A Pat on the Back to Scott Strickland
Scott Strickland didn’t go to Wake Forest, and neither did his grandfather. But that didn’t keep his grandfather, Hugh Strickland, from buying Wake basketball season tickets for decades and over one record-setting stretch, attending 339 straight games. I devoted a chapter in my book Tales from the Wake Forest Hardwood to Hugh, who had to be one of the staunchest friends any program has ever had. In Hugh’s declining days, Coach Dave Odom even offered to swing the team bus by the Strickland home to pick Hugh up for trips.
Scott’s father, Gary Strickland, did attend Wake Forest, and he graduated in or around 1973. Gary has been the scorekeeper for the basketball program for 29 years, so I know him pretty well. I couldn’t help it if I wanted to. Actually we’re close friends and we’ve had more than our share of laughs together since I came to town in 1978. I’ve known his sons, David, Michael and Scott pretty much from birth and Gary coached my son, Nate, in baseball.
So it’s with great pride that I mention the accomplishment of one member of the extended Wake Forest family. Scott Strickland is the head groundskeeper of the Durham Bulls, and he’s good at what he does. He’s so good, in fact, that Wednesday he was awarded the honor of 2010 Turf Manager of the Year in the International League. It’s voted on by the managers who watch their teams play from ground level, so it’s a bona fide accomplishment. He’s the first groundskeeper of the Bulls to win the honor since 1998, and he’ll now be up for the honor as Turf Manager of the Year in the entire AAA classification of professional baseball.
Congratulations Scott. I know I’m not the only one from your hometown who is proud of you.