I’ll never forget it. My name was in the newspaper for catching two foul balls at a Pirate game. When my grandmother showed me the proof in Red Pepper’s column, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I remember thinking Mitch Mitchell looks good in ink as I stared at the column for countless minutes/days. Although I don’t know what became of those foul balls, I hold dearly the impact of Mr. Petriello’s kind words to this day. In a small town like ours, it’s important to shed light on the accomplishments of our youth. By letting children know their achievements are substantial, it breeds self-esteem and pride - building blocks for a successful individual and spirited community. Thanks Mr. Petriello for making me (and so many others) feel important.

On Saturday, June 26, the 88-year-old Bob Petriello was fittingly inducted into the newly-formed Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame in front of more than 750 people at Penn State-Fayette Campus. Link below:

Shortly after the Brownsville Telegraph was consumed by the Herald Standard, Bruce Wald eloquently summed up the career of Brownsville’s iconic sports writer in in this July 1988 article for the Tribune Review. Enjoy.