Former Byrd pitcher Sweeney elected to local Hall of Fame
VINTON – Four area baseball players and contributors have been selected for induction into the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame at the 21st annual banquet, scheduled for Thursday, January 26, 2012, at the Salem Civic Center.
This year’s inductees are Dave Christianson, Fred Corbett, Ron Shockley, and Mark Sweeney. This year’s induction banquet will be in conjunction with the Salem Red Sox annual “Hot Stove” event, with an auction of sports memorabilia to benefit a charity.
Christianson came to Salem as a member of the Salem Redbirds Carolina League baseball team in the early ‘80s and settled in the area. He’s been actively involved in baseball for almost 30 years in the Roanoke Valley, coaching sandlot ball and American Legion baseball. He’s volunteered countless hours to help young players become better ballplayers and he also runs the Rip City Baseball Training School in Salem. A tireless promoter of the game, Dave recently joined a mission trip to Nicaragua to distribute equipment and teach the game.
Corbett, a Roanoke native, has been a long-time coach and administrator for the Cave Spring Little League baseball program. He was instrumental in the construction of the Starkey Park complex and attracted state tournaments to the area. Fred is District Administrator for District 12 of Little League baseball, acting as a liaison between the local leagues and Little League International in Williamsport, PA.
Ron Shockley was an outstanding pitcher for Virginia Tech, the Virginia Amateur League, and other semi-pro leagues in the ‘60s and ‘70s before becoming a successful high school coach in Florida. He attended Northside High School before it had a baseball program, but was able to walk-on at Tech and made the team, and in three seasons he was 7-1 with a 1.62 earned run average. Ron coached junior high ball in Roanoke before moving to Jacksonville, FL in 1976 where he’s been quite successful.
Sweeney pitched for William Byrd High School in Vinton and the University of Richmond. After striking out 201 batters in high school Sweeney opted to attend Richmond, where he posted a 17-11 record in four years. At the urging of his mother he attended a Cleveland Indians tryout camp after graduation, and he was the only player signed among close to 70 players at the camp. He played two years in the Indians organization before a shoulder problem ended his pro career, and he’s now a lieutenant for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department.
The Hall of Fame has also announced that R.B. “Red” Phillips will receive the Wayne LaPierre Community Service Award at the January banquet. Phillips, 88, was known for his dedication to baseball and kids for many years in the Christiansburg area.
Tickets for the banquet are now available through members of the Hall of Fame Board of Directors or by calling President Charlie Hammersley at 540-556-0377 or Vice President Gary Walthall at 540-427-1977. A speaker for the banquet will be announced soon.
The Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame was founded in 1991 and honors players and contributors from the counties of Roanoke, Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin and Montgomery and the independent cities located within the boundaries of those counties. The Hall of Fame building is located on the grounds of the James E. Taliaferro Complex, next to the Salem Red Sox administrative office behind the third base seating area of Salem Memorial Ballpark.
