Shawn "Wolfie" Vanduvall
Shawn Vanduvall was born in Michigan and moved to Pueblo at the age of one. He grew up playing all sports but especially loved the game of fastpitch softball. Shawn started playing fastpitch at the age of ten in the popular Pueblo Parks & Recreation Junior Softball program and participated in three Amateur Softball Association Junior National Tournaments.
Vanduvall started working his way up in the men’s fastpitch softball scene and in 1988 he joined his good friend and fellow Pueblo Softball Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Santos, who was starting a fastpitch team called the Pueblo Bandits. It was the inaugural season for the Bandits and Shawn was an integral part to the Bandits winning the Colorado ASA Class C State Tournament and advancing to the first ever Class C Nationals in Kingman, Arizona.
In 1994, "Wolfie" helped the Pueblo Bandits to qualify for their first ISC World Tournament which was held in Prince Island, Canada. He has since played in 25 ISC World Tournaments and numerous ASA Major National Tournaments and NAFA World Series.
Shawn has received several individual awards including the NAFA All-World Team in 1995, First Team All-American in the 2009 ASA Major Nationals and was also awarded the Top Hitter Award. In that same year, Shawn was named to the NAFA All-Decade Team as an outfielder. For several years, Shawn held the NAFA record for triples in a tournament. He was also known for his base stealing abilities. He became so well known on the national and international circuit. Shawn was highly recruited to join the bigger budget teams but remained loyal to the Pueblo Bandits.
Shawn manages to find time to officiate high school and middle school basketball. His dedication and the hard-work he exhibits on the diamond as a player for the Pueblo Bandits transcends into a highly respected official with the Pueblo Basketball Officials Association.
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Gerald (Jerry) "Jay" Santos
Jerry Santos comes from a very well-known softball family. Along with his father, Joe and brothers Chris and Mike, they have kept the sport of fastpitch softball alive in the Steel City.
At age 10, "Jay" started playing fastpitch softball in the Pueblo Parks & Recreation Junior Softball Program. He played in three A.S.A. Junior National Tournaments and got a taste of national competition knowing that he wanted to play at the highest levels.
Jerry and his brothers formed the Pueblo Bandits in 1988 and Jerry would go on to play in 22 I.S.C. World Tournaments and has been the Field Manager of the Bandits the past three seasons. The Pueblo Bandits have appeared in 25 I.S.C. World Tournaments, 24 of those consecutively, with two top-10 finishes. The 2020 season will mark the Pueblo Bandits 33rd season. The team has twice been named the “Best Dressed Team” of the I.S.C. World Tournament. With the decline of fastpitch softball around the country, Jerry and his family have worked very hard to consistently field a team of mostly Colorado players.
The Santos family, including their mother Fran, have made a mark on the sport of fastpitch softball in Pueblo for many years. They take pride in hosting the Annual Joe Santos Memorial Tournament at Bessemer Park in honor of their father. They also take pride in providing numerous scholarships to area high school athletes looking to pursue a college degree. Jerry and his family have graciously been a major sponsor of the Pueblo Softball Hall of Fame for the past ten years. The Santos Family and the Pueblo Bandits, through the leadership of Jerry, contribute their time and money to co-sponsor the Pueblo Parks & Recreation’s summer ball program, “Park Athletic League” which is held at Bessemer Park for Pueblo youth ages 8 to 14 years of age.
In 1995, Jerry was selected to the North American Fastpitch Association’s All-World team following the Pueblo Bandits fourth place finish in the NAFA AAA World Series.
Many people are unaware that Jerry caught all 16 innings of a Pueblo Bandits I.S.C. Western Regional 3-2 win in Ontario Canada over the Jarvis (Ontario) Merchants in 2006
Jerry is one of the most respected softball, baseball and basketball officials in the region. Jerry also finds time to serve as the Assigner for the Pueblo Basketball Officials Association and the Director of the Pueblo Sports Officials Association.
Gerald joins his father Joe and his brother Chris as an honored inductee into the Pueblo Softball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020.
