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Tommy John Headlines First Annual Mohawk Valley Baseball HOF Inductions

Story Created: Feb 7, 2009 at 1:23 AM EDT

Story Updated: Feb 7, 2009 at 1:48 AM EDT

LITTLE FALLS, N.Y. (WKTV) - Ted Schoff and Craig Phillips are the first inductees of the Mohawk Valley Baseball Hall of Fame. The guest speaker of the night was former Yankee great Tommy John.

As guest speaker, John spoke about perserverence, especially after coming back from elbow surgery which was later renamed "Tommy John" surgery.

Ted Schoff was as beloved and respected as he was successful during 31 seasons coaching baseball at Little Falls High School. Schoff’s teams won 533 games, 12 Section III championships, 14 league titles and a state championship in 1982. The Mounties reached the sectional finals 20 times during Schoff’s tenure, including six of his final seven seasons.

Craig Phillips career baseball coaching record is 598-186 a .760 winning percentage. His win total ranks among the top five percent of high school baseball coaches in the United States. He is Section II’s winningest baseball coach whose teams have won 20 league titles, seven sectional championships, and four regional championships. The Fort Plain Hilltoppers have played in the state championship finals four times, including 2008, and the team won the Class C state championship in 2007.Coach Phillips was selected as 2008 American Baseball Coaches Association High School Division III Region I Coach of the Year. The ABCA is the largest baseball coaches association in the country.

The two 2009 inductees of the 1st annual Mohawk Valley Baseball Hall of Fame Class have been announced. Legendary coaches Ted Schoff from Little Falls and Craig Phillips of Fort Plain will be the 1st inductees into the Mohawk Valley baseball Hall of Fame. They will be honored at an induction dinner on Friday February 6 at the Knights Inn in Little Falls. Former NY Yankee pitching great Tommy John will be the keynote speaker at the event.
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