What’s Happening in Rochester Softball?

A native of Middletown, N.Y., John attended Avon Central and Brockport State.

His softball career spanned five decades. He played for several teams including Jeremiah’s, MCM Fuel, Sunset Inn, Ridge Billiards and the Elmwood Inn, and won numerous championships along the way.

John is a charter member of the John Warren Senior Softball Organization. He was the cornerstone on which that team was built and helped it win several national titles, earning all-tournament honors numerous times.

“I had the privilege to play for knowledgeable and devoted coaches over the years, including Bud Johnson, Joe Nucci and Denny Warren,” he said. “It was my honor to play with great players, many of whom are honored in the Hall of Fame, and many others who were terrific ballplayers and great teammates, who are honored in my memory.”

John worked for Monroe County for 32 years and St. John Fisher for 10 years.

He spent much of his free time involved in community projects.

A Rochester native, Mike was a three-sport standout at Rush-Henrietta Roth High School, where he earned Monroe County Player-of-the Year honors in baseball twice, was All-County in basketball on back-to-back Section Five championship teams and won his high school’s tennis title two years in a row.

He lives in Daytona Beach and Rochester with his wife Lisa and is the proud father of three adult children.

A native of Rochester, Billy pitched and played centerfield for legendary coach Eddie Nietopski at Cardinal Mooney, where he was teammates with Pete Castle and Doug Farrell. His finest season came in 1969 when he led a 23-1 Mooney team in batting average, home runs and stolen bases. He also played baseball for LeMoyne College and continued playing in the Muni leagues after graduating from SUNY Brockport and the University of Buffalo Law School.

Billy began his slow pitch softball career with Castle Insurance, where he primarily pitched and led off, and was named the starting pitcher on a “Super Team,” chosen by the Democrat and Chronicle. “He’s got his head in the game 100 percent,” Pace manager Dick Laughlin once said of him. “He hits, he hustles, he has excellent speed. He’ll turn a single into a double. He reminds me of Rick Pinto, all-world pitcher for World Champion Snyder’s of Detroit.”

Billy played a prominent role in helping the merged Castle-Mazzola team win the national USSSA championship in 1977. He later joined the Rochester Express, which won the Professional World Series in 1980. Billy batted .574 for the Express but didn’t have enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title (won by teammate Rich Brown) because of law school commitments.

In addition to softball, Billy has excelled as a distance runner, earning Rochester Track Club Runner of the Year honors in his age group three times. He qualified for and ran in the Boston Marathon in 2015.

After graduating with honors from law school, Billy worked for Harris Beach Wilcox Rubin and Levey, and later served as a Special Assistant Monroe County Public Defender and as the Chief Defender for the Western District of New York. He also worked as a confidential law clerk for John L. DeMarco and Stephen K. Lindley, and became a partner with Trevett Lenweaver and Salzer P.C.

He has two sons, Donald and Paul and two grandchildren, Mariana and Reece.

Billy was an inaugural inductee into the Cardinal Mooney Sports Hall of Fame.

A native of Rochester, Gary graduated from Gates Chili High School in 1972, and earned a degree in accounting and finance from RIT in 1977, and his MBA from the University of Rochester in 1986. He enjoyed an outstanding athletic career in high school, earning ALL-County twice in basketball and once in golf.

After college, Gary became a successful businessman, rising to the top of several companies. Though he retired seven years ago, after serving as CEO of Menlo Logistics, a $2-billion company, he has remained semi active in the business world, serving on the board of directors for three different companies.

He earned numerous accolades during his softball career, guiding his teams to several championships, while earning all-tournament and MVP honors.

Gary and his wife, Rita, have one son, Adam, who was born in 1985. Gary keeps busy playing tennis, reading, spending time with his family and supporting local charities.

After graduating from Aquinas Institute in 1973, following a star-studded career in football and baseball, Bernie distinguished himself in slow-pitch softball with Rochester Products, a powerhouse team in the Industrial Management Council League’s (IMC) top division.
A solid outfielder with a good arm and strong bat, Bernie was instrumental in helping his team win multiple Eastern States Qualifying Tournaments and two coveted Eastern States Championships. He also played an integral role in Rochester Products’ three Division AAA IMC league crowns.
Bernie was always in the top four in batting average, home runs and runs batted in for a very strong team.
He is the fourth Rochester Products player to be inducted into the Rochester Softball Hall of Fame and the third in the Industrial category.

The son of Bill and Josephine Colombo, Joe was born in Rochester in 1951 and attended Edison Tech High School. He went on to receive degrees from Alfred and Buffalo State.

Joe is self-employed, and he and his wife, Judy, have three children. He enjoys bowling, racquetball, golf, pickleball and of course softball.

Joe has been involved with senior softball for more than a decade both as a player and a coach. He has coached numerous men’s and women’s team throughout the area, and has been involvrd with a local travel team.

Joe is a driving force behind many of the “upgrades” to daytime senior softball at McAvoy Park. As part of that role, he serves as commissioner of the highly competitive Tuesday morning senior league at McAvoy Park.

Jack was born in 1936 to parents Fred and Kathleen Smith. Following graduation from Palmyra-Macedon Central High School in 1953, Jack spent three years serving in the U.S. Army, including an 18-month stint in Germany.

After returning to the states, he attended Springfield College for two years before transferring to Brockport State, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education. He put those degrees to good use, teaching and coaching for 31 years at Rush-Henrietta High School, leading the boys’ varsity baseball and girls’ soccer team to more than 300 combined wins and several titles. In 1992, Jack was inducted into the New York State High School Coaches Hall of Fame.

From 1960 through 1970, Jack played fast-pitch softball, and from 1990 through 2018, he was a senior softball player-manager.

He and his wife, Betty, were married for 63 years and had three sons, including Jeff, with whom Jack played senior softball.

Jack passed away last November at 85 after a long, courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

The son of Robert and Naomi Simms, Carl attended Batavia Norte Dame High School and Monroe Community College before embarking on a 28-year career with the Rochester Police Department.
A member of his high school’s athletic Hall of Fame, Carl also spent 10 years as an assistant baseball coach at St. John Fisher college and 2 years as an assistant baseball coach at Medaille college.
Carl played softball with the Rochester Police Locust club and also with teams in the Sunday morning Genessee Valley league and the Winton and Empire senior league. He played in world softball tournaments in places like Detroit, Toronto and Buffalo.
His hobbies include guitar, target shooting and bowling.
Carl still supports his brothers and sisters in Law Enforcement as a member Code 4 Alpha, which offers support to first responders.

Peter started playing fast-pitch softball at the age of 9 and six years later was pitching for a tavern-league team. He later joined the U.S. Marines, and while stationed at the San Jaun Naval Base in Puerto Rico, he pitched his team to three consecutive Com-Ten championships.
After finishing his service, he played in several leagues in and around Rensselaer, N.Y., where he earned the nickname “Change Up,” for his devastating off-speed pitch that constantly caught batters off-guard.
Peter moved to Rochester in 1979, and after turning 50 began his slow-pitch career with the Rochester Olde Stars, where he became a slow-pitch player and hitter. He travelled throughout the United States and Canada for two decades, making several all-tournament teams.

Son of Peter and Angie Post, and brother to Ron and Tom, Peter was born in 1941. He spent 30-plus years working in the Churchville-Chili school district. Peter and his wife, Kathleen, who died six years ago, had three children – Lisa, Karen and Andrea. Peter was awarded an MVP award in a 1984 ASA-sponsored tournament in Auburn, where his team finished second. He has played and helped manage in the Empire and Winton leagues for several years. He has also played travel ball for several years. Peter’s other hobbies include hunting, fishing and billiards.

Tony was born in 1947 in Batavia. His parents, Harry and Genevieve, raised him with his three
sisters and three brothers. Tony attended Saint Joseph’s grammar school, Notre Dame High
School and Erie Community College. He worked 35 years for LaMans Corp. Parts Unlimited,
retiring in 2015.

He has been married for 50 years and has four children. Tony’s love for the game of baseball
has been evident since the time he ran the neighborhood Whiffle Ball leagues all the way
to his current career as a senior softball player. For years, Tony was a mainstay in the
Canandaigua softball leagues, where he won many championships.

Tony is very popular no matter who he plays with. His unorthodox style of play adds to the
true meaning of what senior softball should be: “Play the game and have fun doing it.”

In addition to softball, Tony’s other interests include traveling, bowling and playing music.
He is a multi-instrument musician who has played in various rock bands since high school.

Michael Saporito was born in 1947 in Rochester to parents, Michael and Emma Saporito. He has four
siblings: John, Anthony, Carl and Paulette. Mike attended School No. 39, Franklin High School,
MCC and SUNY Brockport. He taught in the Rochester City School District for 33 years before
retiring in 2002.

Mike and his wife Kathy have two children: Kim and Michael. He has always been an person. His
hobbies include softball, pickle ball, tennis, biking, golf, bowling, fishing, and hiking.
He also shows his creative side playing piano.

Mike is well known as a fast runner and is often the main runner in tournament play. His
softball achievements include being named All-American in the World Senior games; playing
and winning several national and local softball tournaments, and being selected All-Tournament
and All-World. As a recreation player, Mike has been a part of several league titles at
McAvoy Park.

Sam, a Rochester native, was born in 1958 to parents Rosemary and
Salvatore Gallo. He started playing baseball at age 8 in a tee shirt
league. That led to playing in the Westside Little League at age 10
where he won a 1st Place trophy.

After moving to Williamson with his family, Sam played and lettered
in basketball, baseball and soccer. He holds a soccer scoring
record notching 15 goals over a 12 game season. Sam’s soccer
career culminated in 1994 when joined the Irondequoit Lancer club
team on a trip to Italy to play exhibition games.

After playing American Legion Baseball, Sam went to work for Kodak.
There, he had the opportunity to play in the KPAA league as
well as the ability to travel with the IMC league. As a Senior Player,
Sam has played on several travel teams including world championship
teams. Sam is a true steward of the game. He believes it is
not about winning but enjoying the mutual trust and friendships
with the people playing the game. Sam acknowledges a highlight of
his sports career was playing with his boys Christopher and Chad
(deceased 2015).

A Rochester native, Phil was an outstanding athlete at John Marshall High School,
playing basketball, football and baseball. And his athletic prowess would continue after leaving
Marshall, as he made a name for himself playing fast-pitch softball for Kodak Park from
1958 through 1975. Tom Castle, a member of the National Softball Hall of Fame and a former
Kodak manager, called Phil the best he ever saw.

Phil was inducted into the Rochester Softball Association Hall of Fame in 2010. He
was not only a great player, but a great ambassador of the game. He promoted it through
his association with the KPAA program, and teamed with Art Held and others in the construction
of Gears Park.

Phil joined Art Fedele in organizing tournaments in the Rochester area, and worked
with the editors of the Democrat and Chronicle and Kodakery magazine to promote the sport.
Phil, Art Herd and John Dumau held classes at Brockport to teach girls how to
play fast pitch. He was one of the most respected and liked players the game has seen.

A native of Waynesburg, Pa. and one-time resident of Pittsburgh, Randy moved with his family to
Churchville, where he attended grammar and high school. At Churchville-Chili High School, Randy
excelled in soccer, basketball and baseball. During his senior year in 1970 – 71, he was named a
high school All-American in soccer, established a school basketball scoring record with 44 points
in a single game, and earned All-County honors in baseball. For his exploits, he was named the
Saints Athlete of the Year.

Randy worked at Kodak for 37 years, retiring in 2008. He also played softball for Kodak Park, where
he starred in the Industrial Management Council league and the Eastern States Tournaments.
Randy’s softball career began at age 18 with Kodak Park. In 1976, he began playing for several
major league teams, including Sullivan Shoe, 0K Farms, Ronnies, Doubledays and MCM Fuel.

He played in numerous tournaments, locally and nationally, where he established himself as a solid
fielder and clutch hitter. A longtime baseball coach at his high school alma mater, Randy played
some Senior Softball until a knee injury in 2017 sidelined him. His brother, Bob Shaffer, also
is a Rochester Softball Hall of Fame inductee.

Born in 1952 to Jim and Marge Riley, Dennis graduated from Spencerport High School, where he played
three varsity sports.

