Slocum, Adubato to join Trenton Softball HoF
One of the best things about the Trenton Softball Hall of Fame’s banquet is a wide variety of people are honored for contributing to the game in different ways.
As a result at the hall’s annual banquet Sunday afternoon at Stone Terrace in Hamilton Township, Chip Slocum will be inducted in the sponsorship division and JR Adubato will join the hall in the umpires division.
CHIP SLOCUM
In addition to his contributions as a softball sponsor, Slocum is well known in local circles in several other ways.
One was as a race car driver in a career in which he enjoyed consistent success on tracks such as Flemington, East Windsor, Bridgeport, and in New York and Pennsylvania. Slocum finished with 84 career wins as a driver.
The owner of Slocum’s bowling alley/tavern/restaurant in Ewing Township, Slocum also helped the Ewing High bowling team win three state championships by allowing them to practice for free.
Slocum played in The Trentonian Softball Tournament for over over 20 years and other tournaments such as in Las Vegas and around the East Coast.
The soft-spoken Slocum was very popular with his players and sponsored both men’s and women softball teams for decades in the Ewing Open, Lawrence A and various Mercer County.
JR ADUBATO
A Trenton native who attended St. Anthony’s and Trenton high schools along with Mercer County and Trenton State colleges, Adubato has been an umpire from 1992 to the present.
In addition to umpiring in the ASA, USSSA and SSA organizations, Adubato has also served as an umpire assignor in the state of Delaware.
A respected umpire who has the ability to work well with the players, Adubato has worked virtually every league in the area. These included all the different Mercer County Park Commission men’s and women’s along the Hamilton, Ewing, Whitehorse Weekend, Princeton and Cranbury leagues.
Adubato has also umpired in a wide variety of tournaments and charity events. This list includes The Trentonian, state, region and world tournaments, the Mercer County March of Dimes and the Delaware Special Olympics.
Keeping in mind it’s become increasingly difficult to find qualified and dedicated umpires, Adubato is the type of guy who will be sorely missed when he retires.