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Bob Borchard -
Ventura County Adult Baseball Hall-of-Fame |
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2011 |
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I'm a life-long resident of
Ventura County and a descendant of the Borchard farming family that
settled in the county in the late 1860's.
I am a retired middle school teacher and counselor having served for
33 years in Pleasant Valley School District. I'm blessed to be the
father of 5 wonderful boys who are outstanding athletes in their own
right (2 of whom are also teachers in the same district) and the
uncle of Joe Borchard, Jr. who was an outstanding athlete at
Camarillo High School, Stanford University, and is now playing
professional baseball. I have a great wife, JoAnn, whom I've been
married to for 43 years (imagine putting up with baseball all those
years!). I proudly served my country in Vietnam from 1968-69 as Huey
helicopter engine mechanic in the US Army.
Baseball background includes 3 years varsity and all-league at
Camarillo High School 1959-62. MVP in senior year. Two years at
Ventura Community College 1963-64 being named to all-league team
both years as a first baseman and one year at Cal-Poly Pomona. I
spent many years in semi-pro ball in Ventura County, joining the
Ventura County Chapter of NABA in 1995 and serving on the board for
2 years. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing NABA ball and always look
forward to each Sunday! I also play Senior Slow Pitch Softball and
am on a traveling tournament team that plays throughout the country.
I feel so honored to be chosen to Ventura NABA Hall of Fame!
2011
FINALS CO-MVP
Bob Borchard HOF 6-9, 5R, 2BB--Good D at 1st.
Bob is an Inspiration for all of us to keep
playing forever...
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Tom Hickey -
Ventura County Adult Baseball Hall-of-Fame |
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2010 |
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Thomas Lawrence Hickey was born
on December 29, 1941 in New Haven, Connecticut.
He played his first organized baseball game as a 9-year-old
thirdbaseman in 1951 as a member of a Police Athletic League (PAL)
team.
Never good enough to make a Little League team, he played in the PAL
and in city recreation teams. At age 15 he played on a Babe Ruth
League team that gave him an unexpected opportunity for his first
coaching job when the coach quit in the middle of the season. Facing
the prospect of the team folding, Hickey (who by now had acquired
the nickname of "Hic"), took over and ran the team for the duration
of the season.
As a high school player, his resume is undistinguished. He did win
the secondbase job with his American Legion team, however.
He attended two baseball camps in Florida in 1960 after high school.
At one of them, he met Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm who showed him how
to throw a knuckleball which he used throughout his playing days.
He entered Quinnipiac College (now, a University) in the fall of
1960 and eventually earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a
Management Major. He played 4 years of baseball as a utility
infielder in his freshman year, a pitcher as a sophomore, the
regular secondbaseman in his junior year, and as the lone senior on
the team, the regular thirdbaseman.
Although he led his team in RBIs in his senior year, his "claim to
fame" was in hitting .424 and ranking 15th in the nation among
NAIA-division teams. He batted mostly leadoff, 2nd, and 3rd in the
order as a regular. Following his senior season, he was chosen as
the "Athlete Of The Year" for all sports in 1965. During the summers
of his college years, he played semi-pro ball on teams that traveled
throughout Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts.
In 1970, he took the coaching job with the Milford (Connecticut)
Post American Legion team at age 28.
In 1971, he moved to Ventura and played softball up until 1993 when
the NABA came to town. Once old enough, his sons Todd and Ryan
played softball with their dad and later joined him in the NABA
where they continue to play.
In the 1980s, he coached several Ventura-area little league teams
and ran softball teams for many years.
When the NABA came to Ventura in 1993, Hickey was at the first
tryouts and was drafted as a 51-year-old by an 18-over team (The
Tribe) exclusively throwing Wilhelm's knuckler. The following year,
he joined the newly-created 30-over White Sox and has been a
non-stop member of the league since, with the Mets and Red Sox.
During those years, he has been a player, manager, and member of the
Board Of Directors. He's played on tournament teams in Las Vegas,
winning 3 championships as a member of 38 and 48-over teams and
entered his team in that tourney, as well.
A highlight came in 2001. As a 59-year-old, he hit a home run over
the rightfield fence at Buena High's varsity field.
Hickey took over as manager of the Mets in 2004. The following year,
as the Red Sox, he led his team to the first of three straight
18-over championships. He enters his 8th season as manager in 2011.
He, along with Bill Brown, were chosen as the first recipients of
the Ventura County NABA Hall of Fame award in 2010. |
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Bill
Brown - Ventura County Adult Baseball Hall-of-Fame |
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2010 |
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Bill has been married 27 years
with three children (all adults). He was a deputy sheriff for the
County of Ventura prior to becoming an attorney. He now works in a
local defense law firm, practicing in workers compensation cases. As
the defense attorney, he represents the insurance companies and
employers.
As for most of us still playing, baseball was Bill's favorite sport.
During summers as a boy, he would join his friends anywhere from 4
guys to 18 guys and play baseball, or variations of the gaime all
day.
He played four years of college, primarily in the infield and played
each position at least one time, except for catcher. He pitched to
one batter.
After 19 years without having had the opportunity to play baseball,
he learned of and joined the NABA in the spring/summer of 1994. At
the end of the season, not wanting it to end, he began talking to
some of the managers to see if any were interested in continuing to
play during the fall/winter.
It so happened that the league president was quitting and hooked
Bill up with owner/president of the NABA organization, Mike Micheli.
Bill became the league president soon thereafter, beginning in the
fall 1994.
He resigned from the the presidency following the 1999 season,
choosing to simply play with no other responsibilities.
Bill pushed to get teams participating in primarily the Las Vegas
tounament over Memorial Day weekend and the National Championship
Series in Phoenix, Arizona during October of each year.
Bill has participated in the Las Vegas tournament each year since
1996 and in the Phoenix tournament since 1995, missing two years
because of new job committments.
He plans to continue playing for as long as he can. He will turn 58
this year. |
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more
pictures are welcome.. please email to
boxscore@west.net
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