There are numerous baseball halls of fame in Western New York, including the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame, the Western New York Softball Hall of Fame. It is located in Buffalo, New York. His dominance at the plate earned him four All-American honors and honorable mentions to the 1980 and 1990 All-Decade Teams as well as the All-Century Team. Contacts. Glenn Taplin (1980): A three-year starter at quarterback and earned All-High honors in 1978 and 1979. In the past year, Sullivan began organizing some of the best baseball minds in the area to help him make his dream a reality. Brian Harhay scattered eight hits in the Game Three win, 6-3. The Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is a prime example of the greatness of our game across all levels and categories. The greater buffalo sports hall of fame 2021 inductees is a new organization that will be inducting people into the hall in 2021. Mike Youra, a hard hitter, was a player with the most career home runs locally and is a legend in Black Rock-Riverside. Chimera, who ranks third in Section VI in victories, will be inducted in June. He won the Billy Kelly Award as the Buffalo Public Schools' finest athlete in 1975. He played four sports, making All-High in football in 1913. As a senior, he led the league in scoring and rebounding. Known as one of the top hitters in the 1980-90s, Tucker slugged over 2,000 home runs during his career with over 100 tallied in a single season nine times during a 10-year span including 413 during the 1987 season. John Christ added four hits for the No. The Western New York Baseball Hall of Fame was organized in 1997 in order to recognize players, managers and sponsors who have made sustained contribu . . They are also proud holders of the world record in that event. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). At Indiana University, she helped lead the Hoosiers to three Big Ten Titles. He played in only three losing games in three years of football. The committee narrowed the list to 33 -- 27 players, 3 umpires, an administrator, a sponsor and a publicist. Paul McElhenney pitched a three-hitter for Jurek in a 6-1 win over West Seneca. After a knee injury, he returned to Buffalo and played for many years with Simon Pure. Tom Dixon (1955): Dixon received All-High honors in cross country and track, earning first place in 1954 in cross country and the 880-yard run in track. . E.R. At Buffalo State, he was team MVP for four years, All-American for two years, was the first 1,000-point scorer and a charter member of the Buffalo State Hall of Fame. Dick Welker, who was signed with the Phillies after World War II, played from Class B to Triple-A with the Old Toronto Maple Leafs. Carmen Iannaccone is generally regarded as one of the best players in the MUNY League and was on the same team as his son, Marc, who went on to New Mexico State University. She wasnt a spectator for long. A ceremony to honor the class is planned for the spring. Lamm Post was 3-0 last week. "They brought up names that I thought only I knew and remembered. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. The hall of fame is proud to induct new members every year, including athletes from both WNY softball and baseball leagues. Massaros contributions as an umpire also earned him selections into the ASA Union County Hall of Fame (2009) and the ASA New Jersey State Hall of Fame. Merlo scored 54 points in his last game to set a single-season league record of 359 points in 13 games. Cy Williams, a lifelong South Buffalonian, was talent scout for the Detroit Tigers for 29 years and then served 13 more years with the Major League Scouting Bureau. He was equally adept at pitching and hitting and played for the Frankees for 22 years. Some of Buffalos most famous residents are its Olympians. Terry Pegulas ask was simple, direct and humble: The Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres owner, speaking in a recorded video message, asked fans, The national effort to shed a greater spotlight on what advocates believe is improper content available to children in school libraries has ta. The Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to make the game of softball more fun to play, more exciting to watch and more appealing to become involved with. Copyright 2023 Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held September 24 at Ilio DiPaolo's Restaurant in Blasdell. more about Leda Peterson Memorabilia. . The class included former New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter, Basketball Hall of Famer Walt Frazier, Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, and baseball player Yogi Berra. He was inducted into the Harvard Cup Hall of Fame in 2003. Joe Merlo (1953): Merlo was an All-High