• Saturday, February 13th, 2016
BIO:
Tim Cocco launched his playing career almost 25 years ago after playing baseball at Northern Kentucky University, and quickly developed into one of the game’s most potent left-handed power hitters. First he competed locally with the Northern Kentucky Knights, then at the state level after catching the attention of fellow Northern Kentuckian Red Moore, sponsor of Red’s Boys. He quickly vaulted up the ladder to regional competition with Planet Softball, earning Kentucky co-Major Player of the Year honors. Then for the next 20 years, Tim exploded onto the Major level, starring with national powerhouses like R & D, Bell Corp, Budweiser, Chase, Sunbelt, Dan Smith, Long Haul, Jean Shoppe, Red’s Astros and Team Combat. In 2002 Chase captured the USSSA Men’s Major World Series, and Tim was the home run leader and tournament Most Valuable Player. In 2005 he won his second Series home run title with Bell Corp and was named Outstanding Offensive Player. He collected his third home run crown with Jean Shoppe despite a 7th place finish. Tim won an unprecedented three consecutive USSSA national home run derbies from 2009- ’11. In World Series play since 2000, he is ranked 2nd in home runs and rbi’s, and in the top ten in hits and batting average. Tim is a member of the “All-Disney Team,” and in 2012 set a Conference USSSA record for home runs and rbi’s, and was named Offensive Player of the Year. In 2013 in Ft. Myers, FL, he was inducted into the USSSA National Hall of Fame.
• Saturday, February 13th, 2016
BIO:
Amy Flaugher of Alexandria, Ky., began her 15-year softball career at the age of 13, playing in youth leagues in Maysville before competing at the collegiate level for Northern Kentucky University from 1978-1982. After graduating from Northern, she joined Sorrento’s Pizza for two years (1982-1983), earning All-American honors at the Amateur Softball Association Women’s Major National Tournament in 1983 when Sorrento’s captured a runner-up finish. Amy moved on to Northside K of C in 1984, then spent her final four years in the game (1985-1988) with the legendary Empress Chili team. In her very first season with Empress, Amy was named Most Valuable Player at the Ohio USSSA State Tournament. She was selected to All-Tournament teams in three USSSA National Invitationals during the 1985 and ’86 seasons, and pitched Empress to back-to-back USSSA World Series titles in 1986 and ’87. Amy earned All-World honors both years, as she compiled a 15-1 record and held her opponents to just 2.5 runs per game. She went on to win a third consecutive title with Empress in 1988. Amy’s lifetime pitching record was an impressive 469-70 with a world tournament won-lost record of 23-3. Offensively, she was a place-hitter with a lifetime batting average of .450.
• Saturday, February 13th, 2016
BIO:
After capturing untold open, industrial, military, and church league and tournament titles during a thirteen-year fast pitch and thirty-one year slow pitch career, Jack Hatter turned his attention to the Senior program in 1987. During the next twenty-five years, until he retired in 2012, Jack amassed over thirty 50+, 55+, 65+, 70+, and 75+ ASA, NSA, SPA, NASCS, SSUSA, ISF, ISSA, and LVSSA National and World Tournament crowns – including at the Major or Major-Plus levels – with teams like Masters 12, Cain Run Stables, Tri-State Masters, Joseph Chevrolet, WOPAC, H & W Sports, Car Center, Center for Sight, Stafford Sales and Ohio Tile. Jack was player-manager for most of these teams, and was named SPA Manager of the Year in from 2008-2010 after winning Major-Plus titles all three seasons. Jack was a lifetime .500 hitter, whose primary position was 1st base. He has been inducted into five Hall of Fames during his career, including the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, Anderson Softball Hall of Fame, Ludlow High School Hall of Fame, National Senior Softball Hall of Fame and Hartland Hall of Fame.
