Rosemary Bellini was the first Women’s Champion in 1980, and successfully defended her title for four of the first five years of the event. No one has dominated handball like Rosemary Bellini controlled the Women’s field in the early ’80s. An excellent athlete, Rosemary also excelled at softball.
An aggressive front-court shooter, Rosemary’s strength was her strong right hand and court savvy. That style carried over to three- and one-wall play, where she powered her way past her competition for many years.
As the first Women’s champion, it was most appropriate that Rosemary was the first female inducted to the Handball Hall of Fame at a gala affair in Denver.
Stuffy Singer was one of the most physically talented champions. Singer had all the tools. His return of serve and rally game were widely acknowledged as among the best ever. After his 1968 four-wall singles win, Stuffy suffered a series of physical setbacks, included several knee operations and Achilles tendon problems. Nevertheless, Singer went on to win two national doubles titles with Marty Decatur and later added masters laurels.
“Steady” Freddy Lewis won his first national title in 1972 and it was considered an upset at the time. But Lewis pulled off five more singles wins to become one of the game’s most durable champions. Fred dominated the action on the early pro handball tour, which started in 1974. Lewis topped the all-time prize money list for more than a decade.
Fred personified the “percentage handball” game, and coupled that with the ability to defend from deep court and convert any rally-ending opportunities.
In 1951, at the first USHA National Tournament, Buffalo’s Plekan was making what most experts considered his first and last serious bid for the USHA four-wall championship (Plekan had won several AAU and YMCA titles). It was common knowledge that Plekan was playing despite injured legs that quivered with every prolonged rally. Plekan lost the first game to Vic Hershkowitz in the final, but rallied in the next two to capture the first USHA title. Armed with great hooking serves, Plekan was extremely smart player.
Russo was one of the most versatile players ever, winning titles in all versions of the game in singles and doubles. He is the only player to win national doubles titles in all versions in one year (1969), a feat he accomplished with three different partners.
Russo had wins over the game’s all-time greats, including Fred Lewis, Naty Alvarado and Paul Haber. “Little Louie” grew up in New York and played at the famed Castle Hill Beach Club.
Teamed with Johnny Sloan, Collins dominated the national doubles scene for years. Known as the “Windy City Whiz Kids,” the tandem captured four consecutive national four-wall doubles titles, the longest doubles streak at the time. In 1955, the pair took their show on the road, playing in 16 Eastern cities. The following year, they visited 25 cities across the country.
Collins was a serving/scoring machine on the right side. From 1951-60, Collins amassed 17 national AAU, USHA and YMCA doubles titles. In addition to his heralded right-side play, Phil was ranked among the top four singles players in the country for almost a decade.
Ruby may have been the smartest and cagiest of the three Obert brothers inducted into the Handball Hall of Fame. Relying on his court sense and skill, Ruby won doubles titles in all three versions of the game. Despite his dominance of the doubles scene, Ruby had the distinction of being both the youngest (age 19) and oldest (41) to win the Open singles division of the AAU National one-wall competition. In all, he captured 36 national AAU, USHA and YMCA titles.
Off the court, Ruby served on the national one-wall committee and conducted clinics at high schools throughout New York.
The “Weekend Warrior” (nicknamed so after winning 13 of 15 weekend invitational events in one year), will long be remembered as handball’s ambassador to the world. Pat started playing at the age of seven in his native Ireland. He went on to win 16 Irish National Championships and three World Titles. In addition, Kirby dominated USHA Masters play, regularly capturing titles in age divisions 10 years younger than he was eligible to compete. He is the only player to have won national titles in three different countries, adding the Canadian national title to his U.S. and Ireland championships.
One-wall kingpin Steve Sandler will be remembered as much for his domination of one-wall handball as for his amusing challenge games. Sandler was known to play with handicaps of one hand tied behind his back, carrying a chair, using only his back hand, etc.
Matched against the game’s all-time greats, Sandler had an uncanny knack for winning. At his best, he was the game’s best volleyer, server and shooter. Witnessing Sandler play was breathtaking, the endless retrieving, impossible gets, famed back-hand shots and the floating ace serves with pin-point accuracy. Most impressive was his amazing durability. Sandler won a national open title in each of three decades.
Sam’s floor-scraping left-hand kill off the back wall may never be duplicated, and it made him the premier left-handed, left-side doubles player in his day. Offense was his strong point, not to mention his uncanny accuracy and percentage of success. As an ex-one-waller, his sweeping fly kill was also a weapon he used to great advantage. Although he was a formidable singles player, his stiff right-arm stroke prevented him from achieving national prominence in singles.
Of course, Sam achievements cannot be acknowledged without mentioning his fathering another of the game’s all-time greats and fellow Hall of Fame member, Paul.