Christie Zinanti-Koshke
Christie Zinanti-Koshke will most likely be remembered as the most prolific and successful women’s softball player to ever have come from Pueblo, Colorado.
She began playing softball in 1992 at age five in the City Youth Recreation League and started pitching at age seven. Throughout a nine-year span, Christie advanced through the Rawlings Softball League under the tutelage of Coach Glenn “Gib” Saterlee (PSHOF 2012 inductee), who began coaching her at age eight.
Her athletic abilities not only shined in softball, but also as a 1996 National Football League Gatorade Punt, Pass & Kick National Champion, a three-year letter winner in girls’ basketball at Pueblo West High School, followed by lettering in girl’s golf for two-years.
Upon entering Pueblo West High School as a freshman in 2003, she found herself playing for her previous coach, Gib Satterlee and her father Bob Zinanti (PSHOF 2011 inductee) as the assistant softball coach.
A very successful freshman season led to her being named First Team Pitcher for the South-Central League and Honorable Mention for the Colorado High School 4A Pitcher of the Year..
After receiving a full-ride scholarship in softball to Brigham Young University, during her junior year, she broke the “Cougars” records for career strike outs with 427 and career wins with 51. At the conclusion of her senior year, she had acquired a 63-27 overall record which was second all-time when she finished her career. She was a two-time, First Team All Mountain West Conference player in 2007 and 2009, Pitcher of the Year for the Conference in 2009, five-time Pitcher of the Week in the Mountain West Conference and a First Team All-Region selection in 2009.
Christie credits her family support and influence for her success. Her father was her coach and her family always actively participated during her career.
Currently she is the Head Women’s Softball Coach at Colorado State University-Pueblo, a position she has held since 2012.
Christie joins her coaches, the late Glenn “Gib” Satterlee (PSHOF 2012 inductee) and her father, Bob Zinanti (PSHOF 2011 inductee) into the 2020 Class of the Pueblo Softball Hall of Fame.
A list of Christie's Achievements:
● Her succeeding three years at Pueblo West High School gained her numerous awards including:
● South-Central League First Team Pitcher (3 years)
● Colorado All-State Pitcher of the Year (3 years)
● Final Eight appearance in the 4A State Tournament (sophomore year)
● State Championship Team (2004 & 2005)
● Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News Colorado 4A Most Valuable Player (2004 & 2005)
● Colorado Sportswoman of the Year – Softball (2004)
● Colorado Sportswoman of the Year – All Around Athlete (2005)
● Women’s Sport Foundation Athlete of the Month (May 2005)
● Listed in Sports Illustrated magazine "Faces in the Crowd" (January 2005)
Otto "Tink" Snapp (Posthumously)
A Pueblo Centennial High School 1937 graduate and an all-around athlete, Otto “Tink” Snapp was not only an outstanding baseball and softball player, but he also became one of the finest officials that worked the sidelines in football and hardwood courts in basketball for over 20 years. Included in that was high school, junior college, university, and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) football games as well as numerous State Championship games.
Otto is best remembered as the brains behind the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 61 fastpitch softball team which won three consecutive National Championships from 1950 through 1952. Tonight, he joins six other members of that VFW championship team that have previously been inducted into the Pueblo Softball Hall of Fame. Fellow Pueblo Softball Hall of Fame 2018 Inductee Bobby Pechek said in a 1989 Pueblo Chieftain article highlighting those dynamic VFW Post 61 teams, “Those VFW teams could’ve beaten any team past, present, or future. You can believe that”. Tink Snapp was the player that recruited pitcher Bob Freeman from Chicago in 1949, who at that time was considered the best fastpitch softball pitcher in the world. Tink was quoted as saying, “There’d be games when we’d tell him (Freeman), ‘Hey, this team has good hitters.’ And he’d say, ‘Screw them, I’ll throw it right by them.’ And he did.”
His professional career included being a very well-known and respected banker here in Pueblo and retired as Executive Vice President of Minnequa Bank in 1984 after an illustrious 47-year career. Otto “Tink” Snapp was a decorated veteran of the United States Army Air Force during World War II. Otto was one of the 2% of the 12 million plus American soldiers that was assigned to the China-Burma-India Theater in 1942.
