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Home > Blogs > Springfield, Ohio High School Sports > Archives > 2009 > March > 18 > Entry
Longtime Wittenberg stats guru Joe Clayton dies
There was no bigger Wittenberg fan than Joe Clayton. The Catholic Central graduate and Springfield resident took stats at football and basketball games for almost three decades.
He never got paid. He was always a volunteer. He just loved the Tigers — maybe as much as his beloved Columbus Clippers.
Clayton, also a longtime member of the News-Sun sports staff, died Monday night, March 16, at 47.
“I always considered myself to be unbelievably lucky that somebody like Joe would want to be around,” Wittenberg sports information director Ryan Maurer said.
I have to point out that Joe is the 2008 Springfield News-Sun Fantasy Football League champion. He loved fantasy sports and played forever in the Paper League, the News-Sun’s baseball league for many years, and then our football league. He never won a championship until this past season.
This is the information the paper got from the funeral home this morning:
Clayton, Joseph M. 47, of Springfield died March 16, 2009. Visitation from 4-7 p.m.Friday in the Conroy Funeral Home. Mass 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph Church.
This is an email from Wittenberg sports information director Ryan Maurer to the Wittenberg community on Tuesday:
Dear Wittenberg community members,
For most of you, the name Joe Clayton may not mean much - if you ever heard it at all. But without him and the more than 25 years of dedicated service he gave his hometown university, your experience following Wittenberg athletics might have been something a little less. I know mine would have been, which is why I was so sad to hear the news of his passing last night at the age of 47.
Joe was a Wittenberg Tiger to the core, and he earned his stripes with dedicated service as a statistician for a variety of the university’s athletics teams. As far as I know, he didn’t miss a home Wittenberg football game for nearly 30 years - not sitting in the stands as a fan, but sitting in the pressbox as the lead scorekeeper. In recent years, he volunteered to be our sports information representative at road games as well, tracking participation, pitching in to help with statistics and delivering stats to our coaches at halftime and the end of games. He was a walking encyclopedia of Wittenberg football knowledge, a memory bank I never could quite tap enough.
He was almost as consistent in his attendance of Wittenberg basketball games, both men and women. Despite missing three years while working in Dayton, I would estimate that Joe tracked statistics at about 600 home basketball games over the years. In recent years, he also helped with stats when we hosted NCAC and NCAA volleyball tournaments and had even offered his services at men’s and women’s soccer games. And there was a baseball season when we didn’t have anyone to keep the scorebook, so he pinch-hit at the last minute. Ably, I might add.
Finally, last year he joined the Athletics Hall of Honor committee. He saw it as an honor, and he took his responsibilities very seriously.
He did all of these things, outside of his full-time jobs and dedication to the local Catholic church…FOR FREE. I insisted that we arrange payment for a few things, like his help with the volleyball tournaments and the chilly nights in the baseball dugout. But it was never anything he asked for, or expected. He just loved sports, and he loved Wittenberg.
It’s people like Joe - unsung heroes - who make Wittenberg special. I just felt that he should be saluted.
Permalink | Comments (24) | Post your comment | Categories: Breaking News, Catholic Central High School, Wittenberg
Comments
By Brock Schmaltz
March 17, 2009 2:29 PM | Link to this
I can honestly say that I have never met anyone like Joe Clayton. His tireless dedication and passion for the Springfield Sports scene (and Wittenberg in particular) was unparalleled. I think fondly of the short time I had the privilege of working with him.By Rob Oller
March 17, 2009 3:02 PM | Link to this
Such sadness. I can say with all honesty that Joe — Joey to many of us — was that one guy the News-Sun sports dept. could not do without. His knowledge of the local scene and stats-keeping abilities were unparalleled. He also was a tireless worker. More importantly, he was a kind soul. A good guy. He will be missed.By Lawrene Trump
March 17, 2009 4:10 PM | Link to this
I’ll remember Joey as a sweet-natured presence in the newsroom, especially on election nights when he would patiently read off vote tallies for harried editors and reporters on deadline. I never heard him complain or say a bad word about anyone. God rest his soul.By Lucas Sullivan
March 17, 2009 4:14 PM | Link to this
I ran into Joey a lot while covering Catholic Central and Wittenberg athletics. He was a great guy who would do anything for you even if he just met you. He loved amateur athletics and donated his time for years. He was also a fierce fantasy baseball and football competitor. I enjoyed working with him at the News-Sun and at games. You will be missed Joey.By Matt Thompson
March 17, 2009 4:32 PM | Link to this
I worked with Joey for several years, and was friends with him for many years afterward. The thing I liked best about Joey was he was ALWAYS up for a game of some sort. 2 a.m. after a long shift? Of COURSE he’ll play Strat-O-Matic hockey in the conference room for two more hours. He’d be the first one into the fantasy baseball league every season despite the fact he almost NEVER finished in the top five. Beneath Joey’s sweet exterior beat the heart of a guy who just loved to compete … at whatever you had handy. I’ll sure miss him.By Alan Aldinger
March 17, 2009 6:41 PM | Link to this
I had the good fortune to know Joe for 13 years while I was at Wittenberg, 11 of them as sports information director. There was never a more loyal, dedicated, reliable, accurate statistician anywhere, any place at any level. There would not have been as many All-Americans in football and men’s and women’s basketball without his great work. He was, quite simply, the best. Wittenberg sports certainly has lost an unsung hero.By Steve Jacoby
