Special Event at Detroit Holy Redeemer Grade School with Willie Horton

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Special Event at Detroit Holy Redeemer Grade School with Willie Horton

By Raymond Rolak
Tell Us Detroit Sports Editor

DETROIT - In baseball terms, they socked a mammoth home run for Holy Redeemer Grade School.

The Holy Redeemer Alumni Benefit Committee recently held a scholarship event at “The Corner,” home of the new Detroit Police Athletic League complex at Michigan and Trumbull in Corktown. While a youth baseball game was being played in a slight drizzle between South West Essex and the Ecorse Juniors, the capacity dinner crowd was saluting Detroit native son and former Tiger great Willie Horton at the fund-raiser for Holy Redeemer.

Dan Clinton, Esq., chairman of the Alumni Benefit Committee, thanked all who helped in making the event a “huge success.” Sr. Elizabeth, I.H.M., a former administrator and educator, gave the invocation and prayer of thanksgiving. The founder of the event, the late Dan Ewald, was highlighted and memorialized warmly by Sr. Elizabeth. Ewald, a former sportswriter and public relations director for the Tigers, was a longtime confidant and adviser to both Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson and legendary University of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler.

Clinton introduced Fred Lauck, a longtime trial lawyer and now an active author, who was the evening’s moderator. Lauck had the special connection of being an amateur teammate of Horton’s.

The event, according to Lauck, served as a great show of support for historic Holy Redeemer as well as for Horton, who helped spark the Tigers to the 1968 World Series title. More than 280 Holy Redeemer supporters attended the dinner, which was donated by Ron Cooley and the Slows Bar BQ team, while sipping beverages provided by Tim Springstead of Nemo’s Tavern. A dessert table was contributed by Ana Cipres. The three businesses are longtime Michigan Avenue corridor contributors to the Southwest Detroit community.

A product of Detroit Northwestern High School, Horton was gracious in telling anecdotal stories of his longtime baseball career and those special people who greatly influenced him. He saluted his late father, James, who taught him the message of “find a way,” the lesson of empowerment and support. Horton then thanked his high school coach at Detroit Northwestern, Sam Bishop, who educated him about the value of perseverance.

Horton also paid special tribute to the late U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Damon J. Keith, who imparted upon him the timeless message of helping those less fortunate, spurring him to become active in the civil rights field.

In addition, Horton wholeheartedly thanked Mike Ilitch, the late owner of the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings, for showing him the lesson of humility. “Mr. Ilitch put the little boy back in me. He is still inspiring me,” said Horton referring to the founder of the Little Caesars Pizza empire.

Horton also brought the house down with laughter while telling of the humorous complications of being the youngest of 21 brothers and sisters. “Now I have 25 grand-babies.”

He told thrilling baseball narratives of the 1968 World Series and what the support of Mickey Stanley meant to him in fighting discrimination in Lakeland, Florida early in his career.

In pivotal Game 5 of the 1968 World Series, Horton was involved in perhaps the key play of the contest, nailing St. Louis Cardinal speedster, Lou Brock at the plate with a near-perfect throw to Tiger catcher Bill Freehan. The play, which denied the Cardinals a run, shifted the momentum to the Tigers, who rallied for a 5-3 win. The Tigers pounded the Cardinals in Game 6 behind the pitching of Denny McLain and then won the deciding Game 7 by a 4-1 score. This wrapped up their first World Series title since 1945. The victory earned the World Series MVP for Mickey Lolich.

“It was a planned defensive maneuver,” said Horton of his Game 5 throw. “We had scouted St. Louis, and we had a team meeting and made a strategy to contest Brock every chance we could.”

Horton also cleared up a longstanding Detroit baseball urban legend about his youth baseball exploits, particularly the account of his massive home run at the Northwestern Field complex. At Horton’s nearby dinner table he took great pride in expressing about what a fine and powerful athlete Gates Brown was, especially how fast the ‘Gater’ was. Horton added, “Gater could have been an All-Pro N.F.L. running-back. He was the fastest Tiger on the ’68 team.”

Sr. Mary Beth Kilte, S.O.L.T., the new and youthful principal of Holy Redeemer Grade School said, “This event means everything to the success of the Holy Redeemer Mission Statement. We are approaching 200 students for next year.”

The alumni committee stressed that the students of Holy Redeemer Grade School should be involved. Chosen to speak on behalf of the school was seventh grader Victor Moreno-Vargas and eighth grader Yaneth Romo. Both gave short and creative talks on what Willie Horton’s support means to them and the entire Holy Redeemer community.

Willie, who winters in Florida, finished his talk by educating the audience about his 360 Degree Foundation in Lakeland, FL. The same passion which made him a success in baseball was conveyed. His next mission is expanding the program throughout the rest of Polk County, Florida. The evening concluded with a heartfelt standing ovation.

Editor’s Note: Raymond Rolak was a past President of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association and was also the former director of the City of Detroit, Parks and Recreation Baseball Program. Willie Horton was Executive Director of Detroit PAL when he retired from organized baseball. They collaborated on numerous baseball / softball developments throughout Metropolitan Detroit.

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