Jenny Bellavia

Elected : USSSA New York Hall Of Fame in 2009
Inducted : March 2010, Rochester, NY

Jenny started her career by playing for the Rochester TNT Girls hardball team at the age of 13. She learned to play many positions because she was too good to sit the bench. When that team folded, she went on to play for various fast pitch teams and then joined the Fighting Green & Gold in 1971.

Regarded as one of the greatest players ever to play the game she won many league and team honors. Jenny was named to 10 All-Tournament teams as an All-Star or MVP. She was Captain of the FG&G in 1975 and '76. A great clutch hitter, especially in big games, Jenny had a .473 lifetime average with the FG&G topped off by a .515 average in 1973. Her slugging average was .908 that year and overall .769 for her career.

However, when it came to the World Tournaments, Jenny's average ballooned to .616. She played those tourneys like it was her own personal playground. She excelled to the highest degree. The highlight of her career came in 1972 when she was named the MVP of the 1972 Women's USSSA World-Tournament. She was a 3 time All-World player and was well on her way to her 4th such honor when she blew out her knee in the 1976 World Tourney. She was hitting .667 at the time for the undefeated Pace FG&G team. In the 2 games following her injury, they were eliminated.

Jenny could play any position, thanks to her TNT beginning, and had one of the most powerful and versatile arms ever seen in the girls' game. She could throw from her toes to over her head with equal ability - and the throws were hard. Coach Duane McCoy says of her: 'Jenny was one of the greatest all-around players I have ever seen. She could play any position on the field and play it extremely well, and was a great hitter ' especially in big games. She even won some games as a pitcher for us.'

The USSSA also noticed her exploits as Jenny was selected to be the first women ever to be inducted into the National USSSA Hall of Fame. Sadly and inexplicably, she was removed from nomination soon after when that organization found out she decided to have a sex change operation. The RSSSA, by inducting her into their Hall in 2009, and the NY State USSSA Hall of Fame, by this award tonight, helped rectify this situation to some degree and have given her the honors she so richly deserves.