Well-liked Gillespie directed PONY with personality and humor
Editor’s note: This is part of a series celebrating the 75th anniversary of PONY Baseball and Softball, leading up to the Pony League World Series that begins Aug. 7.
An editor at the Observer-Reporter newspaper once said the following about Roy Gillespie: “Roy was involved in every good cause in Washington. I don’t think anyone ever had a bad word to say about him.”
Gillespie, who was born in Springfield, Ill., and his wife Rose had eight children, four boys and four girls, including two sets of fraternal twins.
He was brought to Washington by Lew Hays, the father of Pony Baseball, to help in organizing the new league.
Gillespie was employed by PONY Baseball and Softball and served as President from 1980 to 1995. After retiring, he continued as a volunteer.
He was a sports editor by trade and made his mark athletically as he was inducted into the Bradley University Athletic Hall of Fame and is a 1991 inductee of the Washington-Greene County Sports Hall of Fame. In 1984, he received the Dutch Ferhing Award from the United States Baseball Federation and in 1998 received the Clyde J. Tracanna Volunteer of the Year Award from the United Way of Washington County.
Before Gillespie served as president of PONY, he was commissioner of the program since 1964. He came to Washington in 1958 as assistant to Hays, the first commissioner.
Gillespie played high school football, basketball and baseball. He continued his football and basketball careers in the U.S. Marines and on freshman teams at Bradley. After graduation he joined the Illinois State Register in Springfield and served as sports editor from 1955 until he became associated with PONY.
Gillespie was a member of the board of directors of the U.S. Baseball Federation and a member of the National Association for Sports and Physical Education Youth Sports Coalition. He was associated for several years with the Washington County Coach of the Year banquet (now known as the Tri-County Athletic Director’s Coach of the Year banquet) and was honored with the Special Award in 1971.
“Dad was a true believer,” said his son Rory. “He believed and lived every word he said about how sports helped develop youth, especially when speaking of sportsmanship, volunteerism and working in your community. He was also pretty darn funny. He was often called on to be a toastmaster. He was famous or infamous for many of his jokes.
“He would take many of us to baseball games when he went to represent PONY Baseball. In those early days, he wore black slacks, a short-sleeved white shirt and a tie to these games. At one tournament, it had rained and as volunteers were working hard to get the field ready for play, dad picked up a rake and was helping the ground crew in full office attire.
“Once at one of these games as teams were competing to get to the Pony League World Series in Washington, the losing team was complaining that the distance to first base was incorrect,” he continued. “They complained that the game should be replayed. The tournament committee called my dad over and asked for a ruling. Dad said that both teams played on the same field and that the result of the game would stand. The complaining team still wasn’t happy. On Monday, they called the offices of PONY Baseball and asked for then-president Lew Hays. Mr. Hays listened and then informed the caller he would transfer the caller to the man who handled these matters, he then switched him over to the commissioner, my dad. This story also says how Mr. Hays and my dad worked so well together for the betterment of the league.”
One of the most interesting aspects to Gillespie is he teamed with Hays to write a 150-page book about the founding of Pony League baseball. It features short excerpts and history surrounding the beginnings of the organization.
The book has stood the test of time, details the philosophy which guided the founders’ development of the program, and it features a series of pictures of the people who were instrumental in getting Pony League Baseball off the ground. The book remains a great resource for Pony League history.
Don Clawson worked at PONY, starting as an intern and later as director of baseball operations.
Gillespie led him through the ranks.
“When I met Roy, I was looking for a summer internship,” Clawson explained. “I interviewed with Leo Trich and worked with Roy, Leo and Abe Key that summer.
“From the first time I met Roy, I knew he had a personality that just drew you to him. He was just a great guy. I loved being around him. He would do anything for you. He made me feel comfortable being from out of town. When my wife and I moved here in 1993, we called Roy’s family my adopted family. I admired him greatly. You could see all the good things he was doing, from his military service, community service projects with Try Again Homes, the Elks, the Rotary and his church, Immaculate Conception.”
After he moved to Washington in 1958, Gillespie devoted his time to every aspect of PONY. He impacted many lives.
Gillespie was inducted into the Pony Wall of Fame. His heart for youth sports lived on for many years at PONY headquarters with one of his eight children, Karen Reese, serving as director of softball operations, a title she held for nearly four decades.
“His legacy is volunteerism,” Reese said. “That’s what he believed in. He believed in kids playing sports and learning sportsmanship. He was probably at his best being on the field greeting and talking to people. He believed PONY truly was grassroots. He appreciated the efforts of everyone. He let them know that.
“Dad saw what volunteerism did. When he moved to Washington, he told us it became his home, and to make it better he needed to get involved and give to the community.
“He never tooted his own horn,” she continued. “He walked his line and when he said something, he did it. I got to see him in action, being fortunate to work alongside him.”
Perhaps Steve Miller, North Zone vice president, summarized best how highly thought of Gillespie was throughout the organization.
“He was the President of PONY Baseball when I came on board,” Miller said. “Roy was the one who really got me going. He was just an unbelievable man. His personality, knowledge of the game and the way he could handle people was unique. If things got ugly, Roy found a way to step in and make things work out. He was all about the kids.
“I’ve officiated basketball, volleyball and baseball all my life and I’ve been involved with kids all my life. I remember Roy telling me ‘Steve, when you have a problem or you have an irate parent or you have a situation, think on it overnight. If you’ll feel the same, have them give you a call, and either meet for a cup of coffee or a diet (soda). Work this out.’ That served me well throughout my career.
“One of the other things was that when things got tough, at the end around tournament time,” Miller continued, “he’d always tell me, ‘Son, just remember, October is coming and it’ll be over, just keep working through it.’ Finally, he said the most important thing in whatever you do, make sure the kids come first. The parents, they’ll get over it, but if you do the right thing by the kids, you will always have done the right thing. I had a lot of respect for Roy.”