OHIO HOT STOVE BASEBALL LEAGUE, Inc.
The Hot Stove League was first conceived by and enterprising sports editor Karl Artman, of Selma, Alabama. His original idea was to form fun clubs where the members could swap ideas and discuss organized baseball in all its phases. With this thought in mind, several clubs were formed in the spring of 1935. Unfortunately, Artman passed away before his ideas had a chance to fully materialized.
Although more than 50 Charters had been formed by 1940, World War II seriously hampered the growth of the organization. Cy Butler, of the Alliance Review, had been interested in the organization as Alliance was the first city in Ohio to receive a Charter on November 18, 1937. Butler's interest in the idea led him to purchase the franchise in January of 1942 and, as a result, the National Hot Stove League Headquarters was moved to Alliance with Butler becoming the National President. Under his leadership the program then grew to more than Charters and 100,000 members. After his death in 1965, the national program lay dormant until 1967, when a group of men that had been active in hot stove League Baseball pooled their efforts to incorporate as OHIO HOT STOVE BASEBALL LEAGUE, INC and reactivate the National Organization, so the benefits of Hot Stove League Baseball for Boys, Girls, young Men and Women could be offered to any community that desired it. Unfortunately the nation organization could not be revitalized.
Today there are only 11 Charters serving nearly 300 teams consisting of approximately 4,000 players in the state of Ohio, but the commitment to Boys, Girls, young Men and Women and the ideas of Karl Altman and Cy Butler remain the same: To provide the opportunity to discuss and play organized baseball in all its phases.
2024 Hall Of Fame Honoree :: Randy Hendrickson
2024 Hall Of Fame Honoree :: Francis Stuart
2024 Hall Of Fame Honoree :: Bob Beckham
2024 Cy Butler Award Winner :: Jim Clark
Hall of Fame Members
| Name | Charter |
|---|---|
| Cy Butler (Founder) | Alliance |
| John W. Sterling | Alliance |
| Gene Mason | Alliance |
| Bob Grewe | Alliance |
| Ted Ruth | Alliance |
| John Miller | Canton South |
| Ralph A. Martinelli | Canton South |
| Bob Wells | Carroll County |
| Cliff Minor | Carroll County |
| Mike Hunter | Firestone Park |
| Dick Leidig | Goodyear Heights |
| Norm Gerhart | Lorain County Suburban |
| Glenn Brophy | Lorain County Suburban |
| Jim Jackson | Louisville |
| Ray Potter | Meander |
| Robert Stein | North Akron |
| Joe Kolick | North Olmsted |
| Dick Viebranz | Portage North |
| Bill Chamberlin | Portage South |
| Bill Galchick | Salem |
| John Herman | Salem |
| Harry Carli | Sebring West Branch |
| Ted Arman | Stark Central |
| Robert Bowman | Stark County |
| Jack Bird | Stark County |
| Bob Sisler | Trumbull County |
| Larry Durch | Trumbull County |
| William G. Phelps | Portage North |
| Herb Thoughton | Trumbull County |
| Kathy Baltes | Trumbull County |
| Bonny Jo Grogg | United Local |
| Bob Jameson | Wayne County |
| George A. Geordan | Trumbull County |
| Bob Ebersole | Goodyear Heights |
| Larry Kuhns | Trumbull County |
| Pat Mullins | Lorain County Suburban |
| Fred Hazlet | Lorain County Suburban |
| Don "Pappy" Dennis | Lorain County Suburban |
| Bob Feierabend | Lorain County Suburban |
| Dan Morris | Ravenna Hot Stove |
| Jack Criddle | Trumbull County |
| Lou Vasi | Lorain County Suburban |
| Bob and Jeannie Miscuda | Lorain County Suburban |
| Lonnie Stacy | Ravenna |
| Carl Kirksey | Alliance |
| Bill Manion | Portage South |
| Ron Holt | Alliance |
| Don Blackman | Alliance |
| Paul Patton | North Akron Hot Stove Baseball |
| Joe Tarnowski | Portage North |
| Ken Carpenter | Lorain County |
| John and Lin Tsangeos | Stark County |
| James Newman | Alliance Hot Stove |
| Tom Gehring | Lorain County |
| John Bayless | Portage South |
| Wayne Carter | Lorain County |
| Jim Clark | Lorain County |
| Gene Farr | Lorain County |
| Bill Benton | Lorain County |
| Mona Lou Gerhart | Lorain County |
| Doug Broadwater | Lorain County |
| Mike Hosler | Lorain County |
| Ted Miglich | Lorain County |
| Muskie & Rose Rivera | Lorain County |
| Ron Jantz Sr. | Lorain County |
| Dean Antognoli | Akron |
| Mike Jeffery | Lorain County |
| Mike and Teresa Dyke | Sebring West Branch |
| Barry Benedict | Alliance Hot Stove |
| Jerry Clapper | Lorain County |
| Donald "Jake" Ensign | Lorain County |
| Howard Rinehart | Lorain County |
| Randy Hendrickson | Rootstown |
| Bob Beckham | Lorain County |
| Francis Stuart | Lorain County |
For any changes please e-mail Pat Anderson at pat@ohsbl.com
