"I can say without a doubt that it was the best and most talented team I ever

played on." - Chris Garrett

It's been years since some of them have so much as taken a swing or thrown a ball in a

competitive setting. Those spring evenings spent playing under the Tiger Field lights sometimes seem

like they're from a different life. The world has changed a lot in the last

three decades. As of a few weeks ago, the Central Region that they so thoroughly dominated no

longer even exists.

But anyone who is old enough to have seen them play will never forget what it was like. And neither will they.

The stands, full for nearly every game, were reserved mostly for parents and adults. Students and kids would occupy

the hill along the third-base side. Many of those children would look on,

hoping, dreaming, and sometimes knowing that they would be part of that tradition

someday, imagining themselves making the plays they saw their teenaged heroes executing

in front of them.

The J. R. Tucker baseball program cast a long shadow across the region and state for much

of the 70s and 80s. Team after team added their own contribution as the legacy of Tucker

baseball grew and championship after championship piled up with it.

This is the story of one of those teams.

Very possibly the best one.

"It was never lost on us that playing baseball for Tucker was special."

- Tony Haney

Much of what made the 1984 Tucker baseball season so noteworthy was the environment in

which that team succeeded. The backdrop for Tucker's dominance that year was nothing

short of the best district in the state.

The Colonial District included six teams that had posted winning records in 1983. To give

you an idea of just how competitive the league was during this era, consider that Lee-Davis,

the team that earned second place in 1983, finished a mere game-and-a-half ahead of

Henrico, the league's sixth-place team.

The district would be loaded again in 1984.

Ken Moore's Freeman Rebels featured All-Metro designated hitter Curt Hodges, speedster

Herbie Crushshon in the outfield, Tommy Journey at second, plus a solid pitcher in Kenny

Irving. Hermitage had a couple of decent arms back with David Hendrick and Chris Cockrell,

along with five returning starters in Coach Phil Mourtzakis' regular lineup, such as first

baseman Rob Goode and outfielder Tim Nuckols. Patrick Henry had lost just six times in

1983, and had back lefty fireballer Bubba Hart, standout catcher Ed Turner, Coach Harold

Henry's son, Harold Henry, Jr., and an excellent outfield that included Ross Flippen, David

Jones, and Richard Derricott

Always-strong Lee-Davis had been the Colonial's other regional representative in 1983. The

Confederates, under Coach Mickey Byrd, were expected to be very good again in '84. Their

top player was senior first baseman Turtle Zaun, who had been All-Metro as a junior and

would go on to a terrific career at N. C. State. The Confederates also had Cliff Stone Martin

in the outfield, Tim Stanley at second base, Mark Walsh at shortstop (and on the mound),

and John Rawls at third. Despite a stellar lineup, there was a question as to whether Lee-Davis had the pitching to go with their potent offense.

There was no such question about Henrico, however.

The Warriors looked poised to be Tucker's biggest threat to winning another district or

regional title. Longtime coach Don Colley had already won three regional championships at

Henrico, and his team had the potential for a fourth. Henrico had ace righty Chris Cloude,

plus a stacked batting order that included outfielder Alan El-Amin, first baseman Tom

Morris, catcher Russell Hockaday, shortstop Chris Kaufelt, third baseman Mark Westbrook,

and designated hitter Danny Allen. As good as Lee-Davis was offensively, Cloude made

Henrico the most likely challenger.

Highland Springs was the dangerous sleeper. The Springers had barely missed out on a .500 season

the year before, despite having a very young team. The 1984 version of Clyde Metzger's

squad was going to be much-improved, with 11 returnees on the roster, plus the addition of

football standout Tom Pack. Pack, a designated hitter, was a quality bat, as were second

baseman Mike Walden and shortstop Wayne Meade, who also pitched. But the key for the

Springers would be an improved rotation, with lefty Frank Pridemore and righty Raymond

Hooper giving Highland Springs two good options on the mound to go along with Meade.

In case this isn't clear yet, I'll state the obvious: The Colonial District schedule was an

absolute minefield.

And then there was J. R. Tucker. Even prior to 1983, the Tigers already had more regional and

state championships than any other Central Region program. Incredibly, in the five years from 1978 to

1982 alone, Tucker won the Group AAA state title four times. However, the '82

team was dominated by seniors, with a handful of sophomores playing a vital role.

1983, then, was supposed to be a rebuilding season. Yet, great talent and coaching

prevailed over experience, and Ronnie Atkins guided a team that normally started eight

underclassmen to a 15-3 record during the regular season. Tucker ran away with an

outright Colonial District title and posted a 14-2 district record in a year when L-D and

Henrico were the preseason favorites.

The Tigers had claimed six regional titles since 1976, and the Richmond News Leader boldly

referred to the regional baseball tournament as "The J. R. Tucker Invitational." Yet, Tucker

lost to Dinwiddie 8-6 in the semi-finals, a loss that former Tucker player Rob Reid calls

"terribly disappointing." While a district title and a trip to regionals would have been a good

season for most squads, it fell short of the lofty expectations that Tucker had at that point in

history. "We definitely had a chip on our shoulder heading into '84," says Reid. "We felt we

had the potential to be a really strong team, and we also felt a sense of having something to

prove."

