Yearly Archive: 2018

2007 TPS Power Ratings

Rank Team City State Record PCT Points Events
1 Resmondo Softball Orlando FL (54-3) .947 119.298 10
2 Bell Corp/Belcher/TAI/Backman Tampa FL (42-15) .737 106.994 10
3 Team Combat/Benfield/Dalsanders Seattle WA (38-17) .691 97.082 9
4 Jean Shoppe/Worth McKenzie TN (33-19) .600 87.245 9
5 Aubrey’s/Elite Sports/Phonemasters Savannah GA (33-18) .634 84.817 8
6 KME/Chaney’s/Easton San Diego CA (29-17) .644 82.728 8
7 Fence Brokers Inc/Worth Bryant AR (20-8) .600 77.489 7
8 Laser Vision/Easton Greenfield MA (13-6) .579 73.033 8
9 Wood Law/Quick Roofing/Worth Dallas TX (22-16) .558 72.909 10
10 Steve’s Drywall/Jeds/R&L Concrete Perrysburg OH (28-21) .619 70.702 4
11 Long Haul Trucking/Miken Albertville MN (23-18) .650 69.601 4
12 GTL/Combat Othello WA (17-18) .515 68.860 8
13 Holland’s/Terry’s/Easton Wilkesboro NC (17-14) .571 67.940 6
14 TaylorMade/Mizuno Spotsylvania VA (18-20) .448 66.162 8
15 C-Town/American Funding/Red Rock Boise ID (12-10) .625 65.864 4
16 Pace/TPS Rochester NY (14-18) .486 65.444 9
17 BW3/Columbus Pipe/Mojo/EAS Columbus OH (14-16) .478 64.560 6
18 KA Softball Chicago IL (15-14) .545 63.521 5
19 Suncoast/RBK Parrish FL (10-8) .440 63.453 7
20 Meyer Logistics/TAI/Elite St. Louis MO (13-14) .556 62.637 4

2006 TPS Power Ratings

 

Rank Team City State Record PCT Points Events
1 Resmondo/KME Winter Haven FL (43-9) .810 125.858 9
2 Bell Corp/Taylor/Belcher/Easton Tampa FL (34-9) .740 125.294 8
3 Benfield/Reece/Shade/AM Las Vegas Vienna VA (34-14) .776 109.728 8
4 Specialty Tank/Stucco/K&G /Worth Columbus OH (28-16) .710 101.794 8
5 Northwest Pipe/Bud Light/3N2/Easton Westland MI (29-17) .643 91.216 9
6 Jean Shoppe/Team Mayhem/Worth McKenzie TN (26-18) .627 88.586 9
7 Team Combat Kent WA (26-14) .600 86.872 9
8 K&C/TAI/Elite/G23/Easton Cameron Park CA (23-15) .648 84.238 8
9 Aubrey’s/MIT/Worth Savannah GA (16-14) .630 83.659 7
10 KME/Chaney’s/Body Glove/PB/Easton San Diego CA (24-13) .583 81.109 7
11 Watanabe/Katt/TTP/B&A/Sup/TPS Cincinnati OH (15-10) .550 75.393 5
12 Laser Vision/Easton/Titan Sports Agawam MA (9-8) .571 72.216 4
13 Team Worth/Barnes Logging/FBI Fort Smith AR (15-17) .543 71.932 9
14 Smith/Combat/DSS Bats San Jose CA (16-8) .630 71.499 4
15 Suncoast/AH/RBK/Easton Parrish FL (8-14) .528 70.873 7
16 R&D/AAA Glass/Easton Nashville TN (5-8) .514 70.488 4
17 Herrin/Left Field Savannah GA (6-8) .595 70.423 4
18 EAS/Pollards/Easton Fort Collins CO (11-10) .545 70.187 5
19 Tri C Elec/Xtreme Fitness/Performance Little Rock AR (10-9) .553 69.698 5
20 Pace/TPS Pittsford MA (13-16) .588 68.458 8

1996 TPS Power Ratings

The TPS Power Ratings are intended to reflect a team’s strength using the results from the 4 Associations top Levels of competition. Points are awarded on the basis of where a team places in any of the following regular and post season events:

  • USSSA Major NITs
  • ASA Super Qualifiers
  • NSA Class-AAA Qualifiers (AAA was Highest NSA class)
  • USSSA Class-AA Championship
  • ASA Major National
  • NSA Class-AA National
  • ISA Class-AA National

Points for Tournament Placements are

  • 1st             30 Points
  • 2nd             20
  • 3rd             15
  • 4th             10
  • 5-6th         6
  • 7-8th         4
  • 9-12th       2

Six (6) points are awarded for each win over a Super Team. Three (3) points are deducted (from any Super team) for any loss to a non-Super team. Points for placement and Super Wins (Super Losses will be deducted) will be awarded at triple value for each of the four (4) post season  Grand Slam Championships:

  • USSSA World Series
  • ASA Super Nationals
  • NSA World Series
  • ISA Super World Series

In case of an event being cancelled, points will be combined and divided among the teams sharing those positions in the event. In the event of ties at the end of season, ties will be broken first by head-to-head play and secondly by overall won-loss record.

Rank Team City State Points 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1 *Shen Valley/Superior/Taylor/TPS Bridgewater VA 749 8 5 2 2
2 *Ritch’s/Superior/Tri-Gems/Beloli/TPS Windsor Locks CT 617 10 2 1 2
3 *Lighthouse/Worth Stone Mountain GA 583 4 3 9 1
4 *Sunbelt/Easton Centerville GA 506 8 3 1 0
5 Dan Smith/Easton San Jose CA 348 2 8 2 0
6 *Steele’s Silver Bullets/Hit Men Brook Park OH 245 1 2 5 1
7 Bell II/Easton Orlando FL 210 1 4 2 1
8 SoJern/Specialty Tank/TPS Cedarbrook NJ 134 1 1 0 3
9 Franklin/Grover Los Angeles CA 119 0 2 1 1
10 Hague/Ohio Transport/Wessel/TPS Columbus OH 114 1 0 3 0
11 Herrin/Dudley Savannah GA 104 0 3 0 0
12 Whips/Instant Landscape/TPS Milwaukee WI 89 0 0 3 1
13 Spectrum/Easton Golden Valley MN 82 1 0 2 1
14 Southland/Back Porch/Moulton Furniture/TPS Gainesville GA 72 0 0 2 0
15 Converters Unlimited/TPS Kinston NC 69 1 0 1 1
16t Ranier/TPS Seattle WA 62 0 0 0 2
16t No Limit/TPS Concord CA 60 0 0 0 1
18 Herb’s/TPS San Diego CA 60 0 1 2 0
19 Long Haul/TPS Albertville MN 52 0 0 0 1
20 Liquid Blue Providence RI 48 0 0 0 0
21 Chip’s/Easton Nashville TN 46 0 0 0 0
22 AJ’s/Worth Richmond VA 44 0 0 0 2
23 Hinson’s/TPS Houston TX 43 0 0 1 0
24 Sonny’s/TPS Boston MA 41 0 1 0 0
25 Harrison’s Portsmouth VA 38 0 1 0 1
26t AJA/TPS Houston TX 26 0 0 0 1
26t D’s Dynasty/Easton Valley Center CA 26 0 0 0 0
28 Long Pest Control/TPS Tacoma WA 22 0 0 0 0
29 Belcher/Steele’s Manteno IL 21 0 0 0 1
30 SportsWorld/Reece/Worth Lebanon TN 20 0 0 0 1

The TPS Power Ratings are intended to reflect a team’s strength using the results from the four associations’ top levels of competition. Points are awarded on the basis of where a team places in any of the following regular and postseason events: USSSA Major NITs; ASA Super Qualifiers; NSA Class AAA Qualifiers, USSSA Class AA Championship; ASA Major Nationals; and NSA Class AA Championship. Points for tournament placements are: 1st–30; 2nd–20; 3rd–15; 4th–10; 5th–6; 7th–4; 9th–2. Six (6) points are awarded for each win over any Super team (identified by an asterisk * in front of the team’s name). Three (3) points are deducted (from any Super team) for any loss to a non-Super team. Points for placement and Super wins (Super losses will be deducted) will be awarded at triple value for each of the four post-season Grand Slam Championships; USSSA World Series, ASA Super Nationals, NSA World Series, and ISA Super Major World Series. In the case of an event being cancelled prior to its finish, points will be combined and divided amongst the teams sharing those positions in the event. In the event of ties and the end of the season, ties will be broken first by head-to-head play and secondly by overall won-loss records in these events.

