The Marlins Remember

Over the past couple of weeks, the Marlins lost two dear members of our family: Clyde King and 'Puck' O'Neal.

Clyde King, a native of Goldsboro spent basically his entire adult life in the world of professional baseball in some capicity, most notably with the New York Yankees. He was a player, coach, manager, general manager, and most importantly- a mentor. I've was lucky enough to meet Mr. King on two seperate occasions. Once during the Forest City All-Star Game luncheon and again during a Marlins game where he was honored as guest manager. His last mangerial win came on July 30th in Morehead City with his own Marlins jersey on. What a special treat for me, the players, and the fans.

Also, last week we learned of the passing of the generous 'Puck' O'Neal. I do not know Mr. O'Neal like most people do in Morehead City, but I do know none of what the Marlins have done and continue to do would have been possible without Mr. O'Neal's support. For his contributions, the field at Big Rock Stadium bears his name-Puck O'Neal at Big Rock Stadium. One of his dreams was to have a proper baseball facility to host legion games. With the help of City Council this offseason, Mr. O'Neal received the opportunity to throw out the first pitch on opening night, the Marlins first ever game at Big Rock Stadium in Morehead City. All the hard work by countless individuals all led up to opening night and the park was packed with 2146 fans. Mr. O'Neal will be forever remembered as a big baseball fan and generous individual. We would like to do something next season to honor his legacy. He surely would not want any recognitioin, but I think it's time and it's well deserved.