2025 YIR: Benator Retires After 55 Years of JCC Softball

When Gene Benator began playing in the Harris Jacobs MJCCA Modified Fast Pitch Softball League, Richard Nixon was in the Oval Office, Hank Aaron was enjoying his last monster season, and “The French Connection” was all the rage at cinemas nationwide.

From his 1971 rookie season, which preceded his senior year at University of Georgia, to last month’s official retirement as a player, Benator’s 55-year/100-season career included over 1,200 games and 8,500 innings pitched, 54 All-Star Game appearances, and 709 wins. A left fielder-turned pitcher, Benator had 74 different catchers as batterymates and played under 15 league commissioners. He competed against a handful of grandfather-father-son trios. He took the field with his primary care physician. And later his chiropractor.

A preposterously long career that culminated with an emotionally charged ceremony prior to the Fall 2025 All-Star Game on Nov. 23 at the Marcus JCC in Dunwoody was even more remarkable given that the 76-year-old Benator kept his over half-century streak alive while battling cancer three times and undergoing open heart surgery.

Benator’s decadeslong dedication to the Harris Jacobs MJCCA Modified Fast Pitch Softball League is nothing short of historic. In addition to tossing five one-hitters, Benator had a no-no in 2005. In 1981, he carried his team to a 23-1 start before becoming the first pitcher in league history to fire a shutout in a regular season championship game. In the 1983 All-Star Game, he struck out the side swinging (fast-pitch softball, indeed). A string of rainouts forced his 1992 squad to play — and ultimately sweep — five postseason tournament games in 36 hours, all of which he served as the starting pitcher. If softball players had baseball cards, the back of Benator’s would require the smallest font size imaginable.

“While all the stats are great, the friendships and acquaintances and memories and fun times are the treasures that I will always value the most, especially the opportunity to play a couple of seasons with my son, Brian, catching me, which was surreal!,” shared Benator.