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NORWALK, Conn. The Connecticut Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame announced its newest members for the Hall's Slow Pitch Wing. Players Jim Dobbs, Bob Garcia and Al Ten, along with longtime sponsor and manager George (Mimi) Lawrence will be honored at the CASA Hall of Fame awards dinner at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, at Costa Azzurra Restaurant in Milford. That quartet joins previously announced Fast Pitch Wing honorees Joe Plagesse, Mary Schneider, Joseph Auwood and Ralph Moreo.
Ten was one of the sluggers for the Sonny's of Westport teams that were among the state's most successful Major and Class A squads during Ten's 15-year career from 1977-91. A versatile performer who played every position but shortstop, he won more than 150 games on the mound and earned his way to a first-team All-American slot as a third baseman when Sonny's placed eighth in the Class A nationals in 1988. Ten hit .550 with four homers in seven games in the tourney.
Now residing in Midlothian, Va., Ten was usually the club's cleanup hitter, with outstanding power and a better than .600 average. He was one of the key performers for Sonny's 1980 Major State championship team and was the tourney co-MVP with fellow CASA Hall of Famer Gary Lawrence.
With Mimi Lawrence being inducted to join his son Gary, the Lawrences become the third father-son tandem to be elected to the slow pitch wing of the Hall of Fame. Lawrence was involved in softball for nearly 60 years as player, manager and sponsor and will be inducted into the Bernie Iassogna Hall of Honor that recognizes longtime service to the game of softball.
Lawrence managed and sponsored Lawrence's Tigers for more than 30 years, winning four Norwalk city titles and numerous tournaments throughout the state. Known as the "Ol' Tiger," his two other sons, Tracy and Bobby, played for him for many of the years he was the skipper before starting to slow down in the early 2000s. The Norwalk Recreation and Parks Department recently named its wood bat league in his honor after Lawrence died at age 83 last October.
The late Jim Dobbs had an 18-year career that ended in 1986. He was a key player for two Bridgeport/Stratford area teams that performed at the national level. The left-handed hitting outfielder/catcher was one of Avco Lycoming's standouts when the club was a yearly visitor to the ASA Industrial national tournaments, including winning three titles. Dobbs died in 2002.
Garcia was one of the top pitchers in the state during his 35 year-plus career, with 27 of those playing for Bender Plumbing, one of New Haven's powerhouse squads. He was on the mound for Bender's 1984 Class A National Championship team, as well as two other top 10 Class A finishes and a pair of third-place showings in the National Masters Division. Bender's won six Class A state titles and four New England crowns with Garcia on the hill.
Schneider was a standout college and summer league player in the 1980s. She was the starting catcher at the University of Connecticut for four years and was named three consecutive years (1981-1983) to the New England Intercollegiate Softball All Star team. During her senior year, she was named co-captain of the team and earned the University Medallion for outstanding athletics-academic achievement. Schneider was also a two-year starter on the varsity soccer team and helped the Huskies to a third place finish nationally in the 1981 season.
During the summer, she played with the top teams in Fairfield County, starting with leading the Danbury Debs to a state championship in 1980. She also starred for the Stamford Flames and finished her fast pitch career with the Norwalk Mariners. She played two seasons with the Raybestos Brakettes, both national championship-winning teams in '82 and '83.
Schneider, who grew up in Sherman and now lives in Orange, also had an accomplished 10-year slow pitch career playing in three national tournaments.
For tickets and information about the hall of fame dinner, contact Ed Austin at 203-874-4036 or Tom Chiappetta at 203-984-4806 or tomchip21@aol.com.
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