George L. Barone
EDITOR’S NOTE: Below is the biography of George L. Barone Jr., one of 11 Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame Class 2022 inductees.
The other inductees are Sarah M. (Bogardus) Burnett, Andrew J. Creager, Christina M. Kebort, Michael A. Sirianni, Lewis G. Mack, Marc T. Tramuta, Randall G. Anderson, Harry G. Carlson, Larry E. Rodgers and Richard P. Shearman.
These eleven people will be officially inducted at the 40th annual CSHOF Induction Banquet on Monday February 21 at the Lakewood Rod & Gun Club.
Tickets are now available at CSHOF (15 W. Third St., Jamestown), by calling Chip Johnson, Banquet Chair, at 716-485-6991 or online at https://www.chautauquasportshalloffame.org/about.php #banquet.
It’s hard to find a man who loved baseball and youth more than George L. Barone Jr, inducted into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame, Class of 2022. According to his tally, he has coached 2,291 games and 1,473 players. over 64 years.
Barone was born in 1942 and has lived in the region all his life. He graduated in 1962 from Southwestern Central School where he played on the baseball team. He also attended Jamestown Community College.
Barone began his coaching odyssey as a 13-year-old assistant in the former Cub League in Lakewood. He went on to lead Lakewood 3, Lakewood Indians and Lakewood Cardinals in the Lion League. The Cardinals have enjoyed a 52-game winning streak under Barone.
He managed in the South West region for 33 years. Among his teams were the Southwestern Expos of the East Lake 13-15 Babe Ruth League. He has also managed the East Lake Babe Ruth All-Star teams on several occasions and served as the East Lake Babe Ruth League President.
During his 31 years with the Jamestown Babe Ruth League, he ran TRW, Thule Lodge, Vikings, Hills and Jock Shop as well as several 13, 14 and 15 year old All-Star teams.
He was also vice-president of the Jamestown BR League.
In the Babe Ruth League of Chautauqua County, he mentored the Lakewood Sox, 16-18, the Chautauqua County All-Star 16-18 and the Chautauqua County Travel Team. One highlight was leading Chautauqua County’s entry into the 1984 Babe Ruth World Series 16-18 at College Stadium.
In total, he won eight Babe Ruth District titles, four New York State Babe Ruth titles and made two regional visits.
In the recent past, Barone was the organizer and manager of the Chautauqua County Travelers 15-18 team which competed in Winter Haven and Orlando, Florida, as well as Fullerton, California, among other venues. He also spent time with a Cal Ripken League team 11-12.
Other training and management stoppages for Barone have taken place at Southwestern Central High School, Jamestown Community College, the Ohio-Pennsylvania Fall Baseball League, and the County Men’s Baseball League. Chautauqua. He has coached ball players with the Southwestern Central School softball team and the Southwestern Area Girls Hardball League.
Barone was the founder of the Busti-Lakewood Youth Center and president of the LaGrega Baseball Field project in Lakewood. He has held leadership positions in the Lake Shore Midget Football League, the Busti-Lakewood Recreation Commission, the Lake Shore Small-Fry Basketball League, the Southwestern Trojans Sports Boosters, and the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame.
On January 17, 2004, former players, parents and colleagues organized “A night of memories”, honor Barone for his years of dedication to youth.