Through the years, Dennis played softball with several Rochester powerhouse teams, including
Dutchman’s, Miller Brick, Mueseys, Max Spice and Pace. He has fond memories of two tournaments in
particular. One occurred in Las Vegas, where the Northern California team they had beaten, hung
around and rooted for Dennis’ team while they played a Southern California team in the championship
game. Dennis’ team wound up winning that contest and the title in the final inning. The other
memorable tournament championship occurred in Salem, Mass. when they won it all, despite having
to compete in a younger age bracket.

“I ended up with more rings and ribbons than I ever expected,” he said. “And I did that with all my
buddies.” Dennis said he was thrilled when senior softball came along because it gave him the opportunity
to continue playing and share in the camaraderie. Refereeing youth and school volleyball matches
and umpiring baseball games continue to be favorite pastimes.

“Throughout most of my life, and to this day, my closest friends have evolved around sports,” he said.

A native of Rome, N.Y., Scott attended Rome Free Academy, where he played baseball and
football for state-ranked teams. After graduating magna cum laude with a journalism degree from
Syracuse University in 1977, Scott began his sports writing career. He is in his 49th year as a
journalist, 2 5 of which were spent as a columnist with the Democrat and Chronicle, Gannett News
Service, and VSA Today.

Scott is the recipient of more than 100 national and regional writing awards. The Associated
Press named him one of tile nation’s top 10 sports columnists. Scott is the author of more than 2 5
books, included best-sellers about the Buffalo Bills and Syracuse. Through the years, he has written
numerous stories about Rochester softball, and is a regular contributor to the Baseball Hall of Fame’s
history magazine. Scott has been inducted into the Red Wings Hall of Fame, the Frontier Field Walk of
Fame and Camp Good Days and Special Times’ Ring of Honor.

He loves playing senior softball, but has been sidelined recently by illness and injuries, following
an eight-year stretch in which his teams won four championships at McAvoy Park.
When he’s not writing books or his column for the Rochester Business Journal, Scott enjoys
spending time with his wife, Beth, children, Amy and Chris, and granddaughters, Camryn and Peyton.

Born in 1948, Jim and his brother, Gary, grew up in the town of Greece, where they attended high
school. As a youngster, Jim was an accomplished tennis and table tennis player, earning the
nickname “Pellet” because of his pin-point accuracy.

After college, Jim became an accomplished electrician, working for more than 50 years in the
field. Jim’s softball career spanned 40 years, playing for several major teams from that era,
including New York Life, Shakey’s and Mazzola Insurance. For most of his career, he was
managed by Hall of Fame skipper Andy Yazwinski.

Jim excelled anywhere in the infield as a defensive specialist, and had sneaky power.
Playing on mostly open fields locally, he was a lifetime .500 hitter. Although Jim never won a
world championship, he was named to several AllWorld and All-Star teams.

Jim’s fondest memories in softball were playing for Kartes Builders, the 18-time Town of Greece
champions, where he became life-long friends with Softball Hall of Fame members Bobby Kartes and
Gary Kaiser.

Ory is best known for his accomplishments as a high school coach, particularly in baseball. He
spent 32 years at Hilton Central, coaching and teaching physical education before retiring in 2005.
During Ory’s 18 seasons as head varsity baseball coach, the Cadets became one of the area’s premier
programs, earning him induction into both the Section V Baseball and Hilton Sports Halls of Fame.

He also has enjoyed a long and illustrious softball playing career. A native of Jamestown and a
graduate of Falconer High School, Jamestown Community College and Brockport State, Ory has been
playing for Mahan’s softball team since 1976.Last year, he helped Mahan’s win a league championship
50 years after the team’s founding. Mahan’s also has won league and playoff titles in Brockport
recreational leagues, Ridgewood Park, Hamlin, Fork’s Park and the senior leagues at McAvoy Park.

Ory and his wife, Patricia, have three grown children – Cory, Eileen and Ryan. When he’s not
playing softball, he enjoys spending time with his family, camping, fishing, hunting and traveling.
Besides baseball, he’s also coached basketball and swimming at the high school level, and came out
of retirement to serve as an assistant baseball coach at Brockport State for nine years.

Born in Rochester in 1954 to parents, Richard and Sylvia Fitzgerald, Kevin grew up in a large family, with
six siblings – Barry, Dick, Maryanne, Shelia, Maureen and John. He attended St. Helen’s Elementary School
and Gates Chili High School. He wound up working 35 years for Wegmans before retiring in 2008.

Kevin has played softball continuously for almost 60 years. One of the high points came in 1985 when his
Marlen Floor team won the World NSA “C” Tournament. He has played Senior ball for 17 years, and has won
numerous tournaments, including the SSUSA World Championship in Las Vegas in 2004 and the ISSA Worlds
in Manassas in 2005. He earned All-Tournament honors in Manassas and at the 2017 Buckeye Classic.

He cites the many life-long friendships he’s made while playing the game, and is proud to have taken the
field with many of his friends, as well as his brother, John.

He and his late wife, Susan, had three children – Erin, Kevin, Jr. and Casey. When he’s not playing ball,
you can find him spending time with his kids, grandkids and long-time companion, Joan Lincoln. Kevin also
enjoys fishing and puttering around with old cars.

Born in Rochester in 1953 to parents George and Agnes Duke, George attended Holy Ghost
grammar school, Churchville-Chili High School, the University of Notre Dame (where he earned a
bachelor’s degree) and RIT (where he received an MBA).

George made his mark in softball in the 1970s and ’80s, when he played for the Doubledays,
a highly regarded major league team. He was elected to all-star teams several times, and
was named All-World at the USAA tournaments in Rochester and Kingston, N.C.

George was considered a five-tool player who could hit for average and power, throw,
run and field. He is regarded as one of the finest outfielders in Rochester softball history.

He and his wife Freda have three children (Allison, Brennan and Rhiannon), and reside in
South Bend, Ind., where George has spent the past 27 years working at Notre Dame. During that
time, he has raised an astounding $200-million for the university.

His hobbies include biking, golf, kayaking, reading and traveling.

Through the years, Jerry Earls’/Castle Inn (JE/CI) played in the area’s top leagues, including the Rochester Major League at
Cobb’s Hill, Cordereo’s, Bayview and Edgerton Park. They also played in the ultra-competitive Tri-County League and Winton and
Empire (McAvoy Park).

JE/CI was one of the first Rochester teams to cross the line f rom ASA to USSA (now USSSA) in 1969, winning the city-wide
qualifier to earn a B Classification bid to the world championships. They handled themselves well that year, finishing just outside the
top 20 in the field of 64 teams.

In 1970, they went 71-9, and finished just outside the top 15 at that year’s B World Championships in Petersburg, Va.
The following year, JE/CI went 69-11, and again finished just outside the top 15 at the worlds in Hicksville, Long Island.
In 1972, they went 66-22, and finished one game out of the top 10 at the worlds.

JE/CI also played in many of the city’s top tournaments. They won Cordereo’s, and also captured the Fulton, N.Y. Memorial
Day and Fourth of July tournaments. Their three-season record was a scintillating 206-42.

Dan was born in Rochester in 1946, the fourth youngest of five siblings. He played center field for the Eastridge High School baseball team,
and after graduating in 1964, attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he earned a degree in chemistry. He immediately put
that degree to use in 1968 as an analytical chemist for Eastman Kodak. A product of the KPAA summer fast-pitch youth program, Dan joined
Bob Hyatt’s high­ powered Hi Fi team as a centerfielder for several years before playing for Kodak Park’s tournament team in the early 1970s.
During this time, he also played for the T.J. Frederico team when the league moved to Gears Memorial Park. Well-known for his defensive skills
and for his ability to make contact, Dan established himself as a high-average lead-off hitter with occasional power. He played in numerous
tournaments with Kodak and other travel teams. He also played in World Tournaments in Rock Island, Illinois, and Phoenix, Ariz., where he hit
a combined .400. In 1974, he was named the Rochester Fast Pitch leagues All-Star centerfielder, and, two years later, he won MVP in the Buffalo
Queen City Tournament for Kodak Park by batting .620 with three home runs – two of which were game-winners – to help his team win the championship.

Arthur (Art) Barrett was born in Rochester on May 11, 1946 to parents Elton and Eleanor. He,
along with his brother Richard and sister Gail, grew up on Rochester’s westside. After attending
School No. 43 and Jefferson High, Art went to SUNY Brockport, where he earned bachelor
and master’s degrees in education. He taught in the East Irondequoit School District for 27
years before retiring. During his career, Art coached many sports, including softball and
basketball. Art’s senior softball career spans more than 25 years, playing for storied teams
such as the Rochester Classics and Rochester Royals. His honors include a 2012 Northeast
Championship; a silver medal at the 2013 National Senior Games; an MVP award at the
2017 ISSA Mountaineer Senior Classic; the 2017 ISSA World Championship, and AII-Tournament
selections at the 2018 Ocean City Classic and the 2019 Heart of Ohio.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Mike graduated from Franklin High School and then earned a BS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from RIT. In 1964, he took a job at Gleason’s and played IMC ball for them. In 1976, Mike went to Kodak Apparatus Division (KAD) as an Industrial Engineer and worked for 30 years before retiring in 2006.

Family Background
Mike is one of four children born to Anthony and Anne Luciano. He has three children: Michael, Anthony and Paul.

Biography
Mike played for the KAD team that won 8 straight IMC Titles. He was a member of the KAD team that won the 1982 USSSA Industrial World Title. Mike also played in the Town of Greece and Kodak Intramural leagues and helped win titles there.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
John graduated from John Marshall High School in 1950. He attended RIT. He served in the US Army and was discharged in 1953. He then worked at Kodak Park for 36 years and retired in 1986.

Family Background
John has two children, Ed and Elaine.

Biography
John lettered in football, basketball, and baseball for John Marshall High School. He was a pioneer of the Kodak inter-plant softball program. In 1972, he assembled a team to play in the IMC League. During his 7-year tenure as manager, Kodak won an Eastern States title and was a two-time runner-up. In 1980, John became an ASA umpire. He also became an assigner for over 40 Kodak umpires. John retired from his 32-year umpiring career in 2012.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational Background
Stuart graduated from Webster High School in 1959. He earned a BA from St. Lawrence University.

Family Background
Stuart and his wife Barbara (deceased) had a daughter, Jennifer (Mark Allen). Stuart has three grandchildren: Max, Jackson, and Molly.

Biography
Stuart started his softball career in 1958 and played until 2002. He played the majority of his career on one team, Hegedorn’s, for over 32 years. He also played for Flaherty’s Three Flags Inn for nearly 12 years. He also played slo-pitch softball as a pitcher for over 44 years in many town and recreation leagues in Webster, at Bayview Stadium, Cordero’s, and McAvoy Park softball complexes.

Stuart’s pitching performances usually provided the teams he played on the extra ingredient needed to win several league championships, play-offs, and win berths to out-of-state tournaments. He played in several tournaments such as the Richmond Memorial Day Classic, Toledo, OH, and the Rochester City Championships. He played about 50-60 games per season and compiled an amazing 880 victories over his career. He loved the game and was a true sportsman and a great loyal team player.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Frank attended Aquinas and Monroe Community College.

Biography
“Loyalty” is the one word that best embodies Frankie Masters. He is loyal to his loved ones, his friends, his faith and to life itself. The loyalty translated to the “purest of dedication” in everything he does. Where there is great camaraderie, sacrifices to be made or just plain “all-out effort,” you will find Frankie Masters’ fingerprints all over it.

Frankie started practicing his skills at 10 years old at the neighborhood hardware store. All day long he would practice throwing a rubber ball against the wall, fielding it on the rebound. He continued to hone his skills, playing both Little League and Pony League baseball as a center-fielder. When the weather would turn cold, Frankie would turn to hockey. During the winter, he would walk to Edgerton Park with stick and skates to play on the frozen tennis courts.

In high school, Frank’s baseball skills earned him a spot on the Aquinas varsity baseball team as a first baseman. After high school, he went to MCC, where he continued to play and excel in his two favorite sports. After college, it would be softball that continued to benefit from Frank’s skills and talents. Frank’s major slo-pitch softball career spanned 15 years.

During this time, he played first base for three of Rochester’s greatest and most successful teams: Westside Merchants, Al’s Green and Mazzola’s. He played more than 125 games each season, including local league games as well as travel tournaments. Each year, his teams won most of their league championships. His tournament travels took him all over the country, winning an average of six-to-eight of the 12 tournaments they would play each season.