The Birth of Softball

The Official explanation of “The Birth of Softball” as written by Bill Plummer III

Softball was invented on a blustery, windy day in November 1887 in Chicago, IL inside the Farragut Boat Club. There a bunch of Yale and Harvard alumni anxiously awaited the results of the Harvard-Yale football game. When the news came that Yale had defeated Harvard, 17-8, one Yale supporter, overcome with enthusiasm, picked up an old boxing glove and threw it at a nearby Harvard alumni, who promptly tried to hit it back with a stick. This gave George Hancock, a reporter for the Chicago Board of Trade, an idea. He suggested a game of indoor baseball. Naturally, Hancock’s friends thought he was talking about playing a game outdoors, not indoors. Hancock, however, wasn’t kidding. Using what was available, he tied together the laces of a boxing glove for a ball. Using a piece of chalk, Hancock marked off a home plate, bases and a pitcher’s box inside the Farragut Boat Club gymnasium, with the two groups divided into two teams. The final score of the game was 41-40, but what was significant was that Hancock and his friends had invented a sport that would grow in popularity to where today more than 25 million people enjoy playing it in the United States and millions more internationally in more than 100 countries.

Hancock’s invention eventually caught on in Chicago with the Farragut team challenging other gyms to games. In the spring, Hancock took his game outdoors and played it on fields not large enough for baseball. It was called indoor-outdoor and Hancock emerged as the recognized authority in the 19th century. Hancock appended 19 special rules to adapt the outdoor game to the indoor game. The rules were officially adopted by the Mid-Winter Indoor Baseball League of Chicago in 1889.

Hancock’s game gradually spread throughout the country and ultimately flourished in Minneapolis thanks to the efforts and ingenuity of Louis Rober, a Minneapolis Fire Department lieutenant, who wanted to game to keep his firemen fit during idle time. Using a vacant lot adjacent to the firehouse, Rober laid out bases with a pitching distance of 35 feet. His ball was a small sized medicine ball with the bat two inches in diameter. The game became popular overnight and other fire companies began to play.

In 1895, Rober transferred to another fire company and organized a team he called the Kittens. George Kehoe, captain of the Truck Company No. 1, named Rober’s version of softball “Kitten Ball.” Rober’s game was known as Kitten Ball until 1925 when the Minneapolis Park Board changed it to Diamond Ball, one of at least a dozen names used during this time for softball. The name softball didn’t come about until 1926 when Walter Hakanson, a Denver YMCA official and a former ASA president and commissioner, suggested it to the International Joint Rules Committee. Hakanson had come up with the name in 1926, but the committee didn’t include the ASA until 1934.

Efforts to organize softball on a national basis didn’t materialize until 1933 when Leo Fischer and Michael J. Pauley, a Chicago Sporting Goods salesman, conceived the idea of organizing thousands of teams in America into cohesive state and metro organizations and state/metro organizations into a national organization. To bring the teams together, Fisher and Pauley invited them to participate in a tournament in conjunction with the ’33 World’s Fair in Chicago. With the backing of the Chicago American newspaper, Pauley and Fisher invited 55 teams to participate in the tournament. Teams were divided into three classes–fastballers, slow pitch and women. A 14-inch ball was used with a single elimination format.

During the 1934 National Recreation Congress, membership on the Joint Rules Committee was expanded to add the ASA.  Until the formation of the ASA, softball was in a state of confusion, especially in the rules area where the length of the bases and pitcher’s box (mound) were constantly being changed. Depending on the state they were playing in, teams often played under different rules. The formation of the ASA gave softball the solidarity and foundation it needed to grow and develop throughout the U.S. under the network of associations proposed by Pauley and Fisher. Pauley and Fisher visited many of the states inviting teams to participate in the tournament. Fischer and his sports promotion director, Harry Wilson, sold the Century of Progress Exposition on the idea of sponsoring the tournament and providing a field inside the Fair Grounds. The American’s sports pages promoted the tournament daily and Chicago businessmen raised $500 to finance the event.

On the opening day of the 1933 tournament, the Chicago American said, “It is the largest and most comprehensive tournament ever held in the sport which has swept the country like wildfire.” With admission free, 70,000 people saw the first round of play. Chicago teams won the three divisions of play with ASA National Softball Hall of Famer Harry (Coon) Rosen leading the J.L. Friedman Boosters to the men’s title, one-hitting the famed Briggs Beautyware of Detroit, MI in the finals. It was the first loss of the season for Briggs after 41 consecutive wins. It was evident that softball finally had a foundation from which to grow and in 1935, the Playground Association Softball guide wrote, “The years of persistent effort, constant promotion and unchanging faith of believers in softball proved to have not been in vain, for in 1934 softball came into its own.

All over America hundreds of leagues and thousands of players enthusiastically accepted this major team game. “The promotional activities of the ASA played an important part in stimulating the interest that has been developing for many years. The battle for recognition of this splendid game is over. Softball has won a place among America’s foremost sports.” The recognition of the sport increased tremendously when softball was finally accepted as an Olympic sport in 1991, thanks to the efforts of former ASA Executive Director and International Softball Federation President, Don E. Porter, who spent numerous hours and traveled thousands of miles lobbying for softball to be accepted on the Olympic program. That became a reality in 1996 in Atlanta, GA where the softball competition was an overwhelming success drawing more than 120,000 people to Golden Park in Columbus, GA. The USA won the first-ever gold medal in softball and repeated as gold medalists in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia where another attendance record was set. In 2004, softball will again be part of the Olympics in Athens, Greece. Besides the Olympics, softball also is an official Pan American sport, and is played in various international tournaments and events sanctioned by the International Softball Federation, which is in its sparkling new offices in Plant City, FL after sharing office space with the ASA for many years.

First a Pan Am demonstration sport in Winnipeg, Canada in 1967, softball was officially added to the Pan American program in 1979, with both men’s and women’s fast pitch softball contested. The Pan American Games is held every four years. The persistent efforts of thousands of people and their faith in a sport that was conceived inside the Farragut Boat Club has been well worth the effort because softball is America’s game and reached the pinnacle of the sports world in 1996 that for many years some people thought would never happen. Fortunately, there were enough people who believed softball belonged on the Olympic program, and after the record-setting past two Olympic Games there isn’t any more doubt where softball belongs. Softball has found its place–not only in the hearts and souls of the people who play but those who watch it in the Olympic arena.

 

Steve Dimitry: A softball fanatic

Steve Dimitry: A softball fanatic

By Bill Plummer III

Softball fanatic. That’s Steve Dimitry of Norristown, Pa.

By day, he’s a software engineer for Lockheed Martin in King of Prussia, Pa. By night, he’s a slow pitch player who also spends a couple hours each week updating his website. “Steve Dimitry’s Slow Pitch Softball History Page”, which is comparable to browsing a softball encyclopedia. The website is: http://www.angelfire.com/sd/slopitch

“It’s the most comprehensive, all-embracing, all-inclusive and extensive treatment of the game since its inception” wrote Mark Linnemann, editor of Cincinnati SOFTBALL News in the March 2002 edition.

Steve’s website has information on slow pitch as well as fast pitch and from college to pro softball. There is a section on legends of the game (slow pitch) complete with stats and photos. “All the information you ever wanted to know about slow pitch softball is in here,” says the introduction. The site covers all national championships of all the softball organizations, past and present, and from men’s and women to seniors.

A 1982 graduate of West Chester State, Steve started his website in 1998 after finding out information wasn’t available about some of the softball greats his Dad, James, had played against during his softball career playing fast pitch and slow pitch for Grumman. People like Jim Galloway, Bert Smith and H.T. Waller. A frequent visitor to the Dimitry home when Steve was growing up was Hall of Fame fast pitch pitcher Roy Stephenson.

“I looked on the internet and couldn’t find anything about them,” said Steve. “Then I checked some old copies of Balls and Strikes. (ASA’s official publication).”

Dimitry eventually met the late Jerome Earnest, former softball historian and writer who chronicled slow pitch softball for more than two decades before his untimely death April 9th, 2000. “He had a lot of information,” Dimitry said. “I realized then that my Dad wasn’t pulling my leg and had played against these guys.”

Steve went as far to call some of the Hall of Famers, requesting information from them, including

Myron Reinhardt, a member of the ASA National Hall of Fame who was instrumental in helping establish slow pitch’s identity on America’s softball fields when it was added to the ASA championship program in 1953.

“I was kinda like a detective in trying to find his name in the phone book,” Dimitry said. “I eventually found him in Alexandria, Kentucky and he sent me a pile of stuff. And what a nice person.”

Steve has since continued to contact ball players and has appreciated their “help and cooperation” in making his website as accurate and complete as possible.

