RECIPIENTS
DEKE 1990-1995 Deke, like Brazilian soccer stars, required only 1 name. His coverage of left field was immaculate and total. From the construction of the green monster in 1991 to his early retirement in 1995, not one ball actually touched the wall on his watch. Batters could try to go over or try to go in front of him...but anything in between was an immediate, bare-handed out. He was the first person to ever rob a homer at Sportsmans park and wiffleball historians have used grainy videotape to estimate that on that particular play his arms were 11-18 feet above the earth. Perhaps there is no greater indication of his defensive prowess than the fact that the entire league acquiesced to his dominance in left field. On a normal day, one rotates positions and everyone gets a chance to play more-or-less anywhere they want. But from 1990-1995, Deke played left field and only left field as wiffleball enthusiasts collectively recognized his dominance at the position. It was, they said, simply a pleasure to watch him play the wall. Offensively, Deke was a graceful mix of power and speed. He used a
smooth, twisting swing to power wiffleballs all over - and out of - the
small park. On the bases, he had the grace and demeanor of
Dimaggio...never looking flustered, always seeming to be moving at
complete ease and yet always gaining the extra base, scoring the extra
run, and beating out the throw. |  A solid .600 hitter, he was the first of a new generation of 'young guns' to join the old-Timers in the home run barrage reaching the 'red-bat automatic' plateau in late 1992 and maintaining that power throughout the 1993 and 1994 seasons. |