Bob Otto to be inducted into the ISC Hall of Fame on Sunday
Otto will join players Jeremy Manley and Brent Stevenson, long-time ISC administrator Keith Erkenbrack, Jon Kegel and the Hill Family
Editor’s Note
On behalf of the entire fastpitch community, especially those of us here in Southern California, I want to congratulate my friend Bob Otto on this well-deserved Hall of Fame honor by the ISC. His induction recognizes his lifelong commitment to promoting and preserving the sport we all love. —Jim Flanagan
Bob Otto – 2025 ISC Hall of Fame Inductee
Born in Red Wing, Minnesota in 1948, Bob Otto grew up on a small corn and soybean, dairy and hog farm near Wanamingo, Minnesota, located about 90 minutes east of Mankato – the site of the 2025 ISC World Tournament and Bob’s Hall of Fame induction. At six years old, Bob fell in love with baseball and played the sport until age 15, when he was introduced to fastpitch in the Wanamingo Fastpitch League in 1964. In little Wanamingo, with its population of just 450, the league remarkably supported five teams.
Once Bob started playing fastpitch, baseball was left behind forever. Outside of later coaching his son’s Little League team, Bob never returned to baseball again. The transition from baseball to fastpitch would prove to be a defining moment in Bob’s athletic career.
High School Athletics
Bob’s athletic talents extended beyond fastpitch. He played high school football as both a running back and linebacker, and high school basketball as a shooting guard. In 1967, Bob set the single game scoring record for the Wanamingo Bulldogs with 36 points. Though the record was quickly broken, Bob held it proudly for a couple of years. His basketball skills earned him the opportunity to play one year of college basketball for the University of South Carolina Beaufort during the 1969-70 season.
Early Career and California Move
Minnesota was home from 1964 to 1976, save a stint in the Marines from ’68-’71. After graduating from Mankato State University, Bob and his wife Nanette moved to Riverside, California in 1977, where she had lived most of her life. Seeking a warmer climate and never a fan of cold winters, Bob left Minnesota behind, though he admits that Minnesota was a great state for him and he truly misses it at times. How appropriate that his ISC Hall of Fame induction will be in Mankato Minnesota.
Fastpitch Beginnings
Bob’s fastpitch journey began with the John Deere Implement team of Wanamingo, managed by Roger Nelson, who took a group of high schoolers and formed a team in 1965. Nelson made Bob the team’s pitcher, though he was not initially sure it was a position he wanted to play, feeling more comfortable at third base. However, Nelson convinced Bob that with practice, his often-wild pitches would find their way into the strike zone.
Under Nelson’s encouragement and guidance, along with mentorship from veteran pitchers Don and Lloyd Kunde, Lyle Borgschatz, Arnie Blackstad, and Kenny Lother, Bob evolved into a skilled pitcher. The development paid off when, two years later, John Deere won the league championship with 17-year-old Bob as their pitcher.
Minnesota League Experience
Throughout his Minnesota years, Bob competed in multiple competitive leagues including Wanamingo, Red Wing, Owatonna, New Ulm, and the Southern Star League. The Southern Star League was particularly challenging, featuring several teams that won Minnesota ASA Class A championships. Bob had the privilege of playing for several outstanding teams, including Federated Insurance of Owatonna, Roundup Bar of Hampton, Kenyon Merchants, Lake Crystal Blues/R&R, and the James Gang of St. James.
The James Gang proved to be the best team Bob ever played on, featuring several players who would later be inducted into the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame, just ahead of top California teams like the Lake Elsinore Bronze and Riverside Rebels in close competitive races.
California Fastpitch Career
In 1977, following his move to California, Bob joined the Riverside Rebels and served as their pitcher. This solid veteran team helped claim the SCMAF Class B championship that year.
In 1979, Bob joined the Lake Elsinore Bronze and enjoyed several memorable years with them, culminating in winning the ASA Class A Southern California Region in 1983 to earn a trip to the ASA Class A national championship in Bloomington, Illinois (where he was a teammate of Fastpitchwest editor, Jim Flanagan). For Bob’s career, this was a dream come true. In 1981, he also pitched in the Pacific Coast Softball League for the Corona Chicanos.
The Yucaipa Merchants and Athletics Era
Looking to build something new in fastpitch, in 1983, Bob and Darryl Craft started a new team in Yucaipa, California called the Merchants, comprised mostly of recent high school and college players with a mix of a few veterans. The Merchants became known as the Athletics, and they embarked on a remarkable 14-year run with trips to ASA and NAFA national tournaments. The team also competed in the San Bernardino and Riverside city leagues.
