Ron Cottone was one of the founding fathers of adult baseball in Minnesota, founding the Federal League in 1986. Then he went on to form the Richfield Rockets in 1989, playing and managing the Rockets for thirty-three years and winning the Federal League Championship in 2004. Number 8 was always known for keeping a fair book, being honest and wanting everyone to experience a second life in adult baseball. Cottone also served as Federal League President and on the Federal League board for many years, plus he volunteered his time to the Old Hickory Tournament in the Fall. Ron was always quick to say “Hello” and was genuine when he was curious about your day or game.

Off the baseball field, Cottone was just as impactful and impressive. He has a B.A. and an M.A. in religion from Baylor University and an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary with an emphasis in medieval studies. He also served on the boards for Minnesota Food Association, Minnesota Facilitators Network, Resource Center for Churches. He was an Executive Director of Disability Awareness Ministries, Inc., and a Principal Consultant of Applied Insights. He was an active member of the Judson Memorial Baptist Church in Minneapolis.

When not serving on boards or debating lineups, he enjoyed opera, model railroading and shade tree mechanics.
The Federal League, Rockets, teammates, opponents and of course friends and family will deeply miss Ron Cotton as he walks into the cornfield of baseball heaven.

“You never figure the game out completely. It is a fascinating game, and you see different things every time you play.” – Ron Cottone

(If you want to add any stories about Ron, please email them to mplsgraysbaseball@gmail.com and we will post them below)