Frank has a way of taking winning or losing in stride. With either outcome, he always had a humble and appreciative satisfaction that found positives in both outcomes. No one displayed more grace and class then Frankie, either on or off the field. When Frankie hung up his spikes for the last time, he was described as the perfect teammate, a player’s player, a coach’s dream, and to those who knew him best – a great friend!

Birth Place
Tupper Lake, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Jack spent his young years in Henrietta in the Rush Henrietta school system. His high school years were split between Rush Henrietta and Tupper Lake. After high school, Jack enrolled at Monroe Community College to further his education. Upon graduating, Jack worked for more than 20 years at McCurdy’s and the B. Forman Company as a buyer. Today, he can be found at the Pittsford School District working as a bus driver and at the Home Depot.

Family Background
Jack was born in Tupper Lake, NY on August 3, 1955, to parents, John and Janet. He has five siblings: Bob Rossi, Pam Ireland, Carla Pointer, Trina Goodrich, and Kara Condon. Jack and his wife, Debbie, have three children: Andrea, Jaclyn, and Erica.

Biography
Jack has always been drawn to baseball. He played the sport at Rush Henrietta and Tupper Lake in the early 1970’s. However, his true calling was to be an official. While coaching his children in sports it was suggested to Jack that he become an official. Jack took the suggestion and started his umpiring career, first, with the RDUA as a Blue shirt ASA umpire, and later as a Red shirt USSSA umpire. He was named Rookie of the year in 2001 when he joined the RDUA association.

Jack has worked every level of the game at every venue in the Rochester area. It is not uncommon for him to run from a girls’ fast-pitch game to a boys’ baseball game, and then finish up the night umpiring senior softball. Jack is known for being a consistently objective umpire with a good understanding of the game. He is able to control a game without appearing to control the game. On the rare occasions that he feels he made a mistake, he has the humility and grace to talk with the players involved, admit it, and move on.

In addition to working between the lines with softball and baseball, Jack spends his Fall Season officiating high school football. Jack continues today to be one of the most active and respected officials in the Rochester area.

Birth Place
Brockport, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Chick attended Benjamin Franklin High School in Rochester, NY. He was employed at Bausch & Lomb.

Family Background
Chick has four children, all daughters: Wendy, Tracy, Christine, and Holly.

Biography
Chick Palmer was born on May 27, 1932 in Brockport, NY. Chick was a softball player from 1956 to 1970. He played in both the Major Slo-pitch leagues and Major Industrial leagues with Bausch & Lomb. The B&L teams he played on were considered the best in class for many years in the 1960’s. He played on six Major Industrial World tournament teams with B&L. The title years were:

• 1961 Louisville, KY
• 1962 Toledo, OH
• 1964 Jones Beach, NY
• 1965 Detroit, MI
• 1967 Jones Beach, NY
• 1968 Stratford, CT

Later in his career, he decided to umpire more as opposed to playing the game he loved. He eventually transitioned to all umpiring. Since he performed so well over the years as a player and understood the game, umpiring made a good fit. He umpired for 36 years overall.

For 13 years, Chick was the ASA Metro Rochester Umpire in Chief. He was the crew chief for the Pro Slo-pitch league and was on the board of directors for the Rochester District Umpires Association (RDUA). He umpired several Major Slo-pitch tournaments all over the country, including:

• 1971 Parma, OH
• 1972 Jacksonville, FL
• 1976 Chattanooga, TN
• 1977 Parma, OH

Charles “Chick” Palmer was an excellent player, great umpire, and most importantly, a good person representing the game.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Doug attended Aquinas High School and graduated in 1945. He served in the US Navy for 22 years and retired. He worked for Eastman Kodak for 23 years and retired in 1991.

Family Background
Doug and his wife Verna have two children, Deborah and Karen, and two grandchildren, Rachael and Chelsea.

Biography
Doug has officiated baseball, softball, and slo-pitch softball for over 42 years. His first seven years he officiated in the US Armed Forces. He then officiated 32 years with the Rochester District Umpires Association (RDUA) and four years with the 44 Blue Umpires Association.

While a member of the Executive Committee of the RDUA, he played an integral role in the merger of two rival umpire associations. The merger provided for a higher caliber officiating at all levels of competition.

Doug has umpired Little League, high school, American Legion, college, and Major softball tournaments in the city. In 1990, he umpired in the NYS Public High School Athletic Association State Baseball Tournament. In 1996, he officiated in the Monroe County Senior Games, as well. Doug has also volunteered many hours of service, umpiring for community non-profit health-related organizations.

Doug is well-respected among many area players for his services, as well as the manner he provided those services. He is a good person and a great human being.

Biography
Yazoo City, MS
1945

Educational & Professional Background
At the young age of 18, James moved to Rochester, NY. After arriving in Rochester, James held positions with several area employers, such as Pfaulders, Kodak, and General Railway Signal. In the early ‘70s, he began working for the City of Rochester, where he retired in 2001.

Biography
In his 30 plus years of umpiring, James Kimble has umpired with some of the best umpires. He learned many things about being an umpire from some who are no longer with us, like Tommy Castle and Tony Coco. He is one of the four Kimble brothers in Rochester, who have umpired for USSSA umpire organizations.

James started umpiring with the Metro Umpires Association, which was the original USSSA umpires group. In 1998, James joined the Sports Officials of the Rochester Area (SORA) to continue his USSSA umpiring experience. He has been able to travel all over the country to umpire USSSA events, including several World Tournaments.

James has worked at Disney for the last five years, umpiring all levels of World Tournament play, including the Men’s B, C, D, and E Divisions, as well as the Women’s B and C Divisions. James has also worked the Military World Series and the Black American World Tournament several times. He gets the most enjoyment out of his time traveling with other members of SORA and the great friendships he has made with umpires and directors from all over the country, especially John Hart and Rick Robertson.

James would like to thank the USSSA from the bottom of his heart for the nomination and induction into the RSA Hall of Fame.

Birth Place
Holly Bluff, MS
January 1, 1943

Educational & Professional Background
Charlie graduated from Yazoo City High School. After high school, he went on to the New York State Welding Institution. Charlie was employed by SPX Corporation, and after 27 years of service, he retired in 2002.

Family Background
Charlie was born on January 1, 1943, to parents John and Martha Kimble. His brothers and sisters include: Ivory, Joe Sr., Ike, Thenia, Thomas, John, Anne, Lilly Mae, Lonny, Sam, and James.

Charlie has four children: Curtis, Sabrina (Richardson), Wanda (Varnado), and Lawrence.

Biography
Charlie has many accomplishments as a sports official:

• Section V Football for 34 years
• RCC Section V Executive Committee Member for 10 years
• Football official for the Eddie Meath All-Star Football Game in 1990, 1992, and 2000
• Football Official of the Year in 1991

Charlie was given a NYS Merit Award, as well. Another great honor for Charlie was his 2010 induction into the Hall of Fame for officials.

Birth Place
Hamilton, ON, Canada

Educational & Professional Background
Paul Louis Conley moved to Rochester at a young age and attended John Franklin High School, where he was a four-sport star in baseball, basketball, soccer, and wrestling. He then attended MCC and became their Hall Of Fame’s first 3-sport inductee in baseball, basketball, and soccer. He was an All-American goalie on their 1965 NJCAA National Championship team. He then attended St. John Fisher. He has just joined Xerox after working at Kodak, IBM, and Hewlett Packard.

Family Background
Paul and his wife Ethel reside in Rochester. They have two children: Phoebe Angela and Paul Ramon (“Chipper”).

Biography
Paul played two years of winter baseball in Puerto Rico for the Pirates organization. He was a 5-time All-Star centerfielder in the Kodak Fast Pitch League and the same for the Kodak team in the IMC League. He was a 2-time batting champ and 5 times All-Star in the Liga Alomar/Clemente Softball League. As a college baseball umpire, Paul spent 30 seasons with CBUA, ECAC, and NCAA. He was also an alternate umpire for the International League. He was Clinic Chairman for IAABO 60 high school basketball for 18 years and was the United Sports Board Council for LAABO Board 60 to negotiate contracts for high school sports in Section Five. Paul was voted Basketball “Official of the Year” and received the Jim Uhly Unsung Hero Award. Also, Paul spent many seasons umpiring softball and later scheduling for the umpire’s association.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Education
St. Peter’s Grammar School Madison High

Family Background
Frances Children: Vincent (Marie) Thomas, Francine (Ron)

Biography
Vincent J. (Vinney) Cimino was born in Rochester on 1/15/32. He attended St. Peter’s Grammar School and Madison High. He has been married for 61 years to his wife, Frances. They have 3 children – Vincent (Marie), Thomas, Francine (Ron) – 4 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Vinney served in the US Air Force from 1951 to 1955. He was Captain of a bowling team in those years. He also played and managed softball during that span. In 1968, he helped the USSSA get started in Rochester. His umpiring career spanned 45 years, from 1955 to 2000. Vinney assigned umpires throughout Monroe County for those 45 years. Since Vinney is rather shy about his successes.

Part of an endorsement letter from Gates Deputy Town Supervisor Frank Allkofer is as follows: “I have always found Mr. Cimino to be professional in every aspect of the sport. He was an excellent official who always handled the most challenging and difficult leagues and teams. The teams always had the utmost respect for Mr. Cimino. He was an excellent assignor of officials, and his duties covered 7 days a week. Mr. Cimino was a valuable asset to the overall success of the leagues. I wholly endorse and support Mr. Cimino’s induction into the RSA Hall of Fame.”

Coming soon!

Birth Place
Sodus, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Alan attended Sodus Central High School and then graduated from SUNY Brockport and Fresno State. He worked in the Monroe County Probation Department and retired in 2002.

Family Background
Alan and his wife Gail have three children. He has a brother, Jeffery, and parents, Theodore and Doris.

Biography
Alan played four years of high school soccer and baseball. He also won the Class B Sectionals for Sodus Central in 1965.

Alan has five All World team appointments:

• 2000 ISSA
• 2002 ISF
• 2005 ISSA
• 2006 ISF
• 2009 Senior Games in San Francisco

He made two All Tournament team appointments in 2002, Syracuse and again in Dorchester, ON, CA.

Alan is an excellent all-around team player who always gives 100% effort in his play.

Coming soon!

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Edison Tech and R.I.T. Worked at Bausch & Lomb from 1959-1980 and Kodak from 1980 until retirement in 2000

Biography
Augie Billitier was born in Rochester, NY, on 7/6/1938 to Michael and Carmella. Augie attended Edison Tech and R.I.T. He worked at Bausch & Lomb from 1959-1980 and Kodak from 1980 until retirement in 2000. Augie played for B&L for 11 years as they won 7 industrial tournaments. He played for Rochester’s senior travel teams from 1994 to 2012. He played with two teams in South Florida: The 65-year-old category Cougars from 2009-2011 who won the winter national championship in 2009, and the 70-year-old Barracuda’s from 2011 to 2012. The former team was the winter national champions in 2009. The latter team was the 2011 Winter National Champs and 2012 National Runner up. Augie was named to the 2012 All-Tournament Team. At Edison, he was an All-Scholastic in baseball and basketball.

Ragu is one of the first teams to travel to tournaments around the USA. The team, with many players who are now in the RSA Hall of Fame, traveled to Toledo, OH, for the first ASA World Tournament. Then, they were one of the first teams to cross the line from ASA to USSSA, which lead to USSSA titles. Ragu won many Rochester area titles. They started their history as N&S Auto.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Whitey attended Ben Franklin High School in Rochester, NY.

Family Background
Whitey is married to Sandy and has two sons, Tony and Jason, and seven grandchildren.

Biography
Whitey has been associated with slo-pitch softball for over 30 years either as a player or sponsoring major players in the game. In his playing days, he covered 1st base and pitched. Later on, he moved to managing and then became one of the area’s best softball sponsors. Through his many friendships, Whitey was able to secure top quality players and build a highly competitive team.

His teams were made up of young guns in the game that proved to be over time great successful players, Rick Palmero, Jr. Twist, John Demo, and others. These teams were highly aggressive and displayed a great defense to make up for their lack of power hitting. They won many local tournaments and then started traveling to great tournament sites around the country. Their style of softball was respected and not to be taken lightly or Proietti’s would win out over their opponents.

