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LEHIGH VALLEY SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME A LIVING AND CHANGING
REMEMBRANCE
The Lehigh Valley Softball Hall of Fame was the original idea of
Keith Groller, Assistant Sports Editor of the Morning Call, during
the year 2000. To date it has celebrated five induction classes
with 29 individuals cited. The sixth induction is to be displayed
in June 2006 at Patriots Park.
The selections to date are:
2001
Earl Hunsicker—founder of Allentown Patriots; primary constructor
of Bicentennial Park; successful player and manager in the 1940s,
1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Kyle Miller—Lehigh Valley’s “Mr. Softball”, courageous young man
committed to Allen High School and Patriots women’s softball throughout
the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s; memorialized by Kyle Miller Scholarship
Fund and Fall College Showcase for tournament teams.
Ernie Rohrbach—long-time Patriots official; manager of 1976 Bicentennial
national team for ASA nationals at Patriots and Bicentennial Parks;
successful player and manager for parts of five decades.
Carole Weil—Northampton High School, Patriot Queens, Lehigh Valley
Panthers and Temple University athlete who passed away from leukemia
in 1982; Carole Weil Scholarship Fund, High School All-Star Games
and Fall College Classic are in memoriam of this valiant and dominant
athlete and person.
Dr. Robin Boyd-Kranis—Parkland High School and Temple University
catcher in the 1980s; led Lehigh Valley Panthers to 1983 ASA nationals
at Stazio Park in Boulder, Colorado.
Ty Stofflet—Greatest fastpitch softball pitcher in history. Author
of national and world championships at all levels of ASA and ISC
ball; assistant coach and vital component of Northampton High School’s
1996 PIAA state champions.
Ed Stinner—Head coach Allen High School 1982-1999; won PIAA state
championship in 1990, districts in 1991, league in 1992; summer
coach of Patriot Queens finished third in America in 1979 ASA nationals
in Bay City, Michigan; involved with Patriot Lehigh Valley Blaze.
Bob Walsh—Largest supporter and organizer of men’s fastpitch softball
for over 25 years in the Lehigh Valley area; internationally renowned
as umpire and softball expert through ISC; annual Bob Walsh Memorial
Classic that brings in eight of the best men’s major Class AA teams
in the world is his annual fitting tribute.
2002
Melissa Linn—Championship pitcher during 1980s and 1990s for Central
Catholic High School and the University of Notre Dame in South Bend,
Indiana; first pitcher to bring Fighting Irish to their perennial
position now of Big East Conference and national title contenders.
Bill Bickel—Lehigh Valley’s ambassador of high school and amateur
sport made his mark as a long-term high school and summer softball
umpire and friend of Patriots Park for nearly four decades.
Terri Adams—Over 20-year career of excellence as player at Allen
High School and coach with Northwestern and Salisbury high schools;
Kutztown University and past eight seasons at Temple University,
the 2004 Atlantic Ten Conference champions. Coached Lehigh Valley
renegades summer team that was class of the Lehigh Valley during
most of the 1990s; appearing in eight national level tournaments.
John Balliet—Over 40-year career as integral part of East Penn Men’s
Fastpitch Softball League and manager of Catasauqua S.A.; long term
head coach at Emmaus High School (including league championship
in 1987), considered premier umpire during the 1990s and had many
district finals and PIAA state tournament games.
Dale Miller—According to Earl Hunsicker, “the best pure hitter I
ever saw”. Predominant hitter with speed and power throughout 1960s
and 1970s; long-term hitting instructor especially for Allen High
School; manager of many Patriots teams.
2003
John Drust—The premier softball umpire of the 1970s and 1980s. “Put
Your Trust in Drust” was the motto that has long survived John and
his major contributions to the Lehigh Valley sports scene; quality
player in his own right in Bethlehem in 1950s and 1960s.
Don Hunsicker—Today’s version of Mr. Patriot has been involved throughout
all 57 years of the organization; currently serves as athletic director,
park scheduler, and head of grounds crew. Quality player and manager
for two decades or more at Allentown Patriots; best bibliographical
reference of men’s fastpitch softball in the Lehigh Valley.
Jean Millen Daughtry—Still the single greatest home run and power
hitter in the history of Lehigh Valley girls fastpitch softball;
documented home run over the fence at Bicentennial Park during Bob
Walsh’s East Penn Tournament Showcase in early 1980s; set records
and achieved All-American status at Bloomsburg University.
Larry Bergh—One of the premier softball and basketball athletes
in this area’s history; provided a dominant 1-2 pitching punch with
Ty Stofflet on many area teams in the 1970s; power hitter and strikeout
pitcher.
