You won’t find this in the New York Times, but we wanted to share some good news about the shining lights among us. On Christmas day we take an opportunity to point out some friends from the past year…to let them know we appreciate them, and to let others know they live in the midst of some really special people.
There are a few people we’d like to let you know more about as we close the book on another year of life, and Press Pros.
Some people who make a daily contribution to those people and those things around them…so consistent that they actually go unnoticed, and unappreciated.
Some are more notable than others…and many of the others are just good people you meet in the the local diner. But they read, they know, and they never forget.
We thought you should know a few for their friendship and support of the site, from near and far. Beginning with….
Donald Motz…Don is the truest and most fervent fan of our Ohio State baseball coverage in America, and at 86 years of age, I’d say he’s the oldest, as well. Living in southwest Indiana, he’s actually a nephew of former Ohio State baseball coach Lowell Wrigley (1945 and ’46), he’s an Ohio State alum, and he writes every week to ask what’s the latest on Buckeye baseball. He knows the roster better than we do, and I guarantee you he has a subscription to D1Baseball.com to help him gauge this year’s team with the rest of the Big Ten. Many of us love baseball, but since the inception of Press Pros coverage in 2014, I’ve yet to meet anyone who loves Ohio State baseball like Don. We thought you should know.
Running things in Russia…Augie Cordonnier (left) and Denny Monnin.
Denny Monnin…A long-time resident, coach, and fan at Russia High School in Shelby County (pronounced Roosh-ee), there’s probably no one who’s logged more hours on Press Pros in the past fifteen seasons. And, he’s the kind of guy who’ll show up at your door with a loaf of Joannie’s banana bread…just to talk sports. From a generation of friends to both community and Press Pros, they don’t make enough of them like Denny and another long-time ‘Russian’, Augie Cordonnier. Appreciate them both.
Danny Huff…Danny and I go back to the seventh grade together down in Lawrence County, Ohio, and for the past several years he has served as one of our proof-readers on Press Pros, after retiring from his career as a newspaper copy editor. I would make the point…that what he contributes is one of hardest-to-get-right duties you can imagine, especially at 4 am in the morning. Mistakes get made over the course of 2,000 columns a year, and there simply isn’t enough time and people to catch them all.
Buckeye baseball patron Dennis Parks.
Dennis Parks…From central Ohio, I don’t think there’s ever a day when Denny, who has Minster roots, misses a day of our online content, and another one of those whose blood support of Ohio State baseball coverage is thicker than water. He’s all in.
Bruce Hooley…Long-time staff professional who’s covered the Miami Dolphins, Ohio State football and basketball, the Olympics and the NCAA Final Four, Bruce has spend the past twelve months battling cancer while continuing go make a daily contribution to the site. He’s as courageous as they come, and one of the most faithful. Many of you write, or text (like Randy Luthman), to send prayers and ask about him. He would tell you that he’s keeping up the fight, and the faith. And that you should, too.
Deanna Rich…As you know, we occasionally write about things other than sports, and Deanna is one of the biggest fans of our series of stories behind the songs that we post When we originally published the current post of Bing Crosby performing Do You Hear What I Hear, it was Deanna who contacted us originally with the suggestion. “It’s my favorite Christmas song,” she wrote again this week. “Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”
Sidney’s Steve Partington, long-time coach, official, good-guy.
Steve Partington…Many of you from Shelby County will remember Steve as a baseball coach in Sidney and long-time umpire in college baseball…another huge Buckeye fan now living on the west coast of Florida. What makes Steve notable is his passion for Ohio sports, high school and college, and he’s one of hundreds who weekly write to comment, or send appreciation on behalf of those from Ohio now living in other parts of the country. To give you an idea, we had well over 100,000 shares of local football stories from this past season…and just high school. ‘Party’ heads that list, and he does know how to “party”.
Mike Cappell…I mention Mike Cappell because he was the original encouragement, as well as investor, in pursuing the Press Pros website. In fact, his brother, Tom, was our outdoor editor for seven years before stepping away in 2019. A bird-hunting friend back then from west Texas, Mike made a ton of money in the trucking industry and was freer than anyone I’ve ever known to share his fortune. In 2009, he offered us $25,000 start-up money to publish Press Pros Magazine when banks declined, and said, “You can pay it back someday…if you want.” Not if you can, but…if you want! There was no contract, no paperwork, and no second thoughts. Just a handshake and toast over a glass of George Dickel. Mike passed away this past September at age 74, in Texas, and yes, he got his money back – a long time ago.
With former area official, Chris Stokes, now living in Tucson, Arizona…reading Press Pros.
Chris Stokes…Like Steve Partington, a guy I first met from officiating who’s the father of former Minster football coach Geron Stokes. He never misses a day of checking out the content on Press Pros, even from as far away as his home in Tucson. To Chris and ‘T’, thanks for your friendship. And to current officials working Miami Valley basketball…he’s watching.
Barb Saluke…We’ll close this session of notables by highlighting the contribution of former teacher and guidance counselor (now retired), Barb Saluke, who does a lot of the heavy lifting for the Press Pros Scholar-Athlete endowments. If you haven’t kept track, we’ve done this since 2012, having awarded more than $100,000 to area students to help them pursue the next chapter after high school. Barb knows the ropes, and does it for sweet corn and tomatoes. Now where can you find a friend like that?
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