Brooklyn College Hall Of Famer Don Landolphi Inducted Into The American Baseball Coaches Association Hall Of Fame!
9/29/2006 12:29:30 PM
Brooklyn, NY -- Don Landolphi brought to baseball over fifty years of service, both nationally and internationally, to those players and countries that wanted to learn how to play "The American Game." Don began playing the game on the streets of Brooklyn and then to the sandlots of Bay 8, Marine Park, and the famous Parade Grounds. Stickball was the game that everyone played, but baseball soon became his passion.
Don began his formal playing at St. Michael's Diocesan High School and soon afterwards at Brooklyn College. He captained both teams when he was a senior at the respected schools and upon graduation from Brooklyn College became a member of the Physical Education and Exercise Science Department. He earned three degrees during this timeâ??Bachelor of Science, Masters of Science, and Professional Degree in Administration and Supervision. Don was a Full Professor as well as Assistant Athletic Director, Financial Aid Advisor, and Freshman Transfer Student Advisor and Counselor.Don received honors on two occasions by the students of Brooklyn College as an outstanding teacher. His ability to teach the game of baseball makes him a popular speaker at baseball clinics, not only locally, but nationally as well. Italian Baseball and Don formed a very strong relationship in the spring of 1973, and it continues to this day. He coaches, conducts camps, and talks the game of baseball to all who want to listen.
He chaired the International Committee for the ABCA, when it was the American Association of College Baseball Coaches, and he has been an ambassador for USA Baseball and Major League Baseball International. He has conducted clinics in Japan, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. Don is presently the Chair of the Editorial Committee for the ABCA Coaching Digest.
ABCA Hall of Fame https://www.abcahalloffame.org/inductees/2007_landolphi_don?view=bio
Don Landolphi brought to baseball over fifty years of service both nationally and internationally to those players and countries that wanted to learn how to play the game.
Landolphi began playing the game on the streets of Brooklyn and then to the sand lots of Bay 8, Marine Park and the famous Parade Grounds. Stickball was the game that everyone played, but baseball soon became his passion.
Landolphi began his formal playing at St. Michael's Diocesan High School and soon afterwards at Brooklyn College. He captained both teams when he was a senior at the respected schools and upon graduation from Brooklyn College became a member of the Physical Education and Exercise Science Department. He earned three degrees during this time. Landolphi was a Full Professor at the college as well as Assistant Athletic Director, Financial Aid Advisor, and Freshman Transfer student Advisor and Counselor.
Landolphi was honored on two occasions by the students of Brooklyn College as an outstanding teacher. His ability to teach the game of baseball made him a wanted speaker at baseball clinics, not only locally, but nationally as well. He was assigned to coach baseball at the college and he turned the program around with seven consecutive winning seasons. He is the only winning coach in two sports at Brooklyn College; also having been a successful basketball coach for three years. Landolphi also had a winning record at the United States Merchant Marine Academy where he coached in 1979. He went on to coach with Joe Russo at St. John's University as an assistant and retired in 1995.
Landolphi is co-author of two baseball books: "Championship Baseball-Techniques Fundamental and Drills'', and "The Fundamentals of Coaching and Playing Baseball''. He has been published in many journals as well.
He has chaired the international committee for the ABCA when it was known as the American Association of College Baseball Coaches and has been an ambassador for USA Baseball and Major League Baseball International. He has conducted clinics in Japan, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico.
Landolphi was inducted into the Brooklyn College Hall of Fame in 1990, and retired from Brooklyn College in 2000 as Professor Emeritus.
Former Team Italy coach Donald Landolphi receives AIBXC Honor Award for teaching the blind baseball
Growing up as Brooklyn Dodgers fan idolizing Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella, American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Famer ç crossed the Atlantic in 1973 to serve as Team Italy manager Bill Arce's assistant coach until 1975. Taking immense pride in his Italian heritage, Donald Landolphi continues to help grow the game in Italy and around the world. Having chaired the International Committee for the ABCA, when it was known as the American Association of College Baseball Coaches, Donald Landolphi has been an international ambassador for USA Baseball and Major League Baseball.
Donald Landolphi's passion for the game abroad grew even larger in Italy, where he was introduced to baseball for the blind. He said, â??I saw the game for the first time in the early 2000's. I was teaching in northern Italy, and I saw out on the field a former Italian ballplayer of mine from Florence was teaching people how to hit the ball. I went over and asked if I could help, and he showed me how it all worked. I have been working with the blind since 2014 in Brescia when I was a visiting Professor at the University of Brescia. Since then, I have been trying to create interest in the USA. Tom DeRosa was one of the original players. He and and his wife, Sandra, have a team called the New York Rockers. They participated in the in Rome three weeks ago. I am now in the process of trying to get more participants in the USA. The Italian baseball league for the blind gave me the AIBXC Honor Award for my work to date."
The first game of baseball for the blind was played over 25 years ago in Bologna. Organized by the , the Italian baseball league for the blind now has eleven teams: five in the Lombardia Region (Patrini Malnate, Lampi Milan, Leonessa Brescia, Thunderâ??s Five Milan), one in Friuli Venezia Giulia (Staranzano), one in Rome (All Blinds), one in Florence (Fiorentina), one in Umbria (Redskins), and two in Sardinia (Thurpos and Tigers Cagliari).
In the Italian baseball league for the blind, players hit a â??soundâ?? ball, which contains chimes inside. Players run the bases with the help of wooden clappers. In the field, the ball can be stopped using the body, then thrown to a target with a sighted assistant calling for and catching the ball. There are no pitchers or catchers. Instead, batters hold the ball in one hand and hit it with the other. Players do not have to be completely blind to participate. A team consists of five blind players, one sighted player, and a sighted defensive assistant. Donald Landolphi said, â??The most difficult part is running from third base to home â?? thereâ??s no sounding device on that stretch. You need to come within three feet from the plate or youâ??re out.â??