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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 7:53 a.m., Monday, March 2, 2009

Baseball: Jerome Sacharski, T-ball pioneer, dies at 93

Associated Press

ALBION, Mich. — A man who helped popularize T-ball as an organized youth sport has died.

The J. Kevin Tidd Funeral Home in Albion says 93-year-old Jerome Sacharski died Friday at his home in Albion, about 85 miles from Detroit.

He was a teacher and coach at Albion Public Schools from 1951 until 1980.

T-ball helps youngsters develop baseball skills. They hit from adjustable tees placed on home plate rather than pitched balls. The game's exact origin is unclear but behind Sacharski, Albion in 1956 became one of the nation's first communities in which T-ball was played as an organized sport.

Survivors include his wife, three sons, four grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

A funeral Mass is scheduled for Wednesday.