LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Eight individuals received softball's highest honor on Saturday evening as the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball inducted eight members to the National Softball Hall of Fame at the 35th Annual celebration at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Ky.
A night to remember, the 2015 class consisted of Bonnie Anderson (Springfield, Ore.) - Umpire - Posthumous, John Davide (Centereach, N.Y.) - Slow Pitch Player, Andy Dooley (Thaxton, Va.) - Commissioner, Sue Enquist (San Clemente, Calif.) - Meritorious Service, Mark Ingrao (Falls Church, Va.) - Umpire, Charles Moss, Sr. (Lanexa, Va.) - Meritorious Service, Steve Padilla (Manteca, Calif.) - Fast Pitch Player and Mike White (Eugene, Ore.) - Fast Pitch Player.
Read more about the 2015 ASA/USA Softball Hall of Fame Class:
Bonnie Anderson (Springfield, Ore.) - Umpire
Ask anyone in the Northwest and they'd tell you that Bonnie Anderson was considered the premier umpire from Oregon and Pacific Northwest. Umpiring from 1974-1998, Bonnie's achievements go far beyond the playing field. Bonnie umpired in 29 ASA/USA Regional Tournaments throughout her career and received her first National assignment in 1981 at the Women's Class A Slow Pitch National Championship. She would go on to umpire in five additional ASA/USA National Championships before breaking into the international scene at the 1995 ISF Junior Women's World Championship in Normal, Ill. Anderson also served as an umpire at the 1982 National Sports Festival and the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1984. Other accolades include being ISF Certified and a charter member of the National Indicator Fraternity. While her umpiring résumé is impressive, her off-field work is just as outstanding. Bonnie became the first woman Umpire-in-Chief for ASA/USA Softball in 1981 and established a top-notch training and education system for Oregon umpires. Sadly, Bonnie passed away in January, 2012, but to this day, her military-style of teaching continues to groom umpires in the Northwest.
John Davide (Centereach, N.Y.) - Slow Pitch Player
In a time where teams played fewer than 100 games a year, John Davide was a staple of the County Sports softball organization for many years. Known as an intense competitor, Davide was well known throughout the Men's Major Slow Pitch world as an outstanding shortstop and a feared hitter. Many teammates, coaches and opponents often referred to him as the best home run hitting shortstop in the game. He left little to doubt, often hitting anywhere from 70 to 100 home runs every year he played. Davide was a member of several ASA/USA All-Tournament and All-American squads while capturing numerous Tournament MVP titles throughout his career. His playing accolades didn't stop at the Major Slow Pitch level as he continued his playing career through the Master's and Senior Softball divisions.
Andy Dooley (Thaxton, Va.) - Commissioner
Andy Dooley has a storied career with ASA/USA Softball beginning in 1984 when he served as an At-Large Player Rep for Piedmont VA ASA/USA. Ten years later, his commitment and dedication to the organization helped earn him the title of Commissioner and helped lead the association to one of the most prominent in the Region. Along with his local accolades, Andy has made an impact at the National level, serving on the ASA/USA Board of Directors as the Eastern Territory Vice President and as the President of ASA/USA Softball from 2009-2011. Since 1992, Piedmont VA ASA/USA has held several ASA/USA events, including National Championships and the USA Softball National Teams. Andy is also extremely active with the Special Olympics Program in both Virginia and on the National level and helped establish the ASA/USA Special Programs Committee.
Sue Enquist (San Clemente, Calif.) - Meritorious Service
A true icon in the softball world, Sue Enquist has been a driving force for the sport of softball at all levels for nearly four decades. Her resume alone speaks for itself. Enquist has three ASA/USA All-American titles, five ASA/USA National Championships, five Gold Medals as a member of the USA Softball Women's National Team and three as a coach of the program. Perhaps her most notable accolades came during her time as the Head Coach of the UCLA Softball program. With a 27 year career at the helm of the Bruins, Enquist compiled an 887-175-1 record and 11 NCAA National Championships while producing 15 U.S. Softball Olympians and 65 NCAA All-Americans. Beyond her role as a coach and player, Enquist is highly regarded as a clinician and advocate for softball. A true legend of the game, Enquist continues to instill her passion and excellence to players and coaches around the country.
Mark Ingrao (Falls Church, Va.) - Umpire
Mark began his umpiring career in 1974 at the age of 16 in Falls Church, Va. Five years later, he joined the Fairfax Softball Umpires Association and kicked off a career with ASA/USA Softball that spanned 25 years. His umpiring credits included two Central Atlantic Regional Slow Pitch Tournaments and six National Championships, including the first Men's Master's 35-Over in 1985. He then worked his first of four Super Slow Pitch National Championships in 1990. His final National Championship assignment came in 2002 when he umpired at the Slow Pitch Championship Series. Along with his National Tournament assignments, Ingrao is a member of the National Indicator Fraternity, an ISF Certified Umpire and an Elite Umpire in the slow pitch category. Ingrao also has several accomplishments as an administrator for the Central Atlantic Region, including serving as the Metro Washington DC Deputy Umpire-in-Chief (UIC) from 1989-2004. He also served on the National Umpire Staff from 2006-2012.
