June 13, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
This story originally appeared in the May issue of the Terrapin Times.
On April 19, 2008, University of Maryland alumnus Bob "Turtle" Smith `63 and his family were honored at Shipley Field during the Maryland-Georgia Tech baseball game.
Bob and Carol Smith and their family recently made a gift to fully endow a scholarship for the Maryland baseball team. Bob has played and watched many baseball games, but the excitement that unfolded during the final three innings of this particular game may have topped them all.
Maryland was trailing by a score of 13-5 against No. 21 Georgia Tech heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. However, the Terps fought back by scoring nine runs in the final three innings to beat the Yellow Jackets, 14-13, on a two-run, walk-off single by Joe Palumbo in the bottom of the ninth inning. The victory was Maryland's 24th of the season, surpassing the last two years' totals and tying last years' mark with seven ACC wins.
"What an incredible comeback, the guys never gave up and kept battling against a very good Georgia Tech team," Smith said. "To see them celebrate the way they did after the last out was recorded made me very proud to be a Terp."
Besides it being "Bob Smith Day" at Shipley Field, another interesting thing occurred that day. Gerry Spessard, a current Terp baseball player hailing from Bob's home-town area of Chewsville/Smithsburg, Md., recorded the ninth triple of his Maryland career. The triple broke the previous Maryland record for triples held by Charlie "King Cong" Keller, who played during the late 1930s and went on to play with the powerful New York Yankees from 1939-1952. Bob's enthusiasm was genuine when he said: "It was a very good day at Shipley Field. To see Gerry hit a triple and a double breaking Keller's record and to witness the great comeback win made everything special for me and my family."
Bob remembers playing for coach Jack Jackson, who recruited him as a member of Jackson's very first team at Maryland.
Bob recalls: "When I played from 1959-1963, we had some very good players including Phil Rodgers, an All-ACC catcher; Donnie Brown, All-ACC first baseman; Grayson Harmeyer, All-ACC outfielder; John Klvac, pitcher with a career ERA of 2.97; Jack Lund, pitcher with a career ERA of 2.90; and Jerry Vendezy, all-ACC pitcher who holds the all-time single-season strikeout record per nine innings of 14.12, which is still the Maryland and ACC record. There was another very special player from our team: Tommy Brown. Prior to our senior year, Tommy signed with the Washington Senators Major League Baseball team. Not only was he All-ACC, but he also earned all-American honors. Tommy played in the majors one season, but then decided to play pro football, having been drafted by Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers. Boy we could have used him our senior year.
"My four-year college experience at the University of Maryland was one of the most-rewarding periods of my life. There was academic learning, an expansion of social relationships, and playing my favorite sport of baseball. I earned a degree from the Business School, was a starter on the baseball team every year (co-captain as a senior), and winner of the Berger Cup for outstanding contributions to athletics through baseball.
"Because of my business education, I've had success in the corporate world as a VP of two Fortune 500 companies and for the last 20 years as an entrepreneur in commercial real estate. I've told my family and friends many times, that without the baseball scholarship that enabled me to attend and graduate from the University of Maryland, I never would have had such success. As a result, I am only too pleased to be able to give back to the University and the baseball team by gifting the first endowment that creates a full baseball scholarship for the University."
Bob and Carol would like to see former Terp baseball players as well as supporters of Maryland Baseball "step up to the plate" and consider making a gift to endow or partially endow additional scholarships for baseball or make an annual gift to the Home Run Club.
"This support would help our team become more competitive in the tough ACC." Smith said.
Bob would appreciate hearing from former players and friends of Maryland Baseball about how they can get involved. You may contact him directly at (301) 371-5222 or by e-mail at turtlesmith63@verizon.net.
For additional information regarding endowments or making a gift to Maryland Athletics, please contact the Major Gifts Office at 301-314-7020 or by email at terrapinclub@umd.edu.
