The Southern Connecticut Diamond Club Hall of Fame honors those who have contribution to the game of baseball in the local area. The Hall of Fame includes players, coaches, umpires, broadcaster, journalists and community volunteers. The HOF dinner is held annually in October, and features our inductees, as well as the Mentone Distinguished Service Award and the Gassira Memorial Umpire Award.
To nominate someone for consideration into the hall of fame, use the "play for us" tab to contact us.
- 2017 HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCEMENT:
- The Southern Connecticut Diamond Club will hold its annual Hall of Fame Induction dinner to honor those who have contributed to baseball in the area.
- It will be held on Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at Monticello’s Restaurant, 577 S. Broad Street, Meriden, CT. Hors d’oeuvres will be at 5:30 p.m. Dinner follows promptly at 6:30 p.m.
- Those being inducted include Rich Balzano of Branford, the only coach in Connecticut history to take four teams to the American Legion World Series; Thomas “Tinker”Blake (posthumously) of West Haven, known as the “Voice of West Haven,” for many of the school’s athletic events ; Chuck Burghardt, varsity coach at Lyman Hall High School; Ray Ciarleglio Sr. former Notre Dame HS and SCSU great and long-time coach; Jim Peccerillo of West Haven, former West Haven HS and Harvard player; and Sal Punzo of New Haven,former Wilbur Cross HS and UNH great and president of the Annex Little League.
- Stan Konesky, Jr. of Branford will receive the Andrew Gassira Memorial Umpire Award.
- Bill Rhone of Hamden will receive the Tony Mentone Memorial Distinguished Service Award.
- Two Teams of the Past will also be honored: the 1977 Hamden High School baseball team, which was undefeated and state champs; and the 1972 American Legion Team (North Haven Post 76) which was the New England Region champs.
- Anyone needing tickets can contact Rose Mentone at rmentone@comcast.net Tickets are $55 per person and include a full-course surf and turf dinner or vegetarian, if preferred. Children’s meals are available at a price of $20.
PREVIOUS INDUCTEES:
1980
"JUMPIN" JOE DUGAN
FRANCIS "HUCK" FINN
FRANK MCGOWAN
WALTER "POP' SMITH
"SMOKEY" JOE WOOD
1981
STEPHEN S. OBRIEN
JOHN "WHITEY" PIUREK
DANIEL Y. STEWART
RICHARD TETTLEBACH
GEORGE WEISS
WEST HAVEN TWILIGHT LEAGUE
EDWIN CANNAVAN
COL. HERB METCALFE
ED "SHRIMP" FLYNN
1982
WILLIAM "BILL" AHERN
EMMONS BOWEN
DR. JAMES MOORE
FRANK "SPEC" SHEA
MATTHEW "POP' SHORTELL
JOHNVIETCH
1983
DOM AITRO
ART CECCARELLI
RAY LEGENZA
PHIL MCLEAN
ED WILSON
1984
ROBERT BARTHELSON
JOSEPH DEGALE
KENNETH MACKENZIE
JAMES SHEEHAN
FRANK VIEIRA
1985
RAY HARTMANN
BOB DEMAYO
RAY TELLIER
E. BOWENS B.R. LEAGUE
JOHN WHITE
JOHN DAUGHAN
1986
NEW HAVEN CARDINALS
VITO DEVITO
PASQUALE "PAT" PANZA
EDWARD TORELLO
JOSEPH "JOE" YOTCH
1987
GENE CASEY
A. BARTLETT GIAMATTI
ROBERT "BOB" GREENWOOD
1988
GEORGE KLIVAK
JAMES F. "DOC" GILHULY
ROBERT NEUBAUER
EDWARD IRONS
CARL TUFTS
1989
VINCENT CARBONE
WILLIAM DOUGLAS
HENRY HANK" LUZZI
JOSEPH M. MATTEI
MICHAEL "MICKEY" MILICI
1990
SAM BURRELL
JOE TONELLI, SR.
PAUL "TOPSY" DEL GOBBO
AL "DOC" AGUZZI
ANDREW GASSIRA
1991
PHILLIP DEL VECCHIO
JUDGE JAMES DOHERTY
JOSEPH BENANTO
GEORGE HANCHETTE
REV. MATTHEW ROBERT SHANLEY
2008
TOM FAHY
GENNARO "JERRY" GAMBARDELLA
ED GOLDSTONE
DAN GOOLEY
BURT LEVENTHAL
MEL ZEIDENBERG
2009
JOHN CARUSONE
AUGIE GARBATINI
ED RAPUANO, JR.
VINCENT VIRGULTO
GEORGE WADLEY
2010
Warren Howe
George Grande
Ed Lewis
Anthony F. Mentone
Ken Perrone
2011
Scott Burrell
Vin DiLauro
Ed Marocco
Rev. Owen Sanderson
Tom Yankus
2012
Jon Capone
Mike Freda
Rich Marazzi
Mike Reilly
Dave Solomon
Ernie Williams
2013
Jim "Butch" Abel
John Anquillare
Dan Ford
Earl Mathewson
Bob Moran, Sr.
Anthony Notarino
2014
Roger Beale
The Hamden Plainsmen - Team of the past - Represented by Mike Johnson & Bob Stefanowski
Noel Kinski
Bill Marioni
Pat Paulson
Philip "Skip" Scarpellino
2015
Sal Coppola
Ed Duel (Posthumously)
Mike Giordano
Frank Kafka
Mike Vacca
1954 Hamden Medics - Team of the past
2016
Matt Altieri, Varsity Coach, Sheehan High
Dick Jeynes, Former coach Milford High School and former assistant at Yale
Michael Lamberti, Founder, co-director and head umpire of East Shore Travel League
John Stuper, head coach at Yale and former MLB pitcher
Ed Sylvia, Athletic Director & head coach at Housatonic Community College