Tony Saladino’s baseball tournament had humble beginnings, but after 20 years it still endures.
By JOEY JOHNSTON
The Tampa Tribune
(c) Tampa Bay Times. Originally published April 15, 2000.
TAMPA — It began from the trunk of Tony Saladino’s car. That was his office. The supplies were unpiled and arranged on card tables. Food was prepared on picnic tables beneath the large oak trees.
Volunteers gussied up the field at Brandon High School. Players received big-time introductions as they straddled the baselines. Everyone stood at attention as the national anthem blared over a public-address system. A ceremonial first pitch was thrown. With that, a hastily arranged tournament had begun.
That was 1981. Who knew about the future?
Today, as the 20th annual Saladino Baseball Tournament begins at the University of Tampa and other sites, the tournament’s infancy seems like ancient history. Now there are official tournament trailers and private hospitality rooms for the dozens of major-league scouts who attend annually. Workers carry walkie-talkies, making sure everything runs smoothly.
But as always, it’s mostly about the little things. It’s mostly about family. The tournament was the brainchild of Saladino, 64, a retired elementary-school teacher from Brandon who loves and lives baseball. It’s a tribute to his father, who died of a heart attack in 1961. Saladino’s wife, Bertha, encouraged him to use the passion of his grieving for a positive platform that would honor his father.
The idea brewed for years and was finally realized upon the tournament’s approval in 1981. Unlike other elite tournaments that attract a nationwide field, the Saladino Tournament includes only high-school baseball teams from Hillsborough County. Even so, 24 tournament alumni already have played in the major leagues.
“It’s probably one of the best places to see baseball talent,” said newly acquired Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitcher Dwight Gooden, the former Hillsborough High star who was the tournament’s initial Most Valuable Player in 1981. “You probably can’t find overall quality like that anywhere.
“We were all excited that first year. I’m not sure if I even knew how important it was. Really, you could say that the Saladino Tournament was the place people started discovering me.”
Gooden, then a junior who toiled in the shadow of imposing left-hander Vance Lovelace, pitched a one-hitter and beat Brandon 8-0 in the championship game. In attendance: New York Mets general manager Lou Gorman. In 1982, the Mets used their first-round draft pick to select Gooden, the springboard for a career that would include the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards.
“What an incredible era that was for high-school baseball in Tampa,” said Devil Rays first baseman Fred McGriff, who played for Jefferson High in the first Saladino Tournament. “We knew it was good then. Now the whole country realizes how good it is.
“The tournament has become a really big deal. It’s an honor to participate in it. I can’t believe it’s in the 20th year.
“But really, when I think about the tournament, I first think about the man. Nobody loves baseball more than Tony Saladino. He has given his heart and soul to the tournament. Everything is done in a first-class manner. It’s a great event.”
Saladino said he’s going strong, despite numerous medical procedures in recent years, including open-heart surgery, two strokes, a gall-bladder removal and an angioplasty.
The tournament, he said, gives him life.
“I feel awesome,” said Saladino, who will continue his pre-tournament tradition of visiting his father’s grave at Woodlawn Cemetery. He’ll get teary-eyed during the first national anthem, then he’ll be fine.
Saladino said he has never watched an entire tournament game. There are too many chores.
“Even during the championship games, there’s the awards to get organized,” Saladino said. “I’m always on the go. My illnesses and surgeries don’t faze me. The only thing that will stop me is death.”
“My doctor [Dennis Pupello] said his open-heart patients who recover best are the ones who have a purpose in life. People tell me to slow down. I can’t. This tournament keeps me healthy. If I have to go to the hospital, I take my briefcase with me so I can work on more tournament ideas.”
The tournament’s basic principles are high-quality baseball and wholesome family fun. Saladino labors to have something for everyone, whether it’s board games for toddlers or trivia contests for the old-timers. Through it all, he emphasizes the need to become caring and responsible citizens.
At the pre-tournament breakfast, his message remains the same. The bat isn’t for attacking or mugging someone. Use it for base hits. Don’t steal a car, steal a base. Don’t join a gang. You’re already part of a winning team.
Saladino beams when thinking about Gooden, McGriff and other major-leaguers who played in his tournament. What about the ones who didn’t make it? Maybe even more meaningful.
“Once, a young man stopped me in a grocery store and said, “Mr. Saladino, you don’t know who I am, but I played in your tournament and it was the best thing that happened in my life,’ ” Saladino said. “He was married, had a family, a good job. When he walked away, I got goose bumps and cried.
“It would be great if all these kids can sign a pro contract or get a college scholarship. If not, they have a great classic they’ll always remember. They can go out in style. And hopefully, to live as productive, caring adults. That’s our ultimate goal.”
Sports Illustrated once featured the Saladino Tournament, calling it perhaps the finest of its kind in the nation. Saladino humbly believes that.
He remembers reading elsewhere that Orlando Colonial High hosted the nation’s best prep baseball tournament. But one day later, the Colonial coach coincidentally called Saladino and asked him, “How do you get all those major-league scouts to attend your tournament?”
Easy, Saladino said. We send them personal invitations. We pamper them with hospitality, free information-filled programs and run-of-the-house fellowship, all the things they never receive on road trips.
“Wow, do you think your staff could send out invitations for our tournament, too?” the Colonial coach said.
Staff? Saladino chuckled. The tournament “staff” included Tony and Bertha. It was then that he really knew. The Saladino Tournament had grown into something special. Its gospel is spread nationwide by complimentary scouts. The Saladino Tournament T-shirts have been spotted throughout the country.
“Every time people say how big we’ve gotten, I just turn it around,” Saladino said. “I’m just an average Joe. I’m not superhuman. We don’t do this without the help of so many people. I feel guilty for not thanking them all enough.
