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Two Tulsa Sports Giants
Published: 9/12/2012 8:18 AM
Last Modified: 9/12/2012 8:18 AM

Jack Wing and Went Hubbard, two giants of Tulsa sports, died recently.
Tulsa is a better place because of both.
Wing was the voice of running in Tulsa, a ball of energy that encouraged thousands of runners to not only take up the healthy sport but to push to be better.
Hubbard is considered a savior of baseball in Tulsa, buying the Drillers at a time of uncertainty and turning the minor league baseball franchise into a local popular powerhouse.
They were also, and this is no small matter, really wonderful people. Both were kind, enthusiastic and humble. They deeply cared about their sport and all of those they encountered.
Hubbard got into baseball because he loved the sport. The New Hampshire farmer grew to love this city.
He upgraded the Drillers through the years, turning a franchise with attendance problems into one of minor league baseball’s model franchises.
Even though he was the team owner, he took an interest in all areas of the franchise. He could often be found picking up trash in the parking lots or taking tickets on busy nights.
Wing, another New England transplant to Tulsa, loved running. He was one of the greatest promoters of the highly-successful Tulsa Run through the years. He was a long-time announcer of many local races.
But, what many will remember is his remarkable enthusiasm and optimism.
Wing would often find runners at the river parks and stop to introduce himself, give them some tips and then become a cheerleader for their efforts.
Running and baseball flourished because of Wing and Hubbard. But all of Tulsa is better because of them.



Reader Comments 1 Total
Golden Hurricane (5 months ago)
I knew both men and I agree with everything John wrote. Each of them were great, great gentlemen.
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Klein's Korner

Tulsa World senior sports columnist John Klein is in his fourth decade of covering sports. He started his newspaper career at The Daily Ardmoreite in 1977 and moved to the Tulsa World in 1978. He served 10 years as sports editor for the Tulsa World before being named to his current position in 2005. He also spent five years as the Southwest Conference beat writer for the Houston Post. He has won many writing awards and is a former Oklahoma Sports Writer of the Year.

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