The A’s went on to play in the Southern California Independent Fastpitch League (SCIFL), a tough league featuring teams from the Inland Empire to Orange County to San Diego.
Photographer and Sports Writer
Since 2009, Bob has built a successful career as a freelance writer and photographer with over 16 years of journalism experience based in Southern California. Through his company Otto In Focus, he writes and photographs on diverse subjects including sports and recreation, feature stories, personal profiles, business, event coverage, education, military service and veterans, humor, and memoir. Bob also served as a mobile reporter for the San Bernardino Sun, covering the communities of Yucaipa, Calimesa, Banning and Beaumont for the “Yucaipa Now” blog.
Bob frequently photographed ISC Fastpitch games, including seven (7) ISC World Tournaments and conducted interviews of players and others connected with the game. His photographic work inspired the next generation of fastpitch photographers, most notably Maddy Flanagan of MaddysPhotos, who is still shooting the game today.
Maddy Flanagan reflects on Bob’s influence:
“I first learned of Bob Otto through his photos online, which stood out above all others. He shaped how I approach fastpitch photography today. Bob set the standard for documenting this sport with passion and artistry. His photos made you feel like you were right on top of the plays. Following in his footsteps has been both an honor and an inspiration for MaddysPhotos.”
Players and managers throughout Southern California appreciated Bob’s dedication to the game. Mike Ryan of Bullet Transportation team from the late 1990s observed:
“The heart required to portray fastpitch with excellence is the same as the heart it requires to play it right. Bob Otto did all of that for us when we were playing in Southern California in the ’90s. Bob’s reporting on our games and tournaments led to Bullet Fastpitch (a “B” team) being ranked 28th in North America in 1997 by The Fastpitch Chronicle. Everyone throughout the sport followed Bob, religiously. What he thought mattered and showing us how he felt about the game made him part of our teams. In fact, Bob, let me get your address. I need to send you a uniform.”
Jim Flanagan, fastpitch pitcher and editor of FastpitchWest.com, reflects on Bob’s broader impact:
“I met Bobby when we were both pitching in Southern California in the 1980s. Beyond his playing career, Bob’s most impactful contributions to fastpitch came through his writing and photography. Bob possessed the rare ability to excel at both writing and photography. His articles and photographs did not just document our sport – they elevated it. Bobby was someone players looked up to as a chronicler of our sport. His long-form interviews helped us learn more about the personal side of the athletes that played the game. His willingness to share that content so freely with our community helped FastpitchWest reach and inspire players across the country. “
Reflecting on a Career
Throughout his fastpitch playing career, Bob feels blessed to have had great teammates on good teams who accepted him on their rosters. His lifelong passion for fastpitch extended far beyond his playing days, as he became one of the sport’s most dedicated chroniclers and advocates. His continued involvement in the sport through his photography and sports writing has allowed him to give back to the fastpitch community while documenting its stories and preserving its history. Paraphrasing the late, great MLB Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, Bob reflects: “I consider myself the luckiest person in fastpitch to have played this great sport. It has been so very good to me.”
2025 ISC Fastpitch Hall of Fame
In October 2024, the International Softball Congress announced that Bob is one of six inductees selected for the 2025 ISC Hall of Fame. He will be inducted alongside pitchers Jeremy Manley and Brent Stevenson, long-time ISC administrator Keith Erkenbrack, as well as fellow Bob Welby Dedication Award recipients Jon Kegel and the Hill Family.
The ISC described Bob in their Hall of Fame announcement:
Originally hailing from Minnesota, Robert (Bob) Otto, Yucaipa, CA, is a longtime fastpitch pitcher, photographer, writer and newspaperman. In the late heyday of the game in 1990s through the early 2000s, Bob was fastpitch’s most prolific writer and published articles and game photos regularly at his own website Otto in Focus. His photos have graced the cover of the ISC Guide and many websites, including FastpitchWest and Al’s Fastball. In 2011, he published a book of fastpitch memoirs entitled “We Play It Fast”.
Hall of Fame Induction – Sunday, July 27, 2025
Bob Otto will be inducted into the ISC Hall of Fame on Sunday morning, July 27 at the annual ISC Hall of Fame Breakfast and Induction ceremony during the 2025 ISC World Tournament in North Mankato, MN. Tickets can be purchased now for the 2025 ISC Hall of Fame Breakfast and Induction Ceremony. For more information and tickets, visit the ISC Hall of Fame page.