Mike Fonak

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

Mike is a lifelong resident of Syracuse New York. where he resides with his wife Mary and children, Michael and Ashlee. Thier oldest daughter Noelle lives in Brooklyn New York.

Mike is a graduate of the Assumption Catholic Academy, Onondaga Community College, and Lemoyne College. He served in the New York Air National Guard with the 174th Tactical Fighter Group. Mike has been a lector at Saint Daniels Church and has been employed by Verizon for 33 years. He is also a member of the Telephone Company pioneers and the Communication Workers of America. When not working or umpiring, Mike enjoys spending time at Jefferson Park on Lake Ontario.

Mike started playing both fast pitch and slow pitch softball in the Syracuse City recreation leagues in the late 1960's. When an injury prevented him from being able to continue to play, umpiring was the way for him to stay involved with softball. The decision to umpire was an easy one as Mike grew up watching his father Whitey (NYS USSSA Hall of Fame Member - Class of 2005) call balls and strikes and he knew that one day he would follow his father into umpiring.

When Mike first started umpiring, fast pitch was still very popular and having been a baseball catcher in high school this was a benefit when it came to getting game assignments. Many of the new umpires did not want to work behind the plate in fast pitch so Mike was assigned to work home plate. As a result, he was able to maintain his ties to fast pitch and also work slow pitch which was now becoming more popular.

When the Puerto Rican National fast pitch team played an exhibition game in Syracuse, Mike along with fellow inductee Gerry Waldon were assigned to work the game. Mike also worked a series of the Steele's Sports exhibition games in Syracuse.