Great or good teams need the money and other support to be successful in the game, especially traveling to tournament sites around the country. Expanding their recognition beyond local boundaries was an important factor that drew quality players. Proietti’s was one of those sponsors, like Al’s Green Tavern, Mazzola Insurance that loved the game and supported their players financially to showcase their abilities.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Gary attended Irondequoit High School in Irondequoit, NY. Gary worked in, and then later owned, the family hardware store and a ski/sports shop for many years.

Family Background
Gary and his wife Pam have three children: Glenn, Douglas, and Karin.

Biography
Gary started playing baseball in the Baltimore Orioles organization in the Florida State & Appalachian league farm system during the mid-1960s. He ended his softball career in 1998. He is most proud of hitting a rare back-to-back, father and son (Glenn) home run feat in Steamboat Springs, CO.

Gary was a member of several outstanding area major teams over the years, including Al’s Green Tavern, Brenton Motors, Hegedorn’s, and Ragu Foods. Gary was a valued player and played a critical role in the success these teams had both in and out-of-town tournaments. He went on to sponsor both men and women world tournament teams and other local teams, as well. In 1972, the Muxworthy women’s team brought home a USSSA World Championship.

Today, Gary is still involved in sports. He is the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Buffalo Sabres, Rochester Branch.

Patrick resided in Ontario, NY, and was a positive and inspirational influence in all the endeavors he pursued. Patrick sponsored men’s, women’s, and youth softball for over 40 years. He was a USSSA supporter since 1969. His teams won numerous NITs and National Championships.

Since 1991, his men’s softball teams had played on the Major Tournament circuits, which included AA-A and Major teams. The men’s team that Patrick sponsored had always been nationally ranked in the top 20. His men’s teams won 19 World Championships – senior 6 times and black 13 times – which is unprecedented in the history of any association. The women’s team had also been ranked as one of the top 10 ‘A’ teams that had won more than 2000 games. His teams were very well respected.

Patrick’s fierce competitiveness in business and his love for sports, which included car racing, softball, and Notre Dame football, is reflective in his team’s drive and determination to succeed. Pat passed away in 2012 and the Rochester slo-pitch scene will sorely miss him.

Bill played for and sponsored slo-pitch teams from the 1950’s to the 1980’s. His teams played in the Bayview Major League, traveled to many tournaments in the Eastern US, and won many titles at Edgerton. His Paddock Restaurant became a meeting place for many teams.

Birth Place
Webster, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Bruce Hegedorn graduated from Webster High School in 1945. He earned a BS degree from Springfield College.

In 1953, Bruce and his wife Mary opened their food market store in Webster on “The Ridge”. It did not take them long to be successful and realize their dream of expanding the family business that Bruce’s father Clifford started back in 1936. In 1958, and again in 1963 and 1968, their little corner store expanded and today employs nearly 200 friendly people with superb neighborly service.

Family Background
Bruce and Mary have four children: Shari, Brian, Lindsey, and Dana. They have eight grandchildren.

Biography
Hegedorn’s Market softball team sponsorship has been around the Rochester area as far back as the early 1960s. They started sponsoring softball teams in Webster and Ontario and then moved to the Major Leagues at Bayview Stadium and Cobbs Hill Park.

Hegedorn’s has always had some of the best players in the area and were very competitive against the other major teams at the time, including Al’s Green Tavern, Mazzola’s Insurance, and Pace Electronics. Their players were very loyal largely due to the sponsor’s support and love of the game.

“Hometown Proud” is declared on the sign out front and in the walkway of Hegedorn’s Market. Hegedorn’s backs this up through involvement in just about every community organization in town. A high priority for Hegedorn’s has always been to give back to the community. They have helped in so many ways, from selling tickets to a high school production, providing funding for the high school stadium lights, sponsoring both girls and boys summer softball programs through the Webster Athletic Association, or just collecting food for the Webster Community Chest.

Continued support and loyalty over time, and not necessarily by victories or championships won, is how a great sponsor is measured. Hegedorn’s is such a sponsor.

Yet another team with future Hall of Famers. As pioneers in slo-pitch, they won various titles and traveled to tournaments around the Eastern United States. They then became Huther’s and we’re coached by Bill Huther. Their winning ways then continued for another few years. They will be forever linked to the lore that was Bayview.

This was also one of the pioneer travel teams in the Rochester area but only played in the Bayview Major League one year, 1963. Their founder and first manager was Charlie White. That team won the City Title, Mid-Atlantic Title, and went to the World Tournament. The team had many future Hall of Famers on it.

Coming soon!

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Denny was born in Rochester, NY on November 25, 1950. He attended Jefferson High School, graduating in 1969. Denny earned an Associate’s degree from MCC and a Bachelor’s degree from Brockport State. Denny recently retired after 30 years of service with General Motors Corporation.

Family Background
Denny is married to Carm. He and his sister Kathy established the John Warren Foundation in honor of their brother, RSA & USSSA NYS Hall of Famer, John Warren.

Biography
Denny started playing slo-pitch softball in 1965 for Delta Electric and then moved up to the softball Major leagues at an early age, playing with Mazzola Insurance, Al’s Green Tavern, Pace Electronics, Wintonaire, and Crest Lounge.

During this early period, and for about 20 years, he also played for Rochester Products in the IMC Industrial League. In 2000, he started playing senior softball for JWF/UAW, Genny Light, Perna Homes, RallyTime Sports, and Prince George’s.

Denny has three World Championship titles: 1977, 2002, 2005. He has two Industrial Eastern States Titles: 1982 & 1983. He has appeared in three USSSA World Series tournaments: 1975 & 1977. He also has two All World appointments, both in 2002 at ISSA and again at the LVSSA Tournament.

In 1974, Denny was appointed Co-MVP at the Niagara Falls Tournament and made team defensive players in the ISF 2005 Tournament. Denny has been a great player over his career, both defensively by being able to play many positions well and offensively by hitting to all fields with both power and average. Besides his playing ability, his dedication to organized slo-pitch softball in the Rochester area and helping others in need is unmatched. Denny Warren is a great player and a person with heart.

Coming soon!

Birth Place
Pittsburgh, PA

Biography
Elected USSSA National Hall of Fame:
November 1980, San Francisco, CA
November 1981, Freeport, Bahamas

Taccone, who earned All-World Honors in 1973 in Detroit, MI, and in 1974 in Pinole, CA, was a member of the Mazzola-Castle team that won the World Series in 1977 in Petersburg, VA.

A big man who tipped the scales at over 300 pounds, Taccone also played for Roger’s Inn, Al’s Green Tavern, Pace Electronics, Mazzola Insurance, and the Dupont Industrial team. Taccone compiled a .500+ lifetime batting average and belted over 600 home runs in USSSA play. Frank also recorded over 200 wins as a pitcher in national play.

Coming soon!

Biography

Before becoming one of the area’s top softball players, Mike was an All-City Catholic League selection in baseball and basketball while playing for legendary coach Ed Nietopski at Cardinal Mooney High School. While at Mooney, he set a school scoring record in basketball with 42 points in a single game.

Shoniker went onto Monroe Community College, where he continued to play both sports. He earned All-Region honors in baseball for the Tribunes, while leading them into the National Junior College Division 2 World Series. His exploits earned him a Division I baseball scholarship to Florida International University.

While playing for a variety of teams, including Pace, Masters Del, Pace/Bootlegger, and Marlen Floor, Shoniker earned All-World honors three times. His best season was 1987 when he was named MVP of the Class AA World Series in Chattanooga, Tenn., after leading Pace/Bootlegger to the title.

Shoniker batted first or second in the lineup for most of his career, and finished with a career average around .650. He has been officiating high school and college basketball for more than 35 years. He was selected by the New York State Basketball Coaches Association as “Official of the Year” for Section V in 1994. He earned similar honors from the IAABO Board 60 in 2016.

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Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational Background
Max attended Irondequoit High School. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Geneseo State and his Master’s degree from Brockport State. He taught in the Greece Central School District for 38 years and retired on April 1, 2010. Awards given to students in his name include:

• Coach Max Softball Scholarship (Brockport High)
• Max Robertson Honorary Award (Arcadia Middle School)
• Max Robertson Excellence in Art (Greece Central School District)

Family Background
Parents, Paul and Doris Robertson. Max was one of three children: brother, Scott, and sister, Linda. He and his wife Kathy have two daughters: Katie and Corey (Johnson). They have five grandchildren.

Biography
Max got his start in baseball by being the bat boy for the 1966 International League Champion, Rochester Red Wings. He was an All-County high school as an Irondequoit High School baseball player.

Max began his slo-pitch career by playing for Bob Hyatt Stereo in 1968. Among his many awards include:

• 1975 Class C World Championship MVP (Gaze Real Estate)
• 1977 Class A World Champions (Castle/Mazzola)
• 2004 50AA World Champions (Gubiotti)
• All-World in 1975, 1981, & 1988 (most home runs)
• Played in 34 World Tournaments
• World Runners-up in 1973 Class B, 1981 Class B, and 2005 50AAA
• All National team for 60 and over, 2010

Max was also presented with the Peter Castle Humanitarian Award in 1985.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational Background
Peter attended Aquinas HS. He graduated from Lafayette College in 1961.

Family Background
Wife, Deborah.

Biography
Over the years, perhaps no one has exemplified the courage of competition better than Peter Pavia. In 1956, he captained the Aquinas HS basketball team. Peter attended Lafayette College, where he played from 1958 to 1961. Peter was a top-notch basketball official both in the college and professional ranks. Peter officiated the 1986 NCAA Division I Championship game in Dallas, TX.

Peter played for Al’s Green Tavern in many ASA National Softball Championships over the years in Detroit and Toledo. He started his slo-pitch softball career with the outstanding World Tournament Ragu team. He was a fleet-footed outfielder with excellent baseball sense and strong competitive spirits, as well as a team player who exemplified true sportsmanship on the field and was a good human being off the field. He’s been acknowledged through his work with Camp Good Days. Peter is no longer with us. He left behind his wife Deborah, but his spirit lives on.

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Birth Place
Puerto Rico

Educational & Professional Background
Noe attended a boy’s high school in Brooklyn, NY.

Family Background
Pipa has three children — two sons, Noe Jr. and Joel, and a daughter, Sonia.

Biography
Pipa started his career playing fastpitch in 1972, and upon moving to Rochester in 1997, he began playing slo-pitch in the Puerto Rican League. He continued to play in this league for 33 years. During that time he also played for the Loft, Scutti Pontiac, Avon Ford, Polo’s, Scotts/Pace, Legends, Gubiotti’s, and Max Spice.

Pipa continues to pitch today for PACE with whom he has won numerous individual awards and five World Titles and been selected to several All-Tournament Teams. Pipa would like to thank Polo, Mike Grace, and especially Pat Kehoe for their support and friendship over the years. He is very appreciative of being honored as the first Hispanic inducted into the RSA Hall of Fame.

Birth Place
Syracuse, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Glen attended Eastwood High School in Syracuse, NY, and graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Engineering.

Family Background
Glenn has three children, two daughters, Lori Maria and Beth Ann, and one son, Glenn Joseph, and nine grandchildren.

Biography
Glenn’s softball career covered 18 years and was split between the junior and senior divisions. He played in the junior division from 1965 to 1978 and a senior group from 1988 ending in 1992. He played on several area major softball teams, Briton Motors, Pace Electronics, Mazzalo Insurance, Mazzola – Castle, Al’s Green Tavern, and Uniroyal of Detroit. Glenn “Ike” Eichelberger was considered a power hitter with consistency, and a .610 lifetime batting average.

An outfielder, catcher, and pitcher, he played in a dozen National & World tournaments, including four World Series Tournaments, Petersburg, Virginia, Rochester, New York, Wyandotte, Michigan, and Pinole, California. He played on the Mazzalo – Castle World Champion team in 1977. This outstanding player was one of the toughest outs in the game, and was named to four “All World Teams”. He was inducted into the USSSA National Hall of Fame in 1983, Greater Syracuse Sports HOF in 1995, USSSA New York State HOF in 2004, and is a member of the USSSA All-World Team, 1970s decade.

Birth Place
Newark, NJ

Educational & Professional Background
Mike graduated from Irvington High School in Newark, NJ and attended Ocean City Jr College and Ithaca College for his secondary education. He taught physical education at Gates-Chili High School for 36 years.

Family Background
Mike is married to Maureen. He has three children, daughter Abby and sons Mike and Peter.

