Robertson, Deal, Deutschman and Homolka are the newest members
WICHITA, KS — The National Baseball Congress is excited to announce the 2021 NBC Hall of Fame inductees. Staying true to our legacy, we want to remember the legacy these men created and look forward to honoring them during the 87th NBC World Series powered by Evergy, on Friday, August 13, 6:00pm at Riverfront Stadium.
Ellis Fergason Deal, or better known as Cot Deal, played in the NBC during the 1940’s. He played for the Enid Army Air Field team from Oklahoma known as the Enidairs. An All-American in 1943, 1944, and 1945 as a utility player, Deal would play in the outfield as well as pitch. In 1944, the Enidairs were the runner-up in the NBC World Series, however, Cot was named the Most Valuable Player. The following year, the Enidairs returned and won the 1945 NBC World Series. For the second year in a row, Cot was named the MVP. He is the only player in NBCWS history to win MVP in back-to-back years. Sadly, in 2013 he passed away at the age of 90.
Mickey Deutschman, also known as Mickey D., served eleven years in the United States Navy prior to his baseball career. In 1984, he became the owner/manager of the San Diego Stars, leading his team to a 5th place finish in the NBC World Series beating a Hutchinson Broncos team that featured Barry Bonds and Rafeal Palmeiro. Mickey D. coached the Stars for 35 years, finishing his career with over 1,100 wins at the semi-pro level and appearing in the NBC World Series 23 times. His most recent appearance was in 2019 with his team finishing 3rd. Their season was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19, and sadly Mickey D. passed away in September of last year.
Robert Homolka has been an umpire for nearly 50 years working more than 4,000 games. He umpired his first college game in 1973. Since then, he has worked the Big 12, Big 10, Missouri Valley, Metro, and Summit conferences. He has umpired in 27 Division I Conference tournaments, as well as two NCAA Division I World Series. Homolka played in the NBC during the 1960’s and has continued to work with the NBC for over 34 years, serving as NBC assignor from 1999-2015. He is currently the Umpire in Chief for NBC affiliate Alaska Goldpanners in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Nate Robertson is a Wichita native, graduating from Maize High School and then played baseball at Wichita State University. While in college, he played for the El Dorado Broncos when they won the 1996 and 1998 NBC World Series. Robertson was the 146th pick in the 5th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball draft by the Florida Marlins and would later play for the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. After his career in the majors, Robertson again played in the NBC World Series. In 2016, he helped form the Kansas Stars, who finished third in the series. He then led the Stars to his third NBC World Series championship in 2017.
The 87th NBC World Series powered by Evergy will be played August 4 -14. The nation’s premier tournament will be played in Hutchinson’s Hobart-Detter Field, August 4 – 8. The final six days of the NBC will be played in Wichita at the newly opened Riverfront Stadium, home of the Wichita Wind Surge. For more information about the NBC World Series or to purchase tickets, visit nbcbaseball.com.