shortstop as a junior and senior, batting .571 as a senior. David Boyd (1972): Boyd was a two-time All-High pick at quarterback while serving as captain of the 1970 and 1971 teams. The New York State High School Softball Hall of Fame was established in 2012 by the New York State Sportswriters ans Coaches Organization for Girls Sports (NYSSCOGS). Lorraine Dunlop (1997): In track, Dunlop won the 100-yard dash and was on the winning 200 relay for three straight years. Some of the most famous Buffalonians who have played in the Buffalo Game include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Yogi Berra. Herman Belter, one of the best-liked and most-respected umpires, toiled for more than 20 years in AAA and MUNY, the News Suburban and other amateur leagues. The Buffalo Game is an annual event that pits two of the citys most storied sports franchises against each other in a friendly competition. He started with a championship team in News Midget League and was on the All-Star team. . Copyright © 2002 - var currentTime = new Date();var year = currentTime.getFullYear();document.write(year); Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. He played football at Canisius College and was named to the All-East Team in 1984. He was a member of the Western New York Baseball and JFK Football Halls of Fame. Terry Pegulas ask was simple, direct and humble: The Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres owner, speaking in a recorded video message, asked fans, The national effort to shed a greater spotlight on what advocates believe is improper content available to children in school libraries has ta. Ben Mankowski is a highly regarded player who played with Rome, N.Y., with the old Can-Can League and with St. Catharines as well as Curtiss-Wright in MUNY. Additional honors include being named the Smokey Mountain Classic Co-MVP and OK ASA Co-Player of the Year in 1975. You have permission to edit this article. BUFFALO, NY The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame inducted its 12 member class of 2022 at our annual induction ceremony and dinner. He ran the 100 and 220 in track and was a point guard on the basketball team. 0. The inductees are: Bill Burke and Sally McNamara, co-owners of the Portland Sea Dogs from 2011-22, building on their father Dan Burke's success in creating one of minor league baseball's model franchises. To view a full list of Hall of Fame members, visit USASoftball.com. Craig began his renowned career first as an umpire in 1978, which was highlighted with working as the Umpire-In-Chief (UIC) for 61 national championships and five international championships while serving as the committee chairman of the UIC Clinic from 2007-21. Evan Boyd had a triple and two singles in the win. They all worked on a voluntary basis and spent many hours collecting data and nominations of past players. Maury May was a sports writer for more than 40 years with The Buffalo News and spent much of his career covering the Suburban League. Its past we celebrate tonight, its future is on the ball diamonds of today. sports@observertoday.com. With his entrance into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, Till has the outstanding achievement of being an inductee in three Western New York Hall of Fames. These athletes have represented the city and the country at the highest levels of competition, bringing home medals and honor to their hometown. The. The Hall of Fame does not honor only those who were the best players or the most successful. He had a successful career in the minor leagues and was an All-Star in the South Atlantic League. Jeff Johnston completed a nine-run fourth inning with a two-run triple. Mississippi Mudd's took Pignataro's Tax, two games to one to advance to the finals against Doc's. The games will be played at the California Road Complex in Orchard Park. She was inducted into Buffalo State's Hall of Fame following a basketball and tennis career in which she captained both teams for three years. He played football and basketball at Syracuse, playing both ways and was the second-leading rusher. Empower Team USA athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence and well-being. "He knew a lot of the ballplayers and helped give us first-hand information on many of them.". At Buffalo State, he played basketball and tennis and was the second-leading scorer as a senior. Shes also a member of the Western New York Softball Hall of Fame (1984), the ASA Hall of Fame for Metro Buffalo (1999) and the Tonawanda High School Athletic Wall of Fame (2001). Saturday's games will be at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday's championship will be at 11 a.m., and if needed, 2 p.m. "There have been so many great players over the years, that I didn't think they'd be able to go back far enough to really do this.". Mudds took Game One of the best-of-three finals, 5-1. The hall of fame celebrates sports legends from all over Western New York and beyond. She set league records in the 60-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke. In the 1944 All-High track meet, he won the mile run to end the season undefeated in that event. The National Softball Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will increase the total number of inductees to 449 since its establishment in 1957. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, As supporters pray, Kim Pegula's father shares her words: 'I will continue to fight', Prayer and healing vigil for Bills and Sabres co-owner Kim Pegula scheduled for Saturday, WGRZ meteorologist Elyse Smith exiting station after three years, Bills GM Brandon Beane on potential DeAndre Hopkins trade: 'I don't think that's going to happen', Many Bills fans stumped by identity of social media influencer who announced third-round pick, Ex-Sabres defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, on the payroll through 2027-28, comes out of retirement to play in Germany, Nicholas D'Angelo pleads guilty to 8 felonies in rape case, Departure of 5 UB women's basketball commits raises eyebrows among coaches, analysts, Bills' draft grades from Buffalo News writers show hits and misses, Erik Brady: 20 years later, Drew Rosenhaus recounts how he fooled the Bills into drafting Willis McGahee, Mark Gaughan: Buffalo Bills' winners and losers after 2023 NFL draft, Alan Pergament: JP starts on WECK Monday after all; Jennifer Stanonis rejoins WGRZ-TV, Seneca Nation plans to bid for McKinley Mall, Former waitress sentenced to 2 to 5 years in prison in $50,000 lottery scheme, Bills trade up in first round, select Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid at No. He led the Violets to Yale Cup titles in 1955 and 1956. The National Softball Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will increase the total number of inductees to 449 since its establishment in 1957. Joe Serafin (1966): In baseball, Serafin played four years in the infield, helping lead Lafayette to the 1964 Cornell Cup title while batting .471. The Western New York Softball Hall of Fame members are a whos who of the sport in the region. Huntington drove in three while Ryan Mahoney added two hits. In Stockholm, he struck gold in the 400 meters and 1600-meter relay. Softball Hall of Fame is the PRESIDENTS AWARD. . The building was opened to the public July 1, 1973. His accomplishments have earned him various awards over the years, including the Merle. select an image to enlarge. In addition to Lindamans committee involvement, he also served in various positions for the USA Softball national teams programs including Team Manager for the USA Softball Mens National Team at the 1995 International Softball Federation (ISF) World Championship and the USA Softball Junior Mens National Team at the 2008 ISF World Championship. The Western New York Baseball Hall of Fame will be recognizing some of the greats from our region at their annual induction ceremony this year. Under his tutelage, the Brakettes have won over 2,300 games with a dazzling .917 winning percentage and 16 national championship titles. He served in Vietnam, earning a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Infantry Badge. How to Watch Live Sports on Amazon Prime. Jerry Brick, after a fine minor league career in the Detroit Tigers organization, came back to play for many years with a number of local teams, including the Eldredge Club and the Cheektowaga Travelers. He coached from 1924 to 1931, winning football championships in 1926, '27, '28 and '31. Johnston finished the day with two hits and four RBIs. . Pegulas fight to heal and rehabilitate from a brain injury suffered after a cardiac arrest last June has been one that is long and largely private. "Herb ran the Cheektowaga Travelers for 30-plus years," said Williams. He won the AA MUNY title in 1949 and was named All-High in sports and received the E.J. . A standout on various occasions, Ilyes earned 13 All-American honors four of which came in back-to-back years while helping lead her team to 26 national championship appearances and two national titles. A Mass of Christian Burial for Frank P. "Lefty" Simmeth, a member of the Western New York Softball Hall of Fame, will be offered at 11:15 a.m. Thursday in Infant of Prague Catholic Church, 921 . A right-handed power hitter, he played for Springville High and then at UB, with most-valuable-player and top hitting honors. John DeMagistris ( Demo ) 585-455-5766. 