Biography
While attending Ocean County Jr. College in New Jersey he lettered both years in four sports, and twice being selected “Male Athlete of the Year”. While at Ithaca he lettered in basketball. He began his slo-pitch softball and coaching career during his senior year of college.

Upon graduation in 1971, he moved to Rochester where he taught physical education at Gates-Chili High School. Over the next 36 years he became a very successful high school (Gates Chili) and college (Nazareth & Canisius) basketball and softball coach. Mike played for the best teams in the area, Pace Electronics, Mazzola Insurance, Peterson Sporting Goods, Mazzola-Castle Insurance, Rochester Zeniths/Express, Prince George’s, Rochester Legends (40’s, 50’s, & 55’s) Shamrock Jack’s and currently with the Rochester Legends 65’s.

During this period, he was involved in two World Tournament Championships, the Mazzola-Castle Team USSSA winners in 1977 and the Pro World (APSPL) Championship Title in 1980. He has played in numerous other tournaments around the country as well. Mike is a solid player as either a pitcher or first baseman with good defensive skills and above average hitting ability to all fields with power to go deep.

He is a loyal team player and true sportsman in the game. This RSA induction is Mike’s fourth “Hall of Fame” honor.

Biography
Born on April Fool’s Day in 1951 to Peter and Beulah Clement in Canandaigua, NY, Dennis “Dutch” Clement married Ellie, and they have two children, Brad and Gina. At Canandaigua H.S., he was a three-sport star, excelling at football, baseball (tryouts with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia), and bowling (209 and 211 averages). After graduation, he worked at Eastman Ko dak (33 years) and played for its IMC softball team from 1973 to 1982. “Dutch” was a major contributor during that period helping his team win the Eastern States Championship. He was named MVP for those games. Besides his achievements at Kodak, Dennis played in the Canandaigua recreational leagues from 1970-2001. Known as a long ball hitter with an exceptional and accurate arm, he played 6 years in the Rochester slow pitch major leagues for several of the most successful teams including Al’s Green Tavern, Peterson’s Sports, Mazzola Ins., and Muxworthy’s.

Biography
Ron was born in September 1949 to Frank and Virginia Bianchi. One of seven, he attended No. 17 school and Madison High School. He attended MCC and the Rochester Fire Academy. He was a member of the Rochester Fire Academy for 33 years, before retiring in 2009. Ron has participated in several recreational sports activities including golf, basketball, football, and senior softball. As a major contributor to his Firemen’s teams, he has been named several times to All-Tournament and League MVP teams.

The team started playing USSSA slo-pitch in the late 1960s under several different team names. Managed by Joe Nucci, they made it to their first Men’s Major World Series as Pace Electronics in 1974, where they went 2-2 and finished in third place in Pinole, CA.

The following year, they reached the World Series again, this time in Rochester. Playing that year under the sponsorship of Mazzola Castle, they finished with a 0-2 record. The games were played at Silver Stadium, where Tom Miller of Sol Mintz hit the longest home run ever, clearing the scoreboard in left-center. The ball was measured to have gone more than 500 feet and is on display at the USSSA National Hall of Fame.

In 1977, Mazzola Castle made it to their third and final World Series in Petersburg, VA. They went 4-1 and won the championship over the heavily favored Snyder’s Softball Club. Several members of the team were named All-World, including Dick Rogers, Doug Farrell, Rick Palmieri, and Andy Santillo. Jerry Laspanara was named the tournament MVP and Nucci was the winning manager.

Birth Place
Boston, MA

Educational & Professional Background
Gene attended East High School in Rochester, NY. He graduated in 1964. He attended the Newhouse School of Journalism at Syracuse University. He currently lives in Houston, TX.

Biography
Gene really got interested in slo-pitch softball when his father took him to a game at Bayview Stadium. His first big game that he attended, as a spectator, was considered one of the greatest slo-pitch softball games played in Rochester history. It was a classic between two powerhouse teams at the time, Ragu and Al’s Green Tavern. Both teams were fighting for a City Championship at Bayview, and Ragu won a very close game 20-19.

Some years later, while working at the sports desk for the Rochester Times-Union, a cover story about a Breton Motor’s player named Ronnie LaRose and his team’s third place finish in the Toledo, OH tournament led Gene into his coverage of slo-pitch softball in Rochester. At the time, sports editor, Frank Cardon, wanted a story about softball and assigned Gene. This was the beginning of Gene’s coverage of softball in Rochester.

Gene wrote several softball articles over the years. Gene suggested writing a weekly column about softball, and Frank approved. The softball sports column was written until 1985 and covered many aspects of the game, players, teams, and tournaments, both locally and nationally.

In 1985, Gene moved to the Houston Post, covering the University of Houston. While working the sports desk, he was assigned to cover Heisman Trophy winner, Andre Ware. The Houston Post closed in April 1995, and Gene took a position at the Huntsville Times in Alabama, covering the University of Alabama.

Late in 2000, Gene moved back to Houston as a freelance reporter and covered the Astros, Rockets, and Texans teams. His career highlights include covering eight Final Fours, a World Series, a Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, two Major League All-Star games, most of the major bowl games, both a Summer and Winter Olympics, the Tokyo Bowl, numerous golf tournaments, and softball in Rochester.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Richard attended grammar school at #36 in Rochester, NY and graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School in 1955. He has worked in the bowling business at AMF Empire Lanes for 45 years.

Family Background
Richard and his wife Lucille have three children, daughters, Cheryl and Kim, and son, Rick. He also has a sister, Rosemary Petruzao, and parents, Louis and Susan.

Biography
Richard was great with handling players as good managers often are, especially when making sure all had enough playing time and understood their role as a player.

One great player who was coached by Dick was Frank Taccone. Here was a player who went from the coal mines of Pennsylvania to playing at Concord playground in the City of Rochester, and then to playing the Major Slow-pitch softball leagues and national tournaments, and then onto several halls of fames.

The fast pitch softball leagues are where Richard got his start playing for the great Bon Jon’s team. Later, he moved on to play slo-pitch softball for Culver Dodge, Militello Brothers, and Henco and Trimaldi’s. As a player/coach on the 1973 Henco team, he helped them to a third place finish in the Cincinnati, OH Worlds.

Managing the Trimaldi’s team, he guided them to several local championships. Richard’s biggest achievement, however, came in winning the 1971 City Major League Championship with Mazzola Insurance, at a standing room only Bayview Stadium against a great Al’s Green team. His team was up for the challenge and delivered. The “Little Cuban”, as he was called, was a true player’s manager and loved by all who played for him.

Educational & Professional Background
The Eastman Kodak Company

Family Background
Herb passed away in 1978 at the young age of 52.

Biography
Herb Jennings got his first taste of managing during his fastpitch career in the early 1950’s. At that time, he was pitching and managing the Hotel DeMay team. Four times, that team went to the city softball tournament finals. Unfortunately, three of those years they ended the tournament losing to the Kodak Park team.

After joining the company as an employee, Herb pitched for the Kodak Park team for four years. Although he was a very good pitcher, his best talent was his managing skills. Herb was picked to manage Kodak Park from the mid-1960’s until he retired at the end of the 1970 season.

Kodak Park dominated league play during those years. But what made his managing career so amazing was the “Kaypees” incredible success in tournaments. Kodak played some of the best teams from the U.S. and Canada in these tourneys. During Herb’s time managing the Park, they were undefeated on annual trips to Elmira and Ekland, Pennsylvania. They even won the prestigious Eastern States in his final year of managing.

Kodak had a great infield at the time, which included Hall of Famers Phil Argento and Tony Fedor, and an even better battery in starting pitcher Charlie Stogner and catcher John Nayman. When anyone tried to give Herb credit for his managing, he would reply, “You have to have the horses.”

Herb always kept his team organized and disciplined. Just watching this team taking pre-game infield practice was a thing of beauty, between the timing and precision. Herb always seemed to exactly know what to do in every situation. He even had the knack to know when to call an occasional trick play, most of which were successful.

Herb was a guy who loved the game. He had an unmatched understanding of fastpitch softball and its strategies and intricacies. He was loved and respected by all who played for him.

Educational & Professional Background
St. Augustine’s grammar school, The Aquinas Institute, and Maritime College. Worked as a firefighter for twenty years and retired in 1993.

Family Background
His sister Ann, brother Buck, wife Martha, and three kids: Amy, James, and Elizabeth.

Biography
Thomas (Boney) Delehant was born on October 22, 1949, to Mary and Joseph Delehant. Tom has one sister Ann and brother Buck. Thomas married his wife and love of his life, Martha, and together they have three children – Amy, James, and Elizabeth. Tom attended St. Augustine’s grammar school, The Aquinas Institute, and Maritime College. He worked as a Rochester Firefighter for 20 years and retired in 1993. Boney’s love for softball began in the early 1970s as a player and ended in the early 1990s as one of his era’s most respected individuals in softball. His greatest contribution is believed to be the formation of the Doubledays Blue team. This team would eventually produce several Hall of Fame players and compete on the national level. His teams were considered among the best teams in Rochester’s softball history. Tom Delehant passed away suddenly on November 18th, 1993.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational Background & Professional Background
Anthony attended Jefferson High School in Rochester, NY. He worked for Ritter Phaudler for 40 years.

Family Background
Anthony and his wife Violet have four children: Linda, Sharon, Gary, and Steve.

Biography
Anthony “Hammy” Barone started his slo-pitch softball career in 1959 by managing Santillo and Zona’s at Bayview Stadium in Rochester. Other notable teams he managed with great success included Ragu Food, N&S Auto, and Roger’s Midway. Over the years, he won several City of Rochester Championships with these teams.

They went on to represent Rochester in National Tournaments. Hammy managed some of the best teams and players in the Rochester area. Several RSA Hall of Fame members are on the list: Andy Santillo, Frank Taccone, Gary Kaiser, Fred Prince, Willie Sheppard, Don Corey, Charlie McKay, and Peter Pavia.

Educational & Professional Background
Frank Steffen attended schools in Honeoye Falls until 1940. He served in the U. S. Medical Corps in the South Pacific from 1942 to 1946. After the military, Frank worked at Bausch and Lomb, Ritter, and Kodak, where he spent 36 years until he retired in 1983.

Biography
He joined the Kodak Park team in the Major Fast Pitch League in 1962 at the age of 40. He played softball for 25 years at Gears Park until 1985. At the age of 58, he pitched Kodak to the 1980 City Title. He has played slo-pitch and still is – since 1983.

The youngest of the Mondo sons also followed suit. While starting off as the bat boy and learning from his older brothers, it didn’t take Rick long to make his impact. He began his playing career in 1968 at the age of 16 with Datagraphic. He went on to play for teams such as Burroughs, Amplaco, Gingellos, Blue Gardenia, Fireside, and the Garage Door. In 1977, Rick won the MVP in the ESI Regional Tournament. While batting .750, he led his team to the Philadelphia Industrial World Tournament.

Joe Sr. started his playing career in 1947 with the Phaudler Corporation of the Rochester Industrial Fastpitch League. During his 10 year reign at Phaudler, this speedy centerfielder was a defensive All-Star who led his team to multiple City Championships. Joe was his team’s leading hitter every year, and in 1952, he won the City Batting title while propelling his team to another championship. After enjoying a successful playing career he went to coach his four boys, Chuck, Carl, Joe, and Rick.

Growing up in his softball family, Joey was eager to emulate his family’s success. By the age of 12, he was an All-Star pitcher in the Kodak Park fastpitch leagues. His unique windmill style of pitching and change up were weapons the league had never seen. He is on record as being the only youth to throw a no-hitter in Kodak history, and during the 1984 season, he tossed two no-hitters.

By 1989, Joey had jumped right into slo-pitch softball, where he also enjoyed a great playing career. His league championships and tournament victories with TJ’s Plumbing and ArtWalk Tile are his most memorable. From 2003 to 2007, he coached Varsity softball at Greece Athena High School. Today, he is the Senior Softball Commissioner at McAvoy Park. Joey is a huge advocate for senior softball and his annual tournament, The Rochester Softball Classic, which has raised thousands of dollars for local charities.

