LEGENDS CORNER

Wilburn Kenneth Bevels, known professionally as Bill Bevels, was a 1958 graduate of Pepperell High School. At catcher, he was an instrumental part of the baseball program, helping lead the Dragons to three consecutive region titles and two state championships. After high school, Mr. Bevels was offered and accepted a professional contract from the Dodgers. Across 4 years in their minor league system, he drove in 206 runs, with 41 doubles, 6 triples, and 25 home runs. He had a career professional batting average of .255. One of his greatest memories was getting to catch Sandy Koufax. After baseball, He returned home, to Lindale, with his wife Nancy, working in the Pepperell Mill and raising their son, Ken. This past December, Mr. Bill Bevels passed away at the age of 80. After extensive research and many interviews, we could not find anyone, or anything, to verify the number worn by Mr. Bevels during his time as a Dragon. It was said by one interviewee that Coach Gilbreath just gave out uniforms and you wore what you got. Without a known jersey number we thought it would be best, and appropriate, to honor Bill Bevels with the #1 as the first ever member of Legends Corner at Otis Gilbreath Field. (Recognized in honor of Mr. Bill Bevels was his son, Ken, and his nephew, Robert).

Tom is a 2006 graduate of Pepperell High School, playing baseball with his Lindale boys since before he can remember. He made an immediate impact on the baseball program the moment he stepped into the halls. As a Freshman, he hit .446, with 9 doubles and 17 RBIs. His biggest presence was on the mound as he carried a 4-0 record, with 75 strikeouts and a 1.81 ERA. His sophomore year was even more productive, with 7 wins, 89 strikeouts, and a 2.15 ERA. At the plate he drove in 20 RBIs with a clean .400 average. His junior year brought about some adversity though. After two straight no-hitters against Armuchee and Adairsville, he began having arm troubles. Luckily for Tom and the Dragons, he could still hit. That season, he drove in 40 RBIs and connected for 9 homeruns. He finished the season with 5 wins and 67 strikeouts from the hill. Tom was named the Rome News Tribune Co-player of the Year. As the interest level for Tom grew outside of Lindale, so did his ability to hit the baseball. With scouts in the stands for most of his senior year, Tom put on a show, batting .521 with 53 RBIs, 8 doubles, and 12 homeruns. Tom was named the Rome News Tribune All-Area Player of the Year for the second season in a row and also became a High School All-American. In the 2006 Major League Draft, the Florida Marlins chose Tom in the 2nd Round, 63rd overall. He spent the next 5 seasons in the minor leagues before retiring from the game. His career professional baseball stats include, 261 hits, 39 homeruns, 8 triples, 65 doubles, and 173 RBIs. After baseball, Tom returned to the northwest Georgia area, to attend Georgia Highlands. He later transferred to the University of Georgia and graduated from the Terry College of Business with a degree in business management. Today Tom has a career in the medical field, working in Urology device sales for the Olympus Company. Tom and his family still reside in the Athens area. When asked to look back at his days on the diamond at Pepperell High School, Tom stated, “If anyone is ever asked, what they remember most about me, and baseball . . . I would hope above all else, they would say . . that dude was a good teammate." When asked about Tom, his high school coaches were right on cue. His head coach Mike Moore said, “Tom was the kind of kid that made everybody else around him better. Whatever the team needed, he was going to do. He was a great kid, with a lot of talent, but he was extremely humble." His assistant Coach, Wright Edge said, “Everybody knew Tom was special, had talent like no other. Scouts would come to the games, stay and watch him hit BP afterwards. All the while, he was so humble and his personality never changed. That was the funnest part for me was knowing that he would come out every day and act like it was another day at the field. He was a great teammate.”

Jim is a 1953 graduate and four sport letterman at Pepperell High School, as a standout in baseball, football, basketball and track. With GHSA baseball beginning in 1952, Pepperell won their first state title Jim’s junior year in 1952. Thanks to Jim’s offense and dominant outfield play, the Dragons would repeat as State Champions in 1953, with an overall record of 17-0, outscoring their opponents 99-15. Carrying a .511 batting average, Jim was voted by the Georgia Baseball Coaches Association to the 1953 Georgia North-South All Star game, and named co-captain. After graduation, Jim signed with the Cincinnati Reds organization.

In the 1955 season, appearing in 138 games for the Moultrie Reds … Jim batted .234 with 14 Homeruns, 30 doubles, and 85 runs batted in. He was drafted into the Army and served from 1956 to 1958, then returned to the Reds organization where he played through 1959. He compiled a career minor league batting average of .232 with 26 home runs, 56 doubles, 14 triples, and 187 runs batted in in his 332-game career with the Lincolnton Cardinals/Statesville Sports, Jacksonville Beach Sea Birds, Eufaula Millers, Fitzgerald Red Legs, Moultrie Reds, Douglas Reds, West Palm Beach Sun Chiefs and Topeka Hawks. 