Of Tucker's best fourteen or so players from '83, only two had been lost to graduation. The

everyday lineup the Tigers fielded by the end of 1983 would only have one new face in

1984. Lefty Chris Garrett (no relation to the author) would be the ace for Tucker, replacing

the graduated Mark Reidelbach, who had been on the losing end of that 8-6 region decision

against Dinwiddie.

Garrett had posted a 0.56 ERA as a sophomore in '83, also earning honorable mention All-Metro status, but his workload was going to increase dramatically. The new #2 would be

righty Shawn Llewellyn. Both were curveball specialists. Rob Reid was another decent arm

who could be relied upon to throw strikes. Steve Gordon provided some hard-throwing pitching depth, and

was the brother of Mike Gordon, hero of Tucker's 1978 state title run.

Tony Haney was already a two-time All-Metro player, as well as a four-year starter. He

would be seeking his third regional and state championships. First baseman Albert Gayle

had also been a starter on the 1982 AAA title squad, having a big offensive game in the

state final to help Tucker top Oakton 8-3. Both Haney and Gayle had posted .400+ batting

averages as juniors.

Third baseman Tim Legler is better-known now for his basketball exploits, but he was a

superb defensive infielder, a very good hitter, and an occasional relief pitcher. Second

baseman Deron Noel was a scrappy, accomplished all-around player who had been a

second-team All-Metro pick in 1983. Catcher Tony Gammon was a .321 hitter who was

himself an honorable mention All-Metro selection. Luke Reid was a powerful slugger who

was also an excellent catcher and designated hitter.

Luke's aforementioned younger brother Rob was a talented outfielder / first baseman /

pitcher who was poised to have a big season. Outfielder / pitcher Mike Milchin had been

brought up to varsity as a freshman during the latter part of the 1983 season, working his way into

the lineup and turning heads with his hitting and his strong throwing arm. Incredibly,

during the nine months between the end of the 1983 school year and the beginning of

baseball season in 1984, Milchin had grown seven inches and put on 65 pounds.

This was going to be a good squad.

"I remember thinking that '84 would be a terrific team," says Milchin. "I actually felt like I

was already on the varsity, having practiced and spent so much time with Tony Haney, who

was an absolute star at Tucker and someone who I very much looked up to. Tony was not

only a fantastic player, but a great person, too, and he was more than kind to me and also

made me feel like I was part of the team, even though I had not done anything up to that

point."

"We had a tremendously talented group of guys that had a strong chemistry, and a head

coach in Ron Atkins who helped instill in us the expectation of not settling for anything less

than a state championship," notes Rob Reid. "I do remember we were very eager to hit the

field. Hell, who wouldn't be [with that team]?"

"We knew it was a special program, built by Coach Atkins and the great players who came

before us," adds Haney. "We had good talent, but, more than that, we had a lot of good

guys who got along well and shared a love for the game and a passion for winning."

Tucker also had plenty of other players who were potential contributors, some of whom had

seen playing time in 1983, including Steve O'Donnell, Matt Sheimbob, Mark Chamberlain,

Steve Lovings, and baserunning whiz Richie Sharff. How they would figure into the picture

in 1984 remained to be seen.

The unproven nature of the pitching staff was considered the team's one and only weakness

going into the season. "I was a little concerned with the depth in our pitching," says Luke

Reid. "We had Chris and Mike, but Mike was just a sophomore." Coach Atkins also says

that he thought the team had the potential to be excellent, but, prior to the year beginning,

he was "somewhat worried about whether our pitching would come around," especially in

such a demanding district with so many top-level hitters.

Tucker would find out quickly whether the rotation would be up to the challenge.

"I started out the season as the tenth, eleventh, or twelfth man, which was fine by

me, considering the talent on that team." - Steve O'Donnell

Tucker began its season by traveling to the beach to play two Eastern Region powers, which

had become a tradition under Atkins. The Tigers of that era always had qualifying for the

state tournament as a goal, and this early-season clash served as a measuring stick of sorts

for Tucker. This was especially true because the Central Region and Eastern Region were

always paired in the state semi-finals under the playoff format of the time.

In the opener, the Tigers beat First Colonial 8-3. Tucker banged out ten hits, but, in a

typical, not-too-sharp, season-opening game, five Patriot errors also helped. Garrett went

the distance, striking out ten as Tucker won easily. Against four-time state champion

Kempsville in the second game, the Tigers built a 6-2 lead after Haney's two-run triple in

the sixth, then held on for a 6-4 victory. Milchin picked up a save after Llewellyn, the

winner, ran into a bit of trouble late. Milchin went 5-for-8 in the two games.

After dispatching Jefferson-Huguenot-Wythe, Tucker faced its first district test of the

season: Chris Cloude and the Henrico Warriors.

