It has been 10 years since the Utah Softball Hall of Fame has inducted anyone into its honor roll.
But Friday night at 8:30 p.m. during the opening ceremonies of the annual Pioneer Days Men's Major Fastpitch Tournament the Utah Softball Hall of Fame will induct 17 new members to its honor roll.The following players will be added to the Hall of Fame, which starting this year will be sponsored by the Salt Lake County Recreation Department Board: Vaughn Alvey, Roger Burt, Brad Burrup, Ross "Tiger" Caputo, Larry Morgan, Spence Thurgood, Terry Stapley, Daryl "Sonny" Robertson, Gary Cleverly, Bill Wright, and Albert "Ab" Sudbury will be inducted to the fastpitch wing.
All these inductees were either ISC All-World selections, or ASA All-Americans in their playing days.
Warren "Butch" Latey will be inducted as a fastpitch manager, and Salt Lake County recreation director, and ISC commissioner Fred Tamagowa will be added to the adminstration wing.
Women fastpitch honorees will be Mona Stevens, Michele Townsend-Graves, and May Kay Amicone.
A new wing of the honor roll will also be added this year and that's the media relations arm. Steve Klauke, the voice of the Salt Lake Buzz, and K-FAN Radio. Klauke moved to Salt Lake City after his involvement with fastpitch softball. He did the play-by-play for the 1992 ISC World Fastpitch Tournament held at the Salt Lake Cottonwood Complex.
Friends and relatives of the inductees are encouraged to be at the opening ceremonies.
The Pioneer Days Tournament field is probably second only in stature to the ISC World Tournament, which will be in Victoria, B. C., this August.
Last year's ISC World Champion, Tampa Bay, with pitcher Darren Zack, Green Bay All-Car, the defending ASA National Champions, No. 2-rated Victoria Legends, The Farm Tavern of Madison, Wisc., and of course, Larry H. Miller Toyota, and Page Brake, the co-sponsors will also play in the tournament.