Posted by Joe O
on 3/2/2008, 10:00 pm
Message modified by board administrator 3/2/2008, 11:30 pm
Daily Times, Delco Sport...PA ASA Hall of Fame Induction: Dunbar's entrance is loudly applauded
By Anthony J. SanFilippo
GRANTVILLE - If there were any doubts that Delaware County was the softball capital of Pennsylvania, they should have been quelled Saturday night.
Delco stole the show at the 34th annual Amateur Softball Association of Pennsylvania Hall of Fame banquet, taking home three honors in front of easily the most raucous crowd in the history of the event.
Theresa Dunbar, the Daily Times Female Softball player of the Millennium was one of six inductees into the Hall and was primarily responsible for the festive crowd that took over the grand ballroom at the Harrisburg/Hershey Holiday Inn.
In a scene reminiscent of the 1995 Baseball Hall of Fame inductions of former Phillies Mike Schmidt and Richie Ashburn in Cooperstown, N.Y., a record crowd made the two-hour drive to Grantville to celebrate Dunbar's enshrinement.
The entire back corner of the room was populated by Dunbar's family, co-workers and current and former softball teammates as well as other representatives from District Six, which includes Delaware and Chester counties.
A record 88 guests were in attendance - just to see Dunbar - and they didn't just sit quietly in the corner.
No, they let the whole state know who they were, where they were from and why they were present.
It was Delco at its finest.
"It's the same support group that I had my whole softball career," said Dunbar. Actually, my whole life. It's really fitting they're here to be part of this, because without them I wouldn't be here."
Dunbar was the last of the six inductees to be recognized at the dais, and before presenter Guy Demaio even got the word "finally" out of his mouth, there was a standing ovation in the back of the room with steady applause and some good, old-fashioned hooting and hollering.
After Dunbar took the podium, it was as if she was offering the state of the union address. She started by reading a prepared speech and then immediately tossed it aside and spoke from the heart, inducing applause after nearly every sentence.
While Dunbar thanked as many people as she could remember, like Schmidt 13 years ago, she made a poignant plea. She advised the ASA and the rest of the softball community for there to be more women enshrined into the Hall.
"When we come back in future years and they introduce all the previous Hall of Fame members in attendance, I don't want it to be a bunch of guys and me," said Dunbar. "We need more women in the Hall of Fame. They're out there. I know we have some to consider in District Six, and I know there's some in other districts too, so let's get them in here, because women are an integral part of softball in this state too."
Dunbar is just the 10th woman to be inducted into the Hall and the first from District Six.
The induction was the culmination of a fantastic weekend for Dunbar, who was surprised Thursday by the students, faculty and staff of Walnut Lane Elementary Schooll in Darby Borough when they threw her a Hall of Fame pep rally and called it "Ms. Dunbar Day."
"Thursday was just unbelievable," said Dunbar. "I had no clue. When I walked in the gym I saw all the kids, the signs, the songs, the skits - it was so overwhelming. It was such a high that I didn't sleep Thursday night.
The ASA of Pennsylvania made a special exception for Dunbar to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame, which is usually reserved for retired players.
"I told them I don't plan on retiring any time soon," said Dunbar. "So they needed to tweak the language in their bylaws if they wanted me in."
They did.
After a brief professional basketball career in Germany, Dunbar started playing softball with Sharon Hill A.A. in 1977.
During the next 15 seasons, with Dunbar leading the way, Sharon Hill won 11 Del Val fast pitch titles, three Class A state championships, three tournament crowns and went on trips to play internationally in Ireland, Hawaii and Curacao.
Switching to slow pitch, Dunbar played for Max Magee's Pub that won the 2002 ASA Class B national championship.
Dunbar wasn't the lone Delaware County representative to be recognized.
Marple resident Bob Memory was given the prestigious President's Award for his lifetime service to the softball community.
It was a surprise award for Memory, who was in attendance despite suffering a stroke a week ago.
Memory is the District Six Junior Olympic Commissioner, has been umpiring, along with his three children for the Del Val Youth softball league, among others, and after his vision started to fail due to health issues, was charged with forming a team of blind softball players.
"For two years I've been trying to find a team with enough courage to play my team," said Memory. "You'd be surprised at just how good they are."
Finally, the Daily Times won the annual Sportswriter/Media award for the second consecutive year for its continued coverage of softball as well as its annual charity softball tournament that raises money for the American Cancer Society.
When the Times was announced as the winner again, the Dunbar faction in the back of the room had another outburst of applause that stopped the presentation for about a minute.
Proving once again, that when it comes to passion and dedication to softball, Delaware County is second to none in Pennsylvania.
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