If there was a youth sporting event in West Scranton, Tommy Selemba was there.
He was president of the West Scranton Little League and the Junior Invaders football program. He helped revive West’s American Legion Post 920 baseball team and was an assistant coach with the high school baseball team.
His sudden death Monday at the age of 49 has the community stunned and saddened.
“He was a true-blue Invader,” said Rob DeLuca, who coached with and against Selemba at West Scranton Little League. Their sons — Jake DeLuca, Thomas and Connor Selemba — are on this year’s West Scranton varsity baseball team.
“He was the glue that held everything together. It’s a real loss for the West Scranton community. There’s going to be a void.”
A.J. Levandoski’s senior season last year at West Scranton was Selemba’s first with the varsity team. In that short time, Levandoski learned just what Selemba meant to the West Scranton community.
“What he did for kids from peewee football all the way to varsity baseball,” said Levandoski, who is a freshman on the Wilkes University baseball team. “He really did care about us as people, not just baseball players. Him being around and taking the time to be at practice and games meant a lot.”
Levandoski said Selemba would tell a joke during practice or a big situation in a game to help calm everyone’s nerves.
Invaders head coach Brian Minich said that was a good buffer to have between him and the players.
“They grew up with him. He was like their uncle,” Minich said. “Me being a little stern sometimes, he was the looser one who kept everything on that level. The kids loved him. They called him Coach Tommy even though I told them not to; call him Coach Selemba. But I had to let that one go. I knew they were going to call him Coach Tommy.”
Selemba had an aura about him that kids just gravitated toward, DeLuca said. They loved and respected him.
And, everything he did was for the kids. He spent hours getting the baseball and football fields and facilities ready so they could play.
“He liked to cut grass. As much as he said he didn’t, he was always on that lawn mower,” said Dave Lesh, assistant varsity baseball coach who was friends with Selemba since they met in high school 35 years ago.
If a kid came to the Little League refreshment stand and didn’t have money, Selemba was the first to reach into his pocket and buy him something.
“He loved West Scranton and the kids in West Scranton,” DeLuca said. “He wanted to make sure that every one of them had an opportunity and was supported. He would talk a lot about the kids who maybe didn’t have good structure or father figures in their life. He would tell me, ‘They need us.’ ”
He would often tell the kids, “We’re from West Side. We expect to win.” His fiercely competitive nature often created tense moments during games. But once it was over, all was forgotten.
“When you coached against Tom, you had to have your ‘A’ game. He would use everything at his disposal to beat you,” DeLuca said. “He loved to play head games. He was a master at it. Getting in your head, getting in your kids’ heads. But then after the game, he’d be hugging your kids, high-fiving you, talking to the parents and be back to normal.”
Dennis D’Augostine is pastor at Steamtown Church; his son Michael is a senior on the varsity baseball team. The first time D’Augostine met Selemba, he was working on the pitcher’s mound at West Scranton Little League field.
“He looked up and said, ‘So I hear you’re a pastor,’ ” D’Augostine said. “Then he shared with me his entire story of recovery. In recovery, there’s a big emphasis on the Lord and relationship with God. That’s what kicked it off for Tom and I.”
Selemba overcame addiction and got clean and sober. Minich said being active in youth sports helped in that process. D’Augostine agreed.
“He would say to me time and again that it was the best decision he ever made because it enabled him to be a dad to his kids,” D’Augostine said. “He had a remarkable transformation and I witnessed it.”
D’Augostine coached six years in Little League with Selemba. Usually, D’Augostine kept his emotions in check. But one game, he got really livid.
“Chris Thomas was the umpire. I walk out of the dugout, start losing it and get thrown out of the game,” D’Augostine said. “Tom yells as loud as you can, ‘Chris, do you realize you just threw a priest out of the game?’ The look on Chris’ face. Then everybody just started laughing.
“As I was walking out, Tom shook my hand and said, ‘Well done.’ ”
According to Lesh, you either loved Selemba or you didn’t.
“Most people loved him,” Lesh said.
Before ending a phone conversation or parting ways in person, Selemba would say one of two things: “Stay sexy” or “I love you, man. Now say it back.”
“And he would not leave until you said it back,” Lesh said.
Once, Selemba, Lesh and another friend were on a fishing excursion at Lackawanna State Park. It started to downpour, but they didn’t leave.
“We opened the hatch on the back of the SUV, sat on the back of the hatch and talked for hours,” Lesh said. “I don’t know how he did it, but he could find a conversation about anything. Especially music. He loved his music.”
Selemba was also a talented drummer. His favorite band was Pearl Jam and in 2014 he formed Lost Dogs, a Pearl Jam tribute band. He asked Mike Baresse to be lead singer. The two were coaching West Scranton flag football together. He also played drums in Baresse’s other band, Destination West.
“He was the quarterback on the drums and would cue any new songs,” Baresse said. “He was like an encyclopedia with Pearl Jam. He was a great musician. The song ‘Everlong’ by the Foo Fighters, some of the greatest drummers I played with through the years hate playing that song because it’s so fast, nonstop and you’re doing all these crazy notes on the high hat. But Tom performed it great. Made it look effortless.”
Whenever Baresse would show up at a junior football game to watch his son play, Selemba made sure to embarrass him.
“He’d be working on the loud speaker announcing the game. He would say to everyone, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, Mike Baresse, the voice of an angel.’ ” Baresse said “Every game he’d say it, the people would laugh and clap and I’d blush. That was his personality.”
One of Selemba’s favorite Pearl Jam songs is “Light Years.” It is about trying to cope and understand after losing someone special.
Its chorus seems to perfectly sum up Selemba: “We were but stones, your light made us stars.”
Selemba’s viewing is scheduled for Friday from 4-7 p.m. at Savino Funeral Home, 157 S. Main Ave, Scranton. The service is Saturday at 11 a.m. at Steamtown Church, 1511 Pittston Avenue. Attendees are encouraged to wear blue, West Scranton Invaders attire or their team uniform in honor of Selemba.