Mr. Baseball

Note: the following article was never published.

This is Russ Diethrick’s seventh time serving as host president for a Babe Ruth World Series in Jamestown. It is quite an honor of the man often called the city’s “Mr. Baseball.”

However, the work involved in being the host president is what Russ enjoys. We’re not too sure how he feels about the actual title.

When they hold the major league World Series, baseball’s head man, the commissioner, sits in the commissioner’s box. The same is true of the Super Bowl and at the NBA and Stanley Cup finals, the commissioner and/or league president takes a seat of prominence and plenty of exposure.

That might also be true of the host president at Babe Ruth World Series in other cities. In Jamestown, when Russ is the host president, the last thing he wants is a “presidential box.”

I recall discovering that at one of the first Babe Ruth World Series held at College Stadium. A colleague and I were in the press box scanning the bleachers. The first base bleachers were fairly well filled, but with everyone crammed into the area behind the dugout. The section down by the bullpen was empty, except for a man and woman sitting in the last row. We commented how the couple was as far away from the action as it could be.

Then we took a closer look and recognized the man. It was Russ. He was sitting with June, his future wife.

They were sitting there like a couple of regular fans, munching on popcorn. However, that man wasn’t a regular fan. He was the host president.

That’s the way Russ does things. When there’s work to do, he rolls up his sleeves and digs in to make things as successful as possible. However, when the event, such as the Babe Ruth World Series, finally begins, Russ knows the participants should be the center of attention. He steps back and lets them take the spotlight.

Russ doesn’t like the spotlight, but he is often in it. Tonight he’s in a big spotlight.

We are honoring Russ for being inducted into the Babe Ruth Baseball Hall of Fame. Now his name will be listed beside past inductees such as Lefty Gomez, Vada Pinson, Mickey Lolich and Mrs.
Babe Ruth.

Babe Ruth Baseball is just one of many organizations Russ serves. They are not only numerous sports organizations, but a variety of others he has served or still serves such as the Christmas Friendship Fund, Chautauqua County Association for Mental Health, the March of Dimes, Golden Age Society, and the Beautification and Ecology Committee to name a very few.

The only way to make his resume compact would be to list the boards he doesn’t serve on.

Russ’s work with these boards is just like his work with Babe Ruth Baseball. Dedicated and tireless, but hiding from the spotlight when it comes time for the accolades.

Tonight Russ can’t hide from the spotlight. Babe Ruth Baseball won’t let him by giving him a permanent place in its Hall of Fame.

And Jamestown won’t let Russ hide from that spotlight either.

As you leave the stadium tonight you’ll notice something different.

When you arrived, you entered College Stadium. When you leave, you’ll be exiting Russell E. Diethrick, Jr. Park.