After 30 years, one would think Elmer “Chump“ Pollock wouldn’t be getting a whole lot of nominees for the Tri-County Area Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. The list of men and women already inducted into the hall is an impressive one, mind you, as well as a long one.

But there is still no shortage of outstanding athletes and coaches who made such an impact on area sports and enriched their respective neighborhoods’ sports history. That was so evident when Pollock and his tireless staff put together this year’s ballot.

“Wow … what a list,” Pollock mumbled a couple of months ago, just prior to releasing the distinguished ballot.

What Pollock meant, and a number of others (in their own words) acknowledged in the following weeks, was all 12 of the nominees more than deserved to get inducted.

Unfortunately, there was only room for seven.

And the three major sports — baseball, basketball, and football — may have never been represented better than by this year’s class.

James “Doc” Finn and Rod Johnson will share the baseball limelight; Dave Caldwell and Jill Burkert Detweiler will share basketball’s center stage; and Aaron Beasley, Edward E. Brown, and Stan Rogers will share football’s spotlight.

With all due respect to those who have previously been inducted into the Tri-County Chapter’s Hall of Fame, it’s hard to get any better than this.

Finn, a standout catcher at Canisius College up in Buffalo before arriving at The Hill School, has been the mastermind of Hill’s success on the baseball field. Since 1978, his first spring in the Blues dugout, the program has won 261 games, put together three undefeated seasons, and swept five Pennsylvania Independent School Tournament championships. Finn, who has his doctorate in classics, has been a key in extending a number of his former players’ careers, too. He has helped more than 100 graduates move on to play college baseball, and four are currently playing professionally.

Johnson was a standout in football, basketball, and baseball at Spring-Ford — where he helped the Rams to the 1973 Ches-Mont League championship in football. He went on to become an All-Conference and All-American infielder at Temple University, helping the Owls to the College World Series. Later drafted by Cincinnati, Johnson was the Reds’ Minor League Player of the Year in 1979, but an injury would lead to release a couple seasons later. Johnson won more than 475 games as the manager of the Spring City and Paoli American Legion programs and has been an assistant coach at Villanova the last seven years. He is also a member of the Temple and Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fames.

Basketball hasn’t had many better ambassadors than Caldwell, or many better players than Burkert-Detweiler.

Caldwell starred at both Owen J. Roberts and the University of Delaware, then got into coaching as an assistant at St. Francis (Pa.) for seven years. He took over the boys program at Spring-Ford in 1990 and, in 16 seasons, led the Rams 10 Final Four appearances, three Pioneer Athletic Conference championships, the program’s first District 1-AAAA playoff win, and 253 wins overall. Caldwell, who was as class an act off the court as he was on it, averaged 20 wins and just five losses in his final nine seasons at Spring-Ford.

Burkert-Detwiler rewrote the basketball record book at Pottsgrove, overshadowing otherwise standout careers in track and tennis. She was a two-time All Ches-Mont League selection and The Mercury’s Player of the Year in 1983. When she graduated, she was the only area player — boy or girl — to score more than 1,000 points (1,589) and pull down more than 1,000 rebounds (1,161). She made quite an impact on the program at Philadelphia University, where she was a two-time team MVP, an All-American selection, and two-time Academic All-American honoree. She scored more than 1,000 points in college and still holds the PU single-game rebounding mark with 26.

Beasley is still remembered as one of Pottstown High School’s greatest all-around athletes. He excelled in cross country, football, basketball, and track, helping Trojan teams to five district titles as well as a state runner-up finish in basketball. After a year at Valley Forge Military Academy, where he was the football and basketball teams’ MVP, Beasley lined up as a defensive back at West Virginia University. A two-time captain and All-American selection, Beasley set Big East Conference records for interceptions in a season (10) and career (18). He was drafted into the NFL by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he played for six seasons, then continued his professional career with the New York Jets for three seasons before retiring after a season with the Atlanta Falcons.

