I once wrote that I’ve met a lot of courageous people during my many years as a sports writer, sports editor and sports columnist. Steve Hill ranked with the best.
Steve graced the airwaves for many years as an El Paso sportscaster. His strong, clear voice and great knowledge of sports were a delight to hear. At one time or another he covered just about every sport imaginable. He also became a member of the crew that keeps statistics at UTEP football and basketball games.
Several years ago, Hill began to feel the effects of diabetes. It got so bad that one of his legs was amputated.
HILL HAD to give up some of his work, but despite medication and being confined to a wheelchair this amazing man continued to do, with the help of his devoted brother Charles, what he’d been doing for more than 40 years. That is, work as a member of the UTEP statistics crew.
What’s more, he continued keeping statistics on such things as high school coaches’ records and kept up with other local and national sports so well he was a fountain of information.
Steve Hill also gave much of his time serving in various organizations. He was president of the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
This extraordinary man, who contributed so much to the El Paso sports scene, passed away last week at the age of 62. We will miss him dearly.
TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was the first player to win the Heisman trophy? If you know this one, you’re really a football fan. Answer at end.
THE EL PASO Baseball Hall of Fame induction banquet this year is going to be a dandy. Again.
Officials of the Hall moved their annual banquet this year to a larger site, the Vista Del Sol Conference center at 11189 Rojas Drive. It’s a good thing, because tickets have been selling faster than pancakes at IHOP.
As of this writing nearly all tickets for the banquet, scheduled Oct. 3, had been sold. You still might have a chance of getting some, however, if you call (915) 494-7710 right away.
It’s no surprise why this year’s banquet is so popular. The inductees include two former Major Leaguers (Armando Almanza of the St. Louis Cardinals/ Florida Marlins and Rocky Coppinger of the Baltimore Orioles/ Milwaukee Brewers/Oakland A’s) plus legendary Montwood High coach Tom Carrillo, longtime umpire Henry Munoz and highly respected local baseball authority Dana Eisenga.
WHILE ON the subject of the El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame, let me offer a heart-felt “Thanks” to Tom Ciaburri, often known as Joe Fan. He’s not only been a fine sportscaster and talk show host but he seems to be everywhere attending and helping various sports organizations by providing press releases to the media, all free of charge. That includes the El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame.
He’s a hard-working guy and a blessing to many of us news-hungry media.
A LONGTIME reader of this column in Austin dared to question my recent assertion that UTEP is rated one of the top 12 universities in the country. He’s a University of Texas at Austin alumnus and I know some of those fellows look down on just about every other university.
In his email he seemed to dare me to provide proof of my assertion. Okay.
The rating was done by Washington Monthly magazine, an investigative, system-analysis national publication based in our nation’s capital.
It took into consideration “the combination of social mobility, research production and service plus (and I love this) its contribution to the public good.”
And if you still don’t believe me, just google it, baby, google it.
ANSWER to trivia question: Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago in 1935.