The eldest of the sons, Chuck grew up playing many sports. While he excelled in baseball, bowling, and golf, his true passion was the game of softball. After graduating from Aquinas in 1958, Chuck went on to play for a number of local slo-pitch teams. During the ‘60s and ‘70s, Chuck played for Dynacolor, Skinnys, JM Forster, and Hardees. As a member of the JM Forster team, Chuck helped lead his team to victory in the 1960 State Championship, as well as the 1964 Black Label Championship in Toledo. He went on to play in world tournaments, as well as national tournaments all over the country.

For over a 30-year span, this brotherly combo played on some of Rochester’s premier teams, including Amiels, Datagraphic, Pepsi, Rochester Bakery, Colonial Realty, Henco, Proietties, Garage Door, and Lane Construction.

These two brothers grew up playing ball on the Carter Street playground, but by the mid ‘60s, they had moved to Edgerton Park, Densmore, and Basil Field. In 1968, their young Datagraphic team won the City Gauss Tournament and that was only the first of many titles to come. Throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, they played ball at Bay View, Cobb’s Hill, and McAvoy Park, with and against some of the area’s finest major teams.

Whether it was competing locally or playing in tournaments around the country, the Mondo boys were always fierce competitors. They prided themselves on the fundamentals of solid pitching and superb defense. With Carl manning the infield and Joe on the mound, this duo was not only extremely competitive, they were extremely tough to beat.

For well over 60 years, the Mondo name has become synonymous with Rochester Softball. Starting with Joe Mondo Sr. in the 1940’s, this softball family has branched down through four generations. The Mondo’s have played on some of Rochester’s premier teams and have competed in tournaments all over the country. Their dedication to Rochester softball has become a family affair and their love for the game is unmatched.

Founder of the historic “Roberto Clemente League.” More coming soon!

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Richard attended Jefferson High School, where he earned All-City honors in baseball and was second-team All-City in football. Rich worked at Gleason’s for 35 years and retired in 2004.

Family Background
He was one of 3 children born to Dick and May Rago. He has one sister, Barbara Ippolitto, and a brother, Thomas Rago. He and his wife, Carolyn, have been married 47 years. They have two children, Richard and Lisa.

Biography
While at Gleason’s, he played for their softball team, and they went to 3 Industrial World Tournaments. He went to many other World Tourneys while playing for great teams such as Al’s Green Tavern, Pace Electronics, Mazzola’s, and the Rochester Legends. He is a member of the Rochester Softball Hall of Fame and ARA Hall of Fame. An all-around athlete, he played basketball, football, and baseball at Jefferson. He was named to the All-City team in baseball and was second-team All-Scholastic in football.

Biography
Brockport, NY

Educational Background
Ken attended Rochester Public School #41 and then graduated from John Marshall High School. At JMHS, he was President of the Student Association in 1962 and a member of the National Honor Society that same year. Ken then went on to Lekester Jr. College and RIT.

Family Background
Ken was born in Brockport, NY, on March 5th, 1944. He is the son of William and Harriet Mundt and is one of eleven children. He is married to his wife Dorothy and together they have raised three children: Michelle, Tiffany, and Kenneth.

Biography
At an early age, Ken was recognized for his athletic ability when he was awarded MVP honors in his 1954 Little League, and the following year, making the Little League All-Star Team. During his time at John Marshall HS, he was named Captain of both the football and wrestling teams for 3 years. Like most young people at the time, he played in the KPAA League and played well enough to help win the 1957 Championship. Ken was a late bloomer when it came to slo-pitch softball and mostly played in the senior leagues at McAvoy Park.

In 2009, his big chances came at the Akron, Ohio Buckeye Classic, and the Can-Am Tournaments, when the Rochester Classics recruited him. They won both tournaments. In 2010, he played for Bathtub Bill’s, where he helped them win the Northern Championships. In 2011, he helped his team to a third-place finish in the Tournament of Championships, and again that year, he helped Athletic Outlet to a Silver Medal in the National Senior Games. For both of these teams, he was awarded All-Tournament Player Award 3 times.

Educational & Professional Background
Jim Kraus went to John Marshall High School and SUNY Brockport, where he received his BA and MALS. He taught for 29 years in the Rochester City School District as an English and reading teacher. He also worked at the YMCA of Greater Rochester for 14 years.

Biography
Jim’s softball career has been both as a player and manager. In the 1970s, he managed a city recreation team. He has played and managed teams, such as Flaherty’s, The Boulevard Grill, Bay Front, and Merchant’s Grill at McAvoy Park, from 1999 to the present.

Today, Jim travels with the Rochester Royals 70’s team. In May 2019, Jim hit a walk-off homerun to finish a three-game winning day for the Royals.

Jim has always been active in the community, having served as President of the Brockport Student Government, as well as Chairperson of both the R.T.A. Legislative Political Action Committee and L.D. Democratic Party.

Jim continues to give back to the community by being an instructor at Oasis. He teaches mature adults a wide variety of courses including: Frank Sinatra, LBJ, Baseball in the ‘50s and ‘60s, Western movies, female vocalists, immigration, and Lewis and Clark. Jim enjoys traveling and has visited many Major League ballparks.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational Background
Dave attended Monroe High, SUNY Brockport (1967), and Nazareth College.

Family Background
Dave and his wife Jennifer have two children, Taylor and Riley.

Biography
Dave was born in Rochester, NY in 1946. He lettered in football, basketball, and track at Monroe High. He received his Master’s degree from Nazareth and taught social studies at Rush Henrietta, where he coached modified girls’ soccer, boys’ cross country, and girls’ varsity track. He retired in 2001, after serving 34 years.

Dave played senior softball for 15 years. Not only has he served as captain of his team, but he also served as league director and was a travel team organizer. His commitment to softball earned him the prestigious John Warren Award.

Birth Place
Port Allegany, PA

Educational & Professional Background
Don attended John Bay #10 Grammar School and John Marshall High School. Now retired, Don’s employment totals 40 years of service which encompasses Kodak, Stromberg Carlson, Wegman’s, and the University of Rochester.

Family Background
Born to parents Linda and Don on April 29, 1947 in Port Allegany PA., Donald R. Beeley now resides in Penfield, Monroe County, along with his wife Linda and two children, Casey and Kelly.

Biography
Don has had many highlights in his sporting career. They are as follows:

• Sponsor of Beeley Popcorn slo-pitch team for 20 years
• Kodak Park pitcher from 1980 – 1985
• Kodak’s Industrial Tournament Champs in 1982
• Kodak’s Industrial Tournament 2nd place in 1983 and 1984
• Rochester City Tournament 1979
• Xerox B Division Champs as Beeley Popcorn 1980, 81, 82, and 84
• Finished 3rd in the World Tournament in Cleveland, OH, 1984

Other achievements include:

• Kodak President of NASCAR for 4 years
• 1979 Rochester City Bowling Champion
• Masters Bowling Champion in 1984 & 1990

Don umpired for over 40 years and was Rochester Umpire Rookie of the year in 1970 and awarded Umpire of the Year 1987 and 1995. Don retired from the RDUA (Rochester District Umpires Association) in 2010.

Birth Place
Cortland, NY

Educational Background
Mike graduated from Cortland High School and then moved to Rochester to attend R.I.T.

Family Background
Mike and his wife Beth have two children (Nathan and Scott) and seven grandchildren.

Biography
Mike was born in Cortland, NY in September 1958. After college, Mike played for several recreational softball teams, including Sage Rutty and GSP. He started his senior softball career in 2008.

While a good softball player, Mike is better known for his organization and management skills. He has managed or assisted in the management of several teams, including The Boulevard Grill, Monroe Gutter, and Argyle Grill.

Mike is currently the co-commissioner of the McAvoy Tuesday 55 League and a member of the RSA board. Mike is also a scratch bowler.

Birth Place:
Auburn, NY

Educational and Professional Background
Jordan Elbridge High School, Ithaca College. Went on to work at UPS for 31 years.

Biography:
Maureen Skovrinski, female slo-pitch player Mo was born in Auburn, NY – one of 6 children born to Adam and Miriam Skovrinski. She attended Jordan Elbridge High School near Syracuse and graduated in 1977. She then attended Ithaca College and graduated in 1981. Mo worked at UPS for 31 years before retiring in 2014. Mo is in the Jordan Elbridge Hall Of Fame. She played 4 years of basketball at Ithaca and was their Captain. She spent 10 years coaching girls’ soccer, volleyball, basketball, and softball. She coached several league champs and was named Coach Of The Year. Her softball career spanned 25 years. At Ithaca, Mo also played softball and was Captain of her team. When she turned to slow-pitch, she won numerous honors. She was a 4-time USSSA Regional All-Star and an ASA Regional All-Star. After moving to Rochester, she played 11 years in Rochester leagues with such teams as Wintonaire, Ronnie’s, John’s, Cal’s, and Kirby’s. Her league and tournament awards are many too many to list in the amount of space allowed. She has been selected for 4 All-World or All-National teams. Long time coaching opponent Duane McCoy calls Mo one of the 10 greatest players ever to play in the State of New York. “If each of the 10 positions were chosen for all-time players in New York, Mo would be the shortstop.” To further that point, Mo was inducted into the New York State USSSA Hall Of Fame in 2008.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational Background
Monroe Community College

Biography
Bonnie is a native of Rochester and worked at Xerox as a financial analyst for 29 years. In 1968, she was awarded the first Rush Henrietta Female Athletic Scholarship. She received All-Star, MVP, and All Round Athlete awards in high school. She has competed in many sports but has a love for softball and volleyball. She graduated from Monroe Community College in 1970 with a Liberal Arts degree and began her long standing professional career. In the 70’s she played for Messmer’s, Tommy’s Travelers, Kelly’s Tavern, and the Rochester Imperials, led by coach Lou Assenato. As captain and leadoff hitter, she played left-center field and earned numerous All-Star, MVP, and Golden Glove awards. Lou’s teams were all top contenders during the ’70s and as part of the 1975 Kelly’s Tavern All World Team. Kelly’s also defeated Stan’s Auto, the 73/74 defending World Champions that year and finished in 5th place, their best ever. Bonnie has had the privilege of playing for many other coaches and sponsors including: Duane McCoy (PACE), Lynne Miller (Butlers, Ridgehouse, and Playground Tavern), Bill Dunphy, and Carol Colombo. She has always been a consistent hitter with an on-base percentage of .450. Bonnie has accumulated more than 2000 lifetime career hits and is the all time leader in the Rochester area. She prides herself on her defensive ability, speed, and passion for the game. Bonnie has also coached/played both Softball and Volleyball for many years. Recently her Volleyball team won 5 Silver and 2 Bronze Medals at the Empire State Senior Games. Bonnie was inducted into the New York State USSSA Women’s Softball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Biography
A graduate of Webster Thomas High School, Mary Ellen attended the University of Southern California on a full athletic scholarship. She lettered in basketball for four seasons before graduating in 1982 with a degree in business administration. She then spent six seasons as an assistant basketball coach at the University of Rochester and earned her MBA at St. John Fisher College in 1989. After two years in a similar position with Southwest Texas State University, Mary Ellen returned to UR for one year before becoming the executive director of the New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association.

In 1999, she became the head basketball coach at Union College, where she has posted a 299-232 record, won two Liberty League regular season titles, and earned three ECAC invitations and one NCAA tournament berth. In 2011, she was named the first head coach of Union’s women’s golf program.

An outstanding softball player, Mary Ellen lists her game-winning hit in the 1977 championship game with Pace Electronics as the highlight of her playing career.

She is the daughter of Joan and Bob Burt.

Birth Place
Manchester, NY

Biography
Dubby Herman was one of the hardest throwers ever to pitch in Western NY. He had a blazing rise ball and tantalizing changeup. Dubby’s 30-year career began in the late 50’s and saw him win 1,002 games while losing 265 for a 79.1 winning percentage. He pitched 69 no-hitters and 16 perfect games. He pitched in 12 leagues in Rochester, Elmira, Buffalo, Syracuse, Oswego, Decatur, IL, Scranton, PA, and Lorraine, OH.

Dubby’s teams won eight ASA Metro Titles, two Eastern States Industrial Titles, and finished 2nd three times in the Mid-Atlantic Regional. He was named Most Valuable Pitcher in 21 invitational tournaments and Most Valuable Player three times. He was named to the All Regional team three times and was a league all-star 23 times. One of his greatest games was stopping the Poughkeepsie Brewers six-year winning streak in regional games by beating them 1-0 in 1973.

