Talking about their shared hometown on what was unofficially Silver Grove Day at the May inductions for the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, Grady Brown, a Hall of Famer himself, let listeners in on a secret or two for the small Ohio River railroad town.
“I was afraid to date the girls there,” Grady deadpanned, “because I might have been related to them.” Certainly a possibility in this town of “probably 1,200 people,” Grady said, where everybody was family in one way or another.
Or teammates, playing — as Grady did — for two beloved Hall of Fame sponsors honored on this day – the late Buzzie McCarter and Jerry Pelle, now in hospice care.
And how the athletes who lived “on Second Street alone, the longest street in town,” Grady said, “that if you add them up, scored 40,000 points for Silver Grove.” And that’s not counting the ones there who played for Highlands and Newport Central Catholic.
Scotty McCarter, accepting for both himself and his father, Buzzie, and told of how his dad, a machinist for 30 years who had lost a leg, would wait for his Friday paycheck so he could put $100 into his softball teams. His teams competed not only locally but nationally, in New York and Tennessee, once finishing 14th in a 75-team world tournament.
Scotty would average 25 points and 12 rebounds as a senior at Silver Grove, hit more than .400 his five-year high school career, earn an NKU baseball scholarship and go on to become a top Greater Cincinnati softball player.
“Thank you for thinking of me and my dad,” Scotty said. “And keep Jerry Pelle in your prayers.”
For more than 40 years, Newport Central Catholic alum Jerry Pelle, owner of Pelle’s Bar in Silver Grove, sponsored softball teams that competed locally, at Rolling Hills, Camp Springs, Softball City, Bellevue and at the state and national level.
“I told him thanks for everything,” Grady said of his visit with Jerry last week. “You couldn’t ask anyone to do more for you.”
Todd Bitter came next, but the longtime Knothole and men’s and co-ed softball coach with one team finishing fifth in the nation said he was a bit too choked up following his step-brother Scotty McCarter’s talk.
“Buzzie was my step-dad,” said Todd, an outstanding softball player after his Silver Grove High days. “It was tough to go up and speak.”
Chris Smith scored 1,021 points in his Silver Grove career but his senior year in 1965, when he averaged 25 points a game and was named Ninth Region Player of the Year, topped it off. And started a one-of-a-kind tradition in his family with daughter, Bev, following in his footsteps to also become Ninth Region Basketball Player of the Year, the only time that’s happened. Chris also is the father of Highlands’ two-sport and UK football star Derek Smith.
“I was always known as Derek’s and Bev’s dad,” Chris said with a laugh, “now I can tell them it’s not all about you.” On this day, it was about “Grovers,” Chris said, “so many of us were called Grovers even if we left.”
And one more call for Jerry Pelle from Chris. “If you don’t know Jerry, he is one of the best. Keep him in your prayers.”
Two deceased athletes closed out the Silver Grove honor roll. Charlie “Baby” Doll graduated in 1954 as a Kentucky All-Star basketball player who would earn a scholarship to play at Union College with other well-known teammates here – Dan Sullivan and Carl Wenderoth – before returning to coach basketball and baseball at Silver Grove.
“He’s doing somersaults in heaven,” his daughter Melissa Doll said of her father’s reaction to the honor.
Also honored was 1946 grad Gene Jenkins, who led the Ninth Region in scoring with 17 points a game as he earned all-conference, all-district and all-region honors in 1944,‘45 and ’46 and all-state honors in 1946 before coaching at Cincinnati’s Anderson High School.
“It makes you realize at how much Silver Grove has meant to Northern Kentucky sports,” NKSHOF President Randy Marsh said.
The lone May inductee without Silver Grove connections was swimmer Don Whittle, a Ft. Wright native and product of the Covington Y, a Covington Catholic state record-holder in the 200 freestyle, the Cincinnati Marlins and then an All-American at the University of Arizona.
Don thanked his mom, ‘who didn’t drive but took me down in a taxi to swim practice at the Y as an 8-year-old,” and his coach at CovCath, Andy Hagedorn, the “incredible experience” at the Marlins and his Olympic teammates at Arizona.
“I am so proud of this induction,” Don said, “I’m really proud and honored to be a part of this group.”
Also a part of the May program was the awarding of $1,500 college scholarships to seven high school seniors listed here with their college choice and NKSHOF connections.
They are: Ella Schneider (Beechwood, University of Kentucky, grand-daughter of Ron Schneider); Elijah Muck (Beechwood, University of Louisville, grandson of Jim Muck); Conner Saalfeld (University of Louisville, grandson of Bob Saalfeld); Chase Coleman (Simon Kenton, University of Kentucky, grandson of Charlie Coleman); Matthew Cottengim (Beechwood, University of Kentucky, grandson of Woody Cottengim); Chase Pawsat (Highlands, University of Kentucky, grandson of Jerry Mohr); Frances “Franny” Smith (Highlands, Queens University of Charlotte, grand-daughter of Ken Shields).
Contact Dan Weber at dweber3440@aol.com. Follow him on X @dweber3440.