More Griffey stories among Stew ingredients

Some new information on Ken Griffey Jr. popped up not long after he was covered in a recent MVI column. Always a fan favorite, when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016 he once again did what he had done over his 22-year career – drew a throng of spectators.

Junior’s ceremony was witnessed by an estimated 50,000 baseball fans. It marked the second-largest Cooperstown crowd ever. In addition to family members, some Valley residents made the 430-mile trip to pay tribute.

Longtime close friend Joe Perrotta, who passed away in 2007, was represented by his son Colby. Joe’s wife Terry, like Joe and Griffey Sr. – a Donora High School graduate – wanted to make the trip but couldn’t find accommodations.

Colby invited his friend Eric Givens, who flew in from Phoenix, to make the trip to Cooperstown.

“I think one of Senior’s brothers, Fred, went, too,” Colby said.

“He definitely would have made the trip. That’s why I went — to make sure I was there in his spirit,” Perrotta said of his father. “When I think about our relationship, baseball was a big part of it. The Griffey family was also a big part. Baseball was a bond that we shared. When Junior played in Pittsburgh and sometimes Cleveland, we went to the games — he was my favorite player.

“Senior started the annual golf outing for my dad — that never would’ve happened without him. My dad had a great relationship with Senior, so Ken and baseball were synonymous to us.”

Yet another tale of Junior from DHS graduate Speer Ruey – who played amateur and high school baseball with Senior.

Ruey recalled a time not long after Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine won their first World Series and Senior was back in the Valley at his mother’s house. Ruey paid him a visit and spotted a little kid outside swinging a broomstick at rocks and hitting parked cars. It was Junior.

When Ruey met up with Senior inside the house, he asked him what his World Series cut was. Senior told him it was $35,000 then chuckled, asking if Ruey wanted to borrow some money “just like everybody else.” Ruey told him no, but he told Senior he may be needing about $5,000 to fix the dented cars after Junior got through with them. The Reds star bolted outside, picked up Junior and hauled him inside.

Strelick another Cougars standout

From time to time Charleroi High sports historian Tom Jenkins shares memories of some Cougars standouts. “(Paul Strelick) was the halfback on the 1959 WPIAL title team and part of the ‘Dream Backfield.’ He also played basketball and baseball,” Jenkins said. “He made First Team All-Big 6 his junior year as an end and Second Team All-Big 6 as a halfback in his senior season.”

Strelick, a 1960 graduate, was enshrined in the CHS All Sports Hall of Fame. He accepted a football scholarship to play at Rutgers. As a senior, he accounted for 460 yards from scrimmage on runs and receptions out of the backfield. After college, he worked for the Eastman Kodak Company. Previously, he taught and coached briefly for Charleroi High.