Western-Star.com

I don't know if any of you were fortunate enough to be in Columbus Friday, but I was, and I was one of the lucky ones. Rick Gold, former baseball coach at Miami East and Piqua, and currently the assistant coach at Wittenberg, was inducted into the Ohio Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. To me, coach Gold was one of the best baseball coaches I have ever seen, and Friday afternoon he was at his best. Telling stories about former players, coaches, family members, it was a treat. I was lucky, or I guess unlucky enough to compete against some of Coach Gold's teams, and later umpired some of his games. The respect that his players, players' parents, and other coaches and umpires had for Coach Gold is just outstanding. The man does his job, is always prepared, always smiling, and he makes you feel good about the game of baseball. Coach Gold, you are an inspiration to many, many players and parents both around southwestern Ohio, and the entire state. Thank you for being such a terrific role model for your players, other coaches, and umpires alike. The name, Rick Gold, baseball Hall of Famer, is such a fitting name.