“I enjoy doing it,” Dimitry said. “And I still enjoy playing slow pitch. I started out as an outfielder but I’ve slowed down a bit so I’ve switched to catching and DH.”

As a player rep for District 14 of the Pennsylvania ASA, Steve was instrumental in helping to upgrade the Pennsylvania website, and was honored with the ASA of PA Media Award in 2003.

“I got to know him (Steve) through the Pennsylvania ASA,” said Guy DeMaio. “Steve’s been a tireless worker and put a lot of effort in locating information and putting it all together.’’

Dimitry has gone above and beyond in providing a valuable service to softball aficionados that otherwise wouldn’t exist. They should be thankful Dimitry cares that much for a thankless task that is time consuming, yet rewarding and satisfying.

 

Hank Bassett

https://usa.asasoftball.com/h/images/hall_of_fame_mugshots/hbassett.jpg

I have had the pleasure too befriend Hank Bassett over the years. I can say he may be one of the nicest, most sincere and honest guys I ever met. He has forgotten more softball then most of us know. He has helped me over the years with many things. If I ever have a question, he does not hesitate to help me find the answer.

The man is a great ambassador to this sport and has proven how much he knows by his National Hall of Fame Inductions. He was one of the greatest managers that we ever have, leading teams to National and/or World Championships. He has sponsored many teams. He was “the Man” you had to go through to get a TPS Sponsorship and he treated your team like Gold. I know from experience. He worked for Louisville Slugger for years and developed the TPS Power Ratings to determine the rankings of the big teams during the season.

He took the time to do this and also track the National Batting and Home Rune leaders as well. Jerome Earnest used to use his Power Ratings for his Supreme Softball Publications. Gordie Heagle used to use them as well. Both used his National Batting and Home Run Leaders stat sheets. Hank wanted no fanfare or anything, he loved to help people that love this sport be “in the know” on what was going on whether he had to do it himself or preferably let someone else publish it. That’s the unselfishness he had. Hank Basstt, thank you for helping me with some nay aspects of this site.

I sincerely appreciate it. YOU are a good man. People can read about what Hank Bassett meant to softball in his Hall of Fame biographies below. And the TPS Power Rating Formula is also listed to see what kind of mind this man had. Incredible!

The amazing thing is that well known Softball Publicists used to have their Monthly or Annual National Softball Rankings. The TPS Power Ratings were almost ALWAYS identical to what the opinions were …… or their opinions were identical to the Ratings?

Hall of Fame Credentials

David “Hank” Bassett of Monticello, KY was Inducted 2007 into NSA Hall of Fame in the Meritorious Category.

Honesty and Integrity are two words that first come to mind and best describe Hank Bassett. Hank is known by many as a representative for H&B/Louisville Slugger. However, to those who have really gotten to know Hank, they see him as an ambassador to and for the game of softball.

Hank has for years shared his knowledge of the game to anyone having the desire to listen and learn about this great game that we all love. Hank isn’t a member of the NSA Hall of Fame simply because of his works with H&B or his relationship with the NSA through his work with H&B, but rather due to his traits as a human being that helps the world of softball and those that make it their passion.

Hank’s passion for the game goes deeper than most. From his days as a manager of his own teams, to his relationship with H&B to the NSA Hall of Fame and all points in between, there quite possibly is no other person on Earth who shares that passion for the game like David “Hank” Bassett. His work both on and off the softball field for the game of softball is second to none.

Through his work with H&B/Louisville Slugger, Hank was able to further his impact on softball with team and tournament sponsorships that allowed many teams and a great number of tournaments from the local level through the World Series level to become a success. In a time when sponsorships are hard to find, Hank has always seemed to be not only able, but prepared to lend a helping hand.

There are countless NSA directors that owe Hank a debt of gratitude that can never be paid in full. Some would say; well that’s his job but to those that know him say that is Hank’s passion. Softball would not be the game that it is without the likes of David “Hank” Bassett. He is truly an inspiration to all that have been lucky enough to pass his way or to have Hank pass our way. From a coach, manager, team owner, to a Louisville Slugger Representative, David “Hank” Bassett has worn many hats in the world of softball. Each hat he has worn with pride, professionalism and passion.

The world of Softball is a better place because of Hank Bassett. For all the hats he has worn, for the integrity, for all the passion, for the unwavering loyalty to the game of softball, Hank Bassett became the 10th recipient of the Meritorious Category and was inducted into the NSA Sports Hall of Fame in November of 2007.

Hank Bassett was inducted in the ASA Hall of Fame in the Manager Category in 2007.

In 1971, Hank Bassett started a managing career that would achieve national recognition for his teams and ultimately lead to his induction into the ASA National Hall of Fame in 2007. As the third slow pitch manager from Kentucky to earn enshrinement, Bassett’s teams were an embodiment of himself. They played with class and intensity while displaying sportsmanship, enthusiasm and a genuine love for the game of slow pitch.

Although Hank’s teams never had the benefit of a large sponsorship budget, they more than made up for that with a team comprised mostly of home-grown talent. This approach paid off where it counts most—in the won and lost column.

When Bassett concluded his managing career in 1991, he had a winning percentage of 73.6 percent. His teams won 1,060 games and lost only 381. His Starpath team put Kentucky slow pitch softball on the national map winning 434 games and losing 141 for a winning percentage of 75.5.

Hank’s teams competed in five ASA Major Nationals and finished first, second, fourth, fifth and 13th, winning 26 games and losing eight. When ASA started the Super division in 1981, Hank’s teams competed in four of them and won the national title in 1988, finished second in 1989 and third in 1990 and 1991.

In 1989, he managed the West team to a gold medal in the U.S. Olympic Festival in Oklahoma City. But Hank has been more than just a manager in slow pitch. He has embraced the sport in many ways, including serving as a district, regional and deputy state commissioner for the state of Kentucky. He served as a player rep for Kentucky and has been the driving force behind the Kentucky ASA Hall of Fame.

Hank used to publish The TPS Report as well several times during the season. He was an amazing man and is enjoying retirement now. I always wish him the very best as he has forever supported me in everything I do.

 

Bill Plummer

In Loving Memory of
Bill Plummer III
September 3, 1944 – April 9, 2016

William (Bill) Hamilton Plummer, III, 71, died unexpectedly of a heart attack while driving on April 9, 2016 in Oklahoma City, OK. Bill was involved in softball for more than 4 decades. A native of Syracuse, NY, Bill was a 1962 graduate of Liverpool High School and worked for the Syracuse Herald Journal prior to enlistment in the Air Force. Following his honorable discharge, he pursued his love of sports writing. Bill graduated from the University of Indiana/ Bloomington in 1973 and moved to Oklahoma City in 1979. During his career, he served as a sports writer and baseball scout, and for over 30 years was employed by the Amateur Softball Association National Office in Oklahoma City (1979-2009) as the communications coordinator, manager of the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame and ASA Historian. Bill wrote widely about the sport and contributed to 14 books, including writing one and co-authoring two, plus contributing to the Berkshire Encyclopedia of World Sport. In 2008, he authored “The Game America Plays: Celebrating 75 Years of the Amateur Softball Association,” and was a major contributor to the book, “Softball’s Lefty Legend: Ty Stofflet” by Dr. Steve Clarfield in 2004. He and Clarfield were co-authors of a new book on fast pitch softball, “Best of the Best-Women’s Fast Pitch Softball” which came out in January 2012. And in May of 2013, Plummer and Larry C. Floyd of Oklahoma City coauthored “A Series of Their Own…The History of the Women’s College World Series,” the first book ever done tracing the history of the Women’s College World Series. The book was named Oklahoma Sports Historian of the Year for 2014. Bill has been elected to five Halls of Fame, including the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame plus state Halls of Fame in Oklahoma, Indiana, Tidewater and New York State. In 1996, he served as the Information Manager for ACOG for the debut of softball in the Olympics plus the 1987 and 1995 Pan American Games. Although he retired from the ASA in 2009, Plummer was very involved in the sport, serving on the selection committee for the Lowe’s CLASS softball winner each year, a contributing editor to Fast Pitch Magazine, an online fast pitch magazine, as well as writing for CollegeSportsMadness.com. In the past, he’s been a stringer for the AP covering the NCAA Women’s College World Series. He also worked for Anaconda Trump, Lake Katrine, N.Y in outside sales. Bill is survived by his sister, Eileen Orth-Sokolowski Flatt (Dan) of Chandler, Arizona, sister, Lori Plummer Howard (Robert), brother Eric L. Plummer (Amy) of Peachtree Corners, GA, as well as brother Robert K. Plummer of Liverpool, New York and several nieces and nephews. Donations in Bill’s memory can be forwarded to the Amateur Softball Association, 2801 NE 50th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73111.

