Honoring a ‘legend’

BY MIKE MASTOVICH

MMASTOVICH@TRIBDEM.COM

A talented baseball roster assembled at Roxbury Park on a chilly Monday afternoon.

Two former major league pitchers were in the group. A long-time professional scout. Former NCAA Division I players. One of the most successful college baseball coaches in today’s game.

The long list included names familiar to the region’s baseball fans who followed the game over the past five decades.

They traveled to Roxbury to honor iconic former baseball coach and manager Dee Dee Osborne.

The AAABA field at Roxbury Park officially was renamed Dee Dee Osborne Field on Monday, as more than 100 people participated in an event held in conjunction with a high school baseball game between Greater Johnstown and Westmont Hilltop.

“I saw kids I haven’t seen in a long time. I was humbled,” said Osborne, whose teams won 239 games in 25 seasons at Greater Johnstown as well as 267 regular-season victories in the Johnstown Junior League/ AAABA League.

“A coaching legend, and a human-being legend,” said Greater Johnstown graduate and current Wake Forest University head coach Tom Walter. “I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be a coach today if it weren’t for Dee Dee.”

Walter won his 400th game as Wake Forest coach on Sunday at the University of Pittsburgh and has more than 800 wins as a Division I coach. He credited his grandfather George Walter, his father Ralph Walter and Osborne for helping him advance throughout his baseball career.

“I wear No. 32 because that was Dee Dee’s number. That’s my number at Wake Forest because of the skipper,” said Walter, one of the organizers of the months-long project to honor Osborne. “He was a great coach, an unbelievable recruiter, but when you played for Dee Dee what you knew more than anything else is he cared about you as a person and as a human being.”

Walter addressed the crowd before calling on Osborne and his grandson, Trent Osborne, to watch as a cover was removed to reveal the signage touting the AAABA baseball venue as Dee Dee Osborne Field.

“It couldn’t have been a better day for Dee Dee,” said Ross Kott, one of the event organizers who traveled from his home in New Orleans to join Osborne.

A standout player in the Johnstown Junior League and AAABA Tournament, Kott is former Osborne assistant coach at Johnstown High, where he once served as athletic director.

“For Dee Dee to see all of his former players come here, there are guys Dee Dee hasn’t seen in 20 years come over,” Kott said.

“These are guys Dee Dee helped put on the map, and they came back to show their gratitude for him.”

Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.

Dee Dee Osborne (right) and his grandson Trent look on Monday as two of his former players – Tom Walter (left) and Ross Kott – unveil the sign for the field named in Osborne’s honor during a dedication ceremony Monday at Roxbury Park in Johnstown. See a gallery of photos and videos at www.TribDem. com.

JOHN RUCOSKY/ THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT