1999 held at Floyd Complex in Sioux City, Iowa on September 3-6.
Champion – L&L Painting, Pratville, Alabama
Runner Up – Smokes/ABS/TPS, Ellicott, Maryland
When you’re the most valuable player of the whole show, losing in the championship game doesn’t hurt quite as much.
Still.
“The individual honors are nice, but I pretty much throw all that stuff in the closet and forget about it,” said Steve Helewicz of the Smokes/ABS/TPS team of Ellicott City, Md., that lost in the second championship game Monday to L&L Painting of Prattville, Ala., in the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Class A Men’s National Slow-Pitch Tournament at Floyd Complex.
Smokes lost their third tournament game, then had to wade through a tense losers bracket to face the Alabamans in the finals.
The Maryland team won three Monday games, including a 20-13 decision over L&L in the first final to set up the ultimate game. There, L&L prevailed, 21-12. Smokes finished fourth in the tournament at Floyd two years ago and took third in the Class A nationals last year.
“We’ve been second a lot of times in national tournaments (six),” said Smokes manager Art Violi. “We felt we could win this thing, but losing so early changed the whole approach.”
The muscular Helewicz, who has played in the Super division of national slow-pitch with Steele’s Sports of Ohio and Sun Belt Easton out of Georgia, walloped 21 home runs in 12 tourney games to win the most valuable player award.
He was also named to the Class A All-America team for the second time in his two seasons with Smokes.
“You really don’t think much about the individual stuff,” said Helewicz, who bats leadoff for the team with a lofty .850 batting average. “Our main home run guy is really Bob Bayne,” said the 35-year-old MVP.
Helewicz had 50 hits in 60 tourney at-bats and drove in 60 runs, while Bayne had 47 hits in 60 at-bats, walloped 18 homers and drove in 40 runs.
Both Bayne and Helewicz have connected for over 150 home runs this season, but Violi wasn’t certain of the exact number.
L&L Painting was led by All-American Craig Upton, who swatted 10 home runs and 21 runs.
Scott Sumerlin drove in 23 runs for the new champs and hit nine home runs.
- MVP – Steve Helewicz, Smokes/ABS/TPS (50-60, .833, 21 HR, 60 RBI)
- Batting Leader – Jerry Williams, Mercer Softball (21-23, .913)
- HR Champion – Steve Helewicz, Smokes/ABS/TPS – 21
FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
P – Larry Huff, K&G/TPS/Bike/Webbs
C – Dennis Buis, Mercer Softball Club
1B – Mike Steffe, K&G/TPS/Bike/Webbs
2B – Russ Ortega, Gary’s Auto Body
3B – Richard White, L&L Painting
SS – Luis Ruiz, L&L Painting
OF – Barry Sutherland, Smokes/ABS/Harrisons/TPS
OF – Rob Smith, Smokes/ABS/Harrisons/TPS
OF – Jim Ostrander, Gary’s Auto Body
OF – Steve Helewicz, Smokes/ABS/Harrisons/TPS
DH – Jerry Williams, Mercer Softball Club
UT – Tommy Flood, Worth/Sports Star
UT – Craig Upton, L&L Painting (10 HR, 21 RBI)
UT – Bob Bayne, Smokes/ABS/Harrisons/TPS (47-60, .783, 18 HR, 40 RBI)
UT – Shane Frederick, L&L Painting
SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
P – Jeff Nolan, L&L Painting
C – Kevin Clark, K&G/TPS/Bike/Webbs
1B – Steve Gilbert, Smokes/ABS/Harrisons/TPS
2B – Bobby Freeland, Worth/Sports Star
3B – John Adams, Thomas Bait & Tackle
