The Front Row with MARK NELKE April 18, 2013
They call themselves the Silver Valley Diggers, though they're technically under the umbrella of Kellogg High.
Given what usually happens in the valley, they're lucky to be playing at all.
In past years, Kellogg and Wallace each fielded baseball teams. But this year, after heavy graduation losses at each school, neither had enough players for a full team, so they formed a co-op - 10 players from Kellogg, four from Wallace.
"The kids are great," coach Paul Elston said. "A lot of these kids have grown up together, played ball together. They've been a wonderful group of young men to work with."
The Idaho High School Activities Association gave the OK in December for the two schools to come together for baseball.
"I think this is the first time in the history of the valley that Wallace and Kellogg have agreed to do anything together."
Told of that last quote, a lifelong Silver Valley resident replied, "He's not wrong."
THE DIGGERS - or Kellogg, to be official, have just one senior, Jack Long from Wallace. They have three juniors, and three sophomores that play all the time. Of the six freshmen, three play all the time.
Elston, who teaches English and history at Wallace, was the pitching coach last year at Wallace High. Bob Schreiber, the longtime Wallace baseball coach who was going to coach the co-op team this spring, died in February.
Elston was asked to take over the program.
"I didn't want to see this thing go away up here, and that's why I did it," he said.
So far the results haven't been pretty - 0-7 through Tuesday - but Elston has been impressed with how hard the team has been playing.
Last year, for the first time in years, the valley was unable to attract enough kids from Kellogg, Wallace and Mullan to field the Silver Valley Miners American Legion baseball team. Elston said "absolutely" he plans to revive that program this summer.
One problem - while Kellogg has a younger program to feed into Legion, Wallace does not. So Wallace kids might play baseball as youngsters, then not play for a few years before they're old enough for Legion.
"Somehow, someway, we've got to figure out how to get a Legion program again," Elston said. "Baseball's been a huge part of the valley, and we need to keep it going."
* The death of former NFL linebacker and coach Jack Pardee recently touched a local couple.
Bud and Rita Holley have lived in Coeur d'Alene since 2004.
Their son, Mike, played high school football in Texas, then played for Pardee when he was head coach at the University of Houston. Mike was an offensive lineman on the 1989 Cougars team that produced the Heisman Award winner in quarterback Andre Ware.
Shortly after Pardee died, Jack sent this note to his parents:
“Hi folks ... got the bad news today. I was blessed to have known this man. He believed in me when I had given up on myself and was ready to quit the Cougars. Not sure where I would be if he hadn’t talked me into coming back, and then graduating. I do know this, I am a better man for having known him. It’s amazing the impact coaches can have on kids. In many ways kids (if they get a good coach) get an extra parent.”
Rita and Bud responded with a letter to Ted Pardee, Jack’s son:
“Morning Ted ... Read this morning of your dad’s passing. So sad to lose an American giant. Jack was such a positive influence in Mike’s life that Rita and I feel we’ve lost a partner in parenting. Take comfort in knowing that thousands share in your family’s grief, Ted ... Love, Rita & Bud”
Mike Holley is founder and president of a human resourses company in Houston. He and his family own land at Black Rock, overlooking Rockford Bay, Bud said, and plan to build within a few years.
“All those management traits and early lessons in perseverance, attitude, maturity and behavior were learned at the hands of teachers and coaches, specifically Jack Pardee,” Bud said.
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.