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Drennan spreads love
By Greg Gulas
Boardman
Armed with his familiar sign-off phrase, SportsTime Ohio talk show host Bruce Drennan greeted those at Sunday’s 45th Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame Banquet at Mr. Anthony’s with “I Love ‘Ya, Youngstown.”
To the nearly 600 in attendance, Drennan wowed the audience with his “tell-it-like-it-is’ style and opened by asking why The Rev. Nicholas Shori of the Diocese of Youngstown didn’t include his beloved Cleveland Cavaliers, Indians and Browns on his prayer list as he gave the invocation.
When perusing the list of past guest speakers, the Chicago native said that he was humbled to have his name now listed among the likes of Leo Durocher, Billy Martin, Ron Luciano, Pete Rose and Chuck Tanner.
“[Leo] Durocher was the reason I quit rooting for my beloved Cubs, and now you can add the name of an ex-con, me, to that listing of guest speakers,” Drennan said.
Drennan, who spent five months in a Morgantown, W. Va., prison for tax evasion, called the period after his sentence the biggest break of his career.
“God works in mysterious ways and I thank God every single night that I came out of it with the best job of my career,’ he said.
Drennan, who teamed with Joe Tait to call Lenny Barker’s perfect game, noted that the Tribe pitcher was always accessible, called Jesse Orosco his hardest interview and Yankees slugger Reggie Jackson one of his favorite stories.
“Reggie [Jackson] always knew when the lights were on and the camera was rolling. He treated me like a long lost relative and called me Bruce about six times when I did the interview, yet when it was completed he just proceeded about his business as if nothing had ever happened, never acknowledging me at the end,” he said.
Mike Yurco, one of two bowling inductees, said he earned just .10 cents a game as a pinsetter at West Side Lanes but wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I got my first bowling ball for saving and then filling eight books of S&H Green Stamps,” he said.
Joe Conroy, the former Youngstown State University women’s volleyball coach, cited his family as an influence.
“My mother, Eleanor, made sure my brother, sister and I did our chores first so my work ethic comes from her,” Conroy said. “My father, Joe, Sr., said to always work hard and it will pay-off.”
Other hall of fame inductees included Bill Angle (football), Susan Mineo-Carter (bowling), Greg Cooper (wrestling), Angelo Iannucci (football), Loren Less (football), Chuck Montgomery (volleyball), Leonard Nelson, Jr. (basketball), John Sefcik (football), Dave Smercansky (baseball), Randy Stephens (boxing) and Jollis “Chick” Welcher (tennis).
Three posthumous honorees are Joe Andio, J. Paul Good and Vic Naples.
Joe DeRosa, former NBA and current NCAA basketball official, will serve as guest speaker at today’s final weekly luncheon meeting of the season. Curbstone Coaches meet at the Blue Wolf Banquet Center in Boardman.