Ossie Signore possessed a lifelong love for
and dedication to the sport of baseball.
A 1948 graduate of Rochester High School, he excelled in both
baseball and basketball. An All Section choice as an infielder, he
was selected to play in the Hearst All Star Game at Forbes Field and
later that summer helped Rochester’s American Legion team reach
the Western Pennsylvania finals with a batting average of over .400. Ossie went to Wake Forest University, where he continued to play
baseball, earned three letters, and was a vital cog in the
sophomore season as Wake Forest won the Atlantic Coast Conference
title in 1950. The Deacons were also runners-up to Duke, led by Dick Groat, in 1951. During those years,
Ossie also played summer ball in
Canada, leading the league in hitting one year. He
was a standout player in the Beaver County League in the 1950s. In 1956, he led
the county league in hitting with a .425 average and played second
base for two Midland teams that finished sixth in the country to the
national amateur tournament. He began coaching in 1961 as head man
of the New Brighton American Legion team, winning the county
championship in 1963. He coached Center High School from 1964 to
1969 and was at the Community College of Beaver County from 1970 to 1972, posting a 40-20 record.
After a hiatus from coaching, he returned to Center in 1985 and,
after having won the WPIAL title in 1989, reached the ultimate with
a state championship in 1990. Ossie's overall record by 1993 was 233-109.
Ossie Signore possessed a lifelong love for
and dedication to the sport of baseball.
A 1948 graduate of Rochester High School, he excelled in both
baseball and basketball. An All Section choice as an infielder, he
was selected to play in the Hearst All Star Game at Forbes Field and
later that summer helped Rochester’s American Legion team reach
the Western Pennsylvania finals with a batting average of over .400. Ossie went to Wake Forest University, where he continued to play
baseball, earned three letters, and was a vital cog in the
sophomore season as Wake Forest won the Atlantic Coast Conference
title in 1950. The Deacons were also runners-up to Duke, led by Dick Groat, in 1951. During those years,
Ossie also played summer ball in
Canada, leading the league in hitting one year. He
was a standout player in the Beaver County League in the 1950s. In 1956, he led
the county league in hitting with a .425 average and played second
base for two Midland teams that finished sixth in the country to the
national amateur tournament. He began coaching in 1961 as head man
of the New Brighton American Legion team, winning the county
championship in 1963. He coached Center High School from 1964 to
1969 and was at the Community College of Beaver County from 1970 to 1972, posting a 40-20 record.
After a hiatus from coaching, he returned to Center in 1985 and,
after having won the WPIAL title in 1989, reached the ultimate with
a state championship in 1990. Ossie's overall record by 1993 was 233-109.