Titans name Watts to posts

Westminster College recently announced the hiring of Tom Watts as an assistant football coach and assistant baseball coach.

His football duties as defensive coordinator are already underway while his baseball duties will commence at the beginning of next season.

Watts will also assist with other administrative duties within the athletic department.

“Tom fills a full-time position on our staff that has been vacant for the past year,” said Westminster’s athletics director, Jim Dafler . “He comes from a long line of successful and highly respected coaches, and his experience, enthusiasm, and energy will serve Titan athletics well.”

Watts was at Wisconsin-Platteville where he was defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coach for the football team since 2004. His first team led its league in pass defense and seven of his players were named all-conference in 2004-05.

Prior to that he coached at Waynesburg College in 2002-03 under current Westminster coach Jeff Hand, as co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. He helped the Yellow Jackets win the 2003 Presidents’ Athletic Conference championsip and a berth in the Division III playoffs.

Watts is a 2002 graduate of Hanover College where he was a strong safety for two conference championship teams. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education and his master’s degree in technology from Waynesburg in 2004. He is a native of Westfield Center, Ohio, and graduated from Cloverleaf High School in Lodi.

Book about Clemente shows a special person

Like most great men, Roberto Clemente was more than just a devastating baseball player. He was a prophet to many, a man who devoted his entire life for the goal of mankind.

To Pirates fans, he was one of the greatest to ever wear a uniform. He was an unbelievable hitter, a blue-streak on the base-paths and one who could cut down a runner from the depths of the outfield at Old Forbes Field.

I just finished reading “Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero,” written by David Maraniss, also author of “When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi.”

On sifting through a mountain of quotes, one really stood out in the Clemente book: “What burned in the eyes of Roberto Clemente was the fire of dignity.”

How true. That was a trait searched for by many, but found by only a few.

Clemente often depicted second Jackie Robinson

Maraniss covered Clemente’s life story, beginning with Roberto’s young baseball life in the leagues of Puerto Rico where he fell in love with his wife, Vera. He had many friends with the Pirates but he was really loved in the Latino Leagues. He also survived he racial struggles of American baseball and was often referred to as the second Jackie Robinson. Clemente loved to return to his homeland after each major league season.

He was often billed as a player who griped a lot. He had a sore neck throughout his entire major league career, and other hurts which he let them be known. When ailing he often times would sit out the contest. This didn’t sit well with some of his teammates but Clemente did things his way.

In 18 seasons in the majors, all with the Pirates, he hit for over .300 13 times. He had 9,454 at-bats; 3,000 hits; 240 homers; 1,305 RBIs and a lifetime batting average of 317.

On New Years Eve 1972 Clemente died in a plane cash as he attempted to deliver food and medical supplies to Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake. Anyone who saw Clemente play can never forget him. He played with a beautiful fury, making catches that only a select few could match.

He and Lou Gehrig are the only players to have the five-year waiting period waived so that they could be enshrined in the hall of fame immediately following their deaths.