CHRIS TALAR CLASS OF '00 YEAR OF INDUCTION: 2022 When thinking of Chris Talar, the word "winning" has to come to mind. As a baseball player, he was a three-time state champion and as a basketball player, he was a three- time Central Jersey champion. He is best known for his prowess on the baseball field. Hall of Fame baseball coach Rich Giallella says this about Chris: "He could run, he could throw, he was a switch hitter, and he was a great outfielder. He could play basketball. He was also disciplined. He was one of those kids that as a sophomore acted like a senior." Chris is all over the Steinert baseball record books. He is first all-time in walks, second all-time in stolen bases and games played, and he has the second-most runs scored in a single season. Considering Chris graduated over 20 years ago and those records are still there, that is quite an accomplishment. "My fondest memories are the friendships I made with the guys on the team which I still have today," Talar said. "It was fun winning those three state championships and the three central jersey championships." When speaking of those baseball state championships his coach told us that two specific plays involving Chris were a big reason they won. The first was "the catch" in 1998 against Middletown South. "Bases were loaded and there was a good left-handed hitter up...and a sophomore in right field makes the greatest catch, one of the greatest of all time. But I didn't see it, I dropped my head thinking we lost the game." It was the roar of the crowd that told Giallella that all was well. The second play was "the bunt" in 1999 against Cherokee, a team the Spartans lost to earlier in the season. Coach Giallella remembers, "Talar lays a bunt down the third base line with a runner on third, which scores the go-ahead and winning run. Who does that? They (the 1999 team), especially Talar) did the little things when you needed it." "The coaches were hard on us and expected us to succeed, which built character on and off the field," said Talar referring to lessons learned as a Spartan athlete. Chris graduated from West Chester University after a stellar baseball career for the Golden Rams. Talar has been a New Jersey State Trooper for the past 16 years and is married to the former Kelly Dutko, a Steinert Athletic Hall of Fame 2015 inductee. They reside in Hamilton with their boys Brennan and Austin. RETURN TO THE HALL OF FAME MEMBERS PAGE