Through the years, Centola also worked in the Watertown Public Schools and for Watertown Recreation. All rights reserved. But he supplied much more. Tom Cassell Player-Manager-Official (Cassell Club) But he supplied much more. More >, A 1952 Pittsburgh Courier poll of African-American sportswriters determined Williams -- not Satchel Paige or Leon Day -- to be the greatest pitcher in Negro League history. He fielded 11 separate Hall of Fame players on his roster at various points, aggressively assembling top-end clubs year-in and year-out. The Intercity Baseball League Hall of Fame induction dinner will be held on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, at Montvale Plaza in Stoneham. Your email address will not be published. Wide receiver A.J. Monte Irvin often compared Day to the great Bob Gibson in how he could carry a ballclub when it was his turn to pitch. Peter Centola, right, coached baseball at UMass-Boston from 1985-91, and one of his players, Steve Coffey (left), was picked in the Major League Baseball draft. It was a pleasant surprise.. As part of the inaugural class of 2021, eight players were inducted; Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Steven Gerrard, and David Beckham. Smiths sweeping curveball, honored on his Hall of Fame plaque, was his calling card. Tom Mandile- Hosmer Chiefs & Medford Mustangs His first position was as freshman coach at Belmont High School in 1983, then moved to Mass Bay Community College the next year before going to UMass-Boston, where he coached from 1985-91. Eddie Landry-North Cambridge LUKE BEGLEY-Medford Mustangs & Watertown Reds For information on the dinner please contact Dinner Chairman Orazio Azzarello at 617-839-6843. Congratulations Peter! Charlie BreitroseThe City Council voted to replace the artificial turf at Victory Field with a new artificial surface. Dave Ellegood Merchants Now sit back and enjoy the acknowledgement of others. Coaches saw him playing at a Watertown park and at the age of 11 he was drafted by the Red Sox of the Watertown Little League, before going on to Junior Babe Ruth Reds, Senior Babe Ruth, and then played for the Watertown Hibernians in the Stan Musial League. It was introduced in for the 2008/09 season with the purpose of raising the profile of the sport in Ireland and increasing interest in Scotland. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 was revealed Thursday night at NFL Honors, three days before Super Bowl LVII. Les DeMarco Player-Manager-Official (Merchants) Voting Procedure:All Committee members will vote for up to 10 individuals on the ballot. Centola had a decorated athletic career at Watertowns St. Patricks High School, where he was MVP of the Catholic Suburban League in baseball as a junior and senior and the Boston Herald named him to the All- Scholastic team in basketball when he was a senior. All champions of baseball. After this weekend, Kendrick will have a more fitting memory to recollect. Teams of "great achievement" for at least 1 season. Watertown News is an independent, locally owned news website. Travel through history via artifacts and documents that highlight the games greatest heroes and teams, exploring how baseball has changed throughout the years. Your email address will not be published. Part 4: Conclusions. But early Negro League fans were already familiar with Torrientes remarkable five-tool ability from his play stateside -- first with the Cuban Stars and then the Chicago American Giants, whom he helped to three straight Negro National League pennants. KEVIN BURGOYNE-Medford Mustangs, Augustines As, Andre Chiefs, Powderhouse, Holovak & Coughlin & Melrose Americans He threw strikes, got outs, got saves and got wins. Three years later, he outhit the Babe in an offseason matchup between the Yankees and Hilldale Daisies. 2 and 3 team against the Div. JESSE SARZANA- Gately Rams Fifteen years ago, the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted 17 people from the Negro leagues. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Don McKeown-Medford Mustangs With Centola, batting and fielding credentials tell two-thirds of the story. Joe DiSarcina Player-Manager (Augustines As) The Boston Metro Baseball League (BMBL) honors those elite players who have exceeded expectations on the baseball field while also making a substantial impact on our league. For information on the dinner please contact Dinner Chairman Orazio Azzarello at 617-839-6843. His imposing size alone was enough to get an opponents attention, but it was his consistent night in night out, year in year out production that rendered him the heart and soul, the presence, in Arlingtons Grannan and Holovak & Coughlin lineups, one of which, the 1986 Grannan Club, Centola led to the Intercity League playoff finals won by the Melrose Rams. And Dandridges hands were just as magical when holding a bat, routinely topping .300 with ease as he sprayed the ball to all fields. One story states that he was timed going around the bases in just 12 seconds. He was a consistent .300 hitter, too, known for spraying the ball to all fields and driving in runs in the clutch. BOB IANDOLI-Somerville Red Sox & Elms, Andre Chiefs & Melrose Rams Its teams also play in the Northern Premier League or the Irish Hockey League. MARK SULLIVAN- Augustines As & Somerville Red Sox & Somerville Elms DEREK DANA Augustines As Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. Dave Martin Guinness, Americans, Chiefs & Reds Peter Albano Somerville & Rams As with the bat and glove, when on the mound, he did his job. His imposing size alone was enough to get an opponent's attention, but it was his consistent night in night out, year in year out production that rendered him the heart and soul, the presence, in Arlington's Grannan and Holovak & Coughlin lineups, one of which, the 1986 Grannan Club, Centola led to the Intercity League playoff finals won by the Melrose Rams. ARI KOUFOS Augustines As & Andre Chiefs Dandridge possessed the quickest reflexes and the surest hands of any infielder Ive ever seen, wrote Monte Irvin, who was no slouch himself with the glove. He is currently the Director of Recreation in Watertown. 1 team, gave up four runs in the first inning and pitched two innings. His baseball career did not get off to an auspicious start. It wasnt like I was waiting for this, Centola said. The Celtic League Cup is an ice hockey league contested by teams from both Scotland and Ireland. Fred Campatelli Player (Augustines As) The Archives and Collections at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum preserve relics of the game, the great stories they tell, and a trove of historic information. 