March 17, 2009 7:50 PM | Link to this
Each day’s News-Sun contains an agate page, which to those of you outside the newspapering biz is the very tiny, 8-point type in which box scores, standings, the daily TV sports schedule and results from far-flung golf tournaments are set. And for years Joe was the architect of that page, taking great pride in helping select and style that content. Many times, Joe entered box scores of Wittenberg games he attended (allowing beat guys like myself and others to concentrate on game analysis) and for which he provided the spotting and statistical work. Talk about your dual-threat performers. More recently, Joe had segued into a new career, but remained close to the area sports scene, especially his beloved Wittenberg Tigers and Columbus Clippers. Please know that Joe’s passing is felt 1,000 miles away from Springfield at our home in Viera, Fla. They say the true measure of a man is evidenced by the attendance at his funeral service. Although prior commitments preclude our attendance this weekend, it is my belief that Joe’s service will be standing-room-only.By Roger Ware
March 17, 2009 9:37 PM | Link to this
So sad to hear about Joey passing. I had met him several times in the late 80’s to early 90’s. Joey was such a warm and friendly guy. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends in these hard times.By Dave Shedloski
March 17, 2009 10:36 PM | Link to this
As a former sports editor in the early ’90s, I can say unequivocally that no shift went as smoothly as those in which Joe was involved. He was a tremendous worker, a person of great interest in sports and in the accuracy in reporting and recording it, which made him a wonderful co-worker because you knew he was committed to a good product for readers. More profound was his integrity and gentle demeanor. If you couldn’t like Joe, there was no one in the world whom you could like. He was special.By Marty Bannister
March 18, 2009 6:08 AM | Link to this
I was stunned to hear of Joe’s passing. I consider myself lucky to have had the benefit not only of Joe’s efforts in the press box on game days, but his friendship as well. Wittenberg and the Springfield area sports scene have lost a great a friend in “Super” Joe Clayton.By John Finnegan
March 18, 2009 8:34 AM | Link to this
If you’re very lucky, a Joe Clayton touches your life once. His passing is so sad. Gary Lehning and I always looked forward to the pre-game football press box banter with Joe. His passion was unparalelled. God Bless, Joe and thank you. Gary Lehning & John Finnegan, Voices of the Tigers.By David Jablonski
March 18, 2009 9:35 AM | Link to this
I want to thank everyone for all the nice words about Joe. I will try to make sure someone in his family gets a printout of them in case they didn’t get to read them here. You can find the story that ran in today’s paper by following the link in the first paragraph of this blog entry. My only regret is that we never wrote about “Joe Clayton: Stats Ace” while he was alive.By Ben
March 18, 2009 9:54 AM | Link to this
Joey was a good worker and an even better person who never had a bad word to say about anyone. I can’t get one image out of my mind as I recall Joey: sunscreen on his nose and a smile on his face as he kept score at an Indians game one summer day with several of his friends. I know those days at a ballpark were favorite times for him. He will be missed.By Rod Lockwood
March 18, 2009 11:36 AM | Link to this
Joey had a big braying laugh that he’d blast during fantasy baseball drafts, usually after aiming a well-placed dig at someone. I smiled when I saw that he won the football league last year. Way to go, Joe. He possessed a quality that is sadly underrated, but one that those of us who work in newspapers greatly appreciate: unfailing reliability. Whether it was helping the city desk or all the heavy lifting he did in sports, Joey always came through. He was a true pro.By Ron Ware
March 18, 2009 12:28 PM | Link to this
Have you ever known someone who worked their hardest and tried their absolute best every single day? Me neither until I met Joey Clayton. Intensely loyal and dedicated, Joey was interested in one thing – putting out the best possible sports section to best serve the reader. Yet he also was a remarkably kind and compassionate person who would help anyone in any way. Joey, fresh out of high school, was already working in the sports department when I came to the paper in 1980. With little formal journalistic training, he developed into a person who could do almost anything – from meticulously compiling the agate page to covering a game on a moment’s notice – and loved being asked to do it. His efforts were deeply appreciated by all who worked with him. He had that same zeal in everything he did, whether it was helping out at Wittenberg or in preparing for the next fantasy draft. In his unstated manner, he was truly remarkable.By Mark Womack
March 18, 2009 2:11 PM | Link to this
If a statistician ever belonged in a university athletics Hall of Fame for meritorious service, it is Joe Clayton. I’ve been the sports information director at Cedarville University for 26 years and I’ve known Joe for nearly that long. I talked to him countless times when we used to have to phone in our results to the paper. Whether I was calling from my office or some pay phone standing outside in the cold weather somewhere, it was always comforting to hear Joe’s voice on the other end. Aside from Wittenberg, I think he actually knew more of what was happening with many of our teams than probably some of our most loyal fans. If the Tigers weren’t playing, I would find him at about a half dozen of our basketball games a year including this season. He would catch my eye in the press box and give me a wave. Joe was special in many respects and a friend to all. I feel blessed to have known him.By Michael Cooper
