He’s back on track.
Longtime Galati Yacht Sales employee and former Islander Mickey Hooke missed five months of training and the spring season due to a major plantar tear in his right heel.
After several visits to the doctor, a lot of rehab and some orthotic inserts, Hooke, 63, got back to training July 4 and resumed racing in September.
His most recent competition was Dec. 2 at the 30th Annual Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Ride & Run with the Stars on the beach at Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County. He began the race in sixth place or so and slowly reeled in the frontrunners.
He ended up finishing second overall behind a strong female runner from Tampa, giving him the male overall winner with a time of 17:46.
Due to a mistake by the bike leader who missed a turn, the race turned out to be 2.6 miles rather than the normal 3.1 miles.
Being a new course, Hooke set four mens’ records, including Overall, Masters, Grandmasters and Senior Grandmasters.
Before his injury, he competed in five races with four third-place overall wins and four grandmaster and a master victory.
Welcome back and congratulations from The Islander!
KRC golf news
A full week of golf action at the Key Royale Club in Holmes Beach got started Dec. 4 with the men’s modified-Stableford system match.
Jim Menzies earned clubhouse bragging rights for the day with a score of plus-5, a point better than second-place finisher Jeff Greiner. Third place was shared by Ron Huibers, Gary Razze, Kurt Snouffer and Quentin Talbert, who all finished at plus-3.
The women had the course to themselves Dec. 5 for their weekly nine-hole individual-low-net match in two flights. Linda Dorsey had a chipin birdie on the second hole on the way to a a 2-under-par first-place finish in Flight A. She finished one stroke ahead of second-place finishers Jenny Huibers and Sue Wheeler, while Nina McSparren was alone in third place at 1-over-par 33.
Carol Patterson and Kay Neal tied for first in Flight B with matching 1-under-par 33s, one stroke ahead of second-place finisher Terry Westby.
Jenny Huibers and Ceal Barry both birdied the sixth hole, while Gloria LaDue had a chipin on the ninth hole.
The week closed out Dec. 7 with members playing a scramble/shamble on a course modified to a par 50. The team of Joe, John and Matt Cassese and Arty Silverstone combined on a 4-under-par 46 to win the day’s proceedings.
Horseshoe news
Horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall pits Dec. 6 saw two teams advance to the knockout stage. Tom Farrington and Bob Baker won the day’s championship thanks to a 21-13 victory over Bob Lee and Adin Shank. The victory was the fifth straight for Farrington, who boasts an impressive 21-1 record during the streak.
Three teams posted undefeated records during Dec. 9 pool play action with the bye going to Bob Palmer. Bob Lee and Bob Baker advanced to the finals with a 22-13 win over Adin Shank and Gary Howcroft. In the finals, Lee and Baker earned a 23-20, come-from-behind victory over Palmer to earn the day’s bragging rights.
Play gets underway at 9 a.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Anna Maria pits. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m., followed by random team selection.
There is no charge to play and everyone is welcome.
Center sports on tap
Registration is open for adult leagues of winter flag football and indoor soccer at the Center of Anna Maria Island.
Games for both sports will be played Thursday evenings.
Adult flag football runs from Jan. 11-March 14 and the last day to register is Dec. 13. Cost is $20 for members and $130 for nonmembers.
Adult indoor soccer gets started Jan. 18. Cost is $20 for members and $110 for nonmembers. Last day to register is Dec. 15.
The center also is looking for sponsors.
For more information, call 941-778-1908.
Former Pirates manager voted into hall of fame
By Lisa Neff
Islander Editor
A skipper who walked on many a ballfield, including at Bradenton’s spring-training stadium, is set to step into hallowed halls.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced Dec. 3 that former Pirates manager Jim Leyland was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Josh Rawitch, president of the hall of fame and museum, made the announcement at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee.
The official induction ceremony will be July 21, 2024, in Cooperstown, New York.
A contemporary-era committee of hall of famers, baseball execs and media voted in Leyland.
He’ll be the 44th former player, manager or executive in the Hall of Fame who spent some of their professional careers with Pittsburgh, including Jake Beckley, Max Carey, Fred Clarke, Roberto Clemente, Barney Dreyfuss, Ralph Kiner, Bill Mazeroski, Willie Stargell, Pie Traynor, Arky Vaughan, Honus Wagner, Lloyd Waner, Paul Waner and Deacon White.
Those names will sound familiar to baseball fans and a few of the names will sound familiar to longtime islanders who remember the ballplayers’ stays or visits during spring training.
Bradenton has been the Pirates’ home for spring training since 1969 and, over the years, many Pirates have found their way to the island, including Leyland.
Former Major Leaguer Milt May and wife Brenda Boyd May, who divide their team between their Bradenton home and their Pine Avenue beach house, are longtime friends of Leyland and his wife Katie.
“Besties” is the word Brenda Boyd May used.
“Buddies” is the word used by Milt May, who coached with Leyland for 13 years for the Pirates, Marlins and Rockies.
“He was a good friend and still is,” May told The Islander Dec. 7.
He recalled them putting in long hours together at the ballpark during spring training and also seeing a lot of each other over the years on the island.
“Basically, he did it all,” May said of Leyland’s baseball career.
Leyland managed in the big leagues for 22 seasons with the Pirates, Marlins, Rockies and Tigers, amassing 1,769 victories, six first-place finishes, three pennants and the 1997 World Series title with the Marlins.
He managed the Pirates 1986-96 and led the team to three straight appearances in the National League Championship Series, from 1990-92.
Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement, “We take great pride in having hired Jim for his first Major League managerial post in 1986. … A longtime Pittsburgher and a true baseball man, we look forward to celebrating this historic achievement with Jim as he enters the hallowed halls in 2024.”
May said of Leyland’s election: “It’s quite an honor. I’m so happy for him. I’m really tickled to death.”
Leyland will be joined in the Hall of Fame Class of 2024 by the electees who emerge from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting, which will be announced Jan. 23.