• Saturday, February 13th, 2016
BIO:
Jon Jamison is considered to be the preeminent player in the history of Greater Cincinnati class “B” men’s softball. From starting his playing career with the Wilmington Rebels in 1995, Jon would ultimately reach the pinnacle of the game fourteen years later when he competed in the USSSA Men’s Major World Series in 2009. In between – and since then, Jon has powered local and regional men’s “B” powers like DeClaire Insurance, Lucke Homes, James Arnold, Freeze Concrete, Columbus Pipe, Blitz/Watanabe, and Pure Romance to untold invitational, National Invitational, State, National and World Championships. His teams have won four Metro crowns, seven State Championships, a National Championship, and two World Tournaments titles – including the NSA B World in 2007 and USSSA B World Series in 2011. And he has participated in three USSSA Men’s Major World Series. Jon’s individual awards include being selected to over thirty All-Tournament teams, most notably in four Metro, State and World Tournaments, and a USSSA National Tournament. He has also won a multitude of home run leader awards and six tournament MVP awards, including the 2007 USSSA B National and in both the 2007 NSA B and 2011 USSSA B Worlds. Jon was also named to seven Cincinnati Softball News All-City teams, was runner-up Greater Cincinnati Player of the Year in 2003 and 2010, and Player of the Year in 2007 and 2009. In 2010, he was named to the Greater Cincinnati All-Decade 1st team. He has also been a three-time Conference USSSA All-Conference pick. A lifetime .735 hitter, Jon has clubbed almost 2,000 home runs during his career.
• Saturday, February 13th, 2016
BIO:
Bob Shad has been sponsoring men’s softball teams under the EAP name for the past 28 years, which is believed to be the longest, continuously running softball sponsorship in Greater Cincinnati. During that time he has been involved with his teams in the role of player, coach, sponsor, statistician, travel agent and father figure. Over the last three decades, his teams have played almost 2,900 games ranging from the lowest level all the way to the highest. EAP has captured over 40 National Invitationals, five State Championships, two National Championships, and three Metro Championships, including one Major title. Though still chasing that elusive World title, EAP has recorded six top-five finishes in World Tournaments. But more importantly, Bob and his teams are known for much more than wins and losses. Bob has always taken pride in the fact that EAP is recognized for setting the gold standard for good sportsmanship, fair play and honesty. Bob is also widely known in the softball community for helping any team that is running a fund-raiser and for promoting the game through his service on numerous committees and panels. Three years ago Bob was the recipient of the John Earls Memorial Award, the highest honor in local softball aside from being inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Softball Hall of Fame.
• Saturday, February 13th, 2016
BIO:
Eron Smith, aka “Big E,” managed NSA and USSSA Men’s “B” level teams, ASA and USSSA “A” teams, ASA “Major” teams, and NSA 35-Over and 40-Over teams for over two decades from 1989-2011. Eron spent his career with three teams – Bruce Miller Oil from 1989- 91, Backstop Easton from 1992 – 97, and EMR/Meiners Café/Worth from 2000- ’11. He is best known for winning ASA “Major” Metro crowns in 1995 with Backstop/Easton, and in 2000 with EMR/Meiners Café/Worth. His teams were double-dipped in five Metro finals. Other notable championships included a “B” National, 35-Over and 40-Over World titles in NSA; and a USSSA “B” National and “A-AA” One-Pitch National in USSSA. In the “A” Metro, Eron recorded five top-seven finishes, and in the “Major” division four top-two finishes, six top-three and eight top-four finishes. In ASA “A” National Tournaments, his teams placed in the top seven on four occasions. In NSA, Eron finished 2nd in an “A” National and 4th in a “B.” And in USSSA, his teams finished 4th and 7th in “B” Worlds, and 7th in an “A.” Eron consistently surrounded himself with outstanding talent, and has managed eleven Greater Cincinnati Softball Hall of Fame players during his career. He was recognized not only for being an outstanding organizer and motivator, whose players were always ready for the big games, but also for building strong relationships with players, who became fiercely loyal to Smith and his sponsors. Eron compiled an overall won-lost record of 1,086-408 during his career. With his own induction into the Hall of Fame this year, he joins his father, Loyd, a 2012 inductee, as the third father-son duo to be inducted.
