Stuntebeck, Ralph "Bo"

BO’S SOFTBALL CAREER STARTED AT AGE 15. HE PLAYED FAST PITCH FOR 11 YEARS AND SLOW PITCH FOR 20 YEARS, FROM 1939 TO 1969. HIS CAREER ENDED AT AGE 43. HE WAS IN THE AIR FORCE 1943, 44 & 45. BO HAD A LOVE AFFAIR WITH SOFTBALL. TEAM MANAGERS IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY SAY WITHOUT QUESTION HE WAS ONE OF THE FINEST ATHLETES TO EVER PLAY SOFTBALL.

BO PLAYED IN THE FIRST NATIONAL SLOW-PITCH TOURNAMENT IN 1953. HE WAS A BIG NAME IN SOFTBALL. WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT GREAT PLAYERS IN PAST YEARS, HIS NAME IS ALWAYS MENTIONED. HE WAS THE FIRST PLAYER, AND PROBABLY THE ONLY PLAYER, TO BE SELECTED ON THREE (3) CONSECUTIVE ASA (WORLD) ALL-STAR TEAMS (1955, 56, 57). HE PLAYED IN THE FIRST FOUR OF THE FIRST FIVE (5) WORLD SLOW PITCH CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES (1953, 55,56, 57). IN 1949, HE PLAYED FAST PITCH WITH SIX WARD BOOSTERS IN THE WORLD TOURNAMENT IN LITTLE ROCK, AR, WITH A BATTING AVERAGE OF .324. BO WAS KNOWN FOR HIS BIG BAT AND CONSISTENT FIELDING.

IN 1955, HE PLAYED WITH LANG’S PET SHOP, COVINGTON, IN THE WORLD TOURNAMENT AND BATTED CLEAN-UP. THE TEAM WENT UNDEFEATED. BO BATTED .750 IN THE FINAL GAME. HE WAS A BIG MAN WEIGHING 240 POUNDS AND WAS PROBABLY THE BEST HITTER EVER. HE COULD HIT THE LONG BALL AND PUNCH OUT SHORT HITS. BO PLAYED IN MANY STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, BOTH FAST PITCH AND SLOW PITCH, AND WAS SELECTED TO MANY ALL-STAR TEAMS.