Dusty Wathan, Darin Ruf, Trevor May inducted into Baseballtown Hall of Fame

(Reading, PA) — As Darin Ruf hit his way to the 2012 Eastern League MVP, Trevor May looked on from the dugout in awe while Dusty Wathan greeted him at third base each time.

Ruf, a 20th-round draft pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, was off to a terrific start in his first season in Reading. But as August hit, Ruf went on an unprecedented tear by blasting 20 home runs in 28 games. May remembers sitting next to fellow pitcher Jonathon Pettibone amid the stretch, asking each other why teams were still pitching to Ruf. As Ruf looked down at Wathan, the Fightin Phils’ manager and third base coach gave a simple gesture rather than traditional signs: swing away.

The three were all part of history, whether they knew it at the time or not.

The 2012 season was one of many highlights of their careers for Ruf, Wathan and May while leading Reading to the postseason. The trio was reunited Thursday as they were inducted into the Baseballtown Hall of Fame. Each received a personalized plaque and profile art piece from their days with the Fightin Phils, immortalizing them alongside Mike Schmidt, Roger Maris and many more all-time greats.

“This is Baseballtown, and being a sport that I played since I was seven years old, to be sitting here today is very humbling,” Ruf said.

Remembered by many in Reading as “Babe” Ruf, nicknamed after the Great Bambino, Ruf didn’t initially pick up the call from Fightin Phils General Manager Scott Hunsicker to spread the news of his induction, as Ruf didn’t have the number saved in his phone., But once Hunsicker followed up with a text, Ruf knew he’d do everything to make it back to Baseballtown.

Ruf’s 139 games became a magical year with broken records. He hit .317 with a 1.028 OPS and 38 home runs — surpassing Ryan Howard’s single-season record of 37. A record that stood until Dylan Cozens’ 2016 season.

“Reading is a special place, and kind of was a take-off moment of my career,” Ruf said.

As Ruf made the transition from Clearwater to Reading, he received encouraging words from coach Sal Rende. The hitting coach told him to not change anything in his swing despite FirstEnergy Stadium being more “hitter friendly” and Ruf hitting just 29 home runs across his first three professional seasons. Months later, he surpassed his career total in one season, cementing his legacy in the organization.

After the Fightin Phils were knocked out of the playoffs, Ruf was promoted directly to Philadelphia for his MLB debut. He played parts of nine seasons in MLB and totaled 67 home runs.

Ruf remembers Wathan telling him he was heading to the Major Leagues, saying the manager will always have a special place in his heart. Wathan is thought of similarly by the Reading faithful.

Now working with the Phillies as their third base coach, Wathan climbed the coaching ladder with the Fightin Phils as the manager from 2012-16. In those five seasons, he became the winningest manager in team history with 373 victories while capturing back-to-back Eastern League Manager of the Year honors in his final two years.

“It's a special group of people that run this place,” Wathan said.

Of Wathan’s best memories from his tenure, clinching a playoff spot at Portland in 2012 ranks near the top, with the bus ride back filled with celebration. Wathan relived his Reading ties Thursday. He went straight to the Fairgrounds Farmers Market to eat a mozzarella pretzel log.

Wathan also raised his family in Reading. His kids often took batting practice on the field, jumped in the pool and caused a lot of trouble around the stadium, Wathan joked. Ahead of Wathan’s first year in Reading, former pitching coach Rod Nichols gave him a hint at what he was walking into.

“When I find out I was going to manage in Reading for the first time, (Nichols) said, ‘You're never going to want to leave that place. If you're going to be in the minor leagues, the best place in the world is Reading.’ And he wasn't wrong,” Wathan said.

Wathan had managed just a few seasons before leading Baseballtown. While finishing 10 games over .500 in his first year, Wathan said he learned patience due to the squad’s misfortunes the next two seasons. It reminded him to keep in touch with how difficult the game can be.

While Ruf and Wathan both made it to Philadelphia, May was traded to Minnesota with Vance Worley for Ben Revere after the 2012 season. He still produced impressive numbers in Reading with 151 strikeouts. May retired in 2023 after nine seasons in MLB with the Twins, Mets and A’s. Despite the lengthy career, the call from Hunsicker came as a shock.

May made his mark in Reading with his talent and personality. He was part of the “Baby Aces.” believed to be the future of Philadelphia’s rotation. He also held a concert as DJ Hey Beef at FirstEnergy Stadium, connecting with the fan base like no one else.

“In my career, I’ve played at a lot of places, and (Reading) has always stood out as one of my favorite places I've ever played,” May said. “So it seems like baseball is still alive and kicking, and more so than ever in Baseballtown. And I'm just glad to be part of that history.”

May and Ruf’s playing days are over but both continue to grow baseball to the next generation. Ruf is back home as an assistant coach for the University of Nebraska Omaha’s baseball team. May reaches young fans through 130k followers on TikTok and 112k YouTube subscribers, where he explains the weird and wacky ways professional baseball works. Wathan went on to manage the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies Triple-A) in 2017 before becoming Philadelphia’s third base coach, where he remains today.

The three aren’t with each other anymore daily like they were 13 summers ago in Reading. But with Thursday’s honors, they’ll now be enshrined together forever.

The 2025 R-Phils season is presented by Pepsi. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter @ReadingFightins, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram @Fightins.