Tri-Co adds six to Hall of Fame

From Morning Call Staff Reports

 

The Tri-County Baseball League Hall of Fame recently inducted six new members.

The new inductees -- Ron Holum, Alex DeLeon, Harold "Wheaties" Heavener, Leon Houp, Dave Chandler and Mike Thomson -- bring the Tri- Co's Hall of Fame membership to 82.

A closer look at each 1999 inductees:

* Ron Holum: He played from 1956 to '68 for Spring Valley, Bingen and the Bethlehem Giants and was a member of the Giants' 1967 championship club. In that title season he hit .364. He was known for being a good contact hitter and a clutch RBI man. He was also a reliable infielder who played either third base or shortstop and occasionally filled in at catcher.

* Alex DeLeon: A Hellertown and Bingen standout who came into the league in the mid-'50s and played through 1966, DeLeon was a craftsman at the plate. He was known as a contact, high-average hitter who also could lay down a key bunt when required. He also shined on hit-and-run plays. His best year offensively was 1961 when he hit .321. He also played solid infield defense, usually at shortstop.

* Harold "Wheaties" Heavener: He played from 1947 through 1966 with Richandtown and helped that Bucks County area team win a league title in '47. He was a sure-handed infielder with good range. Offensively, he hit for a good average and had a high on-base percentage.

* Leon Houp: A championship player on various teams in the Boyertown area, Houp won the 1962 batting title with an average of .424. He also won the the '66 batting crown with a mark of .465. He was among the league leaders in stolen bases and covered a lot of ground defensively in center field.

* Dave Chandler: A hard-throwing pitcher known for one of the best sliders in Tri-Co history, Chandler played with East Texas and South Whitehall in a career that spanned from 1981 to '96. He finished among the league's career leaders in wins (39) and strikeouts (318). He had a lifetime ERA of 3.91, while pitching mostly for losing teams. He was 5-2 in 1988 and had a 2.11 ERA in his final season in '96.

* Mike Thomson: He made what became known in Tri-Co lore as "The Catch" in 1986. It was Game 3 of an opening-round series for his Delaware Valley team against Limeport. It was the only playoff series in Del Val history. Thomson's all-out diving grab ended the game to preserve a 6-5 win that secured the series. Thomson's best season offensively came in 1989 when he hit .349.



  

From The Morning Call -- December 23, 1999

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