25 overall in NFL draft, The prayerful goal for Bills and Sabres owner Kim Pegula: 'Full recovery', Culture wars shift to the school library, including in Western New York, Lifesaving: US family flees Texas to transgender 'refuge' Minnesota, Bipartisan Senate bill aims to keep kids under 13 off social media, Camillas 18 year journey to Queen Consort, Santiago Pena wins Paraguay election after hard-fought campaign. Jon Gregory pitched the win over Evans and struck out 11. Buffalo Breski's 1976 Roster from a May 25, 1976 press release He later captained the Hilbert College baseball team in 1980 and 1981. Earning her place among USA Softball legends, Valerie Arioto gained the Hall of Famer tagline after a long and storied career competing for the USA Softball Womens National Team. Each living inductee will receive a commemorative ring. Posthumous inductees will be awarded plaques, which will be given to family members. Lou De Poe, umpire, was chief of the Western New York Umpires Associated, managed Simon during World War II and also served as president of the MUNY League. A Wall of Fame committee led by Jenny Delmont, Ralph Delmont, Vinny Vara, Tom Schwob, Dennis Patterson and Bob Carnevale took on the task of identifying the top Violet athletes and contributors over the past 10 decades. Herb Niebergall coached and managed the Cheektowaga Travelers for 48 years. The group includes both men and women, and has been represented at every Summer Olympics since 1984. The W.N.Y. Calvert "Cap" Mellen: Served as principal for 28 years (1906 to 1934). See more. Softball Hall of Fame was founded and organized in 1965 by its first president, the late Joe Brandt. Against East Aurora, Gregory picked up the win in relief and added three RBIs. The 2012 Sports Hall of Fame Class included: ATHLETES: Warren Spahn 1940 - Baseball . Scott Keller (1978): Led the Violets to the 1977 and '78 Cornell Cup while earning All-High both years. "Longevity was very important," Sullivan said. Joining Sullivan in the selection process were Don O'Brien (secretary), Bob Miske (treasurer), Jerry Attea, Vic Baron, Ray Bellet, Don Colpoys, Tom Dryja, Jack Heitzhaus, Gerry Pipszny, Bill Rogowski and Vinny Vara. Softball Hall of Fame and the game of softball in Western New York. He played a total of 16 years. He played first base and outfield in baseball and was a shot putter in track. You have permission to edit this article. Three sport star at Nichols. A limited number of tickets are available to the public at a price of $25. Belter played on the old Mel's Clothiers team and played and managed teams in the St. Stephen's Church Leagues. She was an assistant softball coach at Buffalo State from 1990-95 and helped the Bengals win SUNYAC and New York State championships. The Lakeview Sox will be hosting the AABC Upper New York State Championship Tournament July 25-27. Open to suggestions and connections: Cmurray@buffnews.com. He is considered by every knowledgeable sports fan to be Western New York's finest all-around athlete of all time. Box 608 Jim Ludtka was a fine local player who played professionally in the Baltimore Orioles organization before returning home to play many years with the Kenmore Knights and the 101s. "Softball had a hall of fame, so I thought, why not baseball," he had said last summer as the selection committee compiled its candidates from the ranks of players in the MUNY, Suburban and Classic leagues, plus umpires, administrative and executive personnel, sponsors and publicists. He was also an All-High guard in basketball, leading the Yale Cup in scoring (27.6 points per game). Marion Fricano was one of the the few Western New Yorkers to be associated with the late Connie Mack's legendary Philadelphia A's and had his greatest moments as a rookie pitcher with the A's in 1951 when he shut out the World Champion Yankees on one hit -- Yogi Berra's double in the eighth -- winning the game 1-0. Tonight we welcome the 43rd class to be inducted. . He was inducted into the Harvard Cup Hall of Fame this year. Lancaster defeated Alden, 12-8. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). . Joe LoTempio (1962): LoTempio played four years of basketball, culminating with a Yale Cup title in 1962. The slow pitch category increases by three with the selection of Sue Ilyes, Monty Tucker and Ray Fleetwood each of which demonstrated distinguished careers, including one of the top all-around players in the womens game and two power-hitting legends from the mens game. He was offered a then-rare track scholarship to Syracuse. Known for not only his contribution on the field, but off the field as well, Craig contributed to the reformat of National Umpire Schools in 2018, which has proved to be a huge success for the USA Softball Umpire Program. Lamm swept a doubleheader from Jurek, 5-1 and 14-2. It selects its members from all levels of play, from major fast pitch to recreation level slo-pitch. He sold