| LARRY BRINKLEY JR. Had an outstanding career on the youth level in Springfield Township and at Springfield High, where he led the Spartan Mound Corp. for three years, including his senior season in 1955 when he won 13 games, including a once in a lifetime feat of pitching three consecutive no-hitters. The hard-throwing right-hander then had a stint with the Cleveland Indians Minor League System, including a 4-1 record with a 1.90 ERA in 1956 before returning home. Larry had continued success on the local AA level with the Zoff Heating, Krispy Kreme and Tramonte Black Label teams. He hurled the Kremes to the 1958 League Title and was named to the Loop's All-Star team three consecutive years during which time he posted an excellent record of 45 wins, only 4 losses and a glittering 1.23 ERA. |
| HERB CARLSON A 1941 Hower High grad, Herb was a consistent .300 hitting outfielder with the Bucs and Sohio A.C. in his younger days, including the '41 Class A and Class A-B Title teams. After three years in the Coast Guard, Herb continued where he left off with the Moore's Wrestlers team, and after a brief trial with the St. Louis Browns, played for Krispy Kreme in 1947. Carlson then moved to the outfield for four years with the City, State and District Champion Borden Auto teams. Following two years with the Smith Sheriffs, Herb capped his 12-year career with the Autos again, helping them win the City Title once again in 1954. |
| BERNIE DUNN Had an outstanding career as a strong-throwing right-handed pitcher and third baseman for 14 years on the local sandlots. Bernie began his career on the youth level with the outstanding National A.C. teams back in 1933 on the Class D level through the Class A level, and was a two-year starter for Kenmore High in 1936-37. He moved into AA competition in 1938 with Lotter's Garage and followed that with an All-Star season with the Beaver Falls Browns in the Penn State League, where he hit .360 and was voted Player of the Year in that league. He returned to Akron in 1940 with the Firestone Local, and, except for a service stint in 1944-45, played outstanding ball for the tough Army-Navy #268 teams during the rest of the forties. Bernie took to coaching in the Kenmore area after his playing days and had many successful seasons on the Little League and Pony League levels, with the highlight being an All-Star trip to the Little League Finals in Williamsport, PA in 1956. |
| ALEX "SERB" ELLISON Began his playing days as a first baseman for Belenky Tailors in 1934, and moved on to the 1936 Class B Champion Lapenna Cleaners team. From there he helped South High to successful 1936 and 1937 seasons, including hitting at a .437 clip while leading the Cavaliers to the '37 Championship. After a crack at pro ball in 1939 with Butler in the Penn State League, Youngstown in the Mid-Atlantic League, and Toledo in the American Association in 1940, Serb returned in '41, pounding out a .375 batting average while helping Goodrich Local #5 win the League Title. He also filled in at pitching and catching duties. The service took Serb out of baseball, but he was able to get some action on the ballfields in the Philippines with the Army's 1st Battalion teams. |
| RUSSELL "ROSEY" GARCIA A St. Mary High youngster who transferred to South High to finish out his prep playing days, Rosey began back then to show his skill and hitting and pitching prowess as a small but strong right-hander. While in high school, he played for Speed Bosworth's Akron Sporting Goods Title teams and followed that with stints with the Champion Killian Celtics, General Tire, Cleveland Fisher Foods, and B&W teams. While in the service he played and pitched for the All-Service Champion Manhattan Beach team that also won the NABF Tournament. While also in the service his squad got to the ABF Title game before Garcia lost a 3-2 duel against Bob Feller. After averaging nearly ten strikeouts per game he pitched, a rotator cuff injury curtailed Rosey's career in the late forties. |
| BRUCE GATES A tall, lanky right-hander with plenty of "steam," Bruce played and pitched many Copley area youth teams to League and Tournament Championships, including three All-Star years with Copley Dynamerican, and then as pitcher/shortstop at Copley High from 1970-72. He was an All-Suburban League selection for the Indians, with the highlight being a no-hitter, 1.00 ERA, and a District Championship in 1972. Bruce moved on to college action at the Rochester Institute of Technology, 1975-77, where he was All-ECAC in '76 and '77. He set a record for most putouts in a game in '76 with 11, and in 1977 set a league record with 28 scoreless innings. In Class AA ball in Akron, Bruce had two All-Star years with Red Pepper and Pfeifle Funeral Home in 1972-73. He then went back for summer ball in Rochester, where he again made the All-Star Team twice, while his team won a pair of championships. Bruce returned for more Akron League play with the champion Forest City and Akron Insulating teams before closing out his career with D.B. Johnsen Company in 1981. |
| JIM OLSON A strong 6'3",210-pound right-hander from the Springfield Township area, Jim played on numerous championship teams in his younger days before leading Springfield High to the Metro League Titles in 1963 and 1964 as a pitcher/outfielder. He was named the Metro's MVP in 1963. From there he moved to Akron University where he won the Touchdown Club Award in 1966, and Best Pitcher Award in 1968 for the Zips. At the same time, Jim began his AA career in 1966 with the champion Airmatic Valve team and two years later he added the coveted Frank Garcia Memorial Award for his outstanding pitching in 1968 to his list of highlights. Jim was named to five League All-Star teams while hurling for two champion Akron Insulating teams and for Barberton Weather-Seal, Wayne Knolls Farms, Tiny's Orphans, and the "Valves." |
| PAUL PADRUTT A three-sport star at Springfield High, including four years as catcher for the Spartans from 1941-45, Paul went directly into the service after his prep days and then had a solid ten-year career when he came back in the A-AA League in 1948. Splitting catching and outfielding duties, Paul helped many strong teams in the tough city races grab titles, including Canton Road Furniture, Smith Sheriffs, Krispy Kreme, and Akron P.O.C., before he closed out his career in 1957. Following his playing days, Paul turned to coaching at Boston (Woodridge) High, where his teams won three championships, not only in baseball, but in basketball and football as well. |
