2005 C. Ralph Ifft

A Zelienople HS graduate of the late 1930’s era where he played basketball and football. He earned All-Section honors. He went on to the University of Akron playing baseball. At the same time In 1940 he played baseball for Beaver Falls of the Pennsylvania State Baseball Association. He had a record of 14-4 and a league leading 2.01 ERA. After graduating from Akron in 1941, he pitched for Springfield of the Three I League before entering military service. In England , Ifft was Special Services Officer for the US Army with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. His responsibilities included the organization of four baseball leagues, and a softball league. Also staging weekly boxing shows, running a swimming pool and overseeing a golf tournament. By 1943 he had organized enough sports in England that any soldier who wanted to play a sport could do so. In 1944 Ifft was responsible for organizing a fund-raising baseball game in which the Queen of England was present. She threw out the first pitch, Ifft had to answer numerous questions of the Queen regarding the game of baseball. By 1946 Ifft was back in the USA and at age 32 he pitched three games for Youngstown in the Middle Atlantic League before retiring from the sport.