My editor, Ethel Winslow calls me a lucky pup. She is absolutely right. This week’s assignment was to go up to Plump’s Last Shot in Broad Ripple and interview Hoosier Basketball Immortal Bobby Plump. It was a dream assignment. Bobby is everything you want a hero to be. Energetic, optimistic, positive, gracious, a marvelous storyteller, and he still looks like he could sink the winning shot at Hinkle for the state basketball title and win another Trester Award.
While we were talking, a man and his son came into the restaurant. Cory and Tommy Thompson had come down from Minnesota on a basketball vacation. They had toured all the landmarks, Hinkle Field house, a trip to Milan, Bloomington, and all around the state. They both knew, however, that, no Indiana basketball tour would be complete unless they got to meet Bobby Plump. Bobby was as gracious and hospitable as you could ever imagine, showing them the memorabilia that hangs all around the restaurant, posing for pictures, signing autographs, and sharing some of his wonderful stories. Young Tommy was visibly star struck and both he and his dad had the time of their lives. Bobby told me that this happens quite frequently. He has had people from all over the United States and a number of foreign countries come to meet him. I told Bobby that he was a genuine hero and he replied that it was an honor and privilege to be highly thought of by people.
Currently, Bobby is involved with the opening of the Milan 54 Museum located in his beloved home town of Milan, Indiana. The Milan 54 Museum is the brainchild of Milan antiques dealer Roselyn McKittrick. Milan, Indiana is located in Ripley County which is to the southeast of Marion. It’s not all that far from the Ohio border and as Bobby points out, there are no major highways close by. About 22 years ago Mrs. McKittrick set off a corner of her shop as a tribute to the legendary 1954 Milan, Indiana team that beat Muncie Central 32-30 for the Indiana State High School Basketball Championship. The movie Hoosiers had come out in 1986 and had made the whole world aware of the Milan miracle. Over time Mrs. McKittrick acquired so many exhibits that she had to purchase and convert the vacated barber shop next door to her shop to display them all. The building has been completely converted into a museum and the interior has been renovated with a locker room that has all the player’s lockers displayed. There is also memorabilia from the movie Hoosiers. The grand opening is set for this coming June 8. If you want more information, go to www.milan54.org or call 1-817-654-2772. It should be a wonderful event.
A lot of folks don’t know this, but Bobby actually lived in Irvington for 3 months during the summer of 1954 which was after his graduation from Milan High School and before his freshman year at Butler. He and a classmate lived in the upper floor of a house on Johnson Street just about 3 houses down from Washington Street. He worked a construction job on the west side of Indianapolis which kept him in shape. All roads lead to Irvington.
I asked the old Bulldog what he thought of the current Butler Basketball team. He confessed his great admiration for Brad Stevens and the Butler teams he has built. “Brad shows what teamwork, character, and loyalty can do,” said Bobby. “He has very good players, but it’s what they do as a team. They work for each other, they never blow up, and share the glory and that’s the coaching of Brad Stevens.”
Character, loyalty, honor and decency could sum up Bobby Plump, as well. Bobby exemplifies all the best about Hoosier basketball and about being a Hoosier. He’s open, warm and very friendly and he makes you feel good just talking to him. He’s also young at heart — would that quality could be said of all of us.
snicewanger@yahoo.com
