Jukka Ropponen

Jukka Ropponen

• Born February 13, 1959

Jukka Ropponen was the first member of the Finnish Baseball Hall of Fame.

Ropponen pitched in Sweden before baseball was introduced into Finland in 1981. He was the first president of the Finnish Baseball & Softball Federation, serving in 1981-1982. He won seven titles in baseball and won the best pitcher award numerous times. He also was a top hockey coach (primarily a goalie coach), winning two Finnish titles, two Swiss titles and European titles. In 2019, he was the first inductee into the Finnish Baseball Hall of Fame. He became president of the Finnish baseball federation again in 2020. His sons were both hockey players, one playing at the collegiate level in the US and the other in Finland.

Primary Source: World Baseball and Softball Confederation