Eastern High School is proud to announce it will be hosting the Bill Campbell Baseball Classic by Brightview Senior Living on April 25. The tournament will feature some of the top high school teams in the region comprising a wide swath of the southern New Jersey landscape. Eastern will meet Deptford, and Holy Cross will battle Egg
Harbor Township in the opening round at 10 a.m. with the winners to meet at 1 p.m.
All games are at Eastern High School. There will also be a consolation game. The tournament will have teams from four separate counties vying for the trophy.
The Bill Campbell Classic was an idea spawned from Brightview Senior Living Marlton’s Executive Director, Maureen Schmidt who had developed a close relationship with the Atlantic City born sports personality.
“Watching a good baseball game with Bill was like watching magic,” Schmidt said. “He could tell you as much about the players as he could about their talents. He had an eye for talent, but what mattered most to him was the integrity of the players and what they brought to the game. Bill taught us all so much about baseball and so much about life. We are thrilled to be able to honor him with an event so close to his heart.”
Christine Campbell, the daughter of the local icon is excited about the first year event honoring her father.
“All I can say is that Dad would be proud to have his name connected to the sport of baseball and young athletes who love the game as he did,” Campbell said.
Campbell began his legendary career broadcasting minor league baseball and his love of the game never waned. It seems only appropriate that his first love have a tournament with his name on it. The iconic voice of Philadelphia radio continued his work in the media beyond the age of 90 and was an omnipresent force on the region’s sports scene for many of the biggest events in Philadelphia sports history including Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game and the Eagles’ 1960 NFL Championship.
Eastern High School Head Baseball Coach Rob Christ has been a member of the media for over thirty years and remembers Campbell fondly.
“He was always welcoming to anyone and everyone in the press room,” Christ said. “It didn’t matter if you were the seasoned vet or the first-year intern, Bill always had a smile and a welcome for you. What I remember most is his passion never dissipated. He genuinely looked very excited to cover every event no matter the significance of the game. Bill was a man who truly loved his work and reveled in it daily. For those of us who have been around Philadelphia sports for a long time, we recognize how extraordinary it is to be associated with a tournament named after a local sports hero and legend.”
There is no admission price to see some of the region’s top young baseball talent.