Dick Bingell—The premier hitter on Earl Hunsicker’s early Patriots
teams of the 1950s and 1960s; many considered him the first true
major-level men’s hitting talent to be produced at the Patriots.
2004
Frederick “Fritz” Bader—One of the pivotal figures in the early
stages of the patriots; important to the development of Bicentennial
Park. Roots in softball trace back to the 1940s at old Shankweiler’s
Field and his 1952 commissioner appointment at the old Southeastern
District of ASA.
Kelly Gallagher Flannery—Many talented athletes preceded and followed
her; but Kelly Gallagher made softball into the spectator sport
it is today in the Lehigh Valley. First softball athlete locally
to be mobbed for autographs and pictures repeatedly after games;
she was a standout pitcher for Parkland High School; the Lehigh
Valley Panthers; and the Allentown Black Hawks in the early 1980s
and Rutgers University in the latter part of the decade.
Stan Luckenbill—Outstanding career continues as current top-level
high school, college and summer umpire; went 308-158 over 21 seasons
at Whitehall High School as coach. Two conference and one district
title; participant in “the greatest high school game ever played”,
the 18-inning Whitehall-Williamsport state tournament showdown of
1989.
Don Saul—Don, along with John Drust, formed an inseparable duo that
essentially umpired every significant girls and women’s fastpitch
softball game throughout the 1980s. His motto: “With Don Saul, you
get the right call”, was only exceeded by his genuine friendliness
and charm. First umpire to popularize banter with the Pates Park
“regulars”; and a vital official in the Northampton Area school
District.
Art Weida—One of the greatest men’s fastpitch hitters ever; Art
Weida was a fixture on great Patriot teams in the 1960s and 1970s
as well as a staple on the Rocky Santilli-coached national champion
Sunners in the 1970s.
2005
Brian Neefe—Over 30 years and over 600 wins as head softball coach
of Southern Lehigh High School; responsible for sending hundreds
of high school athletes to college and successful careers and lives.
Corky Miller—Three-decade career as premier pitcher for Catasauqua
Sportsmen’s Association (Catty SA) team with extensive local and
regional success throughout the Northeast; one of the era’s prime
ballplayers.
Mike Golden—Carrer spanned over 60 years as player, coach and most
notably umpire at all levels of men’s and women’s fastpitch softball
throughout the Lehigh Valley; always prepared to do a game on short
or even no notice; avid follower of the sport.
Eileen Schmidt—Current head softball coach at University of Kentucky;
long-time standout at Central Catholic High School and University
of Virginia; renowned locally for pitching exploits and strikeout
prowess but actually starred as infielder and catcher in college
days.
Joe Hoffman—Long time area softball supporter and long-time assistant
coach for many spring and summer programs throughout the Lehigh
Valley.
2006
Zeke Delong—The 1957 Allentown High graduate won an American Legion
state baseball title with the Herbert Paul Lentz Post and was a
.297 hitter in three minor league baseball seasons with the Tiger's
organization.
Glen Ray—An extraordinary athlete in his own right at East Stroudsburg
University, Ray has made his mark as one of the most successful
coaches in Lehigh Valley girls' softball history.
Becky George—Her career began at age 7 in 1985 with the Northwestern
Youth Association boys' grasshopper team and not surprisingly, she
was named an all-star. Her first big softball success came with
the Lehigh Valley Outlaws summer team, which won two state titles
and qualified for nationals five times.
Robert C Zimmerman—One of the legendary softball players in the
1940's, '50s, and '60s, the late Zimmerman won over 400 games as
a pitcher. In 1945, the St. Louis Cardinals held a tryout session
at Breadon Field and Zimmerman was one of three players picked out
of hundreds of candidates.
2007
Lisa (Dorwood) Nimeh
Donna (Spence) Katcher
Lorie (Erie) Schmalzle
Jack Ohl
Betsy Wilson
Keith Groller
The current Hall of Fame Selection Committee includes: Jim Adams,
John Balliet, Keith Groller, Don Hunsicker, Charlotte Miller, Dale
Miller, Ron Nelson, Oliver “Bugsy” Resh, Betsy Wilson and Joe Hoffman.
NOMINATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED NOW FOR THIS YEAR’S SELECTIONS—Deadline
is May 1, 2007. Give nominations to any committee member; e-mail
hoffman_joe@hotmail.com
at any time; or submit a choice and background information to Keith
Groller at the Morning Call, 101 North 6th Street, Allentown PA
18101.
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