Rocco Santilli

Manager of the Sunners fastpitch softball teams beginning in 1959, Rocky compiled a brilliant record of 1,696 wins and 514 losses during that span. As manager of the Sunners, under numerous sponsorships, Santilli was instrumental in placing international and national spotlights on Leesport, Reading and Berks County. His teams won numerous state and regional championships, captured the national fastpitch crowns (1975, 1977-78), shared the world championship in a tournament staged in New Zealand (1976) and won gold medals at the National Sports Festival (1978-79). In addition, Rocky served as coach of the U.S. softball team in the Pan-American Games staged in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Caracus, Venezuela; Indianapolis, Indiana and Havana, Cuba. He is the long-time president of the Berks County Independent Softball League and served as president of the Reading Indians in the Eastern Baseball League (1965). In later years, Santilli coached the Schuylkill Valley High School softball team. President of the Santilli Oil Company, he is a veteran of WWII. He was also considered a premier bowler, owning several 300 games. He received the Berks chapter’s sportsman's award (1982) and was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (1993). Santilli was elected to the Reading-Berks Basketball Old-Timers Association Board in the late 1970s and remained active in that capacity until his death in November 2023.

Deceased