Dittoe, Gene R. "Lefty"

(Deceased 1990)

GENE PLAYED SOFTBALL FOR 30 YEARS FROM 1945 TO 1974. FROM 1963 THROUGH 1974, HE WAS A TEAM SPONSOR, MANAGER, AND PART-TIME PLAYER.

HIS TEAM WON MANY LEAGUE TOURNAMENTS. GENE PLAYED ON EIGHT (8) KENTUCKY STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS AND IN SIX (6) WORLD TOURNAMENTS—1955, 56, 57, 58, 60, AND 61—WINNING THREE IN 1955, 1956, AND 1957.

DURING HIS CAREER GENE WAS VOTED MVP THREE (3) TIMES AND ON AN ALL-STAR TEAM TEN (10) TIMES. I

N 1955, PLAYING WITH LONG’S PET SHOP, HE WAS VOTED ALL-WORLD, HIT .680, AND HIT 8 HOME RUNS.

GENE BATTED LEFT-HANDED WITH THE ABILITY TO HIT BOTH LINES WITH GOOD POWER TO LEFT-CENTER. HIS LIFETIME BATTING AVERAGE WAS .400+, HOME RUNS 800+.

GENE’S GREATEST THRILL WAS IN 1955 IN THE ASA WORLD TOURNAMENT. HIS TEAM BEAT TREASLER COMET 19-13 IN THE FINAL GAME. GENE HIT 2 HOME RUNS, 1 SINGLE, AND 4 RBIS. FOR THE TOURNAMENT, HE HAD 17 HITS IN 25 TIMES AT BAT (.680) WITH 8 HR’S.

HE WAS SELECTED TO THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME IN 1946 AND 1947.

GENE ORGANIZED NAVAL TOURNAMENTS AND PLAYED ON THE NAVY ALL-STAR TEAM IN SAN DIEGO, CA. HE WAS SELECTED AS THE MVP AND TO THE ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM.