OKLAHOMA CITY – USA Softball welcomed nine new members to the National Softball Hall of Fame this evening following the 42nd Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Taking place at the Oklahoma City Convention Center, hundreds of softball fans – including friends, family members and administrators – gathered to honor the accomplishments, history-making moments and milestones of the nine inductees who played a role in making the sport of softball what it is today.
Members of the Class of 2023 include: Valerie Arioto (Fast Pitch Player), Jim Craig (Meritorious Service), Ray Fleetwood (Slow Pitch Player), Sue Ilyes (Slow Pitch Player), Doug Lindaman (Meritorious Service), Joe Massaro (Umpire), Sikorsky Aircraft (Team), John Stratton (Manager/Coach) and Monty Tucker (Slow Pitch Player).
A staple for the USA Softball Women’s National Team, Valerie Arioto gained the Hall of Famer tagline after a long – and storied – career representing the Women’s National Team on the international stage. Arioto’s dedication to the sport is matched with her talent, etching her name in history as one of the best first basemen to wear the Team USA jersey while also carrying the presence as one of the most feared international hitters. Throughout her 11 seasons representing the U.S., Arioto helped the Women’s National Team to 13 medals including four World Cup gold medals, three Pan American Games gold medals and two World Championship gold medals before capping her career with an Olympic silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. A mainstay in the Red, White and Blue, Arioto embodied the characteristics of a true leader for the Women’s National Team program and the sport as a whole, paving the way as a voice that aimed to be heard amid the 13-year hiatus that the sport faced from the Olympic Games. Extending her impact beyond the playing field, Arioto served as an athlete representative on the USA Softball Board of Directors for various years where she played a key role in the growth and development of the sport of softball.
Loved and respected on and off the field, Jim Craig has played a significant role on numerous lives through the sport of softball. Craig began his renowned career first as an umpire in 1978, which was highlighted with working as the Umpire-In-Chief (UIC) for 61 national championships and five international championships while serving as the committee chairman of the UIC Clinic from 2007-21. Known for not only his contribution on the field, but off the field as well, Craig contributed to the reformat of National Umpire Schools in 2018, which proved to be a huge success for the USA Softball Umpire Program. His accomplishments have earned him various awards over the years, including the Merle O. Butler Award of Excellence and Region 2 Award of Excellence while also being inducted into three Hall of Fames – Metro Buffalo ASA Hall of Fame (2003), Western New York Softball Hall of Fame (2011) and USA Softball of New York Hall of Fame (2021). His influence, dedication and ambitious nature was not only felt locally, but nationally and internationally.
Known as an absolute powerhouse at the plate, Ray Fleetwood blasted over 2,000 home runs in his 26-year career (1969-1994) while compiling an overall batting average above .650. With more than 100 home runs hit in a single season for 11 consecutive years (1971-1981), Fleetwood earned four All-American honors and was named to the 1970 All-Decade Team in addition to an honorable mention to the All-Century Team. A resume filled with standout awards, additional accolades picked up by Fleetwood include being named the Smokey Mountain Classic Co-MVP and OK ASA Co-Player of the Year in 1975. Fleetwood’s contributions to the Slow Pitch game will forever label him as a “difference maker” for the sport – both on and off the field.
An all-around exceptional player both offensively and defensively, Sue Ilyes radiated a dedication and passion for the game that was contagious to all who surrounded her. Ilyes was considered to be one of the best to ever come out of Pennsylvania, spanning a 35-year playing career with various teams in the state. A standout on various occasions, Ilyes earned 18 All-American/All-World honors – four of which came in back-to-back years – while helping lead her team to 26 national championship appearances and eight national titles. In addition to her All-American honors, Ilyes was awarded various other accolades and MVP awards, including being dubbed one of the premier shortstops in the country by Softball Publications in 1986 while earning the National Championship MVP in 1998.