Bill Plummer III, Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Hall of Fame Manager announced his Retirement effective as of December 31, 2009 and will be stepping down from the ASA National Office. He is the greatest softball historian of all time.  He has written a couple of books on the great history of this game. The first one is the “Softball’s Hall of Famer” book and it chronicles the history of the ASA National Softball of Fame in Oklahoma City and has a bio on all the inductees. The second book is called “The Game America Plays: Celebrating 75 years of the Amateur Softball Association” Bill worked on this book for a long time and it commemorates the ASA’s 75th Anniversary through historical photographs and personal stories. Relive the greatest moments in softball history with this engaging narrative of America’s favorite participation sport. With never-before-published photographs and vignettes from players, umpires, and coaches, this is a must-read for every player, coach and fan of softball. Bill was most deservingly inducted into the ASA Hall of Fame in 1999. His last book is titled “Women’s Fast Pitch Softball, The Best of the Best“.

Bill Plummer retires from the National ASA Office on December 31, 2009

Bill Plummer retires from ASA after 30 years.  A pioneer for the ASA, Plummer’s legacy to the nation’s top softball association will forever be remembered as he has been a pillar to the sport and the membership. “I am concluding my career with ASA with 30 ½ years and it has been really enjoyable,” said the 1999 ASA Hall of Famer for meritorious service. “I’ve traveled to the far corners of the world plus visited many of the U.S. cities in the best interest of the ASA. Along the way I’ve worked with some of the best and most dedicated people of this organization who have spent countless hours and effort to move the ASA forward.” Plummer joined the ASA National Office in May of 1979. From 1979 to 1996 he served as the Director of Public and Media Relations for the ASA. Most recently he served as the Hall of Fame manager, a duty that assistant director of marketing and communications. Holly Krivokapich will take over. He was also the editor of the Inside Pitch newsletter and the trade show, which will now be done by coordinator of marketing and communications Jamie Blanchard.  “I have some great memories,” added Plummer. “I’ll never forget the pageantry and excitement of the debut of softball in the Olympics in 1996. That will be a memory that I will always cherish. I’ve been fortunate to travel to different countries to help promote softball. My trip to the Czech Republic a couple years ago with our USA National Men’s Team will always be No. 1 on my list of trip memories. And celebrating the 75th anniversary last year will always hold a soft spot in my heart. It was a gala celebration and having the book (THE GAME AMERICA PLAYS: CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF THE AMATEUR SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION) there was an added benefit.”

 

This man knows more about Softball History than any man alive in the United States today. He has helped me many times over with information on this site and I want to take the time to thank him for all he’s done for me. I still miss talking to him to this day. The link above is an article he wrote many years ago on the origins of softball. Anybody that must do a research project on the History of Softball need not look any further than that page.

Click here for his ASA Hall of Fame Bio Page – Bill Plummer ASA Hall of Fame Bio

I will put his ASA Hall of Fame Bio here to read. But please click on the page to see the actual one. Sometimes if you click on the link, it will just take you to the USA Softball Site and then you have to click on Resources and then National Hall of Fame and then Members and then Search Meritorious Service and then click on his name. In case you don’t have time, here it is.

Bill Plummer III

Bio
Was employed at the ASA National Office for 30 ½ years (May 6 1979 to Dec. 31, 2009) and served as communications coordinator and Hall of Fame Services Manager/Historian. He was instrumental in softball attaining world-wide media coverage and recognition through his efforts as press officer at two Pan American Games, 13 U.S. Olympic Festivals, six ISF World Championships and the 1996 Olympic Games where he was the information manager. A 1973 graduate of Indiana University, Plummer has written widely about the sport for almost five decades. He authored the book; “The Game America Plays: Celebrating 75 years of the Amateur Softball Association,” in 2008 and co-authored another book in 2012 and co-authored another one in 2013, which won the Oklahoma Sports Historian Award in 2014. He has also contributed to 11 other books about softball. Besides the National Softball Hall of Fame, Plummer is a member of four other ASA Halls of Fame: New York State, Tidewater, Oklahoma and Indiana. He writes for the website: CollegeSportsMadness.com and for Fast Pitch Magazine, an online publication. Plummer, a native of Syracuse, NY, passed away on April 9, 2016.

 

Mark Linneman

  • ASA
  • December 6, 2018

Written by Mark Linnemann

All I can say is thank you Mark for all the kind words you said in your article – Steve Dimitry

While doing some research for this month’s SOFTBALL NEWS, I stumbled across a softball website that ought to be of interest to virtually every softball fan – young and old, slow pitch or fast pitch, men’s or women. In fact, it appears to fill some sizeable voids even within the websites of the major softball organizations themselves. The site is published by Steve Dimitry and is called “Steve Dimitry’s Slow Pitch Softball History Page.” “All the information you ever wanted to know about slow pitch softball is in here,” touts the introduction. “Just click on the link to the left to go wherever you want to visit. This site covers all the national championships of all the softball organizations past and present from men to women to seniors and every other class imaginable. All the softball hall of fames and all-time teams are listed along with the yearly team rankings and individual national leaders. Some of the old-time tournament classics of yesteryear are documented along with today’s major NIT’s and some of the more prominent invitational tournaments around the country.

Bill Plummer of the ASA offers his official description of softball history for all kids doing school projects on the subject matter. There are some stats of the legends of the game complete with many photos. A complete list of softball links and a message board is available also as is a page of thanks for all the people that have helped and contributed to this site. Thanks for stopping by – Steve.” Surfing the “The Softball History” website is comparable to opening a softball encyclopedia. To the best of my knowledge, it is the most comprehensive, all-embracing, all-inclusive and extensive treatment of the game since its inception. There are websites and books and magazines and newspapers that might treat selected subjects more broadly, but I can’t imagine one that tackles the game in general more effectively. Some of the softball organizations have vast websites with superior graphics and more bells and whistles. But they are limited to covering their own activities, while the “Softball History” site has no such restrictions. For today’s player, there is a “2002 Schedule Page” showing where all the top NIT’s and National Champion-ships are scheduled this year for the Men’s Super, AA and A World Series. And in case you forgot about what happened last year, click on the “2001 National Softball Review page to refresh your memory” on who won those events last year, along with the final rankings and the national statistical leaders. I’m not a big fan of the upper-most level of the game, but for the handful of people who like to follow this when big time wrestling and NASCAR aren’t available, here ya’ go! 

Want to find the ASA, USSSA, ISA, NSA, and SSAA regional, national, world and world series champions from the very first national tournaments all the way to the present day? Just click on the appropriate “National Champs” site. Some even list the runners-up and statistical leaders. ASA’s site has their Men’s Super Division all the way down to class D, plus the Church and Industrial divisions. Regular season and playoff results from the NSPC (National Slow Pitch Conference) from 1978 through 1987 are available for the “super” program enthusiast, plus a plethora of information on the pro leagues of the late seventies and early eighties. The APSPL (American Professional Slo-Pitch League) and UPSL (United Professional Slow Pitch League) site includes playoff and World Series results, final league standings, All-Pro teams, league statistical leaders, All-Time All-Pro, league MVP pictures and even team logos.

In terms of local flavor, the Cincinnati Suds are shown as winning their division twice, once in 1978 with a 40-24 mark, and again in 1981 with the league’s best record, 43-15. Both years the Suds went down in the semi-finals, including 1981 in a heartbreaking one run loss in the deciding game to the Kentucky Bourbons. Four of the five games were decided by a run. The Bourbons, who featured ex-Suds Mike LaFever and Mike O’Brien, went on to win the league crown. Cincinnati all-pro selections included outfielder Mike O’Brien in 1978, and pitcher Black Ron Jones, second baseman Tony Salamone, outfielder Hal Ward and utility player Jim Tuttle in 1981. Ward (2nd) and teammate Jim Kuhn (8th) were also among the league batting leaders in 1981, and Tuttle finished second in the league in RBIs. On the “Final National Team Rankings” page, Greater Cincinnati dominated the rankings and “Player of the Year,” category. In fact, area teams finished ranked number one nationally nine out of the first eleven years from 1953 through 1963. National “Players of the Year” included Myron Reinhardt (1953, ’54), Walt Wherry (1955, ’59), Hal Wiggins (1956), Don Rardin (1958) and Sam Minniti (1961). Greater Cincinnati “ruled” again during the fifties on the “All-Time Teams and Honors” page. Greater Cincinnati “Player of the Century” Myron Reinhardt was named “Player of the Decade,” while Tom Imfeld (Lang’s Pet Shop ’55, ’57), Vern Roberts (Gatliff ’56 MVP), John Drees (Waldeck’s  Tavern ’54), Don Heilman (Shield’s Contractors ’54), Don Rardin (Gatliff ’56, 59 and Yorkshire ’60), Bo Stuntebeck (Shields ’54 and Lang’s ’55), Bob Trainor (Waldeck’s ’54, ’55), Whitey Brown (Lang’s ’56, Yorkshire ’59, Gatliff ’64), Myron Reinhardt (Shields ’54, Yorkshire ’59, Gatliff ’56, ’57, ’63), Walt Wherry (Keeneland Bar ’54, Lang’s ’55, Boone’s Bar ’58, Yorkshire ’59), Hal Wiggins (Lang’s ’56, Gatliff ’61, ’63), Gene Dittoe (Lang’s ’55) and John Henry (Gatliff ’58) were named to the “Team of the Decade.” Sam Minniti (Hamilton Tailoring ’60, 61), Bob Harrison (Gatliff ’64, Wilsman Trucking ’66) and Hudson Knock (Gatliff ’64, ’65) were the only area “All-Decade” picks in the sixties.

