Ed Abrain pitched two no-hitters for the Braves during Little League baseball’s inaugural season of 1952.  In addition, he pitched a perfect game against Bristol in the state playoffs; unfortunately, he came in to pitch after three runs had scored before an out was achieved in the first inning, and Warren was eliminated.  (He had already defeated our neighbors in the first game of a best-of-three series.)

In high school he played third base and pitched for Warren High School’s last baseball champs, the 1956 Eastern Division Co-Champions.  (The third baseman for two Warren/Bristol American Legion District Championship teams, he also competed for two seasons in the Providence Amateur League.) 

In football he was the signal caller for the Redskins’ 1955 eleven that defeated Colt Memorial, the first time that the Bristolians had been beaten in eighteen years.  The following year he again called signals, as Burrillville was downed for the first time in twenty years and Warren High captured the Class C Co-Championship.  (Both of the Warren High championship squads were coached by fellow Hall of Famers Charlie Burdge and Donat Brochu.)

After coaching St. Thomas Church’s basketball team to the 1961 Interparochial League title, Ed joined Titleist Golf, where he eventually became that company’s Vice President of worldwide sales and marketing.  Subsequently he served as the President of Wilson Sporting Goods’ golf division, Hillerich & Bradsby’s Powerbilt golf division, and the Aldila Graphite golf shaft manufacturing company before returning to Titleist as President of the Titleist and Cobra division of the Acushnet Company

He served as Chairman of the Board of the National Golf Foundation, spear- heading a program which provided free equipment to disadvantaged youngsters; a member of the Board of the National Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association; and a member of the Board of the National Minority Golf Association.

In 2006 Ed received the PGA’s Ernie Sabayrac Award.  The fifteenth recipient of this honor, which recognizes lifetime contributions to the golf industry, he shares it with such industry legends as Ely Callaway and Ping’s Kirsten Solheim.

Picture from Hall of Fame archives