A founder, a gamer, and a pounder: The Santa Barbara Foresters, who have brought seven national summer baseball championships home to the community, will honor Bob Townsend, Delwyn Young and Ryan O’Hearn on Saturday, Jan. 11 at their annual Hall of Fame & Hot Stove Banquet at the Santa Barbara Carriage Museum.
Tickets and more information are on the Foresters web site at sbforesters.org.
“We’re excited to welcome everyone to this great celebration of baseball and to honor these three great baseball men,” Foresters manager Bill Pintard said.
Bob Townsend coached and played locally at Santa Barbara High, Santa Barbara City College and UCSB. In 1991, he founded today’s Foresters, taking the name from a 1950s ballclub. He led the team until 1995 and took them to their first NBC World Series tournament. His inspiration and leadership created the team that carries on his tradition today.
Delwyn Young played for the Foresters for two seasons and made a big mark. He then took his baseball skills to the Major Leagues, playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates. Delwyn’s family also includes former Foresters coach Selwyn Young and former longtime bat boy Delwyn “Pudge” Young. Today, Delwyn is a hitting coach for the New York Mets.
Ryan O’Hearn helped the Foresters win the 2012 National Championship. He returned to lead the team in RBI in 2013 before starting his pro baseball career. Ryan made his Major League debut in 2018, hitting a two-run homer in his first game for the Kansas City Royals. He moved into the starting lineup for the Royals and joins a long list of former Foresters in the big leagues.
Fans can meet all the honorees, as well as other former Foresters, coaches and Hall of Fame members. The event begins at 6 p.m.