Summer, 1984, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, (L-R) actor and former Dodger player Chuck Connors with Bruno Beneck, President, Italian Baseball Federation from 1969-1984 and President, European Baseball Federation, 1971-1984. Dodger President Peter O’Malley meets with Beneck and Connors during the game.
Biography
Bruno Beneck
Bruno Beneck of Italy was Vice President, Association International Baseball Amateur (AINBA) in 1976 when two previous international organizations merged. Beneck served as President, Italian Baseball Federation from 1969-1984 and was a key player in backing baseball’s international growth in Europe, particularly for its official inclusion in the Olympic Games. He also served as president of the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB) from 1971-1984. Beneck attended the important Extraordinary Baseball Congress of the Association International Baseball Amateur (AINBA) at the Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, September 10-12, 1979 and was one of nearly 100 representatives who visited Dodger Stadium as a guest of Dodger President Peter O’Malley. In 1981, Beneck was elected AINBA 1st Vice President at the AINBA Congress in Canada. A fascinating man, Beneck was an officer in the Colonial Italian Army in East Africa, a center-forward soccer player for an Italian team in the third division and a Marine and parachuter in World War II. It was in Nettuno, Italy amongst the Nazi-Fascists resistance that he first saw two men with gloves throwing a baseball.
September, 1979, Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel, Extraordinary Congress of the International Amateur Baseball Association (AINBA). (L-R front row): Eiichiro Yamamoto, 2nd VP, AINBA; Bruno Beneck, 1st VP, AINBA; Dr. Bob Smith, President, AINBA; Guus Van de Heijden, the Netherlands, Treasurer, AINBA; (L-R back row) Hal Smeltzly, Administration Asst. to the AINBA President; Unidentified; Rod Dedeaux, USC Head Baseball Coach; Osvaldo Gil, Chairman, Technical Committee, AINBA and President, Puerto Rico Baseball Association; Jesus Chirinos, Venezuela, Secretary, AINBA; Dodger President Peter O’Malley; Cas Pielak, President, Canada Baseball; and Max Ceccotti, Italy Baseball representative.
Following World War II, Beneck took his interest of baseball and co-founded the Lega Italiana Baseball (LIB). Later, when that league merged with Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS) to become Federazione Italiana Palla Base (FIPAB), Beneck stepped aside. He and his wife then started a successful advertising agency, which began promoting movies from Hollywood and Beneck himself became a respected television director. In the late 1960s, he followed his heart back to baseball, taking over the FIPAB leadership and changed the name back to FIBS. In 1973, Beneck established in Italy the first-ever Intercontinental Cup and in 1978, the initial Baseball World Cup played outside the Americas. Five years later, Beneck founded FICTS, American Football in Italy. He was inducted into both the Italian Baseball Hall of Fame (2005) and the Italian American Football Hall of Fame. He passed away in Rome at 88 in 2003.