Showing posts with label Winning Beyond Winning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Winning Beyond Winning. Show all posts

Monday, December 15, 2014

Former Yankee Rusty Torres sentenced to three years in prison

Rosendo "Rusty" Torres, a former major league outfielder who broke into the major leagues with the New York Yankees in 1971, was sentenced on December 11, 2014, to three years in prison for sexually abusing an eight-year-old girl while working as a baseball coach for the town of Oyster Bay. The charges stem from a 2012 incident where he allegedly fondled and flashed the girl while working at a local school playground.

Rusty Torres / N. Diunte
Torres moved to Brooklyn from Puerto Rico at the age of seven, and was an unlikely success, emerging from the depths of the 54th round of the 1966 Major League Draft. In nine major league seasons, he posted a .212 career average with 35 home runs and was part of the 1972 trade that brought Graig Nettles to the Yankees from the Cleveland Indians.

In his post-baseball career, Torres struggled with alcohol dependency and cocaine abuse, selling his 1980 American League Championship ring, and working as a porter and cab driver to make ends meet. After hitting rock bottom, Torres founded the Winning Beyond Winning Foundation in 1998, with the hopes of educating children about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. He made countless appearances along with a great many other retired baseball players whom he recruited to help the foundation's efforts. The foundation dissolved after Torres’ 2012 arrest.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Gil Hodges' disciples turn up the volume on his Hall of Fame chances

The topic of inductions was a hot item during Thursday night’s Winning Beyond Winning’s 14th annual Gil Hodges Legacy Dinner at the Chateau Briand in Carle Place.

Completing the ceremonial first pitch in front of a crowd of 250-plus supporters, former New York Yankees Frank Tepedino and Rusty Torres accepted their inductions into the Winning Beyond Winning “Winners Circle”.
Mrs. Joan Hodges at the 2011 Gil Hodges Legacy Dinner

Torres, who founded the organization along with attorney Tom Sabellico, helps to educate kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, while promoting participation in athletics. Tepedino was one of their first recruits.

“At a time in my life, when I gave up alcohol, Rusty and Tom came into it. Winning Beyond Winning was a blessing,” Tepedino said.

New York Yankees relief pitcher David Robertson and his wife Erin were presented with the Great Americans Award for their community work with their charity High Socks for Hope in their home state of Alabama.

The dinner, which bears the name of the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers first baseman and New York Mets manager, served this year as an impromptu booster party for Hodges’ Hall of Fame candidacy. When Hodges’ wife Joan took the podium for the celebration of her 85th birthday, the buzz circulated about her late husband’s Hall of Fame credentials. Hodges is one of the ten candidates on the newly formed Golden Era ballot to be voted on December 4th in Dallas.

Long time New York Mets shortstop and Long Island Ducks owner Bud Harrelson discussed Hodges’ paternal influence as his manager.

“When I was with him, I felt like I was a son and I think he made a lot of players feel like that,” Harrelson said. “I fell in love with this guy. He was not negative, always positive. … He was just a good man, a family man [with] really solid principles.”

Washington Senators outfielder Fred Valentine, who played under Hodges from 1964-67, also praised  his fallen manager's character. Hodges' treatment brought out his best on the field every day.

“Throughout my whole playing career I think I gave him 100, 110 percent while I was on the field,” Valentine said. “I knew what type of person he was. He was a devoted person, a devoted manager, and he treated all of the players equally well. All of the ballplayers seemed to like the way that he managed.”

Seeing Mrs. Hodges only reinforced his belief that it would happen soon.

“I can’t say enough about Gil Hodges about a manager. I’m just praying as I told Mrs. Hodges [today], that he will make it to the Hall of Fame where he deserves to be.”

Another Hodges disciple, Art Shamsky, felt Hodges' honor is long overdue. He hopes Mrs. Hodges will be alive to experience his induction.

“It’s certainly something that should have been done a number of years ago," Shamsky said. “Especially if you look at his stats against guys like Tony Perez and Orlando Cepeda, it’s very comparable. I’m just not sure why it hasn’t happened before. Hopefully at this point while Mrs. Hodges is around to enjoy some good news, it will happen sooner than later.”

Mrs. Hodges took a rare public moment to reflect on this renewed opportunity for her late husband to gain entry to the Hall of Fame. While she feels he is certainly deserving, their bond is what she cherishes above his Hall of Fame status.

“I’m going to be truthfully, very very honest with you,” Hodges said. “I have never really discussed this … how I feel about him, how over deserving [he is]. If it happens, we’ll be eternally grateful; if not, he’ll be in my heart forever.”

