<B>Moses</B>

This is the first in a series of articles profiling the 2007 honorees of the Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame. The annual banquet is April 28 at the Butler Days Inn.Merril Moses doesn't understand why he's been selected to receive the Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame's Lifetime Achievement Award.He's probably the only one.Moses, 80, is one of the founders of the local Hall. He was also a longtime basketball and softball player in Butler, along with serving as a longtime football and basketball official, as well as operator of the football scoreboard clock at Art Bernardi Stadium.In fact, Moses has never left athletics since playing sports as a kid on the sandlots of Lyndora and Butler."I certainly accept the opportunity to be honored if they choose to do it. I'm excited about it,"Moses said. "I just feel like there's lots of people more deserving."While this is a lifetime achievement award, Moses has not stopped achieving. Last November at Butler Country Club, he carded a 79 at age 80."That's a phenomenal achievement, shooting a round of golf below your age," longtime friend and softball teammate John Zgibor said. "That's better than a hole-in-one."Absolutely, Merril deserves this award. The fact that his business (Moses Jewelers) continues to give back to the Hall of Fame shows how dedicated he is to the organization."Moses played basketball at Butler High School from 1943-45 and was a City League player in the 1940's and 50's."I was 5-foot-6 , 130 pounds, and played forward,"Moses said. "I had a lot of speed and could dribble the ball down the floor quickly."I liked to disrupt the other team's play in all sports."He was that way as a member of the Butler City Fast-Pitch Softball League. Moses teamed with Zgibor, standout pitcher Joe Embroski and others to capture numerous league championships.Zgibor likened Moses' play to former Boston Red Sox second baseman Johnny Pesky, a veteran big leaguer known for his scrappiness on the diamond."Moses was a digger, a lot like Pesky,"Zgibor said. "He had the skill to get on base and drive opposing teams crazy.""I couldn't hit the ball at all,"Moses said. "I probably hit two balls over the second baseman's head in 30 years."I'd do a lot of bunting, get hit by pitches, then steal second and third base."While football wasn't his best sport, Moses played briefly for the Butler Cubs."I nearly scored a touchdown once," he said, chuckling. "They put me in at halfback when we got to the 2-yard line and gave me the ball."I got to the goal line, was knocked down, looked up at the referee and begged him to tell me I scored. But he didn't."Moses got into officiating in 1951 when he and Paul "Red"Uram took the WPIALofficials test together. He worked football and basketball games for 30 years.Once he stopped officiating in 1981, Moses began operating the scoreboard clock at Butler home football games. He hasn't stopped doing that yet."If they'll have me, I'll be back up in that booth in September,"he said.A golfer since his teen years, Moses has won numerous local golf events.Moses was instrumental in forming the Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame because he wanted to honor Butler product, major league umpire and good friend Ed Vargo."I felt like we should do something for a local guy making good, so I called (then Eagle sports editor)Mike Surkalo, Ed Ford and Merle Iannotti and we set up a banquet for him."Seventy eight people showed up and 42 years later, our Hall of Fame is still going strong. It's rare for a local hall of fame to last this long. It's quite an accomplishment for our county."Tickets for the Hall of Fame dinner are $20 each, $10 for children 12-under, and are available at Moses Jewelers, Snack n' Pack or any board member. Rich Pribis is ticket chairman.