceremony
When: Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Armagh Memorial Field
Milliken becomes the 15th man from the Mifflin County league to go into the state's Hall of Fame, tops for any league in Pennsylvania Babe Ruth history.
"I owe Fred (Zook) a lot of thanks," Milliken said. "He let me help him and he has taught me a lot about baseball. We both like to play aggressively. Sometimes we bet against the odds. Most of the time it works in our favor, but sometimes it doesn't."
But, don't think that Milliken doesn't know the game as he has been coaching at Yeagertown since 2002. He now has 11 years under his belt and his numbers include one league title and two state championships along with six District 7 titles and five of those teams made the state's final four. Yeagertown has been second and third six times during those 11 seasons.
"One of the biggest thrills for me came in the regular season when we won the league in a playoff game at Armagh," Milliken noted. "Obviously, being on two state championship teams is also something that I'll always remember."
Milliken was on the coaching staff of the 2007 and 2009 15-year-old All-Star teams that went on to win state titles. The 2009 team just missed a trip to the World Series as it lost in the Mid-Atlantic regional finals.
In that 11-year span, Milliken coached teams have a record of 216-134. He has coached in 350 games.
"I like to thank my family and especially my wife, Sherri, for putting with all the time I spend at the ball park," Milliken said.
