The Woodward Alumni Hall of Fame Association
Tom Marsh Inducted 2017 - Class of 1984
The North End neighborhood of Tom Marsh was located on a dead-end street situated off Manhattan near the ball diamonds of Joe E. Brown Park. The childhood game of softball would have gone on forever at the epicenter of Cherry School and the Old West End Junior High, but age and experience transitioned the game to hardball at Woodward High School. Under the watchful eye of Coach Cieslewski, a ball diamond where many a lasting friendship was formed was transformed into a classroom where Tom’s natural talent was molded and shaped. Tom said that Coach Cieslewski showed the developing players how the game of baseball was to be played with integrity and good sportsmanship.
Tom's four years at Woodward High School were eased by friendships with: Rick Contrevas, Jim Jennings, Dina Marquez, and Cindy Villaweal. Tom remembered an incident from gym class involving his friend Rick Contrevas. "One day during gym class, Rick, ran and dove through the side of the volleyball net, tumbled, and popped right up. I thought well I can do that. I dove through the
net and landed flat on my back. We all had a good laugh about it, and I found out later that Rick was able to do that because of his Karate training." Another memory from Woodward that stands out was when he was named City League Player of the Year and was named to the All-District and All-State Baseball Team.
At The University of Toledo, Tom would break home run records in 1988 and was inducted into the UT Athletic Hall of Fame. Tom was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies, where he played in their farm league to further develop his skills, until his Major-League Baseball debut in 1992. During Tom’s three seasons in the majors, he had an incredible batting history. In separate games, Tom had four hits, two triples, two home runs, and a grand slam. After leaving the Phillies, Tom also played winter ball in the Dominican Republic League and was the first American awarded MVP and batting titles during his tenure. Tom played his final year for the Cleveland Indians' triple "A" team.
Tom has been married to Lori for twenty years and their union has been blessed with three children; Taryn, Madelyn, and Parker. They also have two grandchildren Amira and Paxton. Tom spends a lot of his free time working with the Special Olympics, coaching , and traveling.