Steve Dimitry: A softball fanatic
By Bill Plummer III
Softball fanatic. That’s Steve Dimitry of Norristown, Pa.
By day, he’s a software engineer for Lockheed Martin in King of Prussia, Pa. By night, he’s a slow pitch player who also spends a couple hours each week updating his website. “Steve Dimitry’s Slow Pitch Softball History Page”, which is comparable to browsing a softball encyclopedia. The website is: http://www.angelfire.com/sd/slopitch
“It’s the most comprehensive, all-embracing, all-inclusive and extensive treatment of the game since its inception” wrote Mark Linnemann, editor of Cincinnati SOFTBALL News in the March 2002 edition.
Steve’s website has information on slow pitch as well as fast pitch and from college to pro softball. There is a section on legends of the game (slow pitch) complete with stats and photos. “All the information you ever wanted to know about slow pitch softball is in here,” says the introduction. The site covers all national championships of all the softball organizations, past and present, and from men’s and women to seniors.
A 1982 graduate of West Chester State, Steve started his website in 1998 after finding out information wasn’t available about some of the softball greats his Dad, James, had played against during his softball career playing fast pitch and slow pitch for Grumman. People like Jim Galloway, Bert Smith and H.T. Waller. A frequent visitor to the Dimitry home when Steve was growing up was Hall of Fame fast pitch pitcher Roy Stephenson.
“I looked on the internet and couldn’t find anything about them,” said Steve. “Then I checked some old copies of Balls and Strikes. (ASA’s official publication).”
Dimitry eventually met the late Jerome Earnest, former softball historian and writer who chronicled slow pitch softball for more than two decades before his untimely death April 9th, 2000. “He had a lot of information,” Dimitry said. “I realized then that my Dad wasn’t pulling my leg and had played against these guys.”
Steve went as far to call some of the Hall of Famers, requesting information from them, including
Myron Reinhardt, a member of the ASA National Hall of Fame who was instrumental in helping establish slow pitch’s identity on America’s softball fields when it was added to the ASA championship program in 1953.
“I was kinda like a detective in trying to find his name in the phone book,” Dimitry said. “I eventually found him in Alexandria, Kentucky and he sent me a pile of stuff. And what a nice person.”
Steve has since continued to contact ball players and has appreciated their “help and cooperation” in making his website as accurate and complete as possible.
“I enjoy doing it,” Dimitry said. “And I still enjoy playing slow pitch. I started out as an outfielder but I’ve slowed down a bit so I’ve switched to catching and DH.”
As a player rep for District 14 of the Pennsylvania ASA, Steve was instrumental in helping to upgrade the Pennsylvania website, and was honored with the ASA of PA Media Award in 2003.
“I got to know him (Steve) through the Pennsylvania ASA,” said Guy DeMaio. “Steve’s been a tireless worker and put a lot of effort in locating information and putting it all together.’’
Dimitry has gone above and beyond in providing a valuable service to softball aficionados that otherwise wouldn’t exist. They should be thankful Dimitry cares that much for a thankless task that is time consuming, yet rewarding and satisfying.