Milchin remembers Cloude as "a superb starting pitcher," and says that Tucker knew both

regular-season games against Henrico would go a long way toward crowning a district

champion. On a windy day at Henrico, Cloude held the Tigers in check during the early going. The Warriors even lead 2-0 heading to the fourth after Chris Kaufelt homered to left-center. Tucker tied it up that inning, then forged ahead in the fifth after

back-to-back home runs by Gayle and Milchin. Llewellyn got the win, and Milchin closed out

the Warriors to finish off a 7-3 victory that gave Tucker an early leg up in the Colonial race.

Things didn't get any easier the next time out, as the Tigers got their first look at Highland

Springs. The Springers had already shown that they were indeed vastly improved over

1983, beginning the season with a two-game sweep of E. C. Glass by a combined score of

31-9. Atkins saved Garrett for the Springers, and that proved to be a smart decision. The

southpaw threw six shutout innings before surrendering two in the seventh with Tucker

already ahead 5-0. Garrett finished with ten strikeouts and Milchin slammed a two-run shot

in the top of the final inning to provide some breathing room.

The win over Highland Springs would prove costly, however.

Gayle, who had hit .426 the year before and was off to a good start in 1984, twisted his

knee trying to advance from second to third after an errant throw. "Those plastic cleats the VHSL had started making us use . . ." Atkins recalls. "Albert planted to take third, and just tore his knee up."

Gayle walked off the field

thinking it was just a bruise, but a later examination revealed he had torn ligaments. He

would need surgery and would miss six weeks. "It was definitely a blow to us, as Albert was

a big RBI producer with a smooth stroke," says Rob Reid. "I think we were all like, 'let's

keep this train rolling, and, Albert, we'll keep your spot warm for you.'" To make matters

worse, Tony Haney had a bout of mononucleosis at the beginning of the season, and he

wasn't back to 100% until late in the year.

If there were a silver lining to the injury to Gayle, it was the emergence of Steve O'Donnell.

O'Donnell, a junior in 1984, was another top-level talent in the Tucker pipeline, but the

depth of the team meant that he was fighting just to get some time in the starting lineup.

"I started out the season as the tenth, eleventh, or twelfth man, which was fine by me,

considering the talent on that team," he explains. "My spot on the bench was further

cemented when, in a scrimmage versus Godwin, I missed two bunt signs," much to the

chagrin of Coach Atkins. "It served as a huge wake-up call for me about myself and the

team."

O'Donnell was a natural shortstop who also played outfield. Haney's presence completely

locked down shortstop, but Gayle's injury moved Rob Reid out of the outfield to first base,

which gave O'Donnell a shot to be more than a part-time player. He made the most of it.

Tucker continued on without Gayle and with a depleted Haney, but, with guys like O'Donnell

stepping up, showed no signs at all of slowing down. The Tigers crushed Armstrong-Kennedy 17-2 and then did the same to Patrick Henry in a 14-2 game that saw Milchin, Rob

Reid, and Luke Reid all homer.

A critical match-up against Lee-Davis followed. The Confederates, like Tucker, were

undefeated. The Confederates, like Tucker, had a strong lineup. The Confederates, like

Tucker, were atop the Colonial District. This would be the first chance for one of the two

teams to assert itself in the title chase.

Chris Garrett saw to it that Tucker was that team.

He used his phenomenal curveball to hold the heavy-hitting Confederates at bay, striking

out nine en route to a one-hitter. Lee-Davis sent only 25 men to the plate. The

Confederates' Mark Walsh did a terrific job in his own right in limiting Tucker to a season-low three runs, but that was obviously enough. Milchin's RBI double and a two-run homer

by Legler in the first were all the Tigers needed.

Next up was rival Douglas Freeman. Tucker would face Rebel ace Kenny Irving. Freeman

led 1-0 going to the third, but the Tigers exploded for one of the huge innings they made a

habit of dropping on opponents in 1984. Haney and O'Donnell each had a two-run double

during the outburst, and the Rebels suddenly found themselves down 7-1. The Tigers

cruised to an 8-4 win with Llewellyn and Legler combining to hold Freeman to six hits.

Garrett followed up his one-hitter against Lee-Davis with a two-hitter against Hermitage,

striking out seven. Legler drove in a run in the first to put the Tigers ahead for good, while

O'Donnell drove in two more with a fourth-inning double. That 3-0 victory over the

Panthers meant that the 8-0, 10-0 Tigers had played every district opponent once without a

defeat, a remarkable accomplishment unto itself given the level of competition. Specifically,

though, it meant that Tucker had sole possession of first place in the Colonial.

The Tigers stayed hot by crushing JHW 20-0. Tim Legler homered and drove in five runs.

Milchin had four hits and Deron Noel had three of his own as part of a 19-hit effort. Tucker

led 11-0 at the end of the first inning. Rob Reid continued his success on the mound by

tossing a two-hitter.

Overcoming some injury / illness issues, the Tigers had looked invincible throughout the

first half of the regular season. Not only had Tucker gone undefeated, but they hadn't even been in a

one-run game. Other than the 6-4 win over Kempsville on the first day of the season, the

Tigers had actually won every contest by at least three runs.

That was about to change.