Brown, also a three-sport standout at Pottstown, went on to letter four years at Shippensburg University. He was the Red Raiders’ co-captain as a junior and senior, leading the team to the NCAA Division II semifinals as a senior. He was a four-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selection, including three first-team honors as a defensive lineman. An All-American honorable mention as senior, Brown still holds Red Raider records for sacks in a season (10) and career (24). He was inducted into Shippensburg’s Sports Hall of Fame three years ago.

Rogers anchored the offensive and defensive lines for Jim Mich at St. Pius X for three seasons, then went on to an outstanding career at the University of Maryland. He was a three-year starter and lettermen for the Terrapins, earning the Coaches Award (for the outstanding lineman), All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors, as well as All-American honorable mention recognition. Rogers, unquestionably one of the true gentlemen of football, was drafted in the fifth round by the Denver Broncos, who he started for in 14 games in 1975 before a knee injury ended his career.

The Pottstown Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame will holds its 31st induction dinner 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Elks Home on High Street. Tickets are available from any Pottstown Chapter member, or by calling Pollock at 610-323-5113.

The Tri-County Area Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame organization has a big, big problem. There are 12 nominees for a seat at this fall’s 31st annual induction dinner … and room for only six of them.

Longtime chapter president Elmer “Chump” Pollock could’ve set up two head tables and offered dinner as well as a late-night snack to accommodate everyone.

All are more than worthy of induction.

Unfortunately, that isn’t how it works.

So pray the postal service is up to their pledge of getting the mail through on time because, in all likelihood, chapter members will struggle paring down their respective ballots and getting them back to Pollock to meet the deadline, which is the end of this month.

If you haven’t guessed by now, the list of nominees is loaded, packed with a dozen current or former athletes and coaches who have enriched the area’s storied sports history. Their exploits on the athletic fields and sidelines have impacted the three major sports – baseball, basketball and football, and been oh so significant in the growth and success of two once-unpopular sports – soccer and wrestling.

As ridiculous as it may sound, you could write each name on a slip of paper, fold it up and drop them into a hat, then pull out six. You couldn’t go wrong with that six. You could list all 12 names alphabetically, take the first six, or go with every other one, and you couldn’t go wrong with that six, either.

Oh, the names?

Enough of the suspense … here’s the ballot (listed alphabetically so there is no influencing the voters) and brief bios on the nominees:

Aaron Beasley: A 1981 graduate of Pottstown, where he is still regarded as one of the Trojans’ most outstanding athletes. Excelled in cross country, football, basketball and track, helping those teams to a combined five league and five District 1 titles. … Named MVP in both football and basketball at Valley Forge Military Academy. … Attended West Virginia University, where he was a three-year starter in the secondary, two-time team captain, was named a first-team All-American, and set Big East Conference records for interceptions in a season (10) and career (18). … Drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he started for six seasons before moving over to the New York Jets for three seasons and then closing his professional career with the Atlanta Falcons in 2005.

John Bensinger: Has been at The Hill School for 28 years, where he has been the dean of faculty, chairman and teacher of theology and philosophy, and served as the school’s chaplain in addition to coaching basketball and track. … Has also coached the boys soccer program for 21 seasons, guiding the Blues to three undisputed Mid-Atlantic Prep League championships and a 232-110-46 mark in his career.

Edward E. Brown: A 1978 graduate of Pottstown, where he was a three-sport standout in football, basketball and baseball. … A 1983 graduate of Shippensburg University, where lettered for four seasons, served as a co-captain as a junior and senior, helping the Red Raiders to the 1982 NCAA Division II semifinals. … A three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selection as a defensive end. … Still owns Shippensburg records for sacks in a season (10) and career (24). … Member of the Shippensburg University Hall of Fame.

Dave Caldwell: A 1978 graduate of Owen J. Roberts, where he was an All Ches-Mont League basketball player and golfer. … A 1983 graduate of the University of Delaware, where he was a standout basketball player for the Blue Hens. … Assistant basketball coach at St. Francis University for six years. … Head boys basketball coach at Spring-Ford, where in 16 years he led the Rams to 10 Final Four appearances and three league titles while compiling a 253-132 career record. … Named The Mercury’s Coach of the Year seven times.

