| JACK BISESI After an excellent baseball career at Garfield High School, Jack joined the Greater Akron AA League's Alex Redl Golf Shop team in 1952. A year later, he got an opportunity to play pro ball with the St. Louis Cardinals organization where he played for two seasons. He returned to Akron where he developed into one of the all-time great infielders in the AA Leagues's history. Playing at shortstop and second base, Bisesi first starred for the Krispy Kreme team that grabbed three League titles in six seasons. He then joined the Black Labels dynasty that rolled up an unbelievable eight championships in nine seasons. He was known as "Mr. Vacuum" in the field and "Mr. Clutch" at bat. His best season at the plate was in 1969 when he batted .402 on the way to earning the coveted Frank Garcia award--given to the League's most outstanding player. |
| GARRETT COEY His career as an outstanding hitter, third baseman and shortstop began as a 14-year old prepster at Akron's South High School on Thornton Street. During those formative years, Coey played with the Silver Seals, West Chevrolet and Golden Age Beverage teams. Following a couple stints in the pros with the Dayton Ducks, Canton and Williamson in the Mid-Atlantic and Mountain State Leagues, Coey had three years of duty with the U.S. Navy during WWII. He returned to Akron to play for the Smith Sheriffs, Tiny's Orphans, and Borden Autos. A special highlight of his Orphan years was when the team captured the 1945 National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF) National Championship--downing the Baltimore Martin Bombers in Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. Coey, who ended his career at age 42, never batted less than .345 and was on 16 AA Championship teams. |
| FRANK GARCIA Although his career was cut short in 1950 at the relatively young age of 38 due to a back injury, this great player lived long enough to see his teams become perhaps the best in the history of Akron sandlot baseball. Garcia was player/manager on teams that won four AA League titles and four Ohio Amateur Baseball Congress crowns. Twice his teams came within a victory of capturing the AABC National Championship in Battle Creek, Michigan. In 1945, he led the Akron Orphans to the NABF national championship--earning the most outstanding player of the tournament in the process. As a player he was good enough to be signed by three major league clubs--the Yankees, Phillies and Cardinals. He even had a fling with pro basketball with the old Cleveland Alleman Transfers. His name lives on today--on the award that goes to the annual winner of the AA League's MVP. |
| RAY GLINKSY Baseball Hall of Fame manager Casey Stengel, would tell sportswriters that baseball was 90 percent pitching. Glinsky was the epitome of that bit of "Stengelese" during a long career in the AA League, as well as a brilliant four-year career at Akron U (1962-65). The powerful right-handed thrower had early success in the AA League while twirling for Tiny's Orphans and Blatz Beer. In 1962 he established a UA record that has yet to be broken when he led the nation with a remarkable 0.37 earned run average. After a stint with the U.S. Army, Glinsky returned to perform first with the Airmatic Valves and then the Red Peppers, for which he helped capture the 1971 League title. All told, Glinsky, who was always among the leaders in strikeouts and ERA in AA League play, was named to its All-Star team 11 times during his outstanding career. |
| DICK LOMBARDI His AA League career spanned 29 years - first as a player, then as a sponsor and an administrator. While a student at old St. Mary's High School, Lombardi began playing for Tiny's Orphans. That experience was followed by seasons with Souvenir Beer, Borden Autos and Akron U, before signing a pro contract with the Chicago White Sox organization. He had a number of good seasons at Waterloo, Iowa and Duluth (MN), leading the Northern League with a .337 average and 31 homeruns in 1956. He returned to Akron to become one of the most feared batters in the Black Label dynasty, which swept eight titles in nine seasons in the 1960's. Lombardi was a League All-Star each one of those nine seasons. In 1962 he blasted seven homeruns in the Stan Musial State Tournament. In the early 1970's he was player, manager and/or sponsor of six Akron Insulating championship teams through 1980, during which time he also served as the AA president for two years. |
| BOBBY NASH A player whose feats with a baseball at old West High School, the Akron area sandlots and Toledo University are legendary. At West, he was a natural athlete--a star in baseball, football basketball, and track. However, baseball was his great love. He pitched a no-hitter in high school, two more in the Akron sandlot leagues and three more while twirling for the Toledo Rockets. In one of those no-hitters in Toledo, Nash struck out 24 of 27 Heidelberg batters he faced. In another season while hurling the old Smith Sheriffs to the City A League title, Nash won 13 of 14 games, striking out 139 in 106 innings. In addition, he batted .428. It was in 1948 that Nash reached his peak. While pitching for the Borden Autos in the AABC National Championship in Battle Creek, Nash pitched 33 scoreless innings and was selected the tourney's most outstanding player. |
| JOE WINKLER Was associated with baseball for 56 years and managed some of the best teams in the heyday of the AA League. Name a championship team and Winkler was probably the manager. That managerial career began in 1927 and included such teams as the Killian Celtics, which captured the old City A League title six consecutive seasons, Old Dutch Beer and Smith Sheriffs. However, Joe's most masterful achievement was with Tramonte Black Label. With such stars as Jack Bisesi, Dick Lombardi and Dave Young, Winkler directed Black Label to eight AA League titles in nine seasons during the 1960's. In addition, the Labels, which at one point had captured 132 of 140 games, won two Ohio Stan Musial Championships. |
| DAVE YOUNG He has excelled both as a player and manager in baseball. Dave starred at Akron East High School, Akron U, and for 21 years in the AA League. He currently is at Tallmadge High where he has spent 23 years as coach of the Blue Devils, enroute to becoming the winningest baseball coach in Greater Akron history with over 375 victories. A southpaw pitcher, Young struck out 325 - 115 in one season (1959), and had an amazing 1.13 ERA over his UA career (1956-59)-- all-time records to this day. His AA career, which saw him selected on the All-Star team 15 consecutive years, began in 1954 with the State Road Merchants. The next six years he led Krispy Kreme to three League titles and then joined Black Label where he helped the Tramonte beermen win eight championships in nine seasons. During that period, Young went 5-1/2 seasons (1961-66) without losing a League contest-- firing two no-hitters in that stretch. He also helped Wayne Knoll Farms and Eaton Sports Pride win three more League titles. |