Other pages of interest to Greater Cincinnati softballers might be “Classic National Invitational Tournaments.” Here the “Stroh’s/Hudepohl” Springfield NIT and Ohio Valley Classic (Cincinnati) are chronicled, listing past champions and individual award winners, many of whom will be familiar names to area players and fans. A “Women’s History” page is steeped in Greater Cincinnati accomplishments, especially during the fifties, sixties and seventies with ASA championships by Dana Gardens (’57, ’62, ’63 and ’66), Dairy Cottage (’61), Escue Pontiac (’68), Rutenschroer Florist (’70), Riverside Ford (’72), Sweeney Chevrolet (’73), and Sorrento’s Pizza (’76), and then again in the seventies and eighties with USSSA “A” World Champions Sweeney Chevrolet (’76), Northside K of C (’85) and Empress Chili (’86, ’87, ’88). There is even a Master’s page heralding the achievements of teams and players from eleven organizations and ages 35 all the way to 80 and over, plus a “Fast Pitch,” “Origins of Softball” page, and a “Softball Links” page that is an incredible gateway to over 200 links to organizations, information pages, personal pages, message boards, company pages and softball search engines. Steve Dimitry has made an unmatched contribution to the game of softball with his “Softball History” website. It fills a huge void in the preservation of the game’s history and traditions, and the legacies of its great players, teams and sponsors.

The Hudepohl Softball Hall of Fame in Cincinnati is loaded with great players. Just take a look at this of members and also their selections for all-decade and all-century players. It reads like a list of who’s who in National Softball History: (renamed The Norwood-Sorrento’s Hall of Fame in 1985)

Men’s Slow Pitch
 Myron Reinhardt- Shield’s, Gatliffs
Don Rardin- Gatliffs, IBM
Walt Wherry- Langs, Gatliffs, Yorkshire
Steve Massong-Hamilton, Century Tire
Al Rinehard- Gatliffs
Frank Harvey- Gatliffs, Century Tire
Ray Whitey Brown- Gatliffs
Hal Wiggins- Langs, Gatliffs
Bill Goedde- Dick Luken, Century Tire
Karl Nageleisen-G.E. Turbine Jets
Tom Taylor- Gatliffs, Century Tire
Barry Norman- Gatliffs, Century Tire
Clyde Soapy Stafford- Gatliffs, Carlisle Const.
Jim Kuhn- Queen City Pattern, Suds
Don Whitford- Gatliffs
Rick Linz- Bushleman’s, Suds, GCS
Leo Osterday- Bushleman’s, MW Tribble, VIP
Bo Stuntebeck- Langs, Gatliffs
David Ray Penick- Carlisle Const., Gatliffs
Paul Nutley- Hamilton Tailors, Century Tire
Earl Berryman- Langs, Gatliffs
Davey Johnson- GCS, Jay’s
Mike O’Brien- Suds, Jay’s, Bushleman’s, MW Tribble
Bill Schlesinger- Century Tire, Sorrento’s
Mike LaFever- Suds, Jay’s, Bushleman’s, MW Tribble
Lee Sledge- Century Tire, Rolling Hills, Suds, MW Tribble
Mike Burns- Fisher Bros, Bushleman’s
Ron Cutter- Hamilton, Schott-Lippert Buick, Jake Sweeney,
Butch Hays- Rolling Hills, Suds, Universal AC, Fisher Bros.
Tony Salamone- Savannah Café, Suds, GCS, MW Tribble, VIP, Watanabe
Ron Red Jones- Sorrento’s, Century Tire, Jay’s
Jim Nageleisen- Carlisle Const., Rolling Hills
Mike Sullivan- VIP, Watanabe
Denver Gabbard- Rolling Hills, Sorrento’s, Century Tire
Marty Monterosso- Jay’s, Bushleman’s, MW Tribble
Sonny Rider- Carlisle Const., Gatliffs, Rolling Hills
Galan Kelly-Hal Manufacturing, Fisher Brothers/Stroh’s
Hudson Knock- Gatliff’s, Carlisle Construction, Rolling Hills Lakers
Paul “Micky” McMullen- Sorrento’s Pizza, Columbus All-Americans (Pro), Bushelman Construction, M. W. Tribble
Kevin Birkofer – Cincinnati Pipefitters Local 392 Blue (Industrial)
John Earls- Watanabe
Scott Hein- VIP Limousine
Mark Huber- Cincinnati Suds, Bushelman, Pipefitters Local 392 Blue (Industrial)
Michael Kinnett- Watanable Optical, Planet Softball, EMR/Worth
Bob Long- Sorrento’s, Hal Manufacturing, Queen City Pattern
Walt Roeckers- Hamilton Tailors, Tom Sweeney Imports
Dave Beamer- Sorrento’s, Queen City Pattern, Bushleman’s
Ken Ewald- Savannah Cafe, Greater Cinn. Sports, Sorrento’s, Bushelman, M. W. Tribble,
John Steele- Watanabe, Perkin’s
Gary Mounts- Century Tire, Sorrento’s, Jay’s, Foxy Lady
Dick Jones- Abrams Texaco, Eddie’s Cafe, Century Tire, Sorrento’s
Dale Overmann- Universal Insurance, Joseph’s Chevrolet (Senior Softball)
Randy Lewis- Watanabe Optical
Dick Ernst- 9x Senior Softball All-World- (inducted in National Senior Softball Hall of Fame)
Billy Carter- Hal Manufacturing, Bohemian Lounge, Hauck’s Cafe, Simpson’s Cafe
Ron Garnett- 50 World Championships-Senior Softball
Pat Wright- Buckeye Merchants, Dick Luken, Eddie’s Cafe, Century Tire, Stan’s Roofing
Tim Barker- F&C Athletics
Marvin Doyle- Backstop, Watanabe, EMR
Tom Kasee- Abrams Texaco, Century Tire, Sorrento’s, Universal AC
Brian May- Watanabe, Reece/Roosters, Benfield/Reece, Combat/Dan Smith/Aubrey’s
Pat Shanks- Watanabe, Perkin’s, EMR
Jim Wessel- Wilsman Trucking, Joseph Chevrolet, Nothdurft, Florida Investment Properties -(inducted in National Senior Softball HOF)

Women’s Slow Pitch
Alberta Kohls Sims, Dana Gardens
Norma Eschenbrenner Ante, Dana Gardens
Donna Wolfe, Dana Gardens
Marsha Repogle, Rutenshorer, Riverrside, Sweeney, Sorrento
Jenny Johnson Kappes, Dana, Tri-State, Famous, Sorrento, Empress (Player of Century)
Dot Bailey, Dana Gardens
Irma Richardson, Dana, Escue, Sweeney
Bev Beck, Dana, Rutenschrorer, Riverside, Sorrentos, Rebels
Jan Deters, Tri-State, Famous Recipe, Sorrento’s, Empress
Anita Gardner Rieskamp, Dana Gardens
Gloria Hill, Dana, Escue
Carol Weiss Kiradjieff, Rutenschorer
Velma Kay (VK) Lehmann, Famous Recipe, Empress
Pam Patrus, Sweeney, Tri-State, Famous, Empress
Sharon Graham, Tri-State, Famous Recipe, Empress
Mary Strotman, Empress
Lyn Rose, Famous Recipe
Sue Malcolm, Riverside Ford, Sorrento’s
Brenda Ryan, Northside Knights of Columbus
Tina May Tuck, Famous Recipe, Empress
Mary Jane “M.J.” Ranz, Northside K of C, Empress Chili, Kinder Sharks
Marilyn Booher, Rutenschrorer, Sorrentos
Theresa Hirschauer, Empress, Kinder Sharks, Ty-1-On 35+
Carol Smith,  Rutenschrorer, LaRosa’s, Ohio Cardinals 50+/55+
Colleen Needham (Manager)- Famous, Empress, N. Cinn. Sports Med, Ohio Cardinals
Marsha Friedhoff- Rutenshroer Florist, Dana Gardens, Escue Pontiac
Theresa Shepherd, Empress Chili, Cannon’s, ABP/Kinder, Kinder-08
Reenie Fitzgerald- Senior Softball-Ohio Cardinals (36+, 50+, 10 All-Worlds, 4 MVPs)
All-Century Team

