Mark Bennett: Arley Andrews, a cornerstone of Hoosier hysteria's golden era, passes at 88

Oct. 17—Some sports figures' names instantly conjure images and nostalgic memories of specific plays or games.

The mention of Arley Andrews immediately connects anyone with a drop of Hoosier blood with the golden era of Indiana high school basketball.

Like the poetic Chicago Cubs double play combo of Tinker to Evers to Chance, Andrews' name is most often paired with that of his twin brother and uncle — Harley and Arley and Uncle Harold were central figures on the dominating early-1950s Gerstmeyer High School teams. The Black Cats reached the Indiana High School Athletic Association state finals in 1953 and '54. It was the pinnacle of a stellar run by coach Howard Sharpe's teams, with Gerstmeyer reaching four state finals between 1953 and '57.

And Arley was Sharpe's leading scorer, pouring in 1,890 points while playing 119 consecutive games.

In 1953, Arley and his teammates nearly gave Terre Haute its first, and what would've been its only, boys basketball state championship. They lost in the state championship game 42-41 to South Bend Central.

It featured an epic twist of "Hoosier Hysteria," as the game was known then.

A game official mistakenly assessed an extra foul on Arley in the first half of the title game. Maybe it was because the ref confused Arley's No. 34 jersey with his Harley's No. 43. Maybe it was because the official mistook Arley for his identical twin. Either way, the extra foul proved costly, because Arley fouled out of the game with 7 minutes, 32 seconds left to play. The Black Cats lost by a point, despite Harley's game-high 20 points.

Seventy years after that historic moment, Arley Andrews has passed. He died Saturday night in his Terre Haute home at age 88, his family members confirmed.

His death marks another lost slice of the "golden age" of Terre Haute basketball — the 1950s and early '60s. It produced two future Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers, Clyde Lovellette of Garfield and Bobby "Slick" Leonard of Gerstmeyer; major-league baseball pitching great Tommy John of Gerstmeyer; College Basketball Hall of Famer and NBA Rookie of the Year Terry Dischinger of Garfield; and many other gifted players. Sharpe, the colorful Gerstmeyer coach, became an Indiana Basketball Hall of Famer in 1971.

Sadly, Lovellette, Leonard, Dischinger and Sharpe have passed. Dischinger died on Oct. 10. John, who should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, is now 80 and lives in Florida.

"They're legends," Dennis Andrews, Arley's nephew and Harley's son, said Tuesday.

Arley was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989, as was his brother Harley, who survives him. They were born three minutes apart (Harley first) in 1934. A childhood injury caused Arley to be one year behind Harley in school. Arley graduated from Gerstmeyer in 1954, Harley in 1953 and their uncle Harold in 1955.

One season after missing a state title by a point, Arley led the Black Cats to the 1954 state finals. This time, another element of Hoosier Hysteria history blocked their path to a championship. Gerstmeyer lost to fabled eventual '54 state champ Milan by 60-48 margin in the semifinals.

Arley went on to sign a professional baseball contract with the Philadelphia Phillies and pitched four seasons in the club's farm system from 1954 to 1957. The 6-foot-3 left-hander pitched for minor-league teams in Terre Haute; Mattoon, Ill.; Brantford, Ontario; Salt Lake City; and Thomasville, N.C. He was driving back to Terre Haute from Mattoon one season, when a farm truck collided with Arley's car.

"It blew out his left shoulder, which was his pitching arm," Leslie Murphy, Arley's granddaughter, said Tuesday.

Notably, Arley still had enough pitching know-how to teach a then-high schooler Tommy John how to throw a curveball, according to the Andrews family and the Society for American Baseball Research.

Arley returned to basketball on the collegiate level, playing the 1959-60 season at Indiana State. Despite his absence from basketball for multiple years, Andrews led the Sycamores in scoring that season. The NCAA had allowed Arley to play basketball that year, though he'd played pro baseball, but reversed its decision the following year, ending Andrews' college playing career, his granddaughter recalled.

Murphy grew up hearing the stories of Arley's high school basketball exploits, as well as those of Harley, Harold and the Gerstmeyer teams.

"But as a kid, he was grandpa. He was bigger than life at 6-foot-3," she said. "To me, he's just bigger than life. And as much as people admired them — Arley, Harley and Harold — for all that they did, I see [Arley] as a grandfather and a great family man."

According to his family, Arley is survived by his wife of 68 years, Carolyn Shaffer Andrews of Terre Haute, daughter Julie Karn (Tim Hanner) of Bloomington; two grandchildren, Leslie Murphy of Nashville, Tenn., and Jeffrey Karn of Bloomington; a great-grandson, Kamren Ranard of Bloomington, his twin brother Harley Andrews and wife Thelma of Clay City, brother, Johnny Andrews and wife Mary Loretta of West Terre Haute, and several nieces and nephews. Arley was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Danny Andrews, daughter Barbara Andrews Murphy, and sisters; Vera Andrews Marshall and Patty Andrews Johnson. Arley's uncle Harold died earlier too.

Arley and Carolyn formerly operated Sycamore Farms Bed and Breakfast, a convenience store, and Arley operated an oil company with Harley, Murphy said. Arley retired from Beam, Longest & Neff Consulting Engineers of Indianapolis.

About a decade ago, Murphy fulfilled a longtime wish to visit the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame with her grandfather. While touring that facility in New Castle, Arley launched a few shots at a goal there.

"He made them all," his granddaughter said. "Nothing but net."

That's what legends do.

Mark Bennett can be reached at 812-231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.