Waterbury Veteran Don Ensero Pitches His Way Into the U.S. Army Baseball Team
When Don Ensero was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1953 at just 19 years old—only a year after graduating from high school—he wasn’t worried about heading to the Korean War. What weighed on him more was the idea of giving up his lifelong passion for sports.
Fortunately, the war ended only a few months after he was drafted, leaving his superiors unsure where he would be assigned. “They wanted me to either go to intelligence school or be a ferry boat captain, but eventually I decided on cooking school and was stationed in Germany,” said Ensero, who now lives at The Village at East Farms assisted living and memory care community in Waterbury, Conn., with his wife of 70 years, Betty.
Just a month after arriving in Germany, Ensero spotted a posting for tryouts for the U.S. Army baseball team. “At first, they didn’t think I was good enough to play with the professionals,” he said. But as he had done many times in life, he persevered—driven by his love of the game—and the rest is history.
After training with his sergeant, he quickly impressed the team managers, earning a spot as a pitcher and becoming known for a mean curveball. His performance earned frequent mentions in the Army newspaper and even attracted the attention of a talent scout.
Throughout his two-year enlistment, Ensero played against 13 athletes who would go on to the Major Leagues and many others who joined minor league clubs. He also founded a soccer team and played championship-level basketball.
“It was really about making the most of a difficult situation by pursuing my passion,” he said. Before leaving for service, he had proposed to his sweetheart, Betty. “I told her, if you accept this and wait for me, I’ll take care of you for the rest of our lives.”
When Ensero returned home, he fulfilled that promise. The couple married and settled in Prospect, Conn., where they lived for 25 years in the home he built before moving to The Village at East Farms a year and a half ago.
While working in construction, serving as a cutter for Uniroyal, and later becoming a Park Foreman for Waterbury, starting at just 25 years old, Ensero also dedicated himself to coaching baseball and football in Prospect.
“I couldn’t play high school sports because my family wasn’t well off, and I had to work odd jobs to help support them, including my three younger sisters,” he said. “Coaching was about giving local kids the opportunities I didn’t have. I’ve worked hard to help kids in our area become better citizens through sports and give them a head start on college opportunities.”
For 57 years, Don and Betty worked as a team—Betty often driving players who lacked transportation, while Don’s coaching brought them everywhere from Russia to Cuba.
In 1984, Ensero was appointed Connecticut State Commissioner for the Amateur Baseball Congress, through which he brought major state tournaments to Waterbury in the 1980s and 1990s. During that time, he even befriended the legendary Mickey Mantle.
Thanks to Ensero’s dedication, thousands of young lives were touched. A couple of years ago, when he and Betty began to experience health issues, they were delighted to reconnect with Randi Bellemare, Senior Director of Community Relations at The Village at East Farms. Randi’s son and one of the Ensero’s grandsons had once played football together.
One reason the Ensero’s chose The Village at East Farms was the opportunity to remain active. Not only did they find a perfect first-floor apartment with a patio, but they also reconnected with familiar faces and made new friends—often gathering for competitive card games and other activities.
“There are a lot of good people here,” said Ensero. “We enjoy just about everything. We visited about six different communities but liked The Village the best by far.”
The Village at East Farms is proud to provide exceptional care for many veterans like Ensero. This past October, in honor of Veterans Day, the community hosted a luncheon to recognize their service.
Through December 31, 2025, The Village at East Farms is offering veterans a special discount: $1,000 off the first month’s rent and the opportunity to lock in low monthly rates until 2027.* For more information, click here or call Randi Bellemare at 203.745.2293.
*Limited-time offer. Terms and conditions apply.