Player of the Century – Myron Reinhardt

First Team Second Team Third Team Honorable Mention

P- Walt Wherry (39) Black Ron Jones (35) Jim Burbrink (21) Steve Hicks (20)

P- Dave Penick (35) Billy Carter (20)

P- Dick Thielmeyer (19)

P- Gary Nelson (10)

P- Sam Minnetti (10)

C- Myron Reinhardt (30) Randy Lewis (22) Sonny Rider (16) Jerry Daugherty (15)

C- Don Cleaver (13)

C- Mike Tolliver (8)

C- Carl Waldbillig (6)

C- Ty Burdick (5)

1B- Barry Norman (26) Hudson Knock (20) John Earls (19) Ken Ewald (16)

1B- Emery Lucas (19) Ed Gampfer (5)

2B- Ray Whitey Brown (25) Tony Salamone (18) Galen Kelly (12) John Steele (10)

SS- Rick Linz (29) Ron Cutter (24) Tom Kasee (12) Dave Turner (6)

SS- Karl Nageleisen (24)

3B- Jim Kuhn (21) Mike Sullivan (20) Steve Roeder (8) Marvin Doyle (7)

3B- Lee Sledge (20)

OF- Tom Taylor (88) Mike Burns (63) Hal Ward (17) Pat Shanks (5)

OF- Steve Massong (73) Paul Nutley (59) Jerome Youngblood (16) Joe Penwell (5)

OF- Mike O’Brien (72) Bill Schlesinger (41) Bob Massong (10)

OF- Hal Wiggins (71) Jack Collins (38) Randy DeAngelis (8)

OF- Leo Osterday (70) Mike Kinnett (36) Randy Atha (6)

OF- Mike LaFever (65) Jim Nageleisen (35) Paul Ange (6)

OF- Marty Monterosso (29)

OF- Denver Gabbard (27)

Util.- Don Rardin (100) Butch Hays (59) Homer Ruth (40) Kevin Blanton (5)

Util.- Bill Goedde (92) Walt Roeckers (54) Larry Shircliff (29) Ron Troxell (5)

Util.- Red Ron Jones (79) Mark Huber (52) Mike Smith (29)

Util.- Don Whitford (76) Davey Johnson (50) Terry Childs (28)

Util.- Bo Stuntebeck (70) Paul McMullen (47) Greg Sandy (27)

Util.- Clyde Stafford (67) Billy Jackson (47) Rory Orr (22)

Util.- John Coorey (47)

Mgr- Al Brausch (50) Bob Fennell (30) Dave Watanabe (14)

Mgr- Reed Hughes (42) Ron Baird (28) Joe Nagy (12)

Mgr- Tommy Rowan (34) Don Schachleiter (28) Jay Hopkins (6)

Mgr- Matty Carrelli (34)

Sponsor-Joe Gatliff Mtrs (52) Sorrento’s Pizza (47) Hudepohl Brewing Co. (30)

Sponsor-Jay Hopkins (52) Carlise Const. (39) VIP Limousine (27)

Sponsor-Bushleman Const. (48) Century Tire (33) Hill & Griffith (26)

Sponsor- Snodgrass Dist. Co. (26)

Sponsor- Westside Café (26)

Sponsor- Stan’s Roofing (26)

Sponsor- Watanabe Optical (26)

Player- Myron Reinhardt

CINCINNATI SOFTBALL NEWS ALL-DECADE 1970-1979

FIRST TEAM

Player of The Decade- Tom Taylor

Pitcher- Black Ronnie Jones

Catcher- Jerry Daugherty

First Base- Huddy Knock

Second Base- Galan Kelly

Third Base- Jim Kuhn

Shortstop- Rick Linz

Outfield- Tom Taylor

Outfield- Mike LaFever

Outfield- Hal Ward

Outfield- (Tie) Jerome Youngblood

Outfield- (Tie) Bill Schlesinger

Utility- Tom Kasee

Utility- Lee Sledge

Utility- Dave Johnson

Utility- Red Ron Jones

Manager- Reed Hughes

SECOND TEAM

Player of The Decade- Rick Linz

Pitcher- Billy Carter

Catcher- Mike Tolliver

First Base- Emery Lucas

Second Base- Pat Wright

Third Base- Dan Pillow

Shortstop- Butch Hays

Outfield- Sonny Rider

Outfield- Paul Ange

Outfield- Mike O’Brien

Outfield- Mike Arthur

Utility- Steve Massong

Utility- Bill Goedde

Utility- Mike Costello

Utility- Jim Nageleisen

Manager- Tom Rowan

CINCINNATI SOFTBALL NEWS ALL-DECADE 1980-1989

FIRST TEAM

Player of The Decade- Leo Osterday (15)

Pitcher- Mark Huber (10)

Catcher- Don Cleaver (15)

First Base- Ken Ewald (9)

Second Base- Tony Salamone (12)

Third Base- Mike Sullivan (13)

Shortstop- Rick Linz (11)

Outfield- Leo Osterday (16)

Outfield- Marty Monterosso (14)

Outfield- (Tie) Chuck Atha (12)

Outfield- (Tie) Jack Collins (12)

Outfield- (Tie) Mike O’Brien (12)

Utility- Paul McMullen (9)

Utility- Larry Shircliff (9)

Utility- Carl Waldbillig (9)

Utility- (Tie) Dave Johnson (8)

Utility- (Tie) Bob Massong (8)

Manager (Tie)- Ron Baird (9)

Manager (Tie)- Jay Hopkins (9)

SECOND TEAM

Player Of The Decade- Don Cleaver (15)

Pitcher- Steve Hicks (6)

Catcher- Joe Griffith (6)

First Base- Ed Gampfer (7)

Second Base- Ed Coyle (5)

Third Base- Steve Roeder (6)

Shortstop- Wayne Berrman (7)

Outfield- Bob Miller (6)

Outfield- Rory Orr (6)

Outfield- Scott Hein (5)

Outfield- Tim Baumer (5)

Utility- Bill Jackson (7)

Utility- Jim Tillman (6)

Utility- Doug Hicks (6)

Utility- Don Mills (6)

Utility- Scott Donley (6)

Utility- Mike Harvey (6)

Manager- Steve Massong (5)

CINCINNATI SOFTBALL NEWS ALL-DECADE 1990-1999

FIRST TEAM

Player of The Decade (Tie) John Earls (16)

Player of The Decade (Tie) Randy Lewis (16)

Pitcher Gary Nelson (13)

Catcher Randy Lewis (16)

First Base John Earls (16)

Second Base John Steele (13)

Third Base Marvin Doyle (10)

Shortstop Dave Turner (11)

Outfield Mike Kinnett (13)

Outfield Pat Shanks (13)

Outfield Ty Burdick (11)

Outfield Joe Penwell (10)

Utility Mike Smith (11)

Utility Kevin Blanton (10)

Utility Jim Burbrink (10)

Utility Homer Ruth (10)

Manager Dave Watanabe (13)

SECOND TEAM

Second Base- Tony Salamone (6)

Third Base- Mike King (8)

Shortstop- Mitch Kroell (7)

Outfield- Darrell Hall (9)

Outfield- Jack Collins (8)

Outfield- Dan Houchin (8)

Outfield- Doug Riley (8)

Utility- Bob Massong (7)

Utility- Rory Orr (7)

Utility- Mark Smith (7)

Utility- Mike Sullivan (7)

Utility- Jeff Click (6)

Utility- Dan Duggins (6)

Utility- Robert Lane (6)

Utility- Brian May (6)

Manager- Jay Hopkins (5)

CINCINNATI SOFTBALL NEWS ALL-DECADE 2000-2009

FIRST TEAM

Player of The Decade- Jason Roesch (16)

Pitcher- Frank Gruber (9)

Catcher- Jon Jamison (12)

First Base- Tom Ellis (9)

Second Base- Jason Brown (10)

Third Base- Mike Kinnett (10)

Shortstop- Jeff Click (14)

Outfield- Jason Roesch (16)

Outfield- Johnny Miller (12)

Outfield- Jimmy Carter (11)

