New England Hall of Fame
/John Kapnis// Player		2000
When John Kapnis was first seen, he was winning his final game in the 1983 State tournament against defending champion Charlie Bonani, most of the spectators didn't know who he was, but that State tournament was held in South Hamilton, MA, his own club, and THEY knew all about him. They assured everyone that this win and his good percentage 67.00% were not flukes. You see, John had pitched horseshoes in his teens but had stopped for 30 years to raise a family (he and his wife Ruth have 11 children). As a dad and a lieutenant in the Salem, Ma. Fire Dept., John didn't have much extra time. But when the children became independent, John answered an ad in the Salem newspaper for interested horseshoe pitchers and joined the South Hamilton Horseshoe League. John has won 15 Massachusetts State Titles since 1983. His best average for the States was in 1994 with an 81.5%. His over-all average in the States is a 73.87%. John started to travel to other NHPA tournaments and found the good competition he couldn't have found in the backyard. He soon became known in all of New England and first ventured into the World Tournament scene at Eau Claire, WI in 1987. He was seeded in Class C. He pitched well enough to be placed in the qualifying groups for Championship Class and on the way won the Class A championship. He pitched 60 games on his way to earning 7th place in the Championship Division in his first World Tournament. He had discovered a whole new world of competition and travel. Since then, he has competed in most of the annual NHPA World Horseshoe Pitching Championships. He had participated in 11 World Tournaments. In all of his World Tournament appearances, John has averaged below 70% only once and has failed to place in the top 10 only four times. His over-all average is 73% ringers against the top players in the world. His best finish was 4th place in the years 1994 and 1995, averaging 73.67% and 77.13%. His highest game pitched was in 1992 with back-to-back 90.9% and 90.5%. It is the same in New England where he is known as one of the best, and most consistent performers on a regular basis. John has participated in 18 New England's over the years. He has won the New England Tournament twice, in 1990 with an 80.1% and in 1998 with a 75.0%. He has placed in the top three 12 times. His best tournament percentage was in 1995 with an 81.76%, but John is not one to dwell on his successes. In 1990, John was inducted into Massachusetts Hall of Fame as a Player One of his most outstanding achievements was pitching a 100% game against Walter Ray Williams. With all of his successes, he is best known as the "Gentlemen of the Courts." His demeanor never changes, win or lose, and his smile and handshake await every opponent, no matter what the outcome.