Prep Baseball Report

PBR Ohio's Top Stories For The Year 2014: A Tribute To Papa Joe Hayden



By Dylan Hefflinger and JD Heilmann
Ohio Editor in Chief/NW Scout and Ohio Director of Scouting

Top 12 Stories for The Year 2014


PBR Ohio started up on May 3rd, 2011 as seen here. From that day, Chris Valentine has had a goal to promote high school baseball in Ohio at the highest level possible. Chris has been able to do this thanks to the help of parents, coaches, and the talented players throughout the state of Ohio.

Chris has also built a staff that has the drive to make Ohio one of, if not the top viewed website for Prep Baseball Report as well as put on some of the best showcases in the nation to help promote the high school talent that resides in the Buckeye State.

Dylan Hefflinger, PBR Ohio Editor in Chief/NW Scout, along with JD Heilmann, PBR Ohio Director Scouting take a look back at the year in review and put together a list of the top stories for 2014.

To start off the countdown, we have chosen a piece that touches JD, the Midland Baseball Organization, and the city of Cincinnati at heart, as one of the most well respected men in all of baseball passed away this year.

Each day we will reveal the next story on the list. A hint for the next story is the word "trail".

A Tribute To Papa Joe Hayden


It all started in 1958 when Papa Joe went with his wife, Lois, to see two of his sons playing for a winless Little League team. Upon being notified that their coach was being transferred to a job in St. Louis, he took the reigns and one could argue, since that time, the amateur baseball world was never the same.

Over the years, he created one of the most recognized and successful amateur baseball teams in the United States, the Midland Redskins.

  • 13 Connie Mack National Championships.
  • 65 players and counting that have played Major League Baseball, including the likes of Ken Griffey, Jr, Barry Larkin, Mike Matheny, Eric Hosmer, Mark Mulder, and many more who have sported the Midland name across their chest.

To read the entire story please click here