Outfield- Pat Shanks (11)

Utility- Kevin Atwood (10)

Utility- Darrell Hall (10)

Utility- Brad Reckart (9)

Utility- John Steele (9)

Utility- Brian May (9)

Manager- Dave Watanabe (6)

SECOND TEAM

Player of The Decade- Jeff Click (14)

Pitcher- Bob Noeth (7)

Catcher- Steve Bosch (6)

First Base- Kevin Greene (8)

Second Base- George Farris (8)

Third Base- (tie) Homer Matheny (7)

Third Base- (tie) Tommy Stevens (7)

Shortstop- Brian Wegman (6)

Outfield- Michael Rogers (8)

Outfield- Ryan Minges (7)

Outfield- Sean Mullins (6)

Outfield- Larry Wert (6)

Utility- Shane Spicer (7)

Utility- Steve Spille (7)

Utility- Marvin Doyle (6)

Utility- Jeff Edington (6)

Manager- Terry Walton (5)

Players of the Decades

Decade- First Team Second Team

1970s Tom Taylor Rick Linz

1980s Leo Osterday Don Cleaver

1990s (tie) John Earls and Randy Lewis

2000s Jason Roesch Jeff Click

Manager of the Decade

Decade- First Team Second Team

1970s Reed Hughes Tom Rowan

1980s Ron Baird Steve Massong

Jay Hopkins

1990s Dave Watanabe Jay Hopkins

2000s Dave Watanabe Terry Walton

Cincinnati Area All-Century Team (Votes)
Player of the Century – Myron Reinhardt
 P- Walt Wherry (39)
C- Myron Reinhardt (30)
1B- Barry Norman (26)
2B- Ray Whitey Brown (25)
3B- Jim Kuhn (21)
SS- Rick Linz (29)
OF- Tom Taylor (88)
OF- Steve Massong (73)
OF- Mike O’Brien (72)
OF- Hal Wiggins (71)
OF- Leo Osterday (70)
OF- Mike LaFever (65)
UT- Don Rardin (100)
UT- Bill Goedde (92)
UT- Ron Red Jones (79)
UT- Don Whitford (76)
UT- Bo Stuntebeck (70)
UT- Clyde Stafford (67)
MGR- Al Brausch (50)
MGR- Reed Hughes (42)
MGR- Tom Rowan (34)
MGR- Mayy Carrelli (34)
Sponsor-Joe Gatliff Motors (52)
Sponsor-Jay Hopkins (52)
Sponsor-Bushelman Construction (48)

Second Team
 P- Black Ron Jones (35)
P- Dave Penick (35)
C- Randy Lewis (22)
1B- Hudson Knock (20)
2B- Tony Salamone (18)
3B- Mike Sullivan (20)
3B- Lee Sledge (20)
SS- Ron Cutter (24)
SS- Karl Nageleisen (24)
OF- Mike Burns (63)
OF- Paul Nutley (59)
OF- Bill Schlesinger (41)
OF- Jack Collins (38)
OF- Mike Kinnett (36)
OF- Jim Nageleisen (35)
OF- Earl Berryman (35)
OF- Marty Monterosso (29)
OF- Denver Gabbard (27)
UT- Butch Hays (59)
UT- Walt Roeckers (54)
UT- Mark Huber (52)
UT- Dave Johnson (50)
UT- Paul McMullen (47)
UT- Billy Jackson (47)
UT- John Coorey (47)
MGR- Bob Fennell (30)
MGR- Ron Baird (28)
MGR- Don Schachleiter (28)
Sponsor-Sorrento’s Pizza ((47)
Sponsor-Carlisle Construction (39)
Sponsor-Century Tire (33)

Third Team
 P- Jim Burbrink (21)
C- Sonny Rider (16)
1B- John Earls (19)
1B- Emery Lucas (19)
2B- Galan Kelly (12)
3B- Steve Roeder (8)
SS- Tom Kasee (12)
OF- Marty Monterosso (29)
OF- Hal Ward (17)
OF- Jerome Youngblood (16)
OF- Bob Massong (10)
OF- Randy DeAngelis (8)
OF- Randy Atha (6)
OF- Paul Ange (6)
UT- Homer Ruth (40)
UT- Larry Shircliff (29)
UT- Mike Smith (29)
UT- Terry Childs (28)
UT- Greg Sandy (27)
UT- Rory Orr (22)
MGR- Dave Watanabe (14)
MGR- Joe Nagy (12)
MGR- Jay Hopkins (6)
Sponsor-Hudepohl Brewing Company (30)
Sponsor-VIP Limousine (27)
Sponsor-Hill & Griffith (26)
Sponsor-Jack Snodgrass Distributing Co. (26)
Sponsor-Westside Café (26)
Sponsor-Stan’s Roofing (26)
Sponsor-Watanabe Optical (26)

Honorable Mention
 P- Steve Hicks (20)
P- Billy Carter (20)
P- Dick Thielmeyer (19)
P- Gary Nelson (10)
P- Sam Minnetti (10)
C- Jerry Daugherty (15)
C- Don Cleaver (13)
C- Mike Tolliver (8)
C- Carl Waldbillig (6)
C- Ty Burdick (5)
1B- Ken Ewald (16)
1B- Ed Gampfer (5)
2B- John Steele (10)
3B- Marvin Doyle (7)
SS- Dave Turner (6)
OF- Pat Shanks (5)
OF- Joe Penwell (5)
UT- Kevin Blanton (5)
UT- Ron Troxell (5)

THE GREATER CINCINNATI MEN’S SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL ALL CENTURY TEAM:

THE 47 YEAR SPAN (1953-2000) IN THE GAME OF SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL HAS SEEN A PROGRESSION FROM WOOD BATS TO ALUMINUM BATS AROUND 1970 TO SOPHISTICATED DOUBLE WALL ALLOY BATS TODAY. THE GAME HAS MOVED FROM OPEN FIELDS TO EQUIDISTANT 300 FOOT FENCED IN PARKS. THIRTY YEARS AGO THERE WERE 3 DOMINANT POWER HITTERS IN GREATER CINCINNATI AND TODAY THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF HOME RUN HITTERS. THE 1977 CINCINNATI SUDS PLAYERS RECEIVED $1500 PER YEAR FOR A 16 WEEK (64 GAME) SEASON. TODAY THE PREMIER “AMATEURS” RECEIVE WHATEVER IT TAKES TO INDUCE THEM TO PLAY.

OUR AREA HAS PRODUCED NUMEROUS GREAT TEAMS AND GREAT PLAYERS. IN FACT, LOCAL TEAMS WON 9 OF THE FIRST 11 ASA MAJOR WORLD TOURNAMENTS FROM 1953 TO 1963. SIX OF THESE WORLD CHAMPS WERE FROM NORTHERN KENTUCKY AND 3 FROM CINCINNATI. THIS EARLY DOMINANCE LED TO THE INDUCTION OF 4 NORTHERN KENTUCKY PLAYERS INTO THE ASA NATIONAL HALL OF FAME. THEY ARE MYRON REINHARDT, DON RARDIN SR., WHITEY BROWN, AND HAL WIGGINS. THIS IS THE REASON OUR TEAM OF THE CENTURY HAS A DISTINCT NORTHERN KENTUCKY FLAVOR.

AGAINST THIS BACKDROP, A PANEL OF MEMBERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS OF THE HUDEPOHL GREATER CINCINNATI SOFTBALL OF FAME HAS CHOSEN A TEAM OF THE CENTURY FOR SLOW PITCH PLAYERS. THE PANEL WAS COMPOSED OF MARK LINNEMANN, EDITOR OF THE CINCINNATI SOFTBALL NEWS AND CHAIR OF THE HUDEPOHL HALL OF FAME COMMITTEE, TOM TAYLOR, HALL OF FAMER AND HALL OF FAME COMMITTEE MEMBER, AND BOB FENNELL, TOM ROWAN, AND COACH MIKE BURNS, ALL OF WHOM ARE MEMBERS OF THE HUDEPOHL HALL OF FAME.

HOW THE TEAM WAS CHOSEN: OUR PANEL CREATED A LIST OF THE GREATEST PLAYERS AT EACH POSITION. THEN EACH PANELIST SECRETLY RANKED THE PLAYERS AT EACH POSITION IN ORDER FROM TOP ON DOWN. FROM THE COMPOSITE GENERATED, WE CHOSE 3 TEAMS OF THE CENTURY, EACH HAVING A 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, PITCHER, CATCHER, 6 OUTFIELDERS PLUS TIES, AND 6 UTILITY PLAYERS PLUS TIES. THERE WAS ALSO AN ALL CENTURY HONORABLE MENTION LISTING. WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE YEAR 2000 HALL INDUCTEES, WE NOW HAVE 32 MALE SLOW PITCH PLAYERS, 8 MEN’S SLOW PITCH MANAGERS, AND 5 MEN’S SPONSORS. ALL OF THESE HALL OF FAME MEMBERS MADE ONE OF OUR ALL CENTURY TEAMS. AFTER ALL, THEIR CAREERS WERE LOOKED AT UNDER A MICROSCOPE PRIOR TO THEIR INDUCTION INTO THE HUDEPOHL HALL OF FAME.