Charles Moss, Sr. (Lanexa, Va.) - Meritorious Service
A cornerstone of umpiring in Virginia, Charles Moss, Sr. began his career in 1977 when he attended his first ASA rules and mechanics class. His love for the game took root that year, fostering a lifelong commitment to ASA/USA Softball. Two years after attending his first class he was appointed to the Central Virginia ASA staff as an Eastern District Commissioner and Umpire-in-Chief (UIC), positions which led to his attendance at several Regional and National Umpire Clinics. Not only was Moss active at an administrative level, he also continued his career as an ASA/USA Umpire. His dedication and commitment to the game helped launch his successful umpiring career and several honors have been bestowed upon Moss. In addition to umpiring at 10 ASA/USA National Championships and one International Softball Federation (ISF) event, he is a member of the ASA/USA Umpire Medals program at all levels and he's a member of the National Indicator Fraternity. Moss is also a member of the Central Virginia ASA Hall of Fame and the National Senior Hall of Fame. Moss also has a strong commitment to Senior softball and has played a major role in the success of the program.
Steve Padilla (Manteca, Calif.) - Fast Pitch Player
In an era of iconic men's fast pitch teams, Steve Padilla was a driving force from the circle. Starting out in the Men's Class A division, Padilla led his team, Tee House, to the 1982 Men's Class A Fast Pitch National title while earning ASA All-American honors. Once the word of his pitching spread around the country, Padilla made the jump to the Men's Major division and never looked back. Joining the California Kings in 1983, he would earn his first ASA/USA Men's Major Fast Pitch National Championship the following year, helping his squad win 10-straight games en route to the title where he was also named the MVP. Padilla's 5-0 performance at the National Championship while giving up just one unearned run helped him garner another ASA/USA All-American accolade. Through 10 additional seasons, Padilla earned three more All-American honors with Guanella Brothers and the Nor Cal Merchants and earned a Men's 40-Over National Championship in 1994. Padilla also made a name for himself on the international scene as a member of the USA Softball Men's National Team that claimed the Silver Medal at the 1987 Pan American Games. He also competed in five U.S. Olympic Festivals. Once his playing days came to an end, Padilla continued to play a role in men's fast pitch as a coach in the National Team Program. Padilla served as an assistant coach for the 1999 Men's National Team at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada and the ISF World Championship in Sydney, Australia. He also was an assistant coach for the Puerto Rican Women's National Team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Athens, Ga.
Mike White (Eugene, Ore.) - Fast Pitch Player
One of the most respected pitchers in the game, Mike White put his teams on the map at both the national and international scene. A native of New Zealand, White spent some time as a member of their Men's National Team before coming to the U.S. to begin his playing career in the Men's Major division. White's impressive résumé includes nine ASA/USA All-American titles and three Men's Major Fast Pitch National Championships. White also has a storied career with the USA Softball Men's National Team Program beginning in 1995 when he earned a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Mar Del Plata, Mexico. In his 11 years as a member of Team USA, White helped guide the U.S. to three silver medals in the Pan American Games and one bronze medal at the ISF World Championship. He continues to help the National Team Program as a member of the coaching staff for the Women's National Team and is also a member of the ISF Hall of Fame.
In addition to honoring eight individuals with their induction into the National Softball Hall of Fame, the Class of 2016 was also announced following the conclusion of the Hall of Fame Committee meeting earlier in the day. Inductees in the Class of 2016 are: Ken Eriksen (Tampa, Fla.) - Meritorious Service, Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.) - Fast Pitch Player, Harry Haroian - (Melvindale, Mich.) - Fast Pitch Player, Peter Meredith (Salt Lake City, Utah) - Fast Pitch Player, John Nelson (Dalton, Ga.) - Umpire, Tom Penders (Narragansett, R.I.) - Fast Pitch Player, Terry Peterson (Omaha, Neb.) - Sponsor, Mick Renneisen (Bloomington, Ind.) - Meritorious Service.
The 36th induction ceremony will take place on at the 85th Annual ASA/USA Softball Council Meeting, which will be held in Shreveport, La. Rules and guidelines to nominate potential Hall of Fame candidates for 2017 are available at USASoftball.com <http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/About/National-Softball-Hall-of-Fame/Qualifications-and-Procedures > . There is a deadline submission of September 1, 2016.
About ASA/USA Softball
Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation's largest sports organizations, ASA/USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 74 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.5 million. ASA/USA is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women's National Team is one of only two women's sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles as well as claimed eight World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about ASA/USA Softball, please visit http://www.asausasoftball.com <http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball.aspx >
Codi Warren
Managing Director of Communications
Amateur Softball Association of America/USA Softball
Office 405.425.3431 | Cell 405. 420. 2817
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