Hamden Man to be Honored at Diamond Club HOF Induction Dinner

A former major league baseball player and Hamden resident will be among those honored this month at the Southern Connecticut Diamond Club Hall of Fame Induction dinner.

The dinner, which honors those who have contributed to baseball in the area, will take place on Thursday, Oct. 17 at Monticello’s Restaurant, 577 S. Broad Street, Meriden. Hors d’oeuvres will be at 5:30 p.m. and dinner follows at 6:30 p.m.

Hamden resident Dan Ford is among those who will be honored.

Ford graduated from Hamden High School in 1965 and from Quinnipiac College with a B.A. degree in math in 1970. In high school, he was part of the team that won the Class LL State Championship. 

In 1966 Dan was drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Indians in the first major league draft. Being only 17, he could not sign a professional contract since he had to be 18.

In 1966 at Quinnipiac, he won the NAIA New England Championship by defeating the University of New Haven 7-2. In 1968, Quinnipiac won the same title by defeating Keene, NH 1-0. In 1968, Dan was drafted in the major league draft by the St. Louis Cardinals and in 1971 won the Double A League Championship in a league called the Dixie-Southern League Association. Dan had a record 3 wins and 2 losses with a 2.98 ERA. He played four years with the Cardinals. In 1971 he was traded to the Minnesota Twins for Stan Williams, who was a major league pitcher for Minnesota for one year.

Besides playing, Ford coached for Hamden Fathers Little League, Hamden Fathers Babe Ruth, and American Legion Hamden Post 150.

Ford was inducted into the Quinnipiac Hall of Fame in 1982 and into the Hamden High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. In 1984 he received the Hartford Twilight League Most Valuable Player Award, and in 2010 he received the Gold Bat Award from the West Haven Twilight League.

A former owner of the Valley Hitting Club in Seymour, serving as a batting and pitching instructor, Ford has been married for 43 years to Josephine Cacioppo. 

Others being inducted that night are Jim “Butch” Abel of North Branford, former  Wilbur Cross pitcher and semi-pro and pro player; John Anquillare of West Haven, former coach at the University of Bridgeport and the University of New Haven;; Earl Mathewson, of North Branford, coach at Sacred Heart University; Bob Moran of West Haven, former West Haven High School and Twilight League athlete; and  Tony Notarino, of Branford, former pitching star at Wilbur Cross High school and the University of New Haven.

Fred Norman of New Haven will receive the Andrew Gassira Memorial Umpire Award and Sal Coppola of North Haven, will receive the Tony Mentone Memorial Distinguished Service Award.

For tickets, contact Rose Mentone at 541 Hill St., Hamden on or before Oct. 10 at rmentone@comcast.net or go to southernctdiamond club.org. Tickets are $55 per person and include a full-course surf and turf dinner or vegetarian, if preferred.