THE FIRST TEAM:

MYRON REINHARDT WAS CHOSEN AS GREATER CINCINNATI PLAYER OF THE CENTURY. THE FIRST INDUCTEE INTO THE ASA NATIONAL HALL OF FAME IS ALSO OUR UNANIMOUS CHOICE. MYRON SET A STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE AND GENTLEMANLY BEHAVIOR WHICH WILL PROBABLY NEVER BE EQUALLED. MYRON WAS AN ASA ALL WORLD SELECTION 5 TIMES. HE WAS ON 5 WORLD CHAMPION ASA TEAMS INCLUDING SHIELDS (1953), YORKSHIRE (1959), AND GATLIFF MOTORS (1956, 1957, 1963). HE PLAYED EVERY POSITION IN HIS CAREER. BRAVO, MYRON.

WALT WHERRY, THE MULTI-TALENTED NORTHERN KENTUCKIAN, DOMINATED AT PITCHER. THE FORMER PITTSBURGH PIRATE MAJOR LEAGUER WAS PICKED BY RALPH KINER OF THE PIRATES AS HAVING THE STRONGEST THROWING ARM IN 25 YEARS IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES. WALT DIRECTED HIS PLAYERS FROM THE MOUND JUST AS HE LATER DIRECTED THE CINCINNATI SUDS PLAYERS HE MANAGED. THE 6 TIME ALL WORLD PITCHER EASILY OUTDISTANCED “BLACK” RON JONES AND DAVID PENICK.

BARRY NORMAN WON OUT AT 1ST BASE OVER HUDDY KNOCK, EMERY LUCAS AND JOHN EARLS. BARRY WAS A 2 TIME ALL WORLD ASA PLAYER AND WAS SMOOTH AS SILK AROUND THE BAG. HE HIT NOTHING BUT LINE SHOTS THROUGH THE INFIELD FOR A CAREER .600 PLUS AVERAGE. BARRY WAS A MEMBER OF 4 ASA WORLD CHAMPION TEAMS. REST IN PEACE HUDDY AND JOHN. WELCOME BACK, EMERY.

RAYMOND “WHITEY” BROWN WAS A UNANIMOUS CHOICE AT 2B. THE LEGENDARY NORTHERN KENTUCKY ASA NATIONAL HALL OF FAMER HAS STATIONED HIMSELF UNFLINCHINGLY IN FRONT OF GROUND BALLS NEARLY 50 YEARS. AMAZINGLY HE WAS A 3 TIME ASA WORLD TOURNAMENT MVP WITH LANG’S IN 1956, YORKSHIRE IN 1959, AND GATLIFF IN 1964. WHITEY STILL HITS FOR POWER AT AGE 70! THE GREAT TONY SALAMONE BACKS UP WHITEY WHEN HE GETS TIRED.

RICKY LINZ WAS A NEAR UNANIMOUS CHOICE AS SHORTSTOP OF THE CENTURY. THE SMOOTH FIELDER WAS PICKED FIRST TEAM OF THE SEVENTIES AND THE EIGHTIES IN CINCINNATI. THE FORMER CINCINNATI SUDS LEADER HIT FOR A PHENOMENAL AVERAGE AT THE TOP OF THE LINEUP OF OUR FINEST AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL TEAMS. HE WAS ASA ALL WORLD, USSSA ALL WORLD, AND ALL PRO. RICK BEAT OUT RON CUTTER AND KARL NAGELEISEN, BOTH HUDEPOHL HALL OF FAMERS AND TWO OF THE PREMIER SHORTSTOPS IN THE COUNTRY.

JIM KUHN WON THE NOD AS 3B OF THE CENTURY. POSSESSED OF SURE HANDS, HE STUCK HIS NOSE IN FRONT OF EVERYTHING HIT HIS WAY. JIM WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL PERCENTAGE HITTER. THE 1973 USSSA ALL-WORLDER WAS THE SUDS PLAYER WITH THE DIRTIEST UNIFORM. IN THE CLOSEST RACE OF ALL, THE BIG RETIRED CINCINNATI POLICEMAN NOSED OUT EQUALLY SURE HANDED MIKE SULLIVAN OF VIP, AND THE POWERFUL ORIGINATOR OF THE 3B POSITION, LEE SLEDGE.

TOM TAYLOR WAS A NEAR UNANIMOUS CHOICE AS OUTFIELDER OF THE CENTURY. THE FORMER SUDS PLAYER WAS PLAYER OF THE DECADE FOR THE SEVENTIES. THE 1968 USSSA MAJOR ALL WORLDER HAD AN EXCEPTIONAL ARM IN RIGHT FIELD AND WON MVP IN 5 NATIONAL TOURNEYS AND ALSO 25 NATIONAL HOME RUN CHAMPIONSHIPS INCLUDING THE FIRST 2 USSSA MAJOR WORLD TITLES IN 1968 AND 1969.

STEVE MASSONG WAS THE SECOND PICK IN THE OUTFIELD. THE “HAMMER” WAS AN ABSOLUTE ROCK IN THE FIELD AS A MEMBER OF 2 ASA WORLD CHAMPIONS (HAMILTON TAILOR’S OF 1960 AND 1961). HIS DEFENSE WAS IMPECCABLE, HIS ARM STRONG, BUT THE BEST PART WAS THAT HE WAS THE GREATEST HITTER IN THE FIRST 47 YEARS OF CINCINNATI SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL (AND PROBABLY THE NEXT 47 YEARS TOO).

MIKE O”BRIEN WAS THE NEXT OUTFIELDER CHOSEN. “OB” WA S SUPERSTAR AS AN AMATEUR AND AS A PROFESSIONAL . HE WAS THE PROFESSIONAL CINCINNATI SUDS MVP IN 1978. HE HAD EXCEPTIONAL SPEED AND ARM. THE SURPRISE WAS THAT HE WAS A 170 POUND POWERHOUSE, LEADING THE CITY IN HOMERS IN 1986, 1987, AND 1988 LONG BEFORE “JUICED” BATS CAME ON THE SCENE.

HAL WIGGINS (R. I. P.- WIGGY) WAS A NATIONAL ASA HALL OF FAMER, INDUCTED IN 1986. THE 3 TIME ALL WORLD PLAYER PATROLLED THE OUTFIELD WITH SPEED AND GRACE. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THREE WORLD CHAMPION TEAMS (1956, 1961, AND 1963). THE HIGH PERCENTAGE HITTING LEFTY PLAYED INTO HIS SIXTIES BEFORE WE LOST HIM.

LEO OSTERDAY WAS THE STRAW THAT STIRRED VIP’S 5 CITY CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS. THE LEFT-HANDED LEAD-OFF MAN WAS PLAYER OF THE DECADE FOR THE 1980S AND COULD BE COUNTED ON TO HIT .650. HE WAS AN ALL CITY SELECTION 16 STRAIGHT TIMES. THE ASA AND USSSA ALL WORLD OUTFIELDER WENT TO THE WALL AS WELL AS ANYONE SINCE THE LATE PAUL ANGE.

MIKE LaFEVER ROUNDS OUT THE 1ST TEAM IN THE OUTFIELD. WITHOUT DOUBT, “FEVER” IS THE MOST EXCITING PLAYER IN LOCAL HISTORY. HE WAS HONORED AS THE FIRST CINCINNATI SOFTBALL NEWS PLAYER OF THE YEAR IN 1976. THE 1981 SUDS MVP AND 1988 USSSA ALL WORLDER COULD RUN DOWN ANYTHING IN THE OUTFIELD, HIT FOR A HIGH AVERAGE, AND WOULD BURN YOU IF YOU CHEATED ON HIM.

BUT THE GUYS IN THE OUTFIELD BETTER BEWARE BECAUSE MIKE BURNS HAS THEM LACED UP AND WITH HIS SPEED AND PERCENTAGE HITTING, HE IS READY TO PLAY.

THE UTILITY PLAYERS:

DON RARDIN SR. WAS UNANIMOUSLY NAMED AS UTILITY PLAYER OF THE CENTURY. THE 3 TIME ASA ALL WORLD SELECTION