ROANOKE VALLEY HONORS ITS OWN BASEBALL HEROES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, February 3, 1992                   TAG: 9202030134
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
ROANOKE VALLEY HONORS ITS OWN BASEBALL HEROES
It may not have had the glitz and glamour of a Cooperstown induction, but few were disappointed with the inaugural Roanoke-Salem Baseball Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremony on Sunday night at the Salem Civic Center.
A sellout crowd of 418 gathered to see the inductions of Roanoke Valley natives and former major-league players Walter "Steve" Brodie, Al Holland and Billy Sample as well as major-league player Dave Parker and Southwest Virginia baseball legend F.J. "Kid" Carr. They are the initial class of the shrine honoring those with area ties who have made significant contributions to baseball.
"I expected us to do well, but I'm sure this is a little above everybody's expectations," said veteran American Legion coach Posey Oyler, who is president of the Roanoke-Salem Baseball Hall of Fame. "It says that there are a lot of people in this area who want to do something for baseball.
"[Baseball] has been treated as kind of a second citizen around here. It's time we honored people who have done things for baseball."
The hall of fame, which was founded in September 1991, is a non-profit corporation registered with the State Corporation Commission of the Commonwealth of Virginia. An 11-member board of directors guides the hall. Inductees must have been involved in baseball in any of seven counties - Roanoke, Franklin, Bedford, Botetourt, Floyd, Craig and Montgomery - and the independent cities within.
Plaques with likenesses of the inductees will hang in the front lobby of the Salem Civic Center.
"It's something very special to me," said Holland, a star pitcher at Lucy Addison High who played 10 seasons in the major leagues. "I was born and raised here. I'm as excited about this as if I was going to Cooperstown [the New York home of the Baseball Hall of Fame].
"This is icing on the cake as far as my career. I've got to do a lot of things that most players never do. I've been an all-star and played in a World Series. I don't think I'll see Cooperstown, but this is just as important to me."
For the first class, the Roanoke-Salem Hall of Fame decided to induct five members. No more than three individuals will be admitted in subsequent years.
Brodie was Roanoke's first major-leaguer. His career spanned from 1890 through 1902, and he was considered one of the finest outfielders of his day. He had a career batting average of .303 while playing for Boston, St. Louis, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and New York of the National League.
He lived in Roanoke for most of his career and was nicknamed the "Duke of Roanoke." After his playing days, he coached at Rutgers, Princeton and the Naval Academy. Brodie died in 1935. Brodie was represented at the induction ceremony by four grandchildren and their families.
"Kid" Carr is one of the most recognizable men in Roanoke Valley baseball history. A native of Walter, Va., he came to Roanoke in 1926, and his work in the sport has spanned more than 70 years. Carr, 84, played in the old Norfolk & Western Railroad league and managed semipro teams in Salem and Bedford. Carr became a professional scout for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1947, and he worked for two decades as a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Holland went from Lucy Addison to North Carolina A&T University to the major leagues. In his major-league career (1977-87), he pitched for Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, California and the New York Yankees.
A hard-throwing left-hander, Holland was the National League's Fireman on the Year in 1983, when he had eight wins and 25 saves. He pitched in the 1983 World Series for Philadelphia.
Holland recently moved back to Roanoke and is an assistant football and baseball coach at William Fleming High School. His son, Al Jr., is a sophomore three-sport athlete at Fleming.
Sample was an all-around athlete at Andrew Lewis High before moving onto James Madison University, then the major leagues. He played nine seasons as an outfielder for the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves, with a career batting average of .272. In 1976, Sample became James Madison's first baseball All-America selection, batting .421; he still holds the school's career average of .388. After his playing days, Sample became a network telecast analyst and baseball journalist.
The baseball field at Salem High is named for him.
"Ironically, I can remember more about my youth than my major-league career," said Sample, who also was an all-state wide receiver at Andrew Lewis. "I'm glad I could become a member of this first class."
Parker who has been in the major leagues for 19 seasons, was the Carolina League Most Valuable Player in 1972, when he played for the then-Salem Pirates. He batted .310 with 22 home runs, 101 RBI and 38 stolen bases. He has played for Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Oakland, Milwaukee, California and Toronto in the majors. He starred in three world series and was the National League MVP in 1978.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB