Born
August 20, 1935, Eugene Louis Palka spent his childhood on the
baseball diamond, drawing high praise on his Beaver Falls High
School and American Legion teams that won several section, county,
and regional titles, and garnered Gene numerous individual honors.
How good was he? The Baltimore Orioles signed him to a contract
right out of high school. Gene played three years in Canada, the
Appalachian League, and in Texas with the Orioles chain over the next
three seasons, but when juvenile diabetes prevented him from
continuing his major league dreams, Gene returned to Beaver Falls
and got into coaching. After several years with Little League and
All Star squads, Gene took over the reigns of the American Legion
program in 1969, and in five years guided the Tommies (with players
that included
Rick Mancini and
Mike DeChellis) to the playoffs each
year, including four county championships, four district titles, and
three state playoffs. During this time, Gene also scouted and
conducted tryout camps for the Pirates. In 1972 Gene was told that
his worsening health condition gave him only two years left to live,
but he made it through the 1974 season, when his Tommies made the
state championship game – further than any other Tommies team had
gone in its 58 year history. Gene died on September 28, 1974 at age
39, and his sons Colonel Gene and Michael began a Beaver Falls
baseball scholarship in their father’s name that is now in its 32nd
year.
Born
August 20, 1935, Eugene Louis Palka spent his childhood on the
baseball diamond, drawing high praise on his Beaver Falls High
School and American Legion teams that won several section, county,
and regional titles, and garnered Gene numerous individual honors.
How good was he? The Baltimore Orioles signed him to a contract
right out of high school. Gene played three years in Canada, the
Appalachian League, and in Texas with the Orioles chain over the next
three seasons, but when juvenile diabetes prevented him from
continuing his major league dreams, Gene returned to Beaver Falls
and got into coaching. After several years with Little League and
All Star squads, Gene took over the reigns of the American Legion
program in 1969, and in five years guided the Tommies (with players
that included