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Babe Ruth earns 90th Final Four

In baseball, a key word for success is consistency. Through the years, the Mifflin County Babe Ruth League has been very successful because of its consistent play. How consistent? How about 90 times in the Pennsylvania Babe Ruth Final Four. The Final Four might not mean as much today as it once did because leagues in Pennsylvania are not playing tournament ball. But, finishing in the Final Four should not be taken for granted. For instance, this past weekend for the Mifflin County 13-year-olds in Broomall. The team does not have any superstar players, but it plays good defense and ...

Stuff Santa should have given pros

Most professional athletes don’t need much when it comes to gift-giving from old Saint Nick. Besides, what would Santa have brought millionaire, superstar athletes for Christmas? What if Santa skipped the Dolce and Bentleys this year and gave them something meaningful, like improvements to their game or front offices that make better decisions? In realty, with their multi-million dollar contracts, spacious mansions and fancy sports cars, many pro athletes could buy their own Santa Claus and staff a factory full of gift-making elves. But what fun would that be because we couldn’t ...

Finding a place for all my ‘stuff’

Everybody in life seems to collect “stuff.” During my 53 years in Babe Ruth baseball, I have collected a lot of memorabilia (stuff), When, my Babe Ruth career is over, the Kishacoquillas Valley Historical Society (in Allensville) has been gracious enough to agree to take the Babe Ruth collection. The Mifflin County league has become one of the most historical in Pennsylvania. During the last 68 years it has become the standard bearer for the state as it has won 25 state championships, been to 50 state finals, advance to 30 Mid-Atlantic regionals, gone to five World Series and ...

PIAA mulls proposal that could benefit wrestlers from rural regions

A proposal put in front of the PIAA — which was passed on first reading, but faces an uphill battle to be approved — would bring about a big change to the way wrestlers move from regionals to the state tournament. If passed, this measure could benefit rural regions in Class 3A — like the Northwest, where Mifflin County competes — but may make it harder for schools in other regions. It’s based on the proportional allocation formulas that have always driven district and regional advancement, but includes a new twist: Fewer wrestlers in some regions are guaranteed to advance, ...

Sportsmanship can always use a hand

By now you’ve no doubt seen Sunday’s altercation that resulted in a five-game suspension for Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard. The Big Ten acted decisively in sidelining Howard, the former Fab 5 and NBA standout, for the remainder of the regular season after he slapped a Wisconsin assistant coach in the head during a post-game scrum as the teams were shaking heads. Wisconsin coach Greg Gard fueled the confrontation, but Howard turned it into a national embarrassment — one of the stories of the year in college basketball, really — and deserved the discipline. That Gard ...

Clifford showcased excellence when Nittany Lions needed it most

UNIVERSITY PARK — After the final seconds ticked off the clock and the Nittany Lions put the final stamp on a signature 28-20 victory over Auburn on Saturday night, quarterback Sean Clifford showcased something that Nittany Lion fans hadn’t seen from him in quite some time — pure ...