March 18, 2009 2:32 PM | Link to this
As a member of the News-Sun sports staff, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed working with Joe. He was one of a kind. We played in many fantasy leagues together and Joey was always the first one at the draft, had a million cheatsheets in hand and knew every single player (and how to spell their name). On a side note, Joe’s father and my grandmother Mary worked together at ITT Jabsco for many many years. They battled cancer treatments together for years, but both succumbed to the illness. When my grandma died a few years ago, Joe drove through Springfield in a snowstorm to come to her viewing. What a class act. He’ll be missed by all of us.By Steve Worthen
March 18, 2009 9:01 PM | Link to this
I am one of the fortunate few who had the chance to enter the world of Joey Clayton. The world of box scores, stats, coaches phone calls, doing laying out, creating pages and making deadlines. Joe was the individual who trained me for my current position as scoreboard architect at the News Sun. Joe showed me all the ins and outs of putting out an agate page. And even though I am sure that Joe was ready to pull the rest of his hair from head when I went through my difficulties, Joe was always kind and patient through my many mistakes. Joe was lucky he did not have to train me on the old clunkers that he had to tangle with just to put out a page back in the eighties. Joe showed me the importance of clarity, accuracy and the fact that every job was worth doing, no matter how small. Joey would always pitch in where he was needed. From writing a wrestling preview, to creating a track and field capsule, to typing in fair results to putting up with election night nonsense, you can always count on Joe Clayton. You will never meet a kinder, gentler individual with so many quirks like Joey. I will miss how Joe voice would go up an octive when he said Hi to a coach, especially a female coach, he recognized on the other end of the phones and his constant uh-huhs while he takes down information. His addiction to a 128-ounce Big Gulp which he would always carry into work right before the shift started. And I will miss his slightly demonic laugh he had when something tickled his funny bone just right. I am proud to know you Joey Clayton. I will miss you. Thank you for letting me into your world.By Brett Turner
March 18, 2009 10:17 PM | Link to this
It’s sadly ironic we’ve lost Joe as the newspaper industry, as many of us who worked alongside Joe knew it, is fading away. I had the privelege of working with Joe for more than 10 years at the News-Sun. In pop culture terms, when Joe was at the News-Sun agate desk it was like having Scotty from ‘Star Trek’ manning your engine room while the bridge crew dealt with other things, a guy you knew would get things done when it counted. He was also, and I mean this in a good way, like ‘Rain Man’ in he almost always had an answer when it came to stats and facts. You’d yell out, “Hey, Joe, what team won the CBC boys tennis title in 1992” and he have your answer or “Hey, Joe, what’s Milton-Union’s dateline or what’s Fairmont’s team nickname?” and he’d fire the answer back to you. And now in ‘Big Chill’ style, Joe has brought back several old friends and colleagues I haven’t seen or talked to in a long time to comment here, which is nice to see. That’s the kind of guy he was. It’s nice to see this man who contributed so much to the local sports scene so many never knew about being remembered in this way. I’ll miss him, but I have plenty of great memories to remember him by.By Katy Hazen
March 20, 2009 12:57 PM | Link to this
I would like to thank everyone who has posted a message about our Joe. Our family is so touched to know that he was loved by so many people. Joe’s grandfather taught him to keep stats when he was just a boy. Who could have known how much a part of his life that would become? We will miss Joe with his crazy laugh and his walking encyclopedic knowledge of all things sports, but most of all for his quiet ways. Again, thank you for your kind comments. Joe was truly blessed to have known you all and to be a player in your lives.By Miriam Smith
April 4, 2009 1:01 PM | Link to this
Despite the harried nature of the newspaper business, Joey was never too busy to express genuine interest in your day, and, for that matter, your life. I too had the privilege of working with Joey at the News-Sun in the mid-to-late 90s. Even in the news department, he’d dash to desk when the scanners dropped, getting the address of a fire or details on a car accident. He may have been a sports guy, but he was also a newsman at heart. What a gem.By Mary Potter
April 19, 2009 9:51 AM | Link to this
My daughter and I sat next to Joe for years at the Clippers. He was so kind and generous with his knowledge of the sport. I will miss him.By Wes Wilson
May 22, 2009 8:58 PM | Link to this
I worked with Joey when I was a news reporter at the News-Sun. He always had his facts straight and was a competent statistician for both sports and elections. I always enjoyed working with him because he always had an honest opinion and was trustworthy. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to pay my respects because I didn’t learn of his death until yesterday. However, i still wanted to pay some kind of tribute to a man who was kind, gentle and honest. Thanks Joey for touching my life.By Wes Wilson
May 22, 2009 9:00 PM | Link to this
I worked with Joey when I was a news reporter at the News-Sun. He always had his facts straight and was a competent statistician for both sports and elections. I always enjoyed working with him because he always had an honest opinion and was trustworthy. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to pay my respects because I didn’t learn of his death until yesterday. However, I still wanted to pay some kind of tribute to a man who was kind, gentle and honest. Thanks Joey for touching my life.