Baseball, Softball Hall Of Fame Inductions

By Kurt Helin
Editor

Fifteen men and women who have shaped the legacy of baseball and softball in Long Beach will get some well-deserved recognition this Saturday.

That is when the group will be inducted in the Long Beach Baseball and Softball Halls of Fame. A ceremony will take place before this Saturday night’s Armada game to honor the inductees.

The halls were created four years ago to recognize those who have made significant contributions to Long Beach’s rich history on the diamond. They are housed at Blair Field (baseball) and Joe Rodgers Field.

Among the inductees is Lou Berberet, the former three-sport star at St. Anthony High School who went on to play six years in the Major Leagues.

Like many of his generation (Berberet was born in 1929) some of his prime baseball years were spent in the army, where he was for two years. But he still got to play some ball while in Fort Bliss, Texas, and his teammate there was legendary Cub Ernie Banks.

Berberet was signed by the New York Yankees in 1950, earning a then healthy $21,000 signing bonus. He eventually played in the majors for the Yankees, the Washington Senators, Boston and Detroit.

Another inductee is former Wilson High School star Jim Pagliaroni. The Boston Red Sox signed Pagliaroni for a $70,000 bonus in 1955 and he still has a small part of Red Sox lore — he was the first man to congratulate Ted Williams as he rounded the bases after hitting a home run in his final at bat.

Pagliaroni played 11 major league seasons as a catcher, probably his best was for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1965 when he hit 17 home runs, then a Pirates record for that position.

The other baseball inductees are Dick Cole, Eddie Bockman, Greg Harris, Tom Sisk, Jack Salveson, Roger Jongewaard and John Gonsalves. The 2008 Softball Hall of Fame inductees will include: Bob Osborn, Mickey Davis, Bob Bomar, Russ Fendley and Carla Williams.

Two events will take place at Blair Field, 4700 Deukmejian Drive, this Saturday. The plaque unveilings and induction ceremony will be held preceding a luncheon for honorees and their guests. Then the inductees will be introduced prior to the 7 p.m. game between the Long Beach Armada and the Calgary Vipers.