Three successes to report: Robert Parish, Gregg Olson, & Matt Kessel.
Robert Parish played 21 seasons as a center in the NBA, tied for second most in league history. He played an NBA-record 1,611 games in his career. Parish was known for his strong defense, high arcing jump shots, and clutch rebounding late in games. Parish was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1996, Parish was also named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. In October 2021, Parish was again honored as one of the league’s greatest players of all-time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
Gregg Olson Olson was drafted by the Orioles in the 1st round (4th pick) of the 1988 amateur draft. In 1989, Olson became the first reliever to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award. Olson also set an American League rookie record with 27 saves, and had a 5-2 mark with a 1.69 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 85 innings. Selected to the All-Star team in 1990, Olson set a club record of 37 saves during the season and collected 31 and 36 in the next two years. In a 14-year career, Olson compiled 217 saves with a 40-39 record, 588 strikeouts, and a 3.46 ERA in 672 innings pitched.
Matt Kessel spent three seasons at Umass, helping the Minutemen win the National Championship in 2021. He played 99 games, amassing 51 points on 23 goals. Kessel was a fifth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues in 2020. He began his professional career in 2022 as a member of the Springfield Thunderbirds, St. Louis’ AHL affiliate.
*Mailing addresses and relevant signing fees are posted on www.sportscollectors.net
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