The late Harold E. “Chick” Schum, longtime Spencerport High School coach and Athletic Director, was inducted into the Section Five Baseball Hall of Fame on June 28, 2015 at Frontier Field.
Schum began his career at Spencerport in 1935 and coached baseball until 1958. He also coached soccer and basketball.
He grew up in Attica, New York and graduated from Ithaca College where he was a catcher and also played soccer and football. In Schum’s senior year at Ithaca, his classmate, Edson “Ike” Kincaid, advised him that Spencerport had a Physical Education and Coaching job available but he did not want to apply since his father, Charles Kincaid, was a member of the School Board and Ike’s appointment would be perceived as nepotism. The story ends with Schum at Spencerport for his career and Ike at Cuba, New York for his lifetime position.
Spencerport baseball during the Schum era was annually one of Section Five’s best teams. The 1942 championship team defeated Madison of the City league.
Schum temporarily left his coaching position to serve in the Navy during World War II in 1944 and 1945. After his return, his 1947 team won the Monroe County title with a 9-1 record but lost in the Sectionals to Penn Yan.
A succession of excellent pitchers helped Chick produce his top rated teams including Bill Flagg, Homer Barton, Ted Fosmire, Nelson Reynolds, LeRoy Hershey, Pete Hinchey, Bill Hiscock, Jerry Webster and Paul Allen. Among the better position players and hitters were Rich and LaVerne Houck, Chuck McMillan, Ralph “Dutch” Webster, Ed DeCook, Bob Stenzel, Joe Ryan, Bob Kenyon, Kick Kerwin, Joe Fosmire and the three Przybyciens: John, Walt and Ed.
Those in attendance June 28 included his son Tim, who was the presenter, and his other son, Dan. Other former players coached by Schum who attended were Pete Hinchey, Joe Ryan, Nick Radford and Fred Holbrook.
Tim Redding, Churchville-Chili pitcher who had a significant major league career, was also inducted into the Section Five Hall of Fame.