Jill Burkert Detweiler: A 1984 graduate of Pottsgrove, where she was a three-year starter in tennis and four-year starter in both basketball and track; an All Ches-Mont League selection in all three sports as a junior and senior; and set school records in basketball for rebounds (1,161) and points scored (1,589). … A 1988 graduate of Philadelphia University (former Philadelphia Textile), where she was a two-time team MVP; two-time Academic All-American; and Associated Press All-American selection. … Scored more than 1,000 points in college and still holds the school record for rebounds in a game (26). … President’s Awards recipient in 1988.

James “Doc” Finn: A graduate of Canisius College, where he was a four-year starter as a catcher. … Took over The Hill School’s baseball program in 1978 and has led the Blues to three undefeated seasons, five Pennsylvania Independent School State Tournament championships and a 261-120 overall record. … More than 100 of his players have continued their academic and athletic careers in college, and four have gone on to play professionally. … Is thought to be the only baseball coach in the nation with a doctorate degree in classics.

James Goodhart: A 1968 graduate of Pottstown, where an outstanding infielder and All Ches-Mont League selection. … Two-time Pottstown American Legion baseball team MVP. … Graduate of Moravian College, where he was a three-time All-Middle Atlantic Conference selection and the school’s Athlete of the Year in 1972. … Amassed more than 100 wins in four seasons as the manager of Pottstown’s American Legion program. … Developed and coached Pottstown AAU baseball program in 1998, helping send 22 players to college and another two into professional baseball.

Bruce Hallman: A 1971 graduate of Boyertown, where he was an outstanding wrestler and pole-vaulter. … A 1975 graduate of Shippensburg University, where he was a standout as a pole-vaulter. … Served as an assistant wrestling coach at Boyertown before taking over the program in 1981. … In 24 years as the Bears’ head coach, his teams won several Berks Conference regular-season championships as well as sectional titles in both Districts 3 and 1. … Finished with 303 career wins. … Summit Award recipient. … Member of Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame.

Rodney Johnson: A 1974 graduate of Spring-Ford, where he was a three-sport standout in football, basketball and baseball. A 1978 graduate of Temple University, where he was an All-East Coast Athletic Conference selection and MVP, and the leading hitter to help the Owls to the College World Series. … Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds and was named the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year in 1979. ... Won just under 500 games as the manager of the Spring City and Paoli American Legion programs. … Member of the Temple University and Montgomery County Coaches’ Hall of Fames.

Tom McGee: A 1971 graduate of Hofstra University who began his basketball coaching career at Norristown’s Rittenhouse and Eisenhower junior high schools and compiled a 94-12 record. … Served as head boys basketball coach at St. Pius X in 1978. In 13 years, guided the Lions to several district titles as well as the PIAA-Class A state championship in 1979 and finished with 187 career wins. … Won another 145 games in seven years as the head boys coach at Norristown High School. … Two-time Philadelphia-area Coach of the Year. … Summit Award recipient.

Bill Neil: A 1977 graduate of Perkiomen Valley, where he was an All Bux-Mont League two-way lineman and wrestler. … Is still the only Viking to win section, district, regional and state titles in wrestling, capturing the PIAA-Class AA championship at heavyweight in 1977. … Four-year lettermen as a defensive lineman at the University of Pittsburgh, where he helped the Panthers win three of four postseason bowl games, finish in the Top 10 rankings all four years and go 39-8-1 in his career there. … Played in the NFL for the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.

Stan Rogers: A graduate of St. Pius X, where he was an outstanding lineman for the Winged Lions. … Three-year letterman and starter at the University of Maryland, where he was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, All-American honoree, and recipient of Coaches Award (Oustanding Lineman). … A fifth-round selection in the NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, where he played in all 14 games in 1975 before a severe knee injury ended his career.

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Now, think the Tri-County Area chapter’s membership has quite a task ahead of them?

The 31st annual induction dinner will be held 6:30 p.m. Saturday, October 18 at the Elks Home on High Street in Pottstown. Tickets are available from any chapter member or by writing P.O. Box 3038, Stowe, Pa. 19464.