Fourteen contributors to Columbus Slow Pitch Softball were honored during the first Hall of Fame Banquet Saturday night at the Eagles.
Hall of Fame President Jerry Cox’s dream of creating a Hall of Fame for those who have pioneered and sustained the sport within Columbus has finally become a reality. All inductees received a framed certificate and a jacket with a Hall of Fame patch on it.
“For years, I thought that the establishment of a Hall of Fame for slow pitch softball has been long overdue,” Cox said. “Since it was launched in January of this year, many people have told me and have told me the same thing.”
Inductees have contributed to the growth of softball in many different ways. Almost all of the inductees played softball on the diamonds of Lincoln Park. In recognition of their support, the Columbus Parks and Recreation department itself was enshrined in the initial class.
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“Sixty-two years ago, Columbus Parks and Rec took a chance on slow-pitch softball,” Cox remembered during his remarks inducting the organization. “They didn’t know if it would work, but in a few years the numbers of teams playing went from 14 to 121.”
Inductee Ed Stillinger helped plant the slow-pitch softball seed in Columbus. Diamond 4 at Lincoln Park is named for him. All who have played on the diamonds of Lincoln Park have had the chance to admire the handiwork of its architect, the late Doug Webb.
The late local scorekeeper Bobby Wissman possessed an amazing recall for softball averages. On Saturday, he also was among the original Hall of Fame class. That ensures that future generations will recall his name.
Some inductees, like Phil Pickens and Russell “Rabbit” Willhoit made their mark as coaches. Cox also introduced his former coach, Wilhoit, to the audience.
“I hated when he stopped coaching me because he was such a great person to be around,” Cox told the audience.
Perhaps the evening’s most heartfelt moment was the posthumous enshrinement of Ray “Big Bopper” Anderson by his sons, Jason and Kevin Anderson.
“Our dad wanted to be best at whatever he did, including playing softball.” Jason Anderson said. “A favorite story of his involved playing in a tournament in Ohio. If you hit a homer, you got a free chicken dinner.”
But, The Bopper may have ended the promotion with his prodigious power stroke.
“By the end of the tournament, he’d hit enough homers to feed his entire team,” Jason Anderson said. “They didn’t have that promotion when he came back for that tournament next year. But as great a player as Dad was, he was an even better person and father.”
The lone female inductee, Maria Stack, hit .500 during her career. She thanked her mother during her speech for making sure she had an opportunity to play the game.
“I had to play softball with the boys when I first started because there was no girls softball league,” she said. “I’m better known for basketball, but I loved playing softball in the summer and basketball in the winter and other sports during their seasons. I didn’t have to pick one sport growing up, and I wouldn’t have wanted to.”
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The inaugural class of the Columbus Slow-Pitch Softball Hall of Fame:
Ray Anderson
Rod Eliot
Lou Giovanini
Fred Lawson
Phil Pickens
Rob Roop
Maria Stack
Ed Stillinger
Doug Webb
Jim Wells
Dewey Whitis
Russell Wilhoit
Bobby Wissman
Columbus Parks & Recreation Dept
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