war bonds to help fund construction of Lafayette Field, home to the athletic teams. In 11 soccer seasons (1975-86), the Warriors were 103-37-12 with four Niagara Frontier League titles. Nicknamed Big B by her teammates, she played the next 12 years in the Amateur Softball Association, earning All-American honors in 1975. Here are the All-WNY and all-league honors rolls as selected by coaches. He was an All-American end at Cornell and played pro football for the Buffalo All Americans in the early 1920s. Longtime Kenmore West coach Matt Chimera has been selected to the New York State High School Softball Hall of Fame. The New York Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame that honors athletes, coaches and contributors who have made significant contributions to sports in New York State. Clem Maue played MUNY ball for 10 years until signing a pro contract in 1933. She played two seasons (1976-77) for the Buffalo Breskis in the short-lived International Professional Womens Softball Association and was one of the leagues highest paid players at $3,000 a year. Cindy remembers growing up playing stickball with the boys in her neighborhood. He managed and led the Arcade team to its only All-Around playoff title in the News Suburban Baseball Association in 1958. . "Some of these guys played 10-plus years while juggling jobs and families. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Holland won both of its games by beating Evans, 19-2, and East Aurora, 16-10. He swam the freestyle for three years. Harold Crabb, Arcade's perennial "Mr. Shortstop," was the team leader for most of his 26 years with the Arcade team in both the Southern and Central leagues. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. . Oscar Kerstetter (1931): A four-sport athlete who was All-High at halfback and an outstanding passer in the single-wing era of running the football. 2022 United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. He later played basketball at Buffalo State. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. OKLAHOMA CITY The legendary roster of the National Softball Hall of Fame will increase by nine with the selection of the Class of 2023 inductees set to be enshrined at the 42nd Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, October 28 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. He was a sixth-round draft choice of the Detroit Lions. The greater buffalo sports hall of fame 2021 inductees is a new organization that will be inducting people into the hall in 2021. He also serves as the president of the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Board of Education. He quarterbacked the University of Buffalo in early 1950s and set many passing records that stayed on the books for over a decade. The Western New York Softball Hall of Fame was established in 1965 to honor the men and women of WNY who have made a special contribution to the game of softball. Amherst Boulevard Kiwanis (15-7) clinched at least a tie for the American Division title with a 6-1 victory over Clarence. As a coach, Kim was also an overachiever, capturing six . Sullivan, who had a brief professional career after signing with the Washington Senators in 1961, saw the Hall of Fame as something long overdue. "I was frustrated that we didn't have an organized way of remembering some of these great players," said Sullivan, who is serving as the hall's first president. In basketball, he was selected All-High in 1980. In addition to Lindamans committee involvement, he also served in various positions for the USA Softball national teams programs including Team Manager for the USA Softball Mens National Team at the 1995 International Softball Federation (ISF) World Championship and the USA Softball Junior Mens National Team at the 2008 ISF World Championship. The National Softball Hall of Fame was officially dedicated May 26, 1973 in Oklahoma City. Cindy joins her fourth Hall of Fame tonight and becomes the first softball player to gain induction. He was a two-year starter in basketball, helping the Violets win the 1977 Yale Cup Title. Cindy once said: Ive often told myself I was born to coach.. Interestingly, Williams had also signed a couple of his fellow inductees to professional baseball contracts in his years with the Tigers. He starred for the University at Buffalo's WNY Collegiate Conference champions and set a UB record of 15 pitching wins in 1963, when UB went to the NCAA Regional Tournament. Nicholas D. D'Angelo, an attorney from Niagara County, will serve six months in jail and also will be placed on sex offender probation for 10 . You have permission to edit this article. His top accomplishments included pitching a no-hitter in league play and a perfect game in an exhibition. The win gave West-Herr the