Forty One previous Inductees joined 260 people in honoring the nine latest men and women to receive the ulti¬mate honor of membership into the New England USSSA Hall of Fame. The newest members include Male Players , Brett Helmer of Cicero, NY; Jeff Silveira of Raynham, MA; and Joe Starratt of Brockton, MA. Female Players inducted were Robin Ramey of East Greenwich, RI and Michelle Rawcliffe of Barrington, RI. Tom Delaney of Narragansett, RI was honored in the Manger/Coach Category. Brian Cipolla of Cranston, RI was recog¬nized in the Sponsor Category. Patricia Masterson of No. Easton, MA and Carl Anderson of Millbury, MA were acknowl¬edged in the Special Category. Divisional Vice-President John Pond received the Bob Farrell Award while long time coach Virginia Cellozzi collected the Betty Berry Award, each for their lifetime achievement in the New England USSSA Program. Recognized for their many years of top-notch competition in the Women’s Program was Casey Shell/B.K.’s Bar from Lynn, MA.
A prodigious homerun hitter and all-around player, Brett Helmer talked about the many opportunities that the world of softball has provided for him and his family. Now representing Easton Sports, Helmer began his softball expe¬rience playing for Connecticut’s Pierce Construction. Recently, he has played in Conference USSSA for Bell Corp/Belcher/ TA/Backman as well as Dan Smith- Menosse-Benfield-Combat
Recognized as one of New England’s best all-around players, Jeff Silveira credits his many accomplishments on the ball field to his many teammates and sponsors. A career .750 hitter, Silveira is adept at any position on the diamond. Many of his peers were quoted as saying “he was the one you wanted at the plate when you needed that clutch hit”. Among the teams he has represented are Beloli Heating, Thermco, and Magic.
The pride of Brockton, MA, Joe Starratt has played for 21 years in the USSSA Program. He has pitched over 5,000 games while winning more than 4,000. Fearless on the mound with a quick glove, Joe has been a New England mainstay since his days in the military. Among the many teams he has played for are Eastern Demolition, Thermco, Pollock Law, National Gold, and Cabby Shack.
Robin Ramey has been the corner¬stone on every team she has played on. Despite many serious injuries, she has been a mainstay at any position on the field while playing for the RI Commotion, Foxwoods/United Water, and Fair Warning. She describes her present team, Fair Warning, as “more like a family than a team”. Having been named to many All-Tournament Teams, she has competed in all of the USSSA National Tournaments since 1991.
With a lifetime batting average of close to .700, Michelle Rawcliffe has played USSSA softball for the last 19 years and has also participated in USSSA National Tournaments since 1991. Having played on the RI Commotion and Fair Warning Teams, Michelle values her many trips to the USSSA Nationals because “it gives you the spotlight to shine”. One of her most exciting softball moments was leading her RI Commotion team to a 2nd place finish in the 2000 Women’s “A” National Championship in Cocoa, Florida.
Tom Delaney has been the long- time coach of Taylor Bros. Softball, based in Providence, RI. Over the years, his teams have played in the USSSA “A” Program as well as the USSSA “Major” Program. He has coached at the USSSA World Series every year since 1997 with teams including Superior/Taylor, Bell Corp/ Taylor, and Hague/Taylor. A former High school athletic director and coach, he is well-known throughout New England and the USSSA Softball world.
About USSSA:
The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA), headquartered in Osceola County, Florida, USSSA is the World's Largest Multi-sport Athletic Organization. Founded in 1968, USSSA has grown to over 3.7 million participants, competing in 13 nationally sanctioned sports including Baseball, Fastpitch, Slow Pitch, Karate, Basketball, Soccer and more! For more information on USSSA and to register your team visit USSSA.com. Also be sure to visit USSSAToday.com for the latest USSSA News!
