Mike Mastovich: Mill Rats, fans ready to build on Point 'Walk of Fame'

Mar. 5—A sequel is coming to Sargent's Stadium at the Point this spring.

And, baseball fans will have an opportunity to help select the second class of the Point Stadium Walk of Fame.

In 2022, the Johnstown Mill Rats of the Prospect League and Windber Woods Senior Living and Rehabilitation Center collaborated with The Tribune-Democrat to create the Walk of Fame at the historic stadium, built in 1926.

The inaugural class included six marquee names of players who made their impact on the local sports scene while playing baseball or football, in some cases both sports, at the Point.

Area sports fans picked the class, initially by nominating former standouts, and then participating in two rounds of voting.

Votes were accepted online and through the mail.

Nominations may be submitted in three ways:

Send the nomination via email to fame@millrats.com.

Visit www.millrats.com and click on "Walk of Fame link to submit online.

Mail your nominations to:

Johnstown Mill Rats

P.O. Box 522

Johnstown, Pa. 15907.

Nominations will be accepted through March 15, then a list of finalists will be announced and voting will begin.

The new Walk of Fame class will be revealed before the start of the 2023 season. The Mill Rats open on the road May 31 at Champion City.

The team's home opener is June 9 vs. Chillicothe.

Who's already in:

The Class of 2022, listed alphabetically, included:

—George Azar, the former Greater Johnstown High School and Michigan State University multi-sport star. Azar booted the undefeated Trojans' winning field goal against Clairton at Pitt Stadium in the 1958 WPIAL title game, and for 30 years he held the Johnstown Junior League single-season home run record.

—Pete Duranko, the Johnstown Catholic and University of Notre Dame standout lineman, who played for the Denver Broncos in the NFL.

"The Diesel" also was a prominent figure in raising awareness of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).

—Jack Ham, the Bishop McCort Catholic and Penn State University linebacker, who was part of four Super Bowl championship teams during the Steel Curtain dynasty of the 1970s. Ham has been a Penn State football broadcaster for more than 20 seasons.

—Frank Kush, the Windber Area High School and Michigan State All-American and national championship team member, who coached Arizona State University to 176 wins in football.

—Gene Pentz, the Greater Johnstown High School baseball and football standout, won the AAABA Tournament Most Valuable Player Award in 1970 before pitching in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros.

—Pete Vuckovich, the Conemaugh Valley High School and Clarion University star pitcher, won 93 games in 10 major league seasons and earned the American League Cy Young Award while helping the Milwaukee Brewers reach the 1982 World Series.

There are many more prominent names of players who stood out at the Point.

Four nominees from the 2022 final round of 10 voting may be considered again in 2023.

Those four finalists last year included:

Babe Ruth, the "Sultan of Swat" and former major league baseball home run king, played in a well-documented exhibition contest at the Point in 1927.

Rock 'n' roll icon Jon Bon Jovi, whose band played a memorable concert at the Point in 1989.

Brian Mangiafico, the former Johnstown High quarterback known as Magic Man was named The Associated Press Big School (Class 3A and 4A) Player of the Year and earned first-team All-Pennsylvania honors in 1991.

Geroy Simon, the former Greater Johnstown football, basketball and track star who played at the University of Maryland and went on to set the Canadian Football League's all-time receiving yardage record during a Canadian Football Hall of Fame career.

Any list of great players who once toiled on the Point Stadium field has to include a familiar names such as:

Carlton Haselrig, a former Greater Johnstown football star and state champion wrestler who eventually won six NCAA Division I and II wrestling championships at Pitt-Johnstown before a Pro Bowl worthy career as a lineman with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Mike Holtz, the Central Cambria High School and Clemson University graduate who starred with the Pepsi-Cola and Knickerbockers AAABA teams before making 353 appearances in eight major league seasons as a left-handed relief specialist, mostly with the Anaheim Angels.

Artrell Hawkins Sr., Artrell Hawkins Jr. and Andrew Hawkins. Artrell Sr. was a standout back at Greater Johnstown who played at Pitt and tried out with the Pittsburgh Steelers; Artrell Jr. was among the region's top rushers at Bishop McCort Catholic, played defensive back at the University of Cincinnati and the second-round draft pick spent 10 NFL seasons, enjoying success with the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots; Andrew stood out at Bishop McCort and was a two-way starter at the University of Toledo before navigating his way through championship seasons in the CFL, a season on a football reality TV show and, finally, a solid NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. Andrew Hawkins currently is considered a "digital media superstar."

Greater Johnstown's Jeff Richardson went on to Michigan State and played on the New York Jets' Super Bowl III championship team led by brash quarterback Joe Namath.

Baseball stars Frank Kostro and Ernie Oravetz were among the most well-known players in the 1950s and 1960s, as both went from the Johnstown Junior League to the major leagues, Kostro with the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers, and Oravetz with the Washington Senators.

Bishop McCort's Steve Smear went on to play defense at Penn State and in the Canadian Football League. Another former Crushers star, John Stofa, played in the American Football League and was the Bengals' first quarterback.

Non-local players also made history at the Point.

Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Cool Papa Bell were among a group of future Baseball Hall of Famers who played in exhibition contests at the Point in the 1940s.

Lou Gehrig joined Ruth in that 1927 exhibition at the Point.

There are too many names to list. Pick your favorite and make a nomination.

Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.