Tony Saladino
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- Induction Year:
- 2025
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- Induction Type:
- Contributor
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- Graduation Year:
- 1958
Bio
Tony Saladino was selected as the recipient of the Sam Bailey Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is presented to an individual who continues their success post-graduation and continues to support the University of Tampa.
Saladino is a 1958 graduate of the University of Tampa. He and his wife, Bertha, began the Bertha and Tony Saladino Tournament, a week-long event for high school baseball teams in Hillsborough County.
The tournament continues currently and has expanded to 32 teams across the county. One of Hillsborough County's longest-tenured educators, Saladino taught generations as an elementary school physical education teacher, retiring at age 79 in 2015.
Baseball has always been an essential part of Saladino's life, through his involvement in Hillsborough County baseball. The Tony Saladino Memorial Baseball Award was also established in 1971 and is presented annually to the outstanding high school senior baseball player in Hillsborough County as a memorial to Tony Saladino Sr. and to promote school baseball.
A lifelong supporter of the University of Tampa baseball, Saladino had the opportunity to watch his grandson, Nico Saladino, who won his second national championship with the Spartans baseball team in 2025.