The award is named for longtime West Haven High baseball coach and GNHBUA commissioner John “Whitey” Piurek. The SCDC tagged one of Piurek’s favorite phrases from his coaching days onto the award’s name.
WHITEY PIUREK
John “Whitey” Piurek holds the distinction of being the only Connecticut coach to earn state championships in football, basketball and baseball. He is best known for his accomplishments as the baseball coach at West Haven High.
After coaching Plainville High in 1945 and 1946, Piurek spent the next 34 seasons leading the Blue Devils. He was the first Connecticut baseball coach to reach 500 career wins, compiling a record of 526-115-2 (.820).
Piurek’s West Haven teams won two state championships (1967, 1973) and reached four state finals. They captured the District League title 21 times. In 1967-68, the Westies put together a 34-game winning streak, leading Piurek to be named the 1967 CHSCA state Coach of the Year. West Haven’s varsity baseball field is named in his honor.
From 1948 to 1989, Piurek was a professional scout for the Seattle Mariners. Following his coaching days, he served as the varsity commissioner for the Greater New Haven Baseball Umpires Association. He was inducted into the Greater New Haven Diamond Club Hall of Fame 1981, and is also a member of the Halls of Fame of the National Federation of High Schools, the Connecticut High School Coaches Association, and West Haven High School Athletics. He was awarded a Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance Gold Key (1979) and a West Haven Twilight League Gold Bat (1988).
Piurek was a 1935 graduate of Bulkeley High of Hartford and received a bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross in 1939. He passed away at age 94 on December 3, 2009
High Schools that are awarded during the banquet:
- Amity Regional
- Ansonia
- Branford
- Canterbury School
- Cheshire
- Derby
- East Haven
- Fairfield Prep
- Foran
- Guilford
- Haddam-Killingworth
- Hamden Hall
- Hamden High
- Hand
- Hill Career/Hillhouse
- Hopkins School
- Jonathan Law
- Lyman Hall
- Morgan School
- Naugatuck
- North Branford
- North Haven
- Notre Dame
- Old Saybrook
- Platt HS
- Sheehan
- Shelton
- Southington
- Westbrook
- West Haven
- Wilbur Cross
- Wilcox Tech
- Woodland Regional
- Xavier
There's No I in Team
The "There's No I In Team" Award was initiated in the late 1990's by the Greater New Haven Baseball Umpire's Association and originally honored a single athlete. In 2005, the Southern Connecticut Diamond Club was established, and assumed responsibility for the awards program while expanding the invite to all high schools in the Southern Connecticut Region.
Athletic Directors and coaches jointly make the decision for their recipient. While it is recommended they choose a senior, they are free to select any player they feel gave the most unselfishly to their program.
The award is named in honor of John "Whitey" Piurek, former baseball coach and athletic director at West Haven High School.
Winners are awarded in June at an in person banquet and attend for free. In 2005, the Southern Connecticut Diamond Club (SCDC) assumed responsibility for and expanded the awards program. The Diamond Club’s stated mission is “to foster and promote the game of baseball” in the New Haven area.
The award is named for longtime West Haven High baseball coach and GNHBUA commissioner John “Whitey” Piurek. The GNHBUA tagged one of Piurek’s favorite phrases from his coaching days onto the award’s name.
Today, more than 30 athletes from area high schools will be presented with the John “Whitey” Piurek “There’s No ‘I’ In Team” Award. Athletics directors and coaches jointly made the decision for their school. While it was recommended they choose a senior, they were free to select any player they felt gave most unselfishly to their team.