Year Inducted – 2016

Joe was born April 5, 1965 in Parma, Ohio and moved to Medina at the age of 12. He played baseball locally in Medina and then Wadsworth American Legion. He went to Medina High School where he played baseball and basketball. Joe was captain on the 1983 Medina HS basketball team that went to the State Final Four. Also in that year, he was selected as the SWC MVP and made All-State in baseball. Joe attended Mount Vernon Nazarene College and was awarded the League and Region MVP in his junior year of college (1986), he made MVP. Coming off that recognition, in 1986 he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 5th round. That year he was named to the Billings Rookie Ball All-Star team. In 1986, while playing in the Chattanooga AA league for the Chattanooga Lookouts, he was selected for the All-Star team. He finished up his 5-year pro career as a left handed pitcher with the Nashville Sounds AAA team and was selected to play in two All-Star games. Joe’s career stats include a 35-30 record with a 3.42 ERA in 589 innings. He had 545 strikeouts and gave up 471 hits. Joe reluctantly retired in 1991 after 2 elbow surgeries. Joe has also coached at many different levels of baseball over the years. Currently enjoy coaching my son his peers helping kids learn at our IVL baseball facility. He is also in the Medina High School, Medina County, and Mt Vernon Nazarene College Hall of Fames.