New England Hall of Fame
///Gilbert Brinkman Organizer		1976
Gilbert Brinkman, West Springfield, Ma. Gil started pitching about 1930 but his first venture in organizing was in 1935 when he helped start an indoor four team league at the YMCA in Springfield. This league lasted until 1939 with Gil as league secretary. From that time on until 1970 he was secretary of some form of league almost continuously, including a Triple A league, Café league, Industrial league and indoor club league. Springfield was one of the few places that continued playing during the war. In 1959 Gil helped to re-organize the Forest Park Club and was elected secretary-treasurer of the club, which office he held until 1970, even though the name was changed to the Westside Club in 1965. In 1965 Gil was responsible for obtaining the use of the Park property which was used to build the 20 clay courts with lights, which the West Side Club uses. He was one of the hardest workers on the Committee which installed the courts. His longest stretch as league secretary was from 1959 to 1970 in the Forest Park and West Side Club handicap league. He helped to run the 1961 and 1964 New England meets. He was Ma. State Association President in 1961 and Vice President for two years. He was club tournament director in 1969 and 1973 running the Western Mass. Mass. Open and Mass. State meets. In recent years Gil has concentrated on trying to promote Junior horseshoe pitching in the West Springfield area.