Bob Marcinek
Contest Official
Inducted: July 6, 1996
14th Annual Induction Ceremony
Tarpon Springs, Florida
(The following appeared in that year’s HOF induction program)
Marcinek is one of the finest contest officials in the state's history and is the only Indiana official to work state finals in four sports-boys basketball, girls basketball, baseball and football.
After beginning his football officiating career in 1955, Marcinek officiated his last contest on November 11, 1995, in six inches of snow in South Bend, Indiana. He retired from basketball officiating two years ago, ending a 46-year career in that sport. He also has been a superb baseball umpire and still officiates some baseball games in Florida, which is now his winter home.
Marcinek is a charter member of the Lake County Athletic Officials Association. He has served as president and has been on the board of directors for 26 years. He has served as the Indiana High School Athletic Association baseball rules interpreter for 12 years and has been a member of the National Federation Baseball Rules Committee. He also has been an IHSAA rules interpreter in football and basketball.
As an umpire in the National American Legion Tournament, Marcinek has worked 15 state finals, 14 Great Lakes regionals and two American Legion World Series as crew chief. In 1989, he umpired the Team USA vs. Cuba five-game series in Cuba.
Instruction also has been a part of Marcinek's contributions, including baseball umpire clinics in France in 1990 and 1992 and an officiating class at Purdue University, Calumet Campus, in cooperation with the IHSAA. More than 300 students have become licensed in the state of Indiana as a result of Marcinek's contributions.
Prior to this national honor, Marcinek has received many awards, including the NFIOA Outstanding Baseball Award in 1984, the Roy Gardner Award in 1988, given to the outstanding basketball official in the state by the 800-member Indiana Basketball Officials Association, and an outstanding contributor to high school athletics award in 1992.
Marcinek was born August 10, 1931, in East Chicago, Indiana, and retired from teaching in June 1992. He now lives part of the year in Indiana and has a winter home in Sarasota, Florida.
