Hector Longo
It's so tough to gauge statistics, because they played in such different eras.
As Ben Coates learned of his nomination to the New England Patriots Hall of Fame, this corner feels obligated to state that Coates is the second-best tight end in franchise history.
Coates will be honored, along with the previous 12 Patriot honorees, in the first enshrinement ceremony at the new Hall at Patriot Place this fall.
How does Coates merit the nod before the great Russ Francis?
Coates was a product of having Drew Bledsoe and playing in an era where passing was and still is 70 percent of the game.
From 1975-80, when Francis made three Pro Bowls for the Pats, a tight end had to block like a tackle first and foremost. Then he had to be a target on deeper passes rather than the short dump-off stuff required today.
Not only was Francis, who also played five years with the 49ers, devastating in the run game, his average catch as a Patriot was 15.3 yards (207-3,127, 28 TDs). Coates' average was 11.2.
More importantly, for half a decade, he was the best in the game.
Don't get me wrong. Coates, who caught 490 passes for 5,471 yards and 50 TDs from 1991-99, surely belongs in the Pats' Hall. Francis just should already be there.
Honoring an icon
When Donald R. Beaton passed away at age 85 last month, the ball landed in the Town of Groveland's court to make some special gesture to honor the man.
Beaton, according to just about anyone who knew him, was quite special, a family man, a community man, a hero.
The patriarch of the famed "Beaton' athletic lineage, he served his country in World War II.
He then volunteered admirably on countless committees and clubs for the community.
Beaton coached his children, instilling the proper values of sports, starting with character and class, a trait that each Beaton grandchild exudes.
"The entire family, his children, his grandchildren, are proof. He was such a class guy," said Pentucket Regional grad and former area sports writer Michael Ryan. "Really, somebody in town has to do something. Name a field, a park, something after him."
Sounds like a logical idea, one that Groveland should heed.
Presence of greatness
Eagle-Tribune MVP Sean Hayden of Haverhill is in some pretty exclusive company. In fact, other than cross country, you can make the argument that the baseball MVPs as a group might be the most accomplished of any sport in Eagle-Tribune area history.
Salem's Terry Doyle (2003-04) and North Reading's Steve Palazzolo (2000) currently pitch in the minor leagues, with Palazzolo with the Giants' Triple-A club in Fresno.
Andover's Kevin Shepard (2001), Masco's Ben Crockett (1998), Pelham's Doug Johnson (1999) and Pinkerton's Jay Yennaco (1994-95) all had pro careers.
Central's Bryan Welch (1996) and Andover's Dan Godefroi (2006-07), Brian Tisbert (1997), Jim Hanning (1992) and Dave Blank (1991) all played Division 1 college ball.
Andover's Justin Hesenius (1993) and Chris Eggert (1990) were four-year, high-impact types for extremely successful Division 2 programs.
And the remaining pair — Salem's Jeff Castillo (2005) and Masconomet's Tim Bransfield — stand alone with their high school accomplishment.
Bransfield was the lone area player to win the single-season Triple Crown (batting, homers and RBIs) since overall statistics in the region began being tallied in 1993. And Castillo remains the only player in modern area history to amass 100 hits and 100 runs in a career.
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