Doug Lindaman exemplifies a true dedication to the sport with an extensive career serving in numerous roles within USA Softball. A passion that blossomed at a young age, Lindaman first became involved in the game as a player at the age of 14. He played, managed and sponsored teams throughout the early days of his career – a foundation that he continued to build upon during his time with USA Softball. With a career that spans 37 years on the USA Softball Council, Lindaman has contributed on various committees including the Hall of Fame Committee, the Men’s National Team Selection Committee, the Fast Pitch Playing Rules Committee and the Player Representative Committee. In addition to Lindaman’s committee involvement, he also served in various positions for the USA Softball National Teams Program including Team Manager for the USA Softball Men’s National Team at the 1996 International Softball Federation (ISF) World Championship and the USA Softball Junior Men’s National Team at the 2008 ISF World Championship. Lindaman was a difference maker for the sport of softball and set standards of dedicated volunteerism that will be admired for years to come.
Joe Massaro’s skills coupled with his caring and passionate approach for developing the game propelled him to a successful umpiring career that spanned 38 years (1979-2016). His dedication earned him the opportunity to umpire at seven National Championships, including the Women’s Major Fast Pitch championship game in 1994, 1996 and 2000. Excelling on the international stage, Massaro also umpired in several ISF tournaments including the 2001 Junior Girls’ World Cup and the 2005 Junior Men’s World Cup as well as various Olympic-level events such as the 2000 USA Softball Pre-Olympic tour and the 2004 Olympic Games Qualifier. Massaro’s contributions as a USA Softball umpire earned him a spot in the Medals Program at the gold level while also being a member of the National Indicator Fraternity. Adding to his resume of accolades, Massaro attained Elite Status in the USA Softball umpire program, was named the USA Softball Mid-Atlantic Region Umpire of the Year in 1999 and received the Umpire Award of Excellence for Region 2 in 2001. His continued dedication to the sport and advanced skills on the field has earned him enshrinement to the Union County Softball Hall of Fame (2009) as well as the USA Softball of New Jersey Hall of Fame (2011).
When you talk about slow pitch softball teams, Sikorsky Aircraft is one of the teams that comes to mind. Fielding one of the most dominant Men’s Slow Pitch teams for over 50 years, Sikorsky Aircraft qualified for the national tournament 46 times with 19 titles, while also finishing as the runner-up eight times and placing in the top five 35 times. Led by Hall of Fame members Eugene Kwalek and Ken Clark, Sikorsky Aircraft had over 50 players earn All-American honors throughout the years, totaling over 200 selections.
John Stratton is synonymous with excellence, garnering over 40 years with the Raybestos/Stratford Brakettes program where he totaled over 2,300 wins and a dazzling .917 winning percentage paired with 16 national championship titles. Stratton’s career with the franchise and the Brakettes’ legendary success are interwoven over decades. Leading many standout athletes over the years, Stratton coached various Hall of Famers, including Joan Joyce and Sue Enquist – both of which have made their mark on the sport of softball across the globe. A true ambassador of the game of softball, Stratton’s service to the sport goes far beyond his managerial achievements with over 50 years of instructional clinics and coaching advice. The epitome of an exquisite legend of the sport, Stratton earned the respect of coaches, players and parents for both his knowledge and respect of the game while demonstrating the ability to encourage his players to maximize their mental and physical talents to overcome the competitive pressures and challenges of the game.
Monty Tucker played the highest classification of softball for over 20 years, earning four All-American accolades and two MVP honors as well as honorable mentions to the All-Century Team and 1980 and 1990 All-Decade Teams. In all four of his All-American performances, Tucker totaled a .793 batting average with 42 home runs and 83 RBIs. Known as one of the top hitters in the 1980-90s, Tucker slugged over 2,000 home runs during his career with over 100 tallied in a single season nine times during a 10-year span – including 413 during the 1987 season.
The Class of 2023 increases the membership in the National Softball Hall of Fame to 449 since its establishment in 1957.