If the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame was divided into sections, where would you place Bob Philbrick? Player? Definitely a good one — four years of varsity baseball (1947-50) at Morse High of Bath where he was also a basketball standout; five years of Legion Baseball with three State Championships; three varsity campaigns at Boston University (52-54), where he was a teammate of the late Red Sox first baseman, Harry Agganis; and many seasons of summer ball in Maine and Canada.
He was a third baseman who also did a lot of catching. But he really played wherever needed because he could swing a good bat and would give 100% at any position.
Coach? Let the record speak. From 1958 to 1968 his South Portland Junior High teams won every league title and sent several outstanding players to SPHS. He also had stints with Windham, Hanson (Buxton) and South Portland high varsities. From 1958 to 1978 his semi-pro teams won 8 league titles and post-season tournaments — mostly by the South Portland Merchants and Ametek Redskins, where he teamed with Bernal Allen, also a Hall of Famer.
Umpire? Always in demand. From 1956 to 1984, Bob called balls and strikes at every level of play as a member of the Western Maine Board of Umpires.
Administrator? Excellent credentials. Directed summer baseball in Campbellton, New Brunswick in 1957; Portland Twilight League president 1960-1978; Twilight League Commissioner 1979 to the present; field director for the Maine State Legion program 1983-1987.
Certainly there isn’t much the Gorham resident has not done with the game he labels “‘the greatest.’’ And he also qualifies with his wife, Mary (Callan), for the Hall of Families with nine children, all of whom have pastimed as Gorham Ram athletes.
From Legacy Pages
https://obituaries.pressherald.com/obituaries/mainetoday-pressherald/obituary.aspx?n=robert-dean-philbrick&pid=177148777&fhid=6223
1933 - 2016
Bob was an athlete at Morse High School, where he excelled in baseball and basketball. He was particularly proud of playing on three American Legion Baseball state championship teams with Smith Tobey Post of Bath. He earned a baseball scholarship to Boston University graduating in 1954. He earned a master's degree in education from the University of Southern Maine.
Bob taught school for 34 years beginning at Windham and Buxton High Schools before moving to South Portland Schools, where he spent most of his career. He coached basketball and baseball and was a long time athletic director at South Portland Memorial Junior High School.
During the summers of his college years, Bob played semi-pro baseball in Canada. An avid sports enthusiast, Bob was involved in numerous sports activities. In addition to playing and coaching, he umpired and refereed for more than 30 years. Bob was active in the Portland Twilight Baseball League for many years as a player, coach and commissioner. The Deering Oaks baseball field was practically a second home. After his time with the Twilight League, Bob volunteered another 30 years with American Legion Baseball as a team general manager, zone commissioner and state field director.
Bob was also the first permanent recreation director (part time) hired by the Town of Gorham. He was instrumental in organizing Gorham youth soccer, basketball, baseball and softball leagues. He also oversaw the building of many new fields and courts in the villages of Gorham, Little Falls and White Rock. In 1988, Bob was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame and in 2006 the Maine Sports Legends Hall of Honor.
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