1 team, gave up four runs in the first inning and pitched two innings. Hall of Fame, in full Hall of Fame for Great Americans, monument which honours U.S. citizens who have achieved distinction or fame, standing at the summit of University Heights on the campus of Bronx Community College (originally the uptown campus of New York University). He put his career on pause to serve in World War II, but he came back in 1946 to no-hit the Philadelphia Stars in his first game back on the mound. He was a summer star in the United States and a winter hero in his native Cuba. KEVIN YIANACOPOLUS- Wakefield Merchants, MIKE BARNES-Andre Chiefs The following information was provided by YardArt Watertown: In the playoffs, where stellar play elevates players in the eyes of media and fans, he never shined. Whites greatest contribution was likely his first book, History of Colored Baseball, which provided the first in-depth anthology of African-American ballplayers before the Negro Leagues formed in 1920. JAKE DILLARD-Lexington Blue Sox Wherever he played, Torriente was a sure bet to clear .300 at the plate and track down almost every ball in center field. On Sunday, O'Neil, who rose to fame as a first baseman for the Kansas City Monarchs, will be posthumously inducted into. PAUL KELLIHER-Wakefield Merchants The Negro Leagues and African-American baseball at large often rivaled the Major Leagues, both at the gates and in the national consciousness, in the first half of the 20th century. More >. Centola, a former Massachusetts Bowling Association candlepin champion, is the Director of Recreation in Watertown, where, among other things, he oversees Victory Field, home of the Watertown Reds. About Watertown News Find out the latest about what is going on in town. Rogan, in the eyes of some contemporary records, was the winningest pitcher of the original Negro National League. The 1976 Watertown Babe Ruth All Stars, including Peter Centola, center, who went on to play and coach in high school and college. . Leon Paulino closed out the first inning scoring with a 2-run home run to right. The election came with some controversy and has been followed by silence. Peter Centola is now the Director of the Watertown Recreation Department. Welcome to the Hall of fame. He transformed his ballclub into a barnstorming phenomenon during the lean years of the Great Depression, investing his own money into a portable field lighting system that he trucked behind the team bus on road trips. But Dihigo might have been at his best on the pitchers mound, where he twirled no-hitters and won hundreds of games while still winning batting titles at home plate. John Brickley, As The doors of the Intercity League's Hall of Fame will swing open for 23 new members on Saturday, November 15. Here he is seen playing for Stonehill College. Introducing the Hall of Fame Starting Nine, a scavenger hunt built for the ultimate baseball fan. RALPH WALKER- Hosmer Chiefs, Johnny Ball- Boston Typos The CFP will expand to 12 teams starting with the 2024 season. Charlie BreitroseMothers from the Watertown Youth Hockey skated a lap of honor in memory of their friend Jami Curley at John A. Ryan Arena. The Hall of Fame committee wrote up the following profile of Centola: Presence is defined as the impressive manner, appearance, bearing or air of a person. Denver, Colorado - July 1-3, 2023. Centola got cut from youth baseball at the age of 7. Graceful with the glove and dangerous with the bat, Leonard was a top candidate to break the color barrier before Jackie Robinson. More >. Atlantic City, New Jersey - September 2-4, 2023. Eddie DiGiacomo Player-Manager (Mustangs) JON DREW-Somerville Red Sox, Andre Chiefs, Lynnfield White Sox, Guinness Club, & Gately As Once an individual has been nominated, their nomination will remain active for a period of 5 years or until such time they are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Original works of artpaintings, sculptures and renderingscelebrate the game. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. SHANAN KNOX- Lexington Blue Sox He first worked for Watertown Recreation in 1976 as a Camp Peqoussette Apache Counselor. SEAN McELROY-Lexington Blue Sox He played first base and pitched. Players eligible five years after their final FCBL season. The Futures Collegiate Baseball League Hall of Fame was established in 2020 and exists to recognize and honor the Administrators, Players, Coaches, Teams, and Contributors for their achievements and/or contributions to the FCBL. (more). The Intercity Baseball League Hall of Fame induction dinner will be held on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, at Montvale Plaza in Stoneham. Still, Grant led the International Leagues Buffalo squad in hitting each year from 1886-88. Listed below in alphabetical order by last name are the current members of the BMBL Hall of Fame. We depend on your support. A situational hitter, Centola knew what his job was from at bat to at bat. On the Museum's third floor, " Chasing the Dream " honors Hank Aaron's legacy, while "Sacred Ground" examines the evolution of ballparks. A situational hitter, Centola knew what his job was from at bat to at bat. Though he was often overshadowed by bigger names, Brown was the Homestead Grays Sunday Pitcher -- the popular term at the time for the ace who could draw a crowd -- throughout the franchises dynastic run of nine straight Negro National League pennants. JOE SARNO- Wakefield Merchants He is credited with inventing the Pistol offense, with a running back lined up behind the quarterback in a shotgun formation. While arm injuries moved Mndez from pitcher to shortstop in the mid-1910s, he later returned to the mound in style, pitching a shutout in the decisive game of the inaugural 1924 Negro League World Series. STEVE SILVIO- Medford Mustangs & Andre Chiefs John Moore, Merchants Your the best and congrats. BRIAN COUGHLIN- Holovak & Coughlin No foul language. Pete Frates- Lexington Blue Sox The annual event has been on hold since November of 2020 when Covid concerns forced a postponement. The Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) in collaboration with Life Sciences Cares and five Watertown-based life science companies has awarded record setting $45,000 in grants for Watertown Public Schools. RON LUONGO-Lynnfield Colonials & Hosmer Chiefs The National Baseball Hall of Fame features over 300 members in its famous Plaque Gallery, but the path for 37 of them was longer than the rest.