Farewell, old friend.
This is a column I never wanted to write. And truthfully, no matter how long the odds grew, I never thought I would.
Unfortunately, longtime Williamsport baseball coach Scott Grove succumbed to cancer last Saturday following a long and brave battle. Right until the end, even upon hearing what the timetable was for his final days, I always believed that Grove would bounce back.
That's how tough he was.
What Grove accomplished in both the Williamsport and Hughesville dugouts over a distinguished 23-year career was extraordinary. To me, though, the way he so valiantly fought after being diagnosed with cancer will always stand out even more.
Grove remarkably beat cancer last year, overcoming a series of daunting obstacles, to do so. After the cancer came back, Grove continued fighting, continued teaching, continued helping others. Those were the things he excelled at and while cancer could hurt him physically, it never touched his spirit.
Going to Hughesville games the last two years I was amazed at how Grove continued to be at the field day after day, manning his coaching spot in the first base coach's box while helping his son Nick lead the Spartans to two of the most successful seasons in program history. He lost weight, he lost his hair, but Grove never lost his will. He showed incredible courage and taught his players as much about life as he did about baseball.
Teaching is what Grove did best. Whether it was baseball or whether it was life, Grove was always teaching and the positive impact he made on so many lives is his greatest legacy, standing high above all the amazing things he achieved on the field.
He was legendary coach, but more importantly, Grove was a Hall of Fame person.
A longtime biology teacher at Williamsport, Grove also was a Little League camp instructor for nearly 30 years and the list of players, coaches and students he has influenced around central Pennsylvania is endless.
Still, most will remember Grove for what he did as Williamsport's baseball coach. That is what happens when you win more than 300 games and 10 district championships while coaching in two state finals in 20 seasons. It didn't matter what hand Grove was dealt, he was going to teach his players to play the game the right way, they were going to play hard and they were going to win.
Grove built what simply is known as "Millionaire Baseball." That included non-stop hustle, battling to the end, playing smart, playing fundamentally sound and always believing. I witnessed the power of that slogan for Grove's final nine seasons at Williamsport and his first three at Hughesville and always was impressed with how disciplined and tough his teams were.
Looking back, they were perfect reflections of their coach.
Father and son carried that approach to Hughesville in 2008 and together, Nick and Scott helped a team that had made just two playoff appearances in the decade's first eight seasons, reach districts three straight years while winning 30 games the past two.
Personally, it was not always sunshine and rainbows between Grove and I. There were times when these two competitive personalities clashed, but no matter what was transpiring I always had great respect for the man. How could I not? Whatever differences we might have had, I always understood that he was a tremendous role model.
And as the years went by I was proud to say that Grove not only became a coach whose team I covered, but also a friend.
Grove was as passionate about baseball as anyone I have ever met. He always had a special gleam in his eyes when talking about the game, whether it be his team, fellow area teams or the major leagues.
Grove was a fixture at all Williamsport athletic events too, always lending his time to help whether it be as the game manager, helping with concessions or working with security. Because of that I often ran into him outside the baseball season and always treasured our conversations which frequently revolved around our two biggest loves, family and sports.
It was strange being in the Williamsport press box last Friday and not seeing Grove there. Something was missing, something didn't feel right and I knew why. Because Grove is no longer here, I know high school sports will never be the same for me. I'll miss those conversations we shared, I'll miss his coaching and I'll miss his passion.
Most of all, I'll miss him.
When I heard about Grove's passing I thought back to a lot of games I had seen his teams play. The one that stuck with me was his final victory. Hughesville trailed top-seeded Wyalusing 7-3 in the seventh inning of last spring's district quarterfinals and defeat appeared imminent, especially against a streaking team that was 17-2 , that had won 10 straight and that was playing on its home field. Instead, the Spartans took the lead before an out was recorded, rallied for eight runs and stunned the Rams, 11-7, tying the program record in wins for a second consecutive year while recording the biggest victory in program history.
Hughesville overcame the odds that day. It was determined, resilient and above all else, it was a winner.
But you know what makes that win so special in my eyes?
It was pure Scott Grove.
Masse may be reached at cmasse@sungazette.com
