Local Baseball History Highlighted At Historical Society Dinner

Dick Freidhoff passed away in 1985.

The local steelworker never coached high school baseball, yet his influence on the game helped Riverside High School win the State Championship in 2023. Illustrious Riverside head baseball coach, Dan Oliastro credited Freidhoff with instilling in him a love for the game and a winning ethic when he played for him as a member of the Moose Club-sponsored little league team in the 1950s. “We practiced every day. Those practices were so rigorous that the games were easy and fun. Winning was expected.”

Freidhoff’s winning attitude is a tradition with Oliastro, who owns the record for the most wins in the history of the WPIAL at 688. He has coached his Riverside teams to 6 WPIAL championships and 5 PIAA State titles, including back-to-back wins in 2005 – 2006. The legendary coach for the last 55 years at the Beaver County high school was the featured speaker at the Ellwood City Area Historical Society’s 2023/24 inaugural meeting highlighting the baseball history of Ellwood City with a dinner for members and guests at the Connoquenessing Country Club on Monday, September 11, 2023.

Oliastro engaged the audience with tales of his childhood in Ellwood City and the influence men like Freidhoff and fabled Lincoln High School baseball coach Bill Spellman had on him. “I played for Coach Spellman in my senior year. I am amazed how he did it. Forty players and he was the only coach.” Oliastro also noted “the men who volunteer to coach little league teams today usually have sons playing. In my day, local men voluntarily coached because they loved the game. Ellwood City was a wonderful place to grow up.”

Oliastro was introduced by Lincoln High School head baseball coach Chris Weisz. Weisz credited his time in Ellwood amateur baseball and playing at Lincoln for another renowned local baseball coach, Jeff Fotia, as the major impetus behind his coaching success. Weisz also noted that he truly loves Ellwood City and coming back to coach at Lincoln was a dream come true. “When we moved back to the area, we found the perfect house for our family, but when I found out it was in the Riverside School District and not Ellwood City, I refused to buy it,” he jokingly said. “I couldn’t have my 3 sons wearing green instead of Wolverine blue, sorry Coach Oliastro.”

The evening opened with an invocation by Charles Brown followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by 101 year old World War Two veteran Guy Prestia. Society President Bob Morabito then introduced the officers and Board members: 1st VP, Andy Kindle;2nd VP, Everett Bleakney; Secretary, Lois Liebendorfer; Treasurer, Angela Hyde; board members, Dylan Baney; Charles Brown; Alexis Estabrook; Mary May; Chuck Means; and Blanche Novak. Also introduced was Past President, Al Kocher; Collection Manager, Jane Kocher and her Accessioning team, Lois Liebendorfer, Cindy Morabito, and Barbara Neff; and the Barensfeld Scholarship Committee of Barbra Mastropietro, Kay Houk, and Mary May. The final introduction was Rosemary Morgan who keeps the 5th Street museum open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Morabito noted in his opening remarks that baseball was really a metaphor for life. “No matter what has happened in the game, you have not lost until the last out is made. Until then, you have the chance to win.” As an example, he highlighted the Ellwood City Little League World Series Playoff game against Edinboro Area in 1990 when Ellwoood came to bat in the final inning behind 11 runs. “They never gave up.” Elwood City won the game after an unbelievable rally capped off by a game winning home run by Brad Welch, who was at the dinner. Morabito gave the microphone to Welch to tell the group about hitting the ball over the right field fence to win the game 12 to 11.

The evening concluded with the announcement that the Society meets the second Monday of each month except December and June through August. The next meeting will be at the History Center, October 9th at 7:00 p.m. The guest speaker will be Wolves Club President Michael DeOtto speaking on the 75 year history of the club’s service to the Ellwood Area.