SS – Steve Graves, The Mob
OF – Jayson Sterling, K&G/TPS/Bike/Webbs
OF – Rick Meyers, K&G/TPS/Bike/Webbs
OF – Don Berry, L&L Painting
OF – Ben Kreischer, Mercer Softball Club
DH – Kenneth Pellien, Team Miken
UT – Kevin Keefer, Dalton Chiropractic/Viggiani Plumbing
UT – Pat Bass, Gateway Press/TPS
UT – Greg Ackerberg, Gary’s Auto Body
UT – Scotty Cardwell, Gateway Press/TPS
THIRD TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
P – Rick Brown, Dalton Chiropractic/Viggiani Plumbing
C – Dewey Fussell, Smokes/ABS/Harrisons/TPS
1B – Steve Guillaume, Gateway Press/TPS
2B – Steve Matic, Las Vegas Funjet/TPS
3B – Jim Johnson, Gary’s Auto Body
SS – Troy Summerfield, Phone Master/Commercial Bank
OF – Ryan Robbins, Worth/Sports Star
OF – Rick Forton, The Mob
OF – Ricky Jackson, K&G/TPS/Bike/Webbs
OF – Chuck Norris, Thomas Bait & Tackle
DH – Steve Melton, Eagle Group/Al’s TPS
UT – Bud Weathers, All American Athletes
UT – Mark Ledinsky, Sid Grinker Co/TPS
UT – Bryan Welch, L&L Painting
UT – Steve Hall, All American Athletes
FINAL STANDINGS
1. L&L Painting, Prattville, AL (6-1)
2. Smokes/ABS/TPS, Ellicott, MD (10-2)
3. K&G/TPS/Bike/Webbs, North Vernon, IN (5-2)
4. Gary’s Auto Body, Muskegon, MI (6-2)
5t. Worth/Sports Star, Louisville, KY (4-2)
5t. Mercer Softball Club, Indianapolis, IN (3-2)
7t. Gateway Press/TPS, Louisville, KY (6-2)
7t. Thomas Bait & Tackle, Sanford, NC (4-2)
9t. All American Athletes, Lufkin, TX (2-2)
9t. Las Vegas Funjet/TPS, Milwaukee, WI (3-2)
9t. Dalton Chiropractic Softball, Ocean Twp, NJ (3-2)
9t. Team Miken, Caledonia, MN (3-2)
13t. The Mob, Angleton, TX (3-2)
13t. Eagle Group/Al’s TPS, Dover, DE (3-2)
13t. Sid Grinker Co/TPS, Milwaukee, WI (3-2)
13t. Phone Master/Commercial Bank, Wood River, IL (3-2)
17t. Mid State Thunder, Kansas City, MO (2-2)
17t. Doug’s Sports Pub/Barrell Inn, Stevens Point, WI (2-2)
17t. Doc’s, Sioux City, IA (1-2)
17t. Citizen’S Mortgage, St. Robert, MO (2-2)
17t. Thomas Oil, Benton, AR (1-2)
17t. Computer SOS, Sioux City, IA (3-2)
17t. J&A/RAM/TPS, Louisville, KY (3-2)
17t. Derry Bros., Waterloo, IA (2-2)
25t. BJ’s/Mickey, Waterloo, IA (2-2)
25t. Can Do Metals, St. Anne, IL (1-2)
25t. Mr. Label/Plant Detail, Cincinnati, OH (2-2)
25t. Ultimate Central Paving, Indianapolis, IN (2-2)
25t. Berardi’s, Lexington, KY (2-2)
25t. Mark Twain, Waynesville, MO (1-2)
25t. Richard’s Construction, Independence, MO (1-2)
25t. Aragon/Merchants, Albert Lea, MN (1-2)
33t. OCP/Bud Light/Worth, Owatonna, MN (0-2)
33t. AFLAC/Prime, Inc., Springfield, MO (1-2)
33t. Fairfield Rebels, Fairfield, IA (0-2)
33t. Viessman Trucking, Willmar, MN (0-2)
33t. SCB/Denelex/Easton, Smithtown, NY (0-2)
33t. Wise Guys/Scotts Decorating, Davenport, IA (1-2)
33t. Express Personnel/Snapper/Cryo, Mankato, MN (0-2)
33t. Classic Floors/Nally’s, Carthage, MO (0-2)
33t. Keith & Co, Princeton, IA (0-2)
33t. Budweiser, Altoona, WI (1-2)
33t. Marty’s Pub, Cincinnati, OH (1-2)
33t. Captain’s Table, Washington, IA (0-2)
33t. St. Louis Steel Stones, Bethalto, IL (0-2)
33t. B&A Sports/Tiny Town Pizza, Harrison, OH (0-2)
33t. T’s 13, Omaha, NE (0-2)
33t. Louie’s Floor Covering, Des Moines, IA (0-2)
33t. Silver Bullets, Columbia, MO (0-2)
33t. B&R Auto/No Mans Land Aces, Woodriver, IL (0-2)
33t. Sports Page, Fort Dodge, IA (0-2)