After returning home, Jim continued his on-field successes as a pitcher with the Rome Loan Exchange baseball team, playing in the Northwest Georgia Amateur Baseball League. He also played for Elliott Sales Softball team, winning nine district championships and the state championship in 1964. As an ASA umpire with the Rome Association, Jim umpired more than 32 years and was inducted into the Umpire’s Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2005, Jim was inducted into the Rome-Floyd Sports Hall of Fame.

When asked if he had any words of advice for current and future Dragons, Jim was quoted as saying, “Have fun, and enjoy.”

Mr. Lamar is a 1970 graduate of Pepperell High School. He was an instrumental part of the program’s success in the late 60s, and early 70s, leading the Diamond Dragons to three region titles, 2 final four appearances, and the 1970 Class AA State Championship. In that run to the state title, Lamar threw a no-hitter in regionals, and a perfect game in the state quarterfinals against Elbert County, striking out 17. Pepperell won a best of 3 series against East Atlanta in the final four, with Lamar earning both wins in the series. The Dragons would move on to face North Springs in the state championship, winning two straight to claim the crown. Not only was Lamar Wright the winning pitcher of game 2, he also produced the Dragon’s only two hits at the plate, including the walkoff single into left center in the bottom of the 10th that scored Johnny Sutton from 2nd base. Lamar struck out 7 in the contest and cemented his legacy in Dragon Country for life.

After High School, Mr. Wright attended Shorter on a baseball scholarship, turning down offers from Cincinnati and UGA. He led Shorter to conference titles in 1971, 1973, and 1974, receiving All-GIAC honors and District 25 honors 3 different times. In 1974 he led the NAIA with 172 strikeouts and was named an All-American. Lamar posted over 500 career strikeouts as a Shorer Hawk, including 22 in a single 9-inning game. He graduated as the school’s winningest pitcher, posting a career record of 45-8. He still holds the record at Shorter University with those 45 career wins.

In the 1974 Major League Draft, Lamar Wright was selected in the 21st round by the California Angels. Across three professional seasons, Lamar was promoted as high as AAA, being rostered with the Salt Lake City Gulls in 1976. Across his time in professional baseball, primarily as a reliever, Lamar Wright amassed 13 wins, a 3.60 ERA, and struck out 194 batters. Beyond minor league ball, Lamar played in the 1974 Mexican Winter League, for Sonora, carrying a 13-3 record and a 1.39 ERA. He was coached by Jimmy Williams on 4 different teams. In 1976, he was also chosen to play in the Caribbean World Series, turning the offer down to accept an offer to the Angels spring training facility. While there, his locker was directly across from Nolan Ryan. The Angels extended Lamar a AAA contract in 1977, which he declined in order to return to Georgia.

After baseball, Lamar returned to Rome as a businessman, selling insurance for the Lamar Wright All-State Insurance Agency. In his free time, he coached youth baseball for 16 years. In 2002, Lamar was inducted into the Shorter University Athletic Hall of Fame, and in 2013 he was inducted into the Rome-Floyd Athletic Hall of Fame.

When asked about Lamar, teammate Jimmy Farrer stated, “I was fortunate to play with a lot of real good ball players in my playing days. I played with Lamar from little league through college. Any time there was a crucial game or a must win situation, Lamar is the guy you wanted on the mound.”

When Coach Brown asked Mr. Wright to look back at his days on the diamond at Pepperell High School and pick out a favorite memory, he mentioned that 1970 State Title run stating “ It took every one of us to make it happen, and I was simply proud to be a part of it. We had a great team and everyone respected each other.” Toward the end of his sit-down with Coach Brown, Mr. Wright smiled and noted, “I’ve often been asked if I would go back … if I could … “ he then reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, showing off his great-granddaughter on the screen and said … “I wouldn’t go back any further than the last three years.” Coach Brown shared that it was one the heaviest statements he’d ever heard an individual speak, and a life lesson he will never forget.

In his message to future Dragons, Lamar shared, “the principal factors I’ve tried to keep at the forefront of my life’s journey has been my faith, following God’s biblical teachings, to love, to serve, be faithful to my family, honor my parents, and accept responsibility. Just as sports require fundamental discipline, life does also. Maybe 55 years later you can reflect on it and say, "I may not be good as I once was, but I was good once, as I ever was.” Mr. Wright was also quick to mention his two brothers Gary and Wayne Wright, who were serving our country in the US Army while he was chasing his dreams. He will forever be thankful for their service and the service of others, and he’s grateful they returned home safely.