regular season league title for the fourth time in five years. . See more. For his lifetime of athletic achievement and service, Bluman has been inducted into the Buffalo State Athletics Hall of Fame, the Western New York Softball Hall of Fame, the Jewish Center Sports Wall of Fame, and the WNY Officials Hall of Fame. He played football at UB and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1980. The ceremony, the first Hall of Fame induction for amateur baseball players, "gained so much attention that we had to move the site at the last minute from one location in Lackawanna to another to accommodate the crowd," said Pat Sullivan, Hall of Fame president. Mike Tofil, president of the Lake Shore chapter of the western New York softball hall of fame recently announced that four local selections were named to the . "When Pat first approached me I thought that it would be too tough a job for people to put this together," Williams said. Nicholas D. D'Angelo, an attorney from Niagara County, will serve six months in jail and also will be placed on sex offender probation for 10 . "Cy was of great help," said Sullivan. Brounschidle's Jeff Coleman tossed a three-hitter in a 1-0 victory over Tonawanda Post 264. . Twenty new members to the Western New York Softball Hall of Fame will be inducted on Saturday night at the Lake Erie Italian Club, 3200 South Park Avenue in Lackawanna. "Pete" Low (Class of 1907): Captain and quarterback of the first Lafayette team to win the Harvard Cup in 1906. . The team is based out of Buffalo, and trains at the University at Buffalo. The 1931 team was undefeated, untied and unscored upon. Twenty new members to the Western New York Softball Hall of Fame will be inducted on Saturday night at the Lake Erie Italian Club, 3200 South Park Avenue in Lackawanna . We had a lot of talented softball players over the years, but more importantly they were great young women of character. Marty Hurley added a solo shot for Lancaster. He was inducted into UB's Hall of Fame in 1967. Since that time 42 induction ceremonies have been held. He also participated in baseball, hockey and track. Ilyes spans a 33-year playing career for teams in the Pennsylvania area, including the York Barbellettes and the Lakerettes. There was a problem saving your notification. He hit 20 homers in 1960, including play-offs. Throughout her 11 seasons representing Team USA, Arioto helped the U.S. to 13 medals including four World Cup gold medals, three Pan American Games gold medals and two World Championship gold medals before capping her career with an Olympic silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. "He was a right-hander with a great fastball, and liked what I saw, right away.". In September, some of the finest amateur players in area history will be inducted into the newly created Western New York Baseball Hall of Fame. He also was a most-valuable-player nominee with Class A Eastern League in 1948. Alonzo Barnes (1957): A football, basketball and track standout. "Fred and Norm were great ballplayers," Williams said. State Sen. Tom O'Mara is accepting nominations for the New York State Senate's Veterans Hall of Fame, an online tribute to the military service and civilian lives of . Don King (1956): The Harvard Cup's leading passer and total yardage leader in 1954 and 1955, making the Scholastic Magazine All-American team. The team has had great success over the years, winning multiple gold medals. He pitched and managed North Collins in the News Suburban Association before and after his pro career. . Scott Keller (1978): Led the Violets to the 1977 and '78 Cornell Cup while earning All-High both years. 150 Southside Parkway Buffalo, NY 14220 Phone: 716.816.4828 Fax: 716.828.4905. The 2016-17 New York State Coaches Association Softball Coach of the Year, he was recently inducted into the Western New York Softball Hall of Fame. He also worked Mens Major Fast Pitch and Slow Pitch, Womens Masters Fast Pitch and Mens Modified Pitch while attaining elite status, gold level in the medals program and being a member of the National Indicator Fraternity. Jacque Austin batted more than .400 in 12 of his 15 years of baseball and as a pitcher had 18-plus strike-outs on three occasions. Alex Harris (1955): An All-High guard on the 1955 Yale Cup championship team and averaged 20 points per game. He played for three years in the minor leagues, then returned home and resumed his MUNY career. In 1939, she made the Junior National Olympic relay team. He's an inductee into Western New York Softball Hall of Fame. The hall of fame was founded in 2012 by the Buffalo News and Sports Illustrated. Wally Waiss won the Ben Holtz Award as pitcher of the year in the Classic League with the Cheektowaga Travelers, with a 13-3 record. The W.N.Y.