Whiteville baseball legend
Hardee to receive induction
into Greater Wilmington
Sports Hall of Fame on May 5
George “Buck” Hardee
1927-2005
1981 file photo
By DAN BISER
Sports Editor
The late George “Buck” Hardee, a native of Whiteville, who went on to a successful high school and American Legion baseball coaching career in Wilmington, has been announced as one of the 2008 inductees in the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame.
The inductions, which were announced on Monday, will be held May 5. Hardee, who died in 2005 is the only one of this year’s honorees receiving posthumous inductions.
Other 2008 inductees include former Duke University and pro football standout Wray Carlton, former NFL standout Clyde Simmons, former LPGA player Cathy Johnston Forbes and auto racing legend Hoss Ellington.
This marks the third year for GWSHOF inductions.
Hardee was born in Whiteville and graduated from Whiteville High School in 1944.
During the summer of 1943, Hardee played a big role in the success of the Whiteville Post 137 American Legion baseball team’s march to the American Legion World Series in Miles City, Montana. Hardee, the Post 137 catcher, compiled a .657 batting average in World Series play as the Whiteville team dropped a pair of close games to Springfield, Ohio, and New Orleans, La.
Following high school, Hardee initially played baseball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, but that was interrupted by a stint in the U.S Navy.
Following his military service, Hardee entered Campbell College and was a standout in both baseball and football. He went on to East Carolina, where he continued to play both sports and graduated with an education degree in 1952.
During most of his college years, Hardee spent summers as a star player on Whiteville semi-pro teams.
In 1949, Hardee drove in the only run for the Whiteville Red Comets as they defeated NCAA champion Wake Forest 1-0 in a classic battle at Whiteville’s Legion Field.
Hardee enjoyed a legendary career as head baseball coach at New Hanover High School and the Wilmington Post 10 American Legion team.
His New Hanover Wildcat teams compiled a 396-133-1 record during his 24 years as head coach. This included 13 conference championships with two of his teams advancing to state 4A finals.
Hardee, who taught U.S. History at New Hanover High, retired in 1988. The field utilized by the New Hanover and Post 137 baseball teams was named in his honor in 1984.
Hardee coached the Post 10 American Legion teams from 1959 to 1984. Those teams rolled up a record of 524-267 -3 and garnered five state championships and two state runnerup finishes.
His 1970 Post 10 team advanced to American Legion World Series play in Klamath Falls, Ore.
Hardee was inducted into the American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970, the Campbell College Hall Sports of Fame in 1990 and the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1994.
He died on May 9, 2005 at age 78.
Hardee is the second Whiteville native in as many years to have been selected for induction in the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame.
Last May, former Whiteville High pitching star Tommy Greene, who played several major league seasons with the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, received induction along with coaching legends Bill Brooks, Jap Davis and Jack Holley, and women’s professional tennis sensation Althea Gibson (posthumous).
The original inductees in 2006 were former NFL quarterback greats Sonny Jurgenson and Roman Gabriel, the “Clown Prince of Basketball” Meadowlark Lemon, longtime sports broadcaster Wayne Jackson and coaching legend Leon Brogden (posthumous)
.