Published: August 09, 2008 11:41 pm      

Ex-Johnstown AAABA manager, GM among 3 inducted into Hall

The 15th annual AAABA Hall of Fame banquet almost could have doubled as an assembly of the all-time Johnstown AAABA team of the 1980s and 1990s.

Several tables of area players who starred in college and professional baseball were among a capacity crowd of 559 people at the Pasquerilla Conference Center.

They gathered to honor Dee Dee Osborne, a former Johnstown AAABA Tournament manager and general manager who entered the Hall with two others.

“I have the opportunity to see a lot of coaches, compete against a lot of coaches, coach with a lot of coaches,” said former Johnstown Junior League MVP Tom Walter, now head coach at the University of New Orleans. “A lot of coaches in this game are coaching for the wrong reasons. They’re coaching because it’s about them or they want to wear the jacket that says ‘coach’ on it. Dee Dee Osborne is in this game for the right reason. He’s in this game for the kids. He’s always been that way and he always will be that way.”

Osborne was inducted with former New Orleans Most Valuable Player Wayne Pietri and former Philadelphia standout Ruben Amaro Jr. Bob Friend, a Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher in the 1950s and 1960s, was the featured speaker.

Osborne had 541 regular-season wins as either a manager or general manager in 21 seasons of AAABA League competition. He received the first of two standing ovations after Walter’s introduction. The Johnstown resident quickly recognized the group of players who had helped his teams earn nine trips to the AAABA Tournament.

Former major leaguers Mike Holtz and Joe Vitko played for Osborne, and another ex-big leaguer, Gene Pentz, coached with him. Local AAABA stars such as Mike Sube, Eric Davis, Eric Dinyar, Dave Dabbs, Ross Kott, Jimmy Mayer, John Rocco and current Delweld manager Rick Roberts and General Manager Chris DelSignore also were among the group.

“The best part of this award is the memories that come with this,” Osborne said, turning to George Arcurio Jr., who served 27 consecutive years as president of the Johnstown Oldtimers through 2007. “Junior, it is my privilege to re-introduce to you a group of former AAABA players who went onto star in college, the minors, the major leagues and in coaching. Without your dedication and commitment to this tournament, they might not have had the opportunity to showcase their talent.”

Amaro Jr. played in the 1983 AAABA Tournament with Philadelphia. He went on to play on a national championship college team at Stanford and in the major leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians and California Angels. He’s in his 10th season as assistant general manager of the Phillies.

Pietri led undefeated New Orleans to the AAABA Tournament championship in 1961 when he was most valuable player with 13 RBIs, 14 hits and three pitching victories and 0.45 earned run average.