“But I’m telling you, it’s the little things that make the difference. The extras. The off-field stuff.”
He remembers being in his office last year, when a pair of Gaither players entered the trailer and began reciting Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s On First?” routine from a tournament pamphlet. He remembers a long rain delay when both dugouts participated in a trivia contest, probably competing harder than in the delayed baseball game.
Mostly, he remembers the personal touch.
One of the tournament’s originals was Dan Cressman, an Orioles scout. Cressman, who lived in Pinellas County, raved about the tournament and its hospitality. Before heading home one night, he gently asked if he might take a chicken-patty sandwich to his wife, Ruthie.
Bertha leaped into action, carefully fixing a plate that would stay warm for Cressman’s drive home. Bertha hugged him goodbye, sending her best wishes to the wife.
More than a decade later, Saladino was reading the newspaper. He noticed a small item. Dan Cressman, a Pinellas County man, had been killed in an automobile accident. He had lost touch. Was it the same man?
Saladino sent a letter to Ruthie Cressman, asking for a phone call. Ruthie called back, leaving a message. Finally, Saladino reached her.
“Oh, you’ve called at a good time,” she said. “Dan is in the shower.”
Dan Cressman, the former scout, was alive. Saladino was mistaken. He had the wrong guy. He felt relieved. His friend wasn’t the accident victim.
But why was this such a good time to call?
Cressman, his wife said, wasn’t the same all these years later. He was beaten down by illness. His life was fading.
“He wouldn’t even remember you, Tony,” Cressman’s wife said. “But you know what? He still remembers Bertha. He still talks about Bertha.”
For some scouts, a lifetime of baseball memories can fade. There’s always another game, always another prospect. The little things matter most. The relationships and small acts of kindness.
Saladino paused to wipe away some tears.
“There are times when we wonder if it’s all worth it, the hurdles, the planning, some of the headaches,” he said. “But then I think about 20 years of people, all the people who have been touched by this tournament. It’s not just about the baseball.”
Of course not.
It’s about the little things. And it’s about family.
Ten Games to Remember
Here are 10 memorable games from Saladino Tournament history.
Hillsborough 8, Brandon 0 (championship game, April 16, 1981) – Hillsborough junior Dwight Gooden tosses a one-hitter against the Eagles, who commit eight errors.
Robinson 7, Hillsborough 6 (championship game, April 8, 1982) – Robinson rallies from 6-3 deficit, beats Gooden in rare relief appearance.
Jesuit 4, Plant 3 (first round, April 1, 1986) – Tigers win with three-run seventh inning, capped by Nelson Guerra’s two-out single.
Plant 1, Jefferson 0 (second round, March 18, 1987) – Jefferson’s Kevin Skelly allows one hit, strikes out 13 … and loses. Plant’s Chris Myers has a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts.
Armwood 5, Plant 1 (second round, March 29, 1989) – Armwood’s Sterling Hitchcock no-hits the defending Class 3A state champion Panthers.
Plant 3, Armwood 1 (second round, April 17, 1990) – Hours after committing to Miami, Plant’s Salvy Urso strikes out tournament-record 14 batters.
Brandon 1, Gaither 0 (championship game, April 20, 1990) – Donny Scolaro wins it with 12th-inning infield single. Gaither starter Joey Lynch tosses 10 scoreless innings, while Brandon’s Gary Graham leaves with one-hitter over seven innings.
Jefferson 6, King 5 (championship game, April 6, 1991) – Dragons rally from 5-0 deficit, win on Jeff Bawlson’s two-out single in seventh.
Bloomingdale 1, Hillsborough 0 (championship game, April 1, 1994) – Gilbert Morales scores on two-out error in bottom of 10th inning. Hillsborough’s Tim Haner tosses nine scoreless innings, while Bloomingdale’s Mike Valdes and Mac Mackiewitz combine on shutout.
Brandon 3, Gaither 2 (championship game, April 6, 1996) – Top-ranked Brandon (17-0) beats seventh-ranked Gaither on combined four-hitter by Jamie Clark and Greg Howell.
The First Tournament
When the Saladino Tournament began in 1981, this was the 11-team Hillsborough County field.
School Coach Key player
Brandon Joe Perez Paul Reed
Chamberlain Wayne Granda Phil Barrentine
East Bay Steve Moore Kevin Rimes
Hillsborough Billy Reed Dwight Gooden
Jefferson Pop Cuesta Fred McGriff
King Jim Macaluso Jim Cairel
Leto Mike Notaro Butch Garcia
Plant David Fyfe Alan Savitt
Plant City Jim Mabry Terry Colding
Robinson Dave Best Stanley Boderick
Tampa Bay Tech Frank Ammirati Jeff Reaume
Tournament History
The year-by-year history. Each MVP played for the championship team, except in 1992 when Gaither’s Rene Cejas won the award.
Year Champion MVP
1981 Hillsborough Dwight Gooden
1982 Robinson Keith Hughes, Anthony Williams
1983 King David Jones
1984 Brandon Greg Carpenter
1985 Chamberlain Mike Henry
1986 Jesuit John Marc Tamayo
1987 Plant Chris Myers
1988 Brandon Rodd Kelley
1989 Armwood Mark Reed
1990 Brandon Donny Scolaro
1991 Jefferson Rene Escobio
1992 King Rene Cejas
1993 Hillsborough Louis Martinez
1994 Bloomingdale Jeff Wools
1995 Bloomingdale Mike Valdes
1996 Brandon Greg Howell
1997 Gaither Ryan Prep
1998 Plant Bryan Simons
1999 Brandon Matt Midkiff
