Legendary high school baseball coach Dennis Miles to join New York State Baseball Hall of Fame, induction set for Sunday in Troy
TROY — The New York State Baseball Hall of Fame has inducted some of the greats from the New York Yankees and New York Mets over the years, as well as State-born broadcasters like Bob Costas.
On Sunday, a rare high school inductee will go in the hall when Wellsville's Dennis "Dennie" Miles gives his induction speech in Troy.
Miles is part of the 2021 Hall of Fame Class with former New York Yankees Bernie WIlliams and Bobby Richardson, World Series heroes with the Mets: Cleon Jones and Mookie Wilson, MLB umpire and one of eight professional female umpires, Perry Barber, Joe Solimine, who broke down the color barrier as a minor league player in the three organizations and founded the Pelham Mets, former MLB scout, Yankees bullpen coach and longtime Adelphi baseball coach Dom Scala, Emmy-award winning filmmaker Ken Burns (Civil War, History of Baseball)
The class of 2021 includes Dennis, Bernie Williams, Cleon Jones, Mookie Wilson, Bobby Richardson, Jay Horwitz, Perry Barber, Joe Solimine , Dom Scala , Ken Burns and the late Shannon Forde who ran the New York Mets' media relations department before passing away from breast cancer and Jay Horwitz, the former longtime Mets public relations director who hired Forde first as an intern in 1994.
Rene M. LeRoux, executive director of the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame, said the hall is thrilled to have Miles enter with the Class of 2021.
"We are thrilled to be inducting Dennis, with an incredible body of work in baseball. A head coach for over 40 years, Dennis has 749 wins, second all-time in New York State," LeRoux said. "Dennis has been coach of the year eight times, Section V champions an incredible 13 times and was NYS Coach of the Year in 1993."
After retiring from Wellsville in 2018, he coached Avoca Central School in 2019 to a Section V title, switching from his traditional No. 9 jersey to No. 19 to honor his late brother, Rollie Miles.
As a freshman at Brockport State University, he played three sports, soccer, basketball and baseball. By his senior year, he focused only on baseball and the SUNYAC Player of the Year and his conference championship team was recently honored by the college. Miles attended Friendship Central School.
Miles led Avoca/Prattsburgh to the Class D2 Finals last season and is still active with a chance to become the All-Time winningest coach in New York State history.
"Dennis Miles has accomplished an incredible level of success and achieved more than almost everyone coaching in high school in New York," said LeRoux. "This is a well deserved induction for a true gentleman."
Miles said he was humbled when he was told by longtime St. Bonaventure baseball supporters they nominated him, and that he didn't expect to join so many professional coaches and players in the state hall of fame.
"There is no way to thank all the players, assistant coaches, parents and community members who supported and support our programs over the years," Miles said. "This will be a special weekend as my family will be a big part of it along with other life-time friends."
