Alumni Spotlight
Ernie Oravetz; Johnstown
Click the "READ MORE" link to read more about Ernie Oravetz and other AAABA Alumni including Mike Holtz and Shawn Hillegas:
When you mention the name Ernie Oravetz in Johnstown, two thoughts come to mind…great ball player ….. and short! Ernie went into the Major League Baseball record book before he ever played a single game. According to baseballlibrary.com, he was the smallest player in the major leagues that year (1956) and one of the smallest regular-season players ever.
At 5’4, 145 lbs., Mr. Oravetz never did not look the part of a prototypical athlete. Although mostly known for his prowess on the baseball diamond, he also excelled in basketball, starring on his high school varsity team. While Ernie was a consistent baseball hitter, surprisingly, he could also hit the ball for power. Former high school teammate Charley Mastervich recalled “He was a terrific hitter. What I remember about him is when we played out at Cochran there were houses behind right field. He used to pepper balls over those houses.” Ernie’s power however would not be his ticket to the Big Leagues. Instead, he proved his worth through his versatility and pure athleticism. While a solid switch hitter at the plate, Ernie was also regarded as an excellent fielder and base runner. Former high school and Johnstown Junior League teammate Tom Petrore of Johnstown said “Ernie was good in everything. He could hit, he could field, he had a terrific arm and he could run.” In 1950, while playing for the Lincoln Street Garage in the AAABA Tournament, Ernie batted .350 and his team finished with a 3-2 record.
Oravetz was a standout player in the Johnstown Junior League and in High School but never attracted much interest from the pros. Never one to give up, Ernie borrowed $150 from his mother and enrolled in the Jack Rossiter Baseball School in Cocoa, Florida along with friends Tom Petrore and Bob Urban of Johnstown.All three were successful and landed professional contracts. Living his dream of playing professional baseball, Ernie was the batting champion of the Florida State League in 1951. He then helped Chattanooga win a Southern Association championship in 1952. Ernie seemed well on his way to advancing his career until one fateful day in 1953 when two letters arrived from Washington DC. In a 2004 interview with the Johnstown Tribune Democrat, Ernie recalled that day:
“That was during the Korean War,” Oravetz said, noting he served in Germany. “We all got drafted. My whole high school class at Johnstown went. I mean, they took everybody. On January 12 of 1953, I got a letter from Washington to go to spring training. Then I also got a letter that day from Uncle Sam saying, ‘You’ve been drafted.’ Guess where I went.” Ernie’s two years of Army service included a tour in Germany, where he helped manage the football team and played baseball and basketball.
After honorably serving his country, Ernie returned home and in 1955 earned a roster spot with the Washington Senators of the American League. He made his professional debut April 11, 1955. He played center field in Washington’s Griffith Stadium, a ballpark with mammoth dimensions of 405 feet to the left-field wall, 421 in center and 320 with a 31-foot high concrete wall in right. In a 2004 interview, Mr. Oravetz remembers Griffith Stadium and a famous slugger:
“That was a huge field, Mickey Mantle hit two of them over this huge, big oak tree in center field. They had a big Longines Watch (clock), and Mantle hit that, too, 450 feet.”
Between 1955 and 1956, Oravetz batted .262 appearing in 188 games. Although a solid player, Ernie was sent back to the minor leagues where he continued to pursue his baseball career until the mid-1960s. Unfortunately, Ernie would never work his way back onto a Major League roster. His final appearance with the Washington Senators came on September 30, 1956. Mr. Oravetz earned $6,000 in each of his two big league seasons. In 2009, the average Major League Player salary was nearly $3 million. Ernie’s career, although short, was a real life Cinderella story. At 5 feet 4 inches tall, he was the shortest major league player of his day, and one of the shortest ever. According to the web site for Conway's Sports Research, only three players in major league history were shorter, and only one of those played an entire season. He still holds the distinction of being the shortest player to ever play for the Washington franchise (Senators and Nationals).
After his years in baseball, Mr. Oravetz lived in Florida and worked for the United States Postal Service for thirty years. He and his wife of 51 years, Rose Marie had seven children, many of whom share their father’s love of sports. A humble man, Ernie was not one to brag of his baseball past. In fact, even some of his longtime neighbors didn't know he had played baseball against such legends as Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Ted Williams. Ernie was even friends with legendary slugger and Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, his roommate while playing with the Senators. Rose, Ernie’s wife, remarked “He wouldn't tell people, but I'd tell people everywhere we went that he was a baseball player!" Although he was decades removed from his playing days, when prompted, Mr. Oravetz loved to talk about his baseball years. His family noted that it wasn't unusual for baseball players who came to town for spring training to knock on the door of their Florida home to hear his stories.
The ever-modest Ernie was however thrilled when, in 2005, Topps baseball presented him with an offer. His wife Rose remembers: "He couldn't believe it last year when they asked if he would sign 250 bubble gum cards for $1,000." Ernie’s 1957 Topps baseball card was being re-released as a special insert card in Topps 2006 Heritage retail packs. One thousand lucky collectors had the opportunity to pull the 1957 Oravetz reproduction card with his signature. Ernie was one of just 28 former major league players with a 1957 Topps baseball card that was asked to participate, others included Duke Snider, Frank Robinson, and Ernie Banks.
