Lou Vasi :: 2026 Cy Butler Award Recipient
Lou Vasi with Pat Anderson
Lou Vasi's journey with Hot Stove Baseball began when his oldest son, Michael, signed up to play in North Ridgeville. Like so many parents, Lou volunteered to coach. Unlike most, he never stopped.
What began as helping one team grew into nearly five decades of service to Ohio Hot Stove Baseball.
One story has always stood out to me because it says everything about Lou's character.
Whenever another child signed up and there wasn't room on a team, while others hoped for smaller rosters, Lou's answer was always, "We'll take him."
To Lou, baseball has never been about wins and losses. It's about making sure every child has the chance to play, learn, grow, and be part of a team.
That simple act has defined his entire career.
Over the years, Lou has served as a coach, Head Umpire, Lorain County Head Umpire, State Commissioner, Vice President, and today, President of Ohio Hot Stove Baseball.
No matter the title, his approach has always been the same—lead with fairness, integrity, patience, and a genuine love for the game.
If you've been around Hot Stove very long, you've probably heard the answer to just about every question.
Need a rules interpretation?
Call Lou.
Tournament problem?
Call Lou.
Question about an umpire?
Call Lou.
Need advice?
Call Lou.
Those two words have probably been spoken thousands of times over the years. Not simply because Lou knows the answers, but because everyone knows he will answer the phone, listen, treat people fairly, and always do what's best for the kids and for Ohio Hot Stove Baseball.
In 2008, Lou was inducted into the Ohio Hot Stove Hall of Fame, recognizing his outstanding service to our organization.
Tonight's honor goes even further.
The Cy Butler Award recognizes not just years of service, but a lifetime of leadership and an enduring impact on Ohio Hot Stove Baseball.
Of course, no one serves this long without incredible support.
Lou has been blessed to share this journey with his wife, Patty, who received the Cy Butler Award in 2015 and was inducted into the Ohio Hot Stove Hall of Fame in 2025. Together, Lou and Patty have dedicated their lives to this organization. Their entire family, Mike, Dustin, Brooke, have become part of the fabric of Ohio Hot Stove Baseball, and all of us have benefited from their countless hours of service.
Lou's legacy isn't measured by the positions he's held.
It's measured by the kids who got one more chance to play.
The coaches and umpires he mentored.
The volunteers he encouraged.
And the countless lives he's touched through nearly fifty years of quiet, selfless leadership.
I've often heard people say that organizations are built by volunteers.
I think Ohio Hot Stove Baseball proves something even more important.
Organizations are sustained by people like Lou Vasi.
People who never ask for recognition.
People who simply show up.
People who solve problems.
People who make everyone around them better.
For nearly fifty years, whenever someone asked, "Who can help?"
The answer has almost always been...
"Call Lou."
Tonight, we don't need to call Lou.
Tonight, we get to thank him.
Lou, thank you for your friendship, your wisdom, your leadership, and your extraordinary devotion to the children and families of Ohio Hot Stove Baseball.
It is our great honor and privilege to present the 2026 Cy Butler Award to our friend, our President, and a man whose legacy will forever be woven into the history of Ohio Hot Stove Baseball...