Otto was inducted into The Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame in 1976 .
Mike "Corn" James
Mike “Corn” James is the embodiment of the all-around Pueblo Athlete.
Mike grew up and began his athletic career as a youth associated with the Old Timers Baseball Association.
As a student at Roncalli High School for three years, Mike was a big part of the football, basketball, and baseball teams and their success. In his Junior year, Mike was a member of the 1971 Roncalli High School State Championship baseball team, earning All-City and All-State recognition.
Upon the Pueblo Diocese closing the city’s parochial schools, Mike transferred to Pueblo Central High School for his senior year 1971-72 where he again excelled in basketball and baseball for the Wildcats. Mike not only played first base, but he was also the catcher for the 1972 State Championship baseball team, again earning All-City and All-State honors. Mike played American Legion baseball from 1970 to 1972 where his teams won three State Championships.
His fastpitch softball career began with his playing in the C.F. & I. League and the El Rey League. He then moved into the Pueblo Slow-Pitch Softball Association and was a star player on the infamous Clifton-Landrum team. During that period, his teams won four 16” Slow-Pitch State Championships, won two 14” Slow-Pitch State Championships, won two 12” Slow-Pitch State Titles and was victorious in one 14” National Slow-Pitch Tournament. He was selected a Golden Glove recipient and an All-Tournament selection in all those contests.
In 1986, the Pueblo Chieftain named Mike as the “Best Slow-Pitch Player” in Pueblo. His contributions are numerous as a basketball official, as a coach in the Father John Powers Basketball League, and as a coach in the Pueblo Parks & Recreation Youth Basketball program.
Mike has also served as a volunteer instructor at the annual Runyon Field Spring Training Camp and as an electrician, he would climb the light poles at Runyon Field to repair the lights as needed.
He was inducted into The Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame in 2018 and was awarded the Jim Dilorio Memorial Award at the 40th Annual Tony Andenucio Memorial Tournament this past year.
Mike James is a man of character who enjoys the reputation of a hard-working, generous, and trustworthy individual.
Pete Falletta
The sport of softball has been an integral part of Pete’s life for over five decades.
As a youngster, Pete began playing in the Old Timers Baseball Association at the age of 10. He and his friends played on the old City Park #2 dirt field, which is now where the tennis complex is located. Pete would also participate in pickup softball games with older high school players at Bruner Park, using the trees as bases.
As an eighth grader at Keating Junior High School, Pete participated in the youth recreational league on the old shale field behind Central High School. As a member of the Kwik Way softball team under Coach Ricky Hill, the team went on to win the State Junior Softball Championship in their age division in the summer of 1961.
Immediately after graduation from Pueblo Central High School in 1965, Pete and his friends formed a fastpitch team with Tastee-Freez as the sponsor and joined the Pueblo Softball Association (PSA) League. Additionally, you could find him playing on pick-up tournament teams at the El Rey Field, and the Independent League at Bessemer Park playing for Gil’s Place, and while working summers at the steel mill, playing in the C.F.& I. Local 2102 League.
A recipient of several All-Tournament team selections and M.V.P. awards, Pete continued playing fastpitch for an additional ten years.
In 1974, he moved on to the sport of slow-pitch softball and played through the 16” balloon ball period, transitioned to the 14” ball, and finally playing with the fast-paced 12” game. Some of the notable teams during that era included NAPA/R&L Auto (with 2015 PSHOF inductee Jim Ranson), BMC, SportsMart, TACK Construction, and Swerdferger Construction.
His involvement as a player ended in 1987, but he was approached by Jack Krupka, along with Tony Bobian and Mike Sexton, to consider creating the Pueblo Softball Hall of Fame in 2008. The hall’s first induction class came one year later and continues today, having inducted seventy-seven outstanding male and female athletes, umpires, managers, sponsors, and coaches.
His fondest memory was that he was able to play with or against many of the male recipients that are pictured in the permanent display in the foyer at the Southern Colorado Gaming & Event Center.
Pete was inducted into The Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame in 2000 and most recently into the Colorado High School Activities Association Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019.