| JOHN PANGLE A native from Pittsburgh, John is being inducted into his second Baseball Hall of Fame. He received similar honors from his former school, Pittsburgh Baldwin Wallace High in 1982. He began his career as a rugged right-handed pitcher and outfielder in the Pittsburgh Whitehall Little League, where his team won two titles in three years, and then with pennant winning teams in Whitehall Class E, and American Legion teams, where he was named to two All-Star teams. He then went to Parsons College in Iowa, where he pitched his teams to one League title and two District Tournament championships. John moved to Akron in 1969 and played with Nino's Lounge for two years. After winning the Frank Garcia Memorial Award while with Eaton Sports Pride in 1971, he went into pro ball in the Minnesota system. John had three outstanding years with the Lynchburg Twins, Charlotte and Orlando, pitching a pair of no-hitters and making the All-Star team twice. However, a back injury, plus the fact that "Bonus Babies" were being moved up to the big club, curtailed his pro stint. John returned to Akron to lead Acme Ash to the 1976 League Title and the Akron Insulating teams to three other pennants. In those four years he posted a 44-3 record and a 1.77 ERA. John also played for Oakwood Grill and Genessee Beer, and managed Tallmadge Dineen Electric to the Class D title in 1983. John was name to ten AA All-Star teams and had a AA career record of 101-17. |
| LARRY SALTIS A former pitcher and first baseman on the youth level, and at Lore City High School, and for the Athens Merchants for three years while at Ohio University, Larry stayed close to the action as a coach and umpire for 34 years in the Akron area, including 20 years as an umpire on the local sandlots. The G.A.B.H.O.F. Committee has selected Larry for induction this year for his outstanding dedication and service as an umpire for those 20 years. |
| JOE STAUDT "Lefty" Joe was a stellar pitcher for three years while at Buchtel High. He continued his pitching with Akron U, where he was the number one pitcher for four successful years in the late forties. In the summer of 1950 he signed with the Dodger organization, but was called away by the service late in the 1951 season. Staudt's AA League playing days began with Moore's Wrestlers while a sophomore at Buchtel. He later joined the champion Borden Autos where his "Sinker Ball" helped the Autos get three straight AABC State Titles. In 1948, in the record-setting 17 scoreless innings win of Bordens over Alabama, Joe gave up just one hit through eleven innings before being relieved for a fresh arm. In National championship play he recorded 29 consecutive scoreless innings and 39 consecutive unearned run innings while twice being named to the tournaments All-Star team. |
| LOU TESTA A leg injury curtailed Lou's playing days, but did not take him off the field as he turned to managing and had an outstanding career as the pilot of many area teams. As far as highlights are concerned, Lou doesn't look back at win-loss records, but he would rather reminisce about the development of his players, both on and off the field. There is no doubt of his ability to help develop players into having long and successful careers by the fact that eleven of his former players have already been inducted into the Greater Akron Baseball Hall of Fame. Lou began his career in the late twenties as an infielder, primarily as shortstop with Farewell Billiards, Northern Ohio Power and Light, Goodyear Wingfoots, and the 1932 champion St. Martha teams. After suffering the leg injury, Lou took to managing with the North Akron Merchants, Hungerford Drugs, the 1935 State Champion, Atlantic Foundry, that got to the NBC Finals in Witchita, Kansas that year, and he closed out his brilliant coaching career with the Goodrich Local #5 teams. |
| DAN WARDER Although only 5'9", 145-pounds, Dan proved to be an outstanding defensive player in the first base position. Beginning in his youth days in the Springfield Township area and continuing through ten years in the AA league, he made up for his lack of size by becoming a key member of his teams. Dan consistently hit around the .300 mark, proved to be a clutch hitter and a magician with the bat when it came to bunting. Rarely did he make an error, as he had a lifetime .960 fielding average. He was also very adept at pickoff plays and the old hidden ball trick. Dan was named to three All-Star teams whil playing for the Blatz Beer, Tiny's Orphans, Azar-Denholm, Kippy-Heathco, and Nino's Lounge teams. |
| FRED ZIRUOLO Was one of the best ever in the "Hot Spot" in the infield at third base, beginning in his younger days with the Akron Rangers, and Hub Cafe, and at West High School. While at West, Freddie played for the champion Akron Yankee Juniors, Mayflower Hotel, and then moved into full time AA duty with the champion Smith Sheriff and Borden Auto Teams. Besides doing a rock-solid job at third, Freddie also filled in at shortstop and always had a good year at the plate by consistently hitting over the .300 mark. |
| JOE ZOFCHAK Due to his love of the game of baseball, one that he never got to play himself as a youth, Joe began sponsoring teams to give the young players at that time the chance to play baseball that had eluded him. Even though he was accused at times of taking food off the family table to back the ball team, Joe went into sponsoring in top hat style. He put the first team on the field in 1955 with the 1985 Hall of Famer Dutch Waters as the manager. In 1958 the legendary Joe Winkler took over the reins and helped develop the Zoff squad into a tough contending team, not only in the City League, but Statewide and in the National tournaments as well. A very unselfish man, Joe Zofchak left an indelible mark on many players in the late fifties. When economic reasons finally forced the end of sponsoring, many of Joe's players went on to form the nucleus of the champion Tramonte Black Label teams that dominated play in the sixties. His players still remember and they were all saddened when he passed away at the young age of 64 in 1977. |