JOHN “JOHNNY/KARCZIE” KARCZ (Athlete, Class of 2000)

One of Warren’s finest shortstops ever, Johnny Karcz’s greatest accomplishment may have been his serving as Warren High School’s junior varsity basketball referee for thirty-three years.

A member of the combined Warren and Bristol team that captured the Rhode Island Boys Under Sixteen Baseball Championship in 1943, Karczie really came into his own in 1946.  He was the shortstop on Warren Post’s American Legion nine that won the Southern Division title and finished as Rhode Island Runner-Up.  In addition, he played for two championship teams in Warren, the Fast-Pitch Softball League Playoff Champions Kettlety’s Firestones and the Twilight Baseball League’s Central and Massasoits.

Up until that time coach Carl Toti of La Salle Academy didn’t know Johnny existed.  But he did now and inserted him into the La Salle lineup in 1947.  Karczie was named All State as his team won the Class A and State Baseball titles.  In the process he and fellow Hall of Fame member Slick Cariglia helped deny their home town high school a third straight state title.  In the season’s final game versus Warren High, Johnny was praised by the Providence Journal for having “a great game at shortstop,” to which he added two hits, one run batted in, and a stolen base.

Meanwhile, in the Twilight League, Johnny played for title teams in both 1947 and 1948 (Knights of Columbus and Merchants) and was named to the league’s second All Star team in 1949.  He also competed for the Standard Pharmacy nine that was in the Providence Amateur Baseball League for two seasons, and he was a member of the Warren Drugstore Cowboys who won the Barrington Twilight Baseball League 1950 title.

Karczie competed for his home town in the Warren versus Bristol Baseball Little World Series from 1946 to the Series’ final year in 1949.  He starred at shortstop for the Federal Engineers/Smith’s Drug squad that won six Warren Fast-Pitch Softball League crowns from 1956 to 1961.

As alluded to in the first paragraph, he began refereeing Warren High’s junior varsity basketball games in 1954 and did not hang up his whistle until 1986.  He also officiated in local basketball and softball leagues and managed Babe Ruth Baseball.

Picture Hall of Fame archives (1946 American Legion Team)

Picture Hall of Fame archives (1948 Standard Pharmacy Bristol YMCA Basketball Champions)