Induction of eight swells fame membership to 47

By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call


The Tri-County League crowned its 1995 baseball champion two weeks ago, but Tri-Co baseball talk was still in mid-season form last night as the league's stars -- past and present -- gathered at the West End Youth Center for the annual Hall of Fame/Awards Dinner.

Besides honoring the new champs, the Gilbertsville Rangers, and this year's top individual leaders, the Tri-Co inducted eight new members into its Hall of Fame.

The eight new inductees -- Steve Bauder, Chuck Ciganick, Billy Sandt and Glenn Snyder from the modern era (1964 to the present) and Ray Eppler, Steve Majczan, Elmer Mowrey and Clyde Smoll from the original era (1942 to 1963) -- brings the Hall of Fame membership to 47 since it began in 1990.

Here are highlights from the careers of those who were honored:

STEVE BAUDER -- He played 11 seasons from 1981 to '91 in Quakertown and compiled a lifetime batting mark of .323. His best years were 1984 when he hit .411 and '86 when he compiled a .381 mark. In seven separate seasons, he batted .300 or better. He was also known as a standout defensive catcher, who was tough mentally and physically.

CHUCK CIGANICK -- A first baseman and pitcher, he played 15 seasons, compiling 274 career hits in 1022 at-bats. He also drove in 138 runs with a lifetime batting mark of .268. He founded the Delaware Valley entry in the league was instrumental in developing the Tri-County League Hall of Fame and remains active on the Hall of Fame Committee.

His best season as a player was 1983 when he hit .394. That same season Del Val was 20-10 and made the playoffs. He still plays in the Lehigh Valley Men's Senior League and has been a commissioned scout for the St. Louis Cardinals since 1986.

BILLY SANDT -- Perhaps one of the best pitchers local amateur baseball has ever seen, Sandt finished a 15-year Tri-Co career in 1991 with a career mark of 68-34. He had 99 local wins combining his Blue Mountain League career with his stint in the Tri-Co.

He was 8-0 in '78 and 7-0 in '85 and was named the league's Most Valuable Pitcher both times. He had a 14-game win streak in the late 70's and a 13-game streak in the '80's. His entire Tri-Co career was spent in Limeport, where he said he became "hooked on the stadium, the people and the camaraderie of his teammates," and had special words of praise for his long-time catcher Bob Fatzinger and Limeport's long-time player-manager Ishky Fatzinger.

GLENN SNYDER -- "13" wasn't unlucky for Snyder as he spent 13 years in the Tri-Co as a talented pitcher and infielder. His career batting mark was .330 with 134 RBIs. In 1984, he hit .400 and bettered that in '85 when he hit .410. As a pitcher, the high point came in 1979 when went 4-1 and recorded most of his team's wins.

He remains involved with the league as a umpire and also is a man in blue for the two local legion leagues besides playing in the local Men's Senior League.

RAYMOND EPPLER -- Nicknamed the "Tin Can," Eppler was a standout for Bally and Hall of Fame manager Ken Moatz. As a pesky leadoff hitter and standout outfielder, he helped the team win league championships in 1965 and '66 and paced them to a second-place finish in '64. In his Bally career from 1955 to '68, his clubs never finished below .500.

STEVE MAJCZAN -- A long-time Tri-Co umpire and commissioner, Macjzan was always known "for giving you a good game." He was an umpire in the PIAA Bethlehem Umpires Association for 38 years and did several high school and college title games. He also worked with the late Jim Honochick, who was considered one of the big leagues' best in blue.

Majczan also had the pleasure of doing almost all of Curt Simmons' high school and legion games in the 1940's. Majczan considered Simmons, the Egypt native who went on to a lengthy big league career with the Phils, Cards, Cubs and Angels, to be the best player he's ever seen locally.

ELMER MOWERY -- The late Mr. Mowery played in the Tri-Co in the 40's and 50's with Bingen, Spring Valley and Springtown and possessed a rifle arm to go along with extraordinary offensive skills.

But Bob Ravier, the Tri-Co's historian, said, "He was a battler, a controversial figure. He'd slide in with spikes high and get in his share of brawls. He was cocky, but he could back it up. Down deep, he was a good person and a tremendous ball player."

CLYDE SMOLL -- He played and managed in Quakertown from 1959 to '76 and was credited with bringing back baseball to Quakertown after the team was forfeited out of the league in 1964. From 1970 through '76, his teams finished first three times and second three other times.

After his departure from the Tri-Co, he began the Quakertown Blazers of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League and is currently the owner fo the Elmira Pioneers, a Florida Marlins' short-season Class A team in the New York-Penn League. Due to an Elmira game, Smoll couldn't attend last night's banquet.



keith.groller@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- August 27, 1995

Copyright © 1995, The Morning Call