ALL ACCESS PASS: A Life Worth Remembering

This Man's Memory Will Knock You Out Of the Park!

A 101-year-old state baseball champion, Dick Pontrich lived a life full of honor and excitement. From competing in one of the earliest recorded Kentucky high school state baseball championships to jumping out of fighter planes in enemy territory, Pontrich’s life holds a treasure trove of stories begging to be shared. What’s really shocking is this centenarian’s ability to still vividly recall moments from decades past as if they only happened yesterday. 

Pontrich is an alumnus of St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky, and he wears his green and yellow proudly. He serves as the alumni agent—the oldest represented—for the class of 1942. In high school, Pontrich was a part of the inaugural baseball team that won St. X their first ever baseball state championship; he played second base. And his teammates? Pontrich can name them all, their positions on the field and more, strictly from memory:

“Jim Miller played third. Jack Thompson was all state, all everything; he was shortstop. I was second base, and Andy Gies was first base… Tom Berry was in center; he went to the finals in basketball. Sonny Grisotski was playing right field; he was a football player.” 

He can also specifically recall the 1942 championship game itself, being out there on the field for the screaming fans…well, two fans to be exact. 

“We had two people in the stands. Two young ladies happened to be up there from Louisville. That's all we had. All the fans back in those days, they didn't travel like they do now.” 

Beyond baseball, Pontrich took some big leaps after high school—literally. He joined the Air Force immediately after graduating, America being in the midst of WWII. Pontrich survived two parachute jumps while over enemy territory and earned a Purple Heart because of it. 

“I flew over to China, I had eight missions in China, and then I got shot down… I was in Japanese territory for about 37 hours. They helped me get out… Then they asked me to move my airplane from one airfield to the other. I got in the airplane, and I had the same problem that I had when I was shot down. The motor started smoking, so I had to jump out again and back behind the lines.”

Now, Dick Pontrich is still going strong; 101 years young, and a memory as sharp as a tack letting him proudly share his inspiring stories. And who can blame him? Pontrich has no doubt lived a life worth remembering. 

Supplementary Sources:

• WDRB - St. X baseball honors 99-year-old who won school's first state title...

• St. Xavier High School - Alumni