Four Named To Westchester Sports Hall of Fame

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — Frank McLaughlin, Rick O'Keeffe, Jimmy Roberts, Paul Natale and Rich Leaf were inducted into the Westchester Sports Hall of Fame by the selection committee Tuesday night. The 50th anniversary induction dinner will be Oct. 19, at the County Center.

All previous inductees are invited for the golden anniversary celebration, and are requested to contact Cook, as should anyone with current contact information for previous inductees.

The Westchester Sports Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Westchester Parks Department. The plaques are on display at the County Center.

Frank McLaughlin was the longtime athletic director at Fordham University, his alma mater, where he was also a star basketball player and a New York Knicks draftee. He was also head coach at Harvard, and coached with Digger Phelps at Fordham and Notre Dame.

Rick O'Keeffe had a 27-7 record with a 0.40 ERA, five no-hitters and a perfect game for Yorktown High School, where he also batted .438. The Milwaukee Brewers drafted him fifth in the nation straight out of high school. He played 209 games in the minor leagues (53-51).

Jimmy Roberts, a White Plains High School graduate, is best known for his work as a sportscaster with NBC and ABC. He has covered the World Series, the Super Bowl, the NBA finals, the Olympics, and the Masters golf tournament. He has won 13 Emmy awards.

Paul Natale coached baseball and football at Hendrick Hudson High School. He had more than 500 wins in baseball. Now he volunteers as an adaptive physical education coach with challenged veterans at the Montrose Veterans Administration, and is involved with "Play for Freedom," working with PTSD veterans.

Rich Leaf, a Scarsdale High School graduate, is known as "The Voice of County Center." He has been the announcer for the Section 1 boys and girls basketball tournaments for 36 consecutive years. He is also the announcer for Iona College men's and women's basketball, Scarsdale and Mamaroneck basketball, and numerous tournaments. In addition, he has been officiating soccer since 1981 and is the current president of the Westchester-Putnam Approved Soccer Officials Association.

Details about the Induction Dinner: Reception at 5:30, ceremony at 7. To attend, contact Kevin Cook at kdc2@westchestergov.com.

By Mark Tierstein