Several injuries caught up to Dubby by the end of 1987, and he retired from playing the game. However, he did not leave fastpitch. He became a pitching instructor and works with high school girls in the Rochester area.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
After graduating from White Plains High School, Gordon attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Gordon worked at Eastman Kodak for 27 1/2 years before retiring in 1991.

Family Background
He and his wife Mary Jane reside in Penfield.

Biography
Gordon is a veteran of many years in the Senior League in Brighton and McAvoy Park. He played in all the senior age brackets starting at 50 (night) and then graduated into day time ball—55, 60, 65,68. Gordon played many years in the Kodak Elmgrove and Penfield Open Leagues.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Billy “Loader” Conge was born in Rochester, NY on April 27, 1949. He graduated from Monroe High School in 1967, where he played both football and baseball. After high school, he continued his education at Monroe Community College, where he completed studies in the Recreation Leadership Program. Bill has worked in the City of Rochester Recreation Department for 27 years.

Family Background
Bill and his wife Raquel have two sons, Adam and Alex.

Biography
Bill started his softball career in 1964 as a KPAA manager in the youth softball program at Kodak. He was League Director for 20 years (1967-1987) in the City of Rochester Recreation Department’s women’s softball program at the Field Street Community Center.

From 1987 to 1992, he was League Director of the men’s softball program at the South Avenue Community Center. From 1989 to 1994, he worked with the NYS Special Olympics. In 1995, he worked in the Empire State Games women’s fast-pitch tournament.

At John Marshall High School, Bill coached both the freshman and JV teams to city championships from 1975 to 1977. In addition, Bill has coached, managed, and played on many local teams in both City, State, and National tournaments over the years. He is still playing senior slo-pitch softball today.

Bill has played multiple positions including catcher, first base, and pitcher. He has been affiliated with several area teams, such as Fireside Lounge, Hegedorn’s, Al’s Green Tavern, and Proietti’s. Bill was also a member of the Rochester District Umpires Association for over 10 years. Bill has been associated with slo-pitch softball for over 40 years, either as a coach, manager, or player. He has freely given back to the community through his work on the Special and Empire State Olympics, youth, women, and senior league support, and as an umpire. He is a true humanitarian and leader.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Carol Colombo attended Saint Agnes and Saint Joseph High School and graduated in 1953. She attended Nazareth Academy, RBI, and MCC. She earned a high school softball coaching certificate. She worked at Eastman Kodak for 28 years, retiring in 1991.

Biography
Carol began her softball career prior to graduation from high school by playing semi pro fast-pitch softball for Roy VanGraaflind’s TNT and Daw’s Drugs women’s teams. In 1953, she organized, managed, and played for the Security Trust Bank women’s softball team and won the league. She went on to play shortstop for Eastman Kodak from 1964 to 1968. She was a player/coach for Eastman Kodak from 1964 to 1968 in the IMC Eastern States tournament and placed second.

During a 10-year period between 1969 and 1979, she managed/coached the Al’s Green Women’s city team, which maintained a .800 winning percentage. In 1972, she was awarded the Sportsmanship Award at the Firecracker Tournament in Louisville, KY. She became the women’s World Tournament program chairperson, which was held in Rochester, NY, that year.

In 1975, she helped to lead the Al’s Green women’s team to a victory in the City Tournament and earned a berth to the Class B World’s in Beloit, WI. From 1976 to 1979, she managed the Eastman Kodak IMC Women’s team to victory in the City Tournament and the Eastern States in Wilmington, DE.

From 1979 to 1987, she managed the House of Trophies Women’s team and led them to a .850 winning percentage over eight years. She was also appointed Rochester Women’s Director for slo-pitch softball, assisting the USSSA men’s executive directors, Al and Frank Ciaccia.

Carol organized benefit softball games for Heather Farr LPGA golfer, Rochester area Red Cross, the RG&E community heating fund, and the Mary Cariola Children’s Center. In 1994, she received the Jean Giambrone Sportswoman of the Year Award. In 2005, she was inducted into the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Most recently, she was inducted into the USSSA NYS Hall of Fame in March 2008.

A great human being who has earned her way to recognition, not only through her playing and managing abilities, but by caring about people, as well.

Coming soon!

Birth Place & Family Background
Born in 1927, Charlie started playing softball as a kid with the Precious Blood Church and the YMCA boys league. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1945 and was stationed in Italy during World War II. He married his wife Jean in 1947. They were married for 61 years and had three children, Chuck, Cheryl, and Gary, six grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter. Charlie’s wife passed away in 2008.

Biography
Charlie was involved with fastpitch softball for 60 years, including 30 years as a pitcher playing for teams such as Mclouth Chevrolet, Rochester Antiques, Nagel Ford, and the Rochester Zeniths. He also played fastpitch in the KPAA noon-hour league and the Twilight League.

Charlie was also an outstanding table tennis player and enjoyed playing golf at Braemar Country Club. He also umpired high school baseball and girls slo-pitch softball at Kodak Park. He and Art Held helped build and maintain Gears Park. Because of Charlie’s outstanding contributions to fastpitch softball, he has been selected to receive the inaugural “Art Held Award”.

Bob started playing fastpitch softball with Cooks Liquor in 1946. At age 15, he pitched for the Dundee All-Star team against Shifty Gears. In 1948, he also pitched a game against Eddie Feigner (The King and His Court). In 1954, as a member of the 540th military police in Frankfurt, Germany, his team won the European Championship. On that team, Bob was the #2 pitcher. However, he played two other positions and batted .365 (second highest on the team). In the late 1950’s, Bob pitched in the Genesee Valley Church League. In 1960, he played in the Kodak league. From 1960 to 1970, he played in leagues on the state hospital grounds and at Gears Park.

While Bob had a storied career as a player, spanning over 50 years, he made even more significant contributions to Rochester sports as a sponsor of various teams. Bob started sponsoring teams in 1970. He sponsored women’s fastpitch teams, as well as men’s and women’s bowling and basketball.

It was in the role of sponsor that brought Bob and Art Held together. Shortly after meeting, Bob Hyatt’s Stereo became the major sponsor of the Art Held team. Because of Bob’s 50 years of playing and his significant sponsorship of fastpitch softball, the Rochester Softball Association selects Bob Hyatt as the 2018 recipient of the Art Held Award.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Billy attended Rush Henrietta High School in Rush, NY.

Biography
Upon completion of high school Bill was signed to a minor league contract and played in the Houston Astro organization from 1962-64 as a pitcher. His softball career covered over 30 years. He played on several area major softball teams, Jerry Earls, Pace Electronics, Mazzalo Insurance, Mazzalo – Castle, Al’s Green Tavern and the Rochester Zeniths Professional Slo-pitch Softball Team.

Bill was considered a left hand power hitter that could go “yard” to all fields. He played mostly at first base. He played in several National & World tournaments. He played on the Mazzalo – Castle World Champion team in 1977 and was named to the World team. He joined the Rochester Zeniths in 1978.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Family Background
Hank and his wife Arlene had one daughter and four sons. He passed away in 1992.

Biography
Hank was always involved in the game of softball, but his career took a giant step forward in 1953 when he founded the Industrial Softball League, comprised of six teams. In 1963, the Industrial Management Council asked him to coordinate an IMC-sponsored league.

By 1991, the league had grown to more than one-thousand men and women players representing 51 industrial teams in the Rochester area.

His leadership was instrumental in earning him a seat on the Board of Directors with the Eastern States Industrial Championship for 25 years, including a term as its president.

Earlier in his career, he helped form the Gates Recreation softball leagues. He chaired the organization for 25 years, and served on the Gates Recreation Commission for 30 years. His efforts inspired nearby communities to develop recreation softball leagues of their own.

Birth Place
East Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Jenny graduated from East Rochester High School.

Biography
Jenny started her playing career by pitching for the Rochester Fillarettes women’s’ hard ball team at the age of 15. When that team folded, she went on to play for various fast pitch teams and then joined the Fighting Green & Gold in 1971. Regarded as one of the greatest players ever to play the game, she won many league and team honors. Jenny was named to 10 All-Tournament teams as an All Star or MVP. She was captain of the FG&G in 1975 and ’76.

A great clutch hitter, especially in big games, Jenny had a .473 lifetime average with the FG&G topped off by a .515 average in 1973. Her slugging average was .908 that year and overall .769 for her career. When it came to the World Tournaments, her average ballooned to .616. The highlight of her career came in 1972 when she was named the MVP of the 1972 Women’s USSSA World-Tournament. She was a 3 time All-World player and was well on her way to her 4th such honor when she blew out her knee in the 1976 World Tourney. She was hitting .667 at the time for the undefeated Pace FG&G team. Jenny could play any position and had one of the most powerful and versatile arms ever seen in the girls’ game.

She could throw from her toes to over her head with equal ability – and the throws were hard. Coach Duane McCoy says of her: “Jenny was one of the greatest all-around players I have ever seen. She could play any position on the field and play it extremely well, and was a great hitter — especially in big games. She even won some games as a pitcher. The USSSA also noticed her exploits as Jenny was selected to be the first woman ever to be inducted into the USSSA Hall of Fame. Sadly and inexplicably, she was removed from nomination soon after when that organization found out she decided to have a sex change operation.

The RSSSA, by this Hall of Fame induction, and the NY State USSSA Hall of Fame, by inducting her into their Hall in the spring of 2010, have helped rectify this situation and have given her the honors she so richly deserves.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Biography
The man most credited with writing the USSSA rule book, Floyd was the first person inducted into the USSSA Hall of Fame in the umpire category. A native of Rochester, NY, Floyd was appointed as USSSA National Umpire-in-Chief in 1970. He established the National Umpire’s Clinic that was held annually in each division. He has traveled to numerous states conducting umpire clinics and promoting the USSSA umpire’s program.

Under Floyd’s direction, umpires’ registration increased from 1,000 to over 10,000. His continuing efforts have produced many benefits that are enjoyed by umpires serving in the program today.

In 1978, Floyd earned the USSSA executive board president’s award the same year that he was elected into the Hall of Fame. As Umpire-in-Chief, Floyd handled the administrative duties for the National Umpires Program. Each year, he has personally supervised the umpires assigned to the Softball World Series. Floyd has served as chairman and a key member of the National Playing Rules Committee. He has served on the Executive Board of the association for many years.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Family Background
Deceased September 6, 1999. John Warren and his wife Angela have two children, Tina and Andrea, and four grandchildren.

Biography
John Warren played, coached, and managed the Rochester/Express/Rochester Zeniths of the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL). He played on three world championship teams in 1977, 1980, and 1987 with Mazzola/Castle. He was also co-manager of Pace/Worth and ranked #1 in the Northeast for three years. He was inducted into the ARA (Adult Recreation Association) Hall of Fame for his lifetime achievements in sports.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational Background
Andy Santillo attended Jefferson High School in Rochester, NY.

Biography
A smooth fielding shortstop who led Mazzola Castle to the World Championship in 1977, Andy Santillo was inducted into the USSSA Hall of Fame in the Male Player Category in November 1991 in Las Vegas, NV.

His Mazzola team participated in the USSSA World Series four times between 1974 and 1977. Andy played in nine World Tournaments over ten years. He was named to the All-World Team three times in 1973, 1975, and 1977. He held a .599 batting average in World Tournament play.

While he was good in the clutch at-bat, it was Andy’s defensive skills that kept his team competitive. He compiled a .944 fielding percentage, with 1,941 putouts and 3084 assists out of 5,484 chances during his ten-year playing career. Andy compiled a .555 lifetime batting average.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Under Development

Family Background
Under Development

Biography
Under Development

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

More coming soon.

Birth Place
Renovo, PA

Educational Background
Frank attended St Joseph High School in Renovo, PA. He also attended RIT and the University of Rochester.

Family Background
Frank and his wife Lou are deceased, also his son Frank Jr. He has another son Rico.

Biography
Frank, “Van”, as his players call him, was around slo-pitch softball for over 50 years. He has sponsored many teams over this period in both the city and town recreation leagues and world tournaments. Al’s Green Tavern, under Van’s sponsorship, claimed 12 World Tournament titles and collected nearly 200 trophies from championships over the years.

Before his death, Frank, with help from some of his players, would attend his team’s games. Frank Vendette, a kind and charitable man, was truly a player’s sponsor and a great person.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational Background
Ange Sulli attended Ben Franklin High School in Rochester, NY.

Family Background
Ange is married to Loretta and has one son. Paul. They reside in the Greece area of Rochester.

