It is only three months until the last CP-1 Ashland Baseball Hall of Fame class will be inducted. The ceremony is Aug. 24, 1 p.m., in front of the big diamond in Central Park.
The 10 inducted will bring the total to 100 and conclude a project that was started in 2015 by the late David Carter, Gary Wright and Mark Maynard. Wright’s generous donation to renovate the Central Park (CP-1) field in 2008 triggered a movement of memories from the thousands who have put their cleats on that field. It resulted in several CP-1 reunions and a film by Carter that debuted at the Paramount Arts Center and continue to play on KET before the CP-1 Hall of Fame became a reality. It has taken place every August, except in 2020 when the pandemic kept it from happening.
Former players, coaches and umpires have been enshrined in what has become an emotional ceremony for most. Be sure to make plans to be at the last CP-1 Hall of Fame ceremony.
The committee (Mark Maynard, Bill Lynch and Bob Lynch) is asking that any former CP-1 Hall of Fame member come to the ceremony for a photo at the big diamond after the inductions are finished.
Here are the 2024 inductees:
Curt Clevenger: A switch-hitting shortstop who belted home runs from both sides of the plate multiple times while starring for the Tomcats and Post 76. He was a strong defensive player and an outstanding pitcher. An all-around player who later played in college.
Keith Downs: A slugger who hit some tape-measure home runs at CP-1 while playing for Fairview and Post 76 in the mid-1980s. Everything he connected with was hit hard and he found himself in the No. 4 slot in most lineups.
Greg Gibson: While his time was limited at CP-1 diamond, he called some high school and Legion games before moving up the ranks and to the Major Leagues. He enjoyed 24 seasons at the highest level and was behind the plate for Randy Johnson’s perfect game in 2004 and on the crew for the 2011 World Series.
Tim Holbrook: An athletic infielder for Fairview and Post 76 in the late 1970s and later with Stan Musial, he brought a winning attitude every time in stepped on the field. Holbrook was an outstanding fielder and excellent hitter with good speed.
Don Moore: He played outfield for Ashland (1975-77) and Senior Babe Ruth for three years. He was a solid hitter and good fielder. But Moore also was a strong contributor to CP-1 through his skills in communications. Moore was part of cable television broadcasts from the park.
Donnie Payne: A complete player for the Tomcats and Post 76 in the early 1990s who could do it all. Payne was the ace of the staff and an outfielder and shortstop who carried a big bat. He pitched three seasons at Illinois.
Chris Queen: An outstanding athlete, he played for Fairview High School and Post 76 in the 1970s, getting plenty of games at CP-1. A crafty lefthanded pitcher and sweet-swinging first baseman went on to play at Marshall University, where he became the team’s closer.
Steve Smith: An outstanding catcher for the Tomcats and Post 76 in the 1980s who went on to play four years at Eastern Kentucky University. Smith once called four consecutive games in the same day for Post 76. Durable catcher with a big bat who never wanted a day off.
Jeff Stanley: A speedy outfielder whose batting stroke was tough on opponents when he played for Ashland and Post 76. He was an MVP of the Fourth of July Tournament in the mid-1980s while patrolling centerfield and went on to play at West Virginia University.
Bob Trimble: He started his baseball career on Ashland’s Little League fields, playing for the back-to-back Ashland National Little League state champions in 1976-77. His time on CP-1 was when he joined Ashland’s Stan Musial teams where he was a devastating hitter and speedy outfielder. He went on to Morehead State where he set several batting records and was All-OVC.
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