Blanton, Kenny

When asked why he got the nickname "Hoggie", Kenny Blanton simply answered. "Just look at me." Hoggie's wry sense of humor, his quick wit, and his storytelling made him a delight to be around on and off the softball diamonds.

And lucky for Kenny, two of his listening audience happened to be not only a pair oAnd lucky for Kenny, two of his listening audience happened to be not only a pair of the best coaches in Louisville, but they were considered amongst the elite managers in the country. Those two softball legends that Hoggie hung around with on the softball fields in Louisville were Mike Glasscock and Cobbie Harrison. Glass coached both three-time world champion, Riverside Paving, and Super division's Team TPS while Cobbie coached on the Kentucky circuit for Perkins Motors, Vinnie's, Wildcat Fence, and countless other A+ squads in the Bluegrass before heading to coach the legendary, Hit Men of Steele.

And, Kenny "Hoggie" Blanton was right in the middle of those teams as being a "silent" sponsor and wanting only to make the players comfortable and help them in any way he could. "The players always came first," claims Hoggie, and his emphasis on making guys feel at ease and able to concentrate on their task at hand made Kenny a favorite among the players and coaches in the Louisville Metro area. His first big time sponsorship was Perkins Motors with Cobbie Harrison at the helm, and that team gave him a taste of success early on when they won the Bowling Green Spring Open. Perkins won on a grand slam defeating New Construction in the finals and afterwards in Perkins victory huddle, Kenny couldn't contain his excitement shedding a few tears during his first congratulations' speech. Perkins went on to finish 3rd in the USSSA "A" that season in Kalamazoo, MI and won several Kentucky championships throughout that softball campaign.

After Perkins, Kenny Blanton hooked up with Glasscock and Riverside in 1994 when they won the Pif in Canada and the 1994 National Major Championship. Riverside went back-to-back for another national title in 1995 at Salem, Oregon.

With all the national accolades, Hoggie points out, "Of course, the rings and things were great, but I really was more fascinated by the local softball scene." His favorites were with Leroy's Boys at the fog-ridden New Haven Marathon, the Thoroughbred Classic in Lexington, the LIT and KIT in his hometown of Louisville, and on the regional scene he loved Tullahoma, TN and the Sprindfield Stroh's in Springfield, OH.

Softball was Hoggie's family and the countless friends and acquaintances over the years have made all of the money he put toward his favorite sport of all time worth it all.