Wednesday March 27th, 2024
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An interview with Jean Shoppe manager Larry Quartuccio

Larry Quartuccio

 

Why do you like the game of softball?
I enjoy the competitiveness of the game.  Also gives you an opportunity to meet new friends.

Who is the best softball player you have ever seen?
Well, I have seen a bunch and I really think there are 6 or 7 that you could put on the list.

Where do you call home?
Florence, KY

What do you do for a living?
Senior Customer Service Agent for Delta Airlines.

What is your softball background as a player?
Started playing at the Class "C" level about 33 years ago and went up to class "B".  As we started progressing I could see the players I was picking up were better then I was.  That along with a back surgery made it easy to be a manager.

How did you get your start in softball and how did you get to the upper level?
Started as a player a long time ago.  But I was smart enough to know that if I wanted to get to the higher level in was not going to be as a player.  If you know what I mean.

Who are you managing/sponsoring in 2011?
Jean Shoppe

What does your roster look like?
We still have 1 or 2 spots to look at but right now it looks like this:  Shane Spicer, Jamie Gordon, Tim Cocco, Eric Thompson, Shane Hatfield, JD Genter, Brad Reckart, Lee Powers, Kyle Cowart, Matt King, Chad McLamb, Jesse Wozniak, Andy Vitcak

 What is your teams goal for 2011?
 To win the USSSA "A" World Series.

Where do you look for talent?
When we are playing against other teams and sometimes players will recommend players they have played with or against.

What is more important, talent or attitude?
Believe it or not, BOTH.  I always want a team of guys who are ready to go to battle for their teammates.  When you are on the field you have to battle together or you will defeat yourself.

How do you evaluate player's?
I am a big fan of defense and you have to be careful that you don't go to far with batting averages.  Some can be deceiving if their best games are the 25 – 2 wins.  Nothing wrong with a guy who hits 625 but always seems to hit when it counts.

What is your favorite sports team?
Michigan State

What is your favorite sport other than softball?
I enjoy watching football and Baseball.

Do you have any superstitions and if so, what are they?
Yes, too many to mention.

What is your most memorable softball moment?
The Class "A" Championships we have won.

Is slowpitch softball a sport or a game?
 It is a sport.

What is the best improvement upper level softball could make to bring in more sponsors?
 I think if they could some how come up with a way to get the teams on more level playing field with the Major teams to where the tournaments were not so predictable.  Also not sure how but I think we would see more sponsors stay around longer if we could bring the cost down.

What is your favorite non-World tournament?
Smoky and Cincinnati.

Is the game better or worse with homerun limits and why?
Better because the game needs defense.

Who was the best team in softball history?
Detroit Caesars back during the Pro era wasn't to bad of a group.



2 responses to “An interview with Jean Shoppe manager Larry Quartuccio”

  1. Tom Cullen says:

    Hey Larry. I remember you coming over and causing trouble on Franklin St. in Wayne when you were a troubled kid. One day, my older brother Tim knocked you right off your bike as you came riding down our street.

    Also, remember us playing on opposite teams in Wayne Little League. We were on the Senators, you were on the Cardinals. Remember one game at Franklin JH, your team throwing bean balls at us. Got me in the inner thigh. Asshole!

    Anyway, let bygones be bygones.

  2. Gerry Hunter says:

    Larry . . . we were friends on Cadillac Street when we were kids. We played a lot of baseball together. I recall you had a black ball glove, the first any of us had ever seen. I believe your sister was named Annette and your older brother was Joe.

    I am, among other things, an author now, and putting together a memoir novel about our days in Wayne back in the 50s and early 60s. The tentative title is “Buck, Dunk, Quartz and Me”. I’m interested in what’s become of my friends, and what they’re doing now. I think I may have tracked down Buckshot Wheeling, and I have found Dunk McDonald.

    Hope this finds you well, and I hope to hear from you.

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