Dottie Lesley

Elected : USSSA New York Hall Of Fame in 2012
Inducted : 2013, Rochester, NY

Dottie Lesley was a courageous, compassionate, and inspiring young woman when cancer claimed her life in 1985 at the age of 29.  She loved life and she loved softball, and she was one of the finest players the Syracuse area has ever seen.

 

A slick fielding infielder for the powerhouse JreckSubs and Shifty’steams of the late 70’s and early 80’s, Dottie was a crafty hitter who could hit for power or deliver the opposite field base hit with runners on.  She was an instinctively smart and fast base runner and was, above all else, a great teammate and friend.

 

Dottie came to New York from Miami, FL where she starred as a high school athlete at Miami Dade South before playing semi-pro softball with the Miami Dots.  Upon settling in Syracuse, she became involved in the City Recreation volleyball, softball and basketball leagues.  Also an avid golfer and cyclist, Dottie was a natural talent in most sports, but it was in softball that she excelled.

 

Upon her death in July of 1985, players from her Shifty’steam and other City Recreation teams organized a doubleheader fundraiser as a way to remember Dottie by playing the game she loved so much.  Those games turned into the Dottie Lesley Memorial Softball Benefit, a unique 8-team double-elimination tournament that attracted both players and umpires from all across CNY.  In its 15 years of existence, the “Dottie Tournament” raised over $90,000 for the Ronald McDonald House of CNY in her memory.