Biography
Ange Sulli’s softball career is easily approaching a Guinness book record. It started when he joined the Major Industrial Softball League at Eastman Kodak in 1944. This was his first “official” league, having already played the game for years. He played twice a week with the majors, twice with other leagues, and still was able to play baseball with a semi-pro team, the Irondequoit Cardinals on Sundays.

He played baseball until 1965 and continued his involvement with the Kodak leagues even after retiring in 1983. Ange won many team and individual awards through the years including coaching Kodak’s IMC league team to the World Slo-pitch Championship in 1982. He still plays today with an unmatched passion and is always a true gentleman both on & off the field. Ange is a wonderful man playing in his seventh decade of softball. His memories are many; he says, “every baseball and softball game I play in.”

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Donal attended Monroe Community College and SUNY Brockport. He worked for the City of Rochester’s Recreation Bureau for 36 years.

Family Background
Donal is married to Mary Beth and they share four children, Brendan, Beth, Donal E. and Kevin.

Biography
Major Contributor Category Donal has played either fastpitch or slo-pitch softball for nearly 50 years. He is being recognized tonight for his major contributions that lead to advancing the game and ensuring continuance through city leagues, tournaments, and service excellence.

Sunday mornings during the Rochester summers from 1963 – 1986 meant Adult Recreation Association (ARA) softball leagues at Edgerton Park and Donal was the driving force that made this happen. His leadership and organizational skills enabled others to enjoy the softball experience.

Birth Place
Butler, AL

Educational Background
Willie attended Butler High School in Butler, AL.

Family Background
Willie is married to Sandra and has two children.

Biography
Willie started his 38year slo-pitch softball career in 1959. He was affiliated with several of the top World Tournament teams in the area such as, Al’s Green Tavern, Ragu, Pace Electronics, and Mazzola Insurance.

In 1984, Willie was selected on the All World Tournament Team while playing for Pace Electronics. Willie was a contact hitter from the left side with exceptional speed. Rumor has it; he beat out world-class track star Trenton Jackson in a home plate to second base run. Most teams would bring in both the infielders and outfielders to try and stop Willie — if the ball got through the infield it was automatic for him to be standing on second base.

In most cases, even if the infielder made the play, he would beat it out for an infield hit. Willie was a classic team player with loads of talent and a cheerful personality.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational Background
Joe Nucci attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Rochester, NY.

Biography
Joe Nucci, a colorful fighter from Rochester, NY, who always found a way to get the most out of his ball club, was inducted into the USSSA National Hall of Fame in the Manager category. He was inducted in November 1987 in Myrtle Beach, SC.

The highlight of Joe’s career came in 1977 when his Mazzola-Castle team pulled a stunning upset to capture the Men’s Major World Series Championship. Joe managed one of the first teams to cross the border and compete in the USSSA.

He constantly had a team ranked in the top 10 and traveled the country to play in NIT’s. His teams are remembered more for guts and pride than overall talent. Joe enjoyed more than 600 victories in big tournaments. The spirited manager gave umpires and opposing coaches all they wanted and more, but he gained respect as a fierce competitor who knew how to win, especially the big ones.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational Background
Charles attended Edison Tech High School in Rochester, NY.

Family Background
Charles and his wife Barbara have three sons and one daughter. They have seven grandchildren.

Biography
Charlie’s 25-year slo-pitch softball career started in 1958 with the Tobin Packing Company team. He played for many outstanding tournament teams, including Al’s Green Tavern, Ragu, N&S Motors, and Mazzola Insurance. He also played on five World Tournament Teams with a combined .580 batting average.

In 1967, at Toledo, he connected for three homers in one game, batted nearly .600, and made the all-tournament team that year. Charlie lived for the long ball, and during one game at Bayview Stadium, he had four homers.

Charlie is also recognized for hitting a homer “one handed” off the great softball pitcher Jim Burns during a game. Truly one of the game’s nicest guys, Charlie is always considered the quiet man with the big bat.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational Background
Tom attended West High School in Rochester, NY.

Family Background
Tom and his wife Carolyn have two daughters, Karen and Laura.

Biography
Tom started his slo-pitch softball career while still in high school during the 10th grade back in 1953. In 1954, as an 11th grader, he played in the first organized league at Bayview Stadium. After spending two years in the Army (1959-1961), he came back and played for Rogers Midway.

In the early ’60s, he played for many different teams and went to his first World Tournament in 1964 in Springfield OH. Over the next twenty years, Tom managed to keep himself busy. Besides having two children, he coached CYO Basketball and played a few games of softball along the way.

In 1987, Tom started his senior softball career and played his first of many Senior Olympics in 1989. Tom helped to organize the Thursday Night Senior League back in 1985 and the 50s + traveling team. Today, because of Tom’s efforts, Rochester is well-represented in four senior softball age groups and several World Titles and national rankings, as well. Tom’s contributions to slo-pitch softball span 50 years and he is righteously recognized as a major contributor to the sport in the Rochester area.

Birth Place
Rochester, New York

Educational & Professional Background
Fred attended Benjamin Franklin High School in Rochester, NY. He also attended Western Illinois University and graduated with a teaching degree in Physical Education. He taught and coached in the Penfield, NY High School system for 34 years.

He coached both boys and girls varsity basketball, softball, and baseball. Fred assisted in the women’s basketball program at Nazareth College and was head coach of the women’s basketball program at MCC before retiring several years ago.

Biography
During high school, Fred excelled in basketball, and in 1958, he was Benjamin Franklin’s leading scorer, averaging 20 points per game. At Western Illinois University, he was all-conference for two seasons between 1963 and 1965 and averaged 18 points per game.

Fred’s slo-pitch softball career started in 1965 and he is still very active in senior softball today. He was associated with the following softball teams:

• Ragu Foods
• Culver Dodge
• Sunset Recreation
• Shakey’s
• New York Life
• Mazzola Insurance
• Pace Electronics

His All-World appointments include Industrial World in 1968 with Pace Electronics. In the senior division, he was appointed eight times while playing for the Rochester Legends.

His most recent World appointments were in 2003 in Syracuse, NY, and in 2004 with the Jersey Jags. He played on two World Tournament Senior Teams under the Rochester Legends, Prince Georges in Manassas, VA, and Des Moines, lA.

Over his outstanding career, Fred is highly recognized for his hitting ability, averaging well into 800 plus with occasional power by hitting the long ball. He’s considered the best all fields bad ball hitter in the game.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational Background
Ron attended Irondequoit High School, where he starred in four sports and played All-County basketball. He also attended Syracuse University and Hobart College, where he played both basketball and baseball. He graduated from Hobart College in 1958.

Family Background
Ron is married to Ann and they have two daughters and one son.

Biography
Ron has played on several World Tournament teams, including Al’s Green Tavern, Mazzola Insurance, Pace Electronics, Canada Dry, and Breton Motors. He helped to win four Mid-East Regional Championships.

In 1972, he made the All-World Tournament Team. During the Herkimer Tournament, his team hit 30 home runs and he contributed eight of them, including two game-winning home runs.

Over the years, Ron has helped to win several city and town recreation championships. In 2001, he was selected MVP with a .750 batting average for Al’s Green Tavern. Ron still plays softball today in the 50+ leagues and on the 65+ tournament team.

Ron Blaessig, a giant of a man, with a big heart and soft personality, is the Mr. Dave Kingman of slo-pitch softball.

Birth Place
Bayonne, NJ

Educational Background
Andy attended Bayonne High School in Bayonne, NJ. He also attended Alfred University.

Family Background
Andy and his wife Bobbi have three children and six grandchildren.

Biography
After four years of high school baseball, Andy went on to play semi-pro baseball in the New Jersey Traveling League. His slo-pitch softball career started some years later in a bank league while playing for Marine Midland. With a job change, New York Life became his new team. He also played a little fastpitch softball for Broadway Sports in Bayonne, NJ, and then with Harding Sports in the Kodak Major League.

Near the end of his playing days, Andy umpired and was in the Rochester District Umpires Association for five years. Andy’s first managing assignment was his old New York Life Team. He went on to successfully deliver great results for the teams under him, such as Shakey’s, Mazzola Insurance, and Peterson Sporting Goods. He compiled 385 wins against 127 losses over the years.

Andy’s great leadership and interpersonal and administrative skills were the key ingredients to his managerial success. After his managerial duties, he went on to help advance the game of slo-pitch softball. His first assignment was President of the Independent League. He then moved up to the Amateur Softball Association (ASA), first as Commissioner of Metro Rochester, then working his way up to Regional VP, then Vice-Chairman.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Patricia attended Irondequoit High School and RIT. She has worked at Bausch & Lomb for 35 years.

Biography
Patricia’s slo-pitch softball career covered 12 years from 1967 until 1979. The Fighting Green & Gold teams she played for included Muxworthy’s Ski Haus, Wintonaire, and Pace Electronics. Pat played on two World Tournament Teams: Muxworthy’s Ski Haus in 1972 and Pace Electronics in 1977. She was named to the All-World Tournament Team in both these tournaments.

Her major achievements include:

• A .500+ lifetime batting average
• USSSA Hall of Fame inductee at both the state and national levels
• Elected to USSSA National “Team of the Decade” in 1970, Western NY

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Sal attended Jefferson High School in Rochester, NY. He was a member of the Rochester Police Department for over 30 years and retired as a detective.

Family Background
Sal and his wife Bonnie have four children: Susie, Robbie, Mike, and Russell.

Biography
Sal was recognized in his playing days as an outstanding first baseman and savage hitter. He had exceptional fielding ability and was very smooth with soft hands and a strong arm. He was considered both a defensive and offensive strength on any team he played upon. He played on the best teams, Ragu and Al’s Green Tavern, and with the best players, such as Ron LaRose, Charlie McKay, Ron Blaessig, and others during his softball career. His playing partners respected and recognized his quiet and gentle leadership and true sportsmanship both on and off the field. Sal Ruvio was a coach’s dream player and a team’s secret formula for success.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Family Background
Fred and his wife Pat have three children.

Biography
Fred Prince started playing semi-pro baseball for the Rochester Bullets and Ragu. Fred was a member of seven World Tournament Teams over his softball career and has four Al-World Tournament appointments. Major teams he played for were:

• N&S Auto
• Erdle’s
• Ragu
• Roger’s Midway
• Al’s Green Tavern
• Kodak Park
• Rochester Old
• Stars
• Rochester Legends

Currently, he is still playing in the local senior leagues and is a member of the Rochester Legends 60s Traveling Team. Fred is considered an excellent outfielder with above-average talent. He plays like a 30-year-old, can still take the ball deep with a very strong and accurate throwing arm, and can run like a deer.

Besides playing for World Tournament Teams and his appointments to All-World Teams, Fred played in the Senior Softball Olympics in San Antonio, TX, in 1995. He is an excellent bowler as well, with 3-300 games under his name and a .225 bowling average.

Birth Place
Rochester, NY

Educational & Professional Background
Roger attended McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, NY. He also attended Villanova University in Philadelphia, PA.

Family Background
Roger and his wife Fran have two children, Gina and Paul, and one grandchild.

Biography
The Roger’s Midway team of 1966 is recognized as the first slo-pitch softball team to win a USSSA local tournament title. They also went on to represent Rochester in the World Tournament in Milwaukee, and again in 1969 in Pittsburgh. This team, sponsored by Roger, was the first big powerhouse type team in the area. They were well-balanced with
speed, power, and great defense.

Birth Place
Champaign, IL

Educational & Professional Background
Linda attended John F. Kennedy College in Wahoo, NE, and SUNY Brockport in New York. She has a degree in Physical Education and has worked as a teacher and coach in the Webster Central School District for 33 years.

Family Background
Linda and her husband Duane have four children.

Biography
Linda’s slo-pitch softball career covered 17 years from 1973 until 1989. The “Fighting Green & Gold” teams she played for included Muxworthy’s Ski Haus, Wintonaire, and Pace Electronics. Linda played on two World Tournament Teams with Pace Electronics and was named on the All-Time USSSA Team in 1987. She also was awarded MVP honors in the ASA National Tournament in 1976 and MVP honors again in the USSSA NYS Tournament in 1979.

Linda was also inducted into the USSSA slo-pitch Softball Association National Hall of Fame in 1987 and the USSSA New York State Hall of Fame in 2004.