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

DATE: THURSDAY, November 30, 1995                   TAG: 9511300055
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

HALL ADDS 4 MEMBERS TO ITS LINEUP

The class includes one of baseball's all-time great relief pitchers, two outstanding coaches and one of amateur baseball's strongest local supporters. Kent Tekulve, Chuck Hartman, Jim Cutler and Wayne LaPierre will join the 20 members who were inducted in the previous four years.

Legendary New York Giants outfielder Bobby Thomson, who hit the game-winning homer that put his club in the 1951 World Series, will be the featured speaker.

Tekulve pitched for the Salem Rebels of the Carolina League in 1970 and 1971, posting 17 saves and an earned run average lower than 3.00. He went on to an illustrious career with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in the National League, recording 179 saves. In 1979, he posted 31 saves with a 2.75 ERA for the world champion Pirates.

Hartman has won more than 500 games at Virginia Tech since taking over the program in 1979. Including his days at High Point (N.C.) College, Hartman has more than 1,000 collegiate victories. Only nine Division I coaches have reached that milestone. Brad Clontz, Franklin Stubbs and Mike Williams are three current ma-jor-leaguers who have played for Hartman.

Cutler has been coach at Liberty High School in Bedford for 30 years and has posted 403 victories, including one Group AA state title. He is the current Virginia High School Coaches' Association baseball coach of the year and will be honored at next year's national convention. He also coached at the Olympic Festival in 1986.

Few people have volunteered their services for baseball as much as LaPierre has done the past 33 years. He started the sandlot program in Garden City, organizing fund-raising efforts and finding fields for youngsters. He also has been a tireless worker in the American Legion program for the Roanoke area.

The Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame recognizes those who have excelled in or contributed to baseball in any of seven Virginia counties or the independent cities located within the boundaries of those counties, including Roanoke, Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin and Montgomery.

The Hall of Fame is located in the lobby of the Salem Civic Center and available for viewing during regular civic center hours and during all events. Tickets for the banquet are on sale at the Salem Civic Center for $25.