5/26/2015
JERSEY CITY, NJ …At the field where he once played, surrounded by hundreds of people whose lives he has touched, Elliott “Skip” Adams was inducted into the Babe Ruth League Middle Atlantic Region Hall of Fame. Mr. Adams was honored for over 34 years of service to the youth of his community and far beyond the field at the Greenville Westside Babe Ruth League. Greenville Westside Babe Ruth League President Pat Sandford served as the emcee for the day’s festivities and has worked alongside of Adams for seventeen years. After various speakers shared their thoughts and stories about the honoree, Northern New Jersey State and Assistant Regional Commissioner Ralph Errico presented Adams with a plaque commemorating the induction.
Adams began volunteering in the Babe Ruth League Program in 1981 as a Manager in the Greenville PAL Babe Ruth League in Jersey City, the first African-American to hold such a position. Over his 34-plus years working with the youth of Jersey City, he has served as Coach, Manager, Player Agent, Equipment Manager, Vice President, and President. But according to many who spoke at the Induction Ceremony, his biggest contributions to the program are his passion for teaching the game and helping the players who come through the League become upstanding adults. Alphonso Williams, who nominated Adams for the award, told the crowd, “If anyone epitomizes what a father figure, a coach, a mentor, a disciplinarian is …. There is no one better than Mr. Adams.”
Adams, whose name is displayed on the Clubhouse of Metro Field, has worn many hats outside of the Greenville Westside Babe Ruth League as well. He has served as an Assistant District Commissioner, District Commissioner, and Assistant State Commissioner for Northern New Jersey Babe Ruth Baseball. Northern New Jersey State Commissioner Ralph Errico told the crowd that, “…Skip Adams is the person who persuaded me to become the State Commissioner.”
Hudson County Freeholder William O’Dea recalled the times that he and “Skip” worked to make improvements to the Metro field and complex. “He was always strong, he was forceful, and would stay persistent, and that’s how things got done,” said O’Dea. He added, “When you think of Hall of Fame, you think of numbers … his (Adams) biggest Hall of Fame numbers are the number of lives that he has touched; the number of young people’s lives he has saved. Make no mistake about that. There are probably hundreds and hundreds of young people in this city who could have, instead of going to college, gone to the Hudson County Correctional Center. But he stepped in at an important time in their lives … Skip is always kind enough to care and strong enough to lead.”
Longtime friend, League Officer, and Assistant District Commissioner James Greer said, “For what you’ve given … that chance that you took on young, hard-headed boys turning them into men, and the middle-aged, hard-headed coaches that you’ve helped turn into men, we thank you, we honor you, and thank you for your commitment…”
The Babe Ruth Baseball Middle Atlantic Region Hall of Fame was established in 2011 to recognize and honor individuals and entities within the Region who have, within the framework of the Babe Ruth League Program, made an outstanding contribution to the Middle Atlantic Region’s Programs and the youth it serves. Skip Adams’ induction is the Sixteenth for the Hall of Fame. There will be two more scheduled for this spring and summer.
More information about the Babe Ruth League Middle Atlantic Region Hall of Fame can be found at the Region’s website www.marbaberuth.org.