This man has the greatest memory I ever came across. He has been involved with Softball since he was in High School. He became a coach a coach with Mertz Bakery, fourth place finisher in the 1972 Eastern USSSA World’s in Petersburg, VA. After that, he went to Stroh’s and Bert’s Black Horse softball team, which was the team that defeated Howard’s and finished 2nd to County Sports of Long Island in the Springfield Stroh’s Tournament in 1975. He then moved on to the former USSSA Champs, Uniroyal in 1976 (previously, Dino’s Pizza). It was there he formed a friendship with Manager Gary Vitto. He went to University of Michigan and while there, was a student manager for the football and hockey teams. He joined the famous Detroit Caesar’s team that played in the Professional Softball League (APSPL) in 1977 and 1978. The Caesars won the league both years. Robert was the Assistant General Manager for the Caesars and also administered the League Office in 1978. He went on to become the Director of the American Professional Slow Pitch League (APSPL) in 1979 and the league World Series between Milwaukee and Kentucky was the first live event televised by ESPN when it went on the air on September 7, 1979. In 1980, some teams were unhappy with how the APSPL was being run and Ted Septien of Cleveland started a rival Pro League called the North American Softball League (NASL) and Robert became the Commissioner of the League for it’s one season of existence in which they competed with the already existing APSPL. In 1981, The APSPL and the NASL basically merged to form the United Professional Softball League (UPSL). Robert left the Pro game to become the Executive Director of the National Slo-Pitch Conference (NPSL) for the 1981 season. In 1982, he went back to Professional Softball to be the General Manager of the Detroit Softball City team in the UPSL for the 1982 season. He was reunited with Manager Gary Vitto and the team went to the Pro World Series, only to lose to the Milwaukee Schlitz. Following the 1982 season, both the Pro League and the NSPC folded, so Robert became the Michigan USSSA Director until 1983 went he decided to go to Wayne State University of Law. Don Dedonatis took over as the State Director and eventually moved up to be the National USSSA Executive Director. Robert graduated from Law School and became a very successful Lawyer. He is a pleasure to speak to and such a good person.
I want to say thank you to him for spending so much time helping me with the Pro League information and so many other softball related items. He is a one of a kind nice person and good man. He provided year-by-year details of the pro leagues. He also helped me with some NSPC stuff. This man has the most unbelievable memory I have ever come across. He went out of his way of his busy schedule to help me. Robert is a genuine good person who is the kind of guy you feel you’ve known for a long time. He makes people that comfortable around him. This is evident by the many people who speak of him in that way. I have yet to talk to anyone who has a negative comment
about him. Thank you very much Robert.
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Robert Brown was inducted into the USSSA of Michigan HOF in 1990
