The Connecticut ASA Hall of Fame has announced its 2010 Slow Pitch Wing inductees. Players Gary Bello, Bob Bosse and Ray Talimelli along with Bernie Iassogna Hall of Honor inductee Bill Krause will be honored at the annual Hall of Fame dinner, Sunday, Sept. 26 at Costa Azzurra Restaurant in Milford at 4 pm. The CASA HOF Fast Pitch Wing inductees, former players Louis Plagesse of East Haven and Bob Velky of Stratford, along with umpire Cliff LaRose of Monroe and sponsor George Franklin Jr. will also be honored at the dinner. For tickets priced at $35, contact state commissioner Ed Austin at 203-874-4036.
Bello was one of the New Haven area and state’s best players during his 11-year career from 1974-84. He was a lifetime.600 hitter and defensive stronghold as a middle infielder. An Orange native who now lives in Clinton, Bello led the Cip’s Home Plate and Luciani Sports squads to state tournaments, before crowning his softball career helping Bender’s Plumbing win the 1984 Class A national tournament. He also played two seasons with the professional New Haven Pilgrims.
Bosse, a West Haven resident, is still active as a Masters Division 60-and-over player with the highly successful Edge Technology team out of New Haven. As a pitcher and DH for Edge, he has spent nine seasons as the club’s third hitter in the lineup. He began his career with Minor Park squad from 1966-77. He then played 10 years at first base and DH with Cip’s Home Plate, and led the New Haven club to the Class A state title in 1980 as the tourney’s MVP. Bosse spent six seasons with Lockery’s Bar of East Haven before starting his senior slow pitch career.
Talimelli has had a 55-year career and is still going strong at age 72, playing for the Edge team’s 70+ squad. For the first 25 years of his career, Talimelli played as a shortstop with the top teams from West Haven. He was a key member of Mr T’s out of New Haven as a third baseman, and then started his pitching career in the Clinton ASA league, which he helped to start in 1983 and played in for 14 years. He has over 450 wins on the mound. Talimelli also was one of the founders of the CT Senior ASA league for players over 60.
Krause will be inducted into the Bernie Iassogna Hall of Honor, which recognizes umpires, commissioners, coaches and sponsors. The Westport native, who passed away in 2005, is already a member of the CASA Fast Pitch Hall of Fame, being honored in the service wing in 1993. Nicknamed “Ratsy”, he umpired slow pitch for 42 years. In serving as the Norwalk area ASA district commissioner for over 20 years, Krause brought more than 100 tournaments to Norwalk, including many state tourneys.
