International Polish Sports And Culture Celebrated

DETROIT. It was a spirited and enthusiastic audience.  Polish sports and culture was the topic being celebrated.  The international achievements of the 2010 inductees of the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame were staggering.  The pedigree of accomplishments of Danny Ozark, Kristy Kowal and Jane ‘Peaches’ Bartkowicz was inspiring.  They were being honored at the special event at the Hockeytown Café adjacent to Comerica Park.

Lively and amusing questions were at the forefront of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association meeting.  It was at this luncheon when the athletic achievement of the 2010 induction class of the NPASHF was highlighted.   

Jim Conrad, Chairman of the NPASHF, welcomed the media and talked golf.  He said there were still golf packages available for the July 23, outing at the Greystone Golf and Banquet Center in Romeo, Michigan.   
 
Kristy Kowal, of Reading, Pennsylvania was both an NCAA Champion and Olympic Medal winner.  Besides her athletic success, Kowal graduated with academic honors from the University of Georgia, School of Education and currently is an elementary teacher in her hometown.  She was NCAA Women of the Year in 2000.

Danny Ozark was celebrated not only for leading the Phillies to three straight NL East titles in the 70’s, but also for his famous fractured English.  Ozark, who passed away at 85 last year, had been retired and living with his wife Ginny, in Vero Beach, Florida.  He had a very long career in professional baseball, starting with the Dodgers.

Junior tennis sensation, ‘Peaches’ Bartkowicz,  was noted for all her International Championships including the 1964 Women’s Jr. Wimbledon title and three medals at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics (demonstration sport). In 1970, along with Billy Jean King, they partnered to win the doubles in the Wightman Cup championship.  They also were some of the pioneers to elevate the women’s professional tour.  She won the Florida Orange Bowl title four years in a row in the 1960’s, and trained in Indian River County.
 
Kowal was especially pleased to share the day with her parents, Ed and Donna Kowal.   Kristy regaled the group with the retelling of how she just missed gold at the 2004 Olympics in Sydney by a touch.  Also, she kept everyone smiling as she retold of her mothers efforts (Donna) on making the best stuffed cabbage east of Philadelphia.  She also reminisced how her teammate, Amanda Atkins, used to push her to excel at practice. 

Former White Sox broadcaster Tom Paciorek kept the audience lively with baseball tales and stories of dugout snacks, both prudent and clandestine.  Paciorek exclaimed boldly, “I am 1,000 % Polish and proud of it.”  He told the humorous story of his ill-fated, one day summer vacation job at the famed Hamtramck Kowalski Sausage Company and Polka concerts by the Jimmy Sturr Orchestra.

Paciorek remembered fondly how Ozark helped him master the art of playing first base in his early major league days with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Greg ‘Bull’ Luzinski shared his best ‘Wimpy’ Paciorek stories with anecdotes about voracious hamburger eating episodes.  Luzinski gave a running account of where the best burgers could be found in Chicago near old Comiskey Park and in Polish-Town on Milwaukee Avenue.  Paciorek countered by gushing about the wonders of a Connies Chicago Pizza.

The conversation always got back to Ozark chronicles.  Center stage became brighter as Luzinski reveled in the humanistic coaching techniques that Danny Ozark employed in the big leagues.  “The Phillies would not have had the great 70’s teams if it wasn’t for Danny Ozark,” said Luzinski.  “We had some great horsepower but it was Skip (Ozark), who kept the personalities together.”
 
Paciorek amused the group with Tiger Stadium stories also.  He started the narrative of how former DSBA member and Detroit Tiger broadcaster Larry Osterman got knocked out.  It was while announcing the game on television; Osterman got flattened after being struck in the forehead with a foul ball.  Bill Freehan was his broadcast partner and it was his first game.  Freehan was overcome with so much air time to fill with the accident, he never did another broadcast.  Paciorek added with a smile, “The booth behind home plate didn’t have a screen.  Ernie Harwell always said those games should have come with combat pay.  You could get shell shocked in there from all the serious foul balls.”

He also told of how he lost out to the Bull for being able to use “Beer Barrel Polka” as his theme from the organist at Comiskey Park.  “Look at the size of his neck,” said Paciorek.  GEEZE (long pause and pointing to Luzinski), who is ever going to argue with the Bull?  Look at that neck,” he again emphasized smiling.

Ken Kal, and Raymond Rolak kept the roundtable luncheon spirited with hockey stories and their baseball memories of old Tiger Stadium. 

Kal, the radio voice of the Detroit Red Wings, told of the saga of George Eichorn being the producer for the unique radio presentations of Detroit sports-talk host, Ron Cameron.  “I only did it for a year,” said Eichorn with a wink.  “I got to talk to Howard Cosell, what an issue that was,” he added.  Cameron was also known for his Florida restaurants with Dick Vitale.  Eichorn received a testimonial plaque from the NPASHF.

At the back table, Rolak spoke on how Stan Musial could keep a crowd entertained and awed with his harmonica concerts.  “People forget that Stan was the General Manager for the 1967 World Series winning St. Louis Cardinals,” said Rolak.   Musial was the first inductee into the NPASHF in 1973.

Boxing referee Frank Garza presented to Conrad, a poster from a championship fight in Poland to be displayed at the NPASHF Museum, located in Troy, Michigan.

Kowal, donated her U.S. Olympic cap and USA swimsuit from her last World Championship competition also for the NPASHF Museum. 

At the induction banquet she was honored to be presented into the Hall of Fame from her University of Georgia swimming coach, Jack Bauerle.  Bauerle was also the U.S. Olympic coach at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Bauerle, who is passionate about telling the story of Kristy’s success, said emphatically, “She is the best of the best.”