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Dick Heller

Dick Heller

Articles by Dick Heller

Washington Redskins coach Jack Pardee. (Joseph Silverman/The Washington Times) circa Dec. 7, 1983.

HELLER: Jack Pardee a class act during his days in D.C.

The news out of Houston last week was highly distressing to Washington Redskins fans with more than a touch of gray in their hair: Jack Pardee, one of the more significant figures in the club's 81-year history, has been diagnosed with gall bladder cancer and given six to nine months to live.

December 3, 2012
FILE - This Oct. 19, 2011 file photo shows Maryland coach Mark Turgeon listening to a question during the ACC Operation Basketball media day in Charlotte, N.C. Maryland is set to announce it is joining the Big Ten. The Big Ten Network tweeted that it will cover the school's news conference Monday afternoon, Nov. 19, 2012, to announce Maryland's decision to leave the Atlantic Coast Conference.(AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)

HELLER: Stability is why ACC basketball became a power

As anyone who has ever ridden with me with tell you, geography isn't my thing. When the Beltway opened in 1964, this native Washingtonian was astonished that you could get from Maryland to Virginia without going through D.C.

November 21, 2012
Eddie Yost Washington third baseman in Washington on June 30, 1947. (AP Photo/HWG)

HELLER: Instead of swinging, Eddie Yost just walked away

Some disrespectful fans in these parts often unleashed a special yowl when Eddie Yost, the Washington Senators' longtime leadoff man, strode to the plate in the 1950s: "Take the bat off your shoulder, Eddie!"

October 22, 2012
Game 4 of the National League Division Series between the Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park, Thursday, October 11, 2012. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

HELLER: Nationals seize NLDS momentum

The crowd lets out a roar as the national anthem ends at Nationals Park, and the hope is that it will not be the last significant one of the day heard by Washington's embattled baseball team.

October 11, 2012
Cardinals' Pete Kozma (38) is greeted in the dugout after his three-run home run in the top of the second inning as the Washington Nationals hosting the St. Louis Cardinals for Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

HELLER: Nationals’ season on life support

The sun shines brightly on Washington's first postseason baseball game in nearly eight decades, but potential gloom also pervades the premises. One more loss to the muscular Cardinals will put the Nats on the brink of wait-'til-next-year territory.

October 10, 2012
Fans celebrate after the Washington Nationals beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1at Nationals Park, Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012, in Washington, DC. The Washington Nationals clinched a spot in the playoff for the first time in team history. (Craig Bisacre/The Washington Times)

HELLER: Time to stuff seats at Nationals Park

Are you a baseball fan? More to the point, are you a Nationals fan? If so, tote your tail to South Capitol Street at least once over the next three days to say hail but not farewell to the most amazing, astonishing, astounding baseball team in these parts since FDR was a rookie president. (And, no, those adjectives aren't redundant.)

September 30, 2012
Maryland coach Randy Edsall watches from the sideline during the third quarter of a college football game against William & Mary, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012, in College Park, Md. Maryland won 7-6. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

HELLER: Terps still seem to be going nowhere fast

Maryland's 7-6 squeaker Saturday against William & Mary at Byrd Stadium did nothing to suggest the inexperienced Terrapins are poised to move onward and upward from coach Randy Edsall's 2-10 first season. In fact, it hinted the opposite.

September 2, 2012
Washington’s Bryce Harper catches a fly ball during the Nationals’ loss to the Phillies on Sunday. Harper, at 19, is the youngest of a young nucleus that Washington general manager Mike Rizzo has put together. Along with Harper, Steve Lombardozzi (23), Stephen Strasburg (24), Danny Espinosa (25), Drew Storen (25), Jordan Zimmermann (26), Ryan Zimmerman (27), Ross Detwiler (27), Gio Gonzalez (27), Tyler Clippard (27) and Ian Desmond (27) are all under 30. (Associated Press)

HELLER: Nationals have foundation to win now — and later

Use of a term such as "dynasty" is premature when applied to the Washington Nationals, who haven't won anything except respect from opponents and applause from long-suffering Washington baseball fans. But the potential definitely is there for the Nats to rule the National League East, as the Braves and Phillies used to.

August 27, 2012
Washington Nationals' Danny Espinosa (8) is welcomed back to the dugout by bench coach Randy Knorr (53) and fans after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros in the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Nationals wow long-suffering D.C. ball fan

When friends recently invited us to join them for a weekend at their Bethany Beach, Del., vacation home in late September, I asked my wife, "Do they get MASN on the TV there?"

August 8, 2012
Walter Johnson, nicknamed "The Big Train," was a pitcher playing from 1907 to 1927 with the Washington Senators. Johnson was known as a power pitcher of his era, believed to throw the ball over 100 miles per hour. Later in Johnson's career as baseball manager he had the nickname, "Old Barney." Location and date of this photo is unknown. (AP Photo)

HELLER: ’12: The year D.C.’s baseball team became a winner

Washington's baseball team suddenly morphed into a big winner after years of futility. Across the capital region, fans came out of the woodwork and cheered as it repeatedly atoned for past sins by beating the ears off longtime tormentors.

August 5, 2012

HELLER: Remember when the All-Star Game was a big deal?

This was in July 1973 at Kansas City's new Royals Stadium, and I was wondering who to interview in the National League's clubhouse after the so-called Senior Circuit's 7-1 victory when a middle-aged man materialized beside me wearing a towel around his thickening middle. He was about my height, had salt-and-pepper hair and appeared totally ordinary.

July 9, 2012
Tom Brown played baseball with the Senators and football with the Packers and Redskins in the 1960. At 71, he runs the Rookie League, a camp for boys and girls ages 6-12. (Photograph provided by Tom Brown)

HELLER: Children learn from Tom Brown, a mentor who’s been there and done that

Tom Brown starred in football at the University of Maryland, started the 1963 season at first base for the expansion Senators and spent five seasons as a defensive back with Vince Lombardi's Packers. Yet his biggest athletic achievement might be continuing right now as Brown, 71, directs unique youth sports programs in Salisbury, Md.

July 4, 2012
In this Sept. 30, 1971 file photo, Washington Senator fans lean over the dugout to shake hands with Washington's Dave Nelson (15) before fans storm the field in the ninth inning of the Washington Senators farewell appearance at RFK Stadium. (AP Photo/File) **FILE**

HELLER: Yankees stir memories of RFK fan-demonium

With the Yankees coming to town Friday night to start a series with the Nationals, the mind returns achingly to their last visit to play the Senators on Sept. 30, 1971 — truly a date that will live in local sporting infamy.

June 13, 2012
Local basketball star Adrian Dantley poses with principal owner of the Washington Nationals Mark Lerner after being inducted into the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday May 6, 2012. (Courtesy of the Washington Nationals)

HELLER: Adrian Dantley’s recognition among D.C. icons richly deserved

This was in January 1970 at Maryland's Cole Field House, and spectators were being treated to a prequel version of Bryce Harper minus five years. The chubby, 14-year-old DeMatha High School freshman was so strong that whenever he ascended for a rebound, opponents from Cardozo and Eastern flew off him hither, thither and yon.

May 8, 2012