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Dwight Gooden Honored By The Winning Beyond Winning Foundation

The 2010 Winning Beyond Winning Gil Hodges Legacy Awards Dinner saw New York World Series heroes Dwight "Doc" Gooden and Ralph Terry inducted into the Winning Beyond Winning Winner's Circle for their stellar performances as both Mets and Yankees.

Gooden was introduced by fellow "Black Ace" Jim "Mudcat" Grant to a rousing standing ovation from a crowd of over 300 supporters. It was evident Thursday evening that despite his off-field problems, Gooden is one of the most revered sports figures in recent New York history. Gooden was besieged with autograph and photo requests the entire evening and made sure that he fulfilled every single one until he left the building. 

The crowd hung on every word of his humble acceptance speech that told the story of how he wavered on making the start for the game where he pitched a no-hitter in 1996 against the Seattle Mariners. His father was scheduled for open heart surgery and Gooden was urged by his family and manager to leave the team to be with his ailing father. He elected to pitch after he woke up and heard his father's voice telling him to pitch in the game. After the game, Gooden boarded a flight to Tampa to deliver his father the game ball and a tape of his no-hitter.

"It was the last game he ever saw me pitch," Gooden said.

Also inducted was the 1962 World Series MVP, Ralph Terry. Terry regaled the crowd with his stories of playing with the Yankee legends, including Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Elston Howard, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. Terry won two games during the 1962 World Series, including a complete game shutout of the San Francisco Giants in Game 7.

Ron Swoboda was honored with the Gil Hodges Lifetime Achievement Award by Gil Hodges Jr. and Joan Hodges. Swoboda, who is now a commentator for the New Orleans Zephyrs, has been very active assisting the victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. Remembered for his outstanding catch of Brooks Robinson's line drive in the 1969 World Series, Swoboda had fond memories of playing for Hodges.

"Gil Hodges was one of the best people in baseball," Swoboda said. "He took care of all of us and I am proud to be associated with him. I wish when I was younger that I could have taken better advantage of the help he tried to give to me."

Receiving additional awards were Hope House Ministries, Rob Sabellico. and Jeff and Nancy Cohen; all for their dedication to service and philanthropy in the community.

Throughout the entire program, it was evident of the stellar community work that Winning Beyond Winning provides. Each award recipient boasted about the impact of Winning Beyond Winning in the local area, from their with alcohol dependency programs to providing opportunities for impoverished local youths to participate in area sports leagues.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Gooden, Swoboda, Terry to be honored at the 2010 Gil Hodges Legacy Dinner

Gil Hodges Jr. and Joan Hodges
Former New York Mets and Yankees stars Doc Gooden, Ron Swoboda and Ralph Terry will be honored at the 2010 Gil Hodges Legacy Dinner on November 18, 2010 at the Chateau Briand in Carle Place, NY. Click here for more information on the dinner including ticket reservations.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Winning Beyond Winning's 2009 Gil Hodges Legacy Dinner Recap

Winning Beyond Winning held their annual Gil Hodges Legacy Dinner this past week at the Chateau Briand in Long Island. Winning Beyond Winning is an charity organization headed by former New York Yankee Rusty Torres and Tom Sabellico that prepares athletes for their careers after their sports participation and provides outreach to school-aged children on the benefits of healthy living that can be achieved through participation in sports. Over 200 supporters turned out for the evening's festivities.

1969 Mets Reunion Photo / N. Diunte

This year's Gil Hodges Dinner was a tribute to the 1969 New York Mets, and featured appearances by Bud Harrelson, Ed Charles, Cleon Jones, Joe Pignatano, Ron Swoboda, Mrs. Maxcine Agee, Gil Hodges Jr. and Joan Hodges. Mrs. Hodges received a standing round of applause for her riveting speech in delivering the Gil Hodges Lifetime Achievement Award.

Roland Hemond was given the Great American's Awards for his nearly 50 years as an executive in Major League Baseball. Hemond has served as the General Manager for the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles. Current New York Mets coach Howard Johnson was honored with the 2009 Winner's Circle Award. Johnson stated,"I feel proud to carry on the traditions of the Mets that came before him, and to pass what I have learned on to the new generation of Mets players."

The 2009 Gil Hodges Legacy Dinner proved to be a successful event to further Winning Beyond Winning's outreach in the community to encourage clean youth participation in athletics and assist athletes transitioning from the field into the next phase of their careers.