While small in stature, Ernie stood tall both on and off the field. The switch hitter played in the 1950 AAABA Tournament and was part of the AAABA Hall of Fame Class of 1999. The Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame inducted Mr. Oravetz in 1975. Mr. Oravetz passed away of complications from pancreatic cancer on December 3, 2006. Ernie’s accomplishments are still often remembered around Johnstown although he hadn’t lived there in over 50 years.
Shawn Hillegas; Johnstown
Hillegas grabbed the attention of major league baseball scouts with his hard throwing consistency and ability to control a game. In the 1983 AAABA tournament playing as a pick up player with the Ramada Inn team, Hillegas threw a gem shutting down Cincinnati with a three hit, ten strike out victory. Earlier that summer, the big right hander was selected by the California Angels in the 26th round of the 1983 draft. Although drafted, Shawn decided not to sign a contract. Declining a dream opportunity would pay off when he was selected as a First Round pick, fourth overall, the following year (1984) by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Shawn was consistently rated as one of the Dodgers top prospects and progressed nicely through the Dodgers minor league system, advancing to the AAA level in just two seasons. In 1987, Shawn posted a 13-5 record with the Dodgers AAA Albuquerque Dukes. This impressive showing lead to a late season call up in 1987 and Shawn would make his major league debut August 9th. He lived up to his first round status in his debut, pitching 8 2/3 innings with 6 strikeouts and 2 earned runs picking up his first major league victory. A year later in August of 1988 Shawn was traded to the White Sox, missing out on the 1988 Dodgers World Championship. After spending a number of seasons with the Sox, Shawn would go on to serve stints with the Indians, Yankees, Blue Jays, and A’s. After 7 years of big league baseball and appearing in 181 games, Shawn’s career would end in 1993 with the Oakland Athletics. Shawn is still recognized as one of Johnstown’s greatest athletes and he is surely a future AAABA Hall of Famer.
Mike Holtz; Johnstown
Mike Holtz has always been underestimated and has always overachieved. The 5’ 9 left hander didn’t intimidate batters such as a Randy Johnson, he never had the ability to overpower hitters like a Nolan Ryan, but what Holtz did have was confidence and determination. Always considered “too small” for big league baseball, Holtz took it personal and enjoyed proving many wrong. Although a standout player in the Johnstown Junior League (JJL), Mike was even overshadowed on his own team. Fellow teammates 6’8 pitcher Joe Vitko, and JJL homerun record holder Keith Williams would both go on to play in the Major Leagues and captured many of the local headlines. Catcher Mike Moore would be drafted by the Cleveland Indians and ace pitcher Mike Sube was often regarded as the league’s best pitcher. Holtz and the 1990 Pepsi-Cola team dubbed the “Fizz Kids” finished the 1990 season with an amazing 32-2 record.
The Ebensburg, PA native and Central Cambria High School graduate finally got his big chance to steal the spotlight when he took the mound in front of a packed point Stadium during the 1990 AAABA national tournament. Holtz would dominate the game with a nasty curveball, posting 15 strikeouts (a tournament high that year) and leading his team to a 14-3 victory over Waterbury, Connecticut. Holtz had officially earned his due respect and would eventually win the JJL’s Pete Vuckovich Award as the league’s top pitcher. Holtz’ dynamic curveball, along with his ability to spot his pitches landed him as a 32nd Round Pick by the New York Mets in the 1990 MLB Draft. Holtz would instead accept a baseball scholarship offer from Clemson University. While at Clemson, the Tigers won three ACC championships and appeared in the 1991 College World series.
Always up against the odds, Mike would once again face a big challenge when he underwent Tommy John surgery for an elbow ligament tear in his sophomore season. Many felt Mike’s career may be over and that any shot of being drafted again was probably a long shot at best. The resilient Holtz would once again prove his critics wrong when he was selected in the 17th round of the 1994 MLB draft by the California Angels – a remarkable feat for an undersized pitcher with a reconstructed elbow and an average fastball. After just two seasons in the minor leagues, Mike would be called up to the major leagues on July 11, 1996. He was a TOPPS All-Star Rookie in 1997.
Holtz would go on to make over 350 appearances in the Major League games over eight seasons, mostly with the California Angels as a relief specialist. Holtz also spent time with the Oakland A’s, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox and played the 2005 season with the Yokohama Baystars in the Japanese Professional League. Nagging elbow injuries would once again force Holtz to re-examine his career and he would eventually retire in January 2007.
After a career of highs and lows that took him from Johnstown to California to Boston and Japan, no one can question Holtz’ toughness and resilience. He describes himself as an “overachiever” saying “I maximized what I could do with my career”, a career that he can now look back on with pride. Mike has never forgotten his roots, and returned to the Northern Cambria area with his wife and three children after his baseball retirement. He now operates Earn Respect Athletics (E.R.A) Sports with fellow AAABA alum Rick Roberts where they look to pass on their extensive baseball knowledge to youth of all skill levels. In addition, Mike has just completed his first season as head baseball coach at Northern Cambria High School. He was inducted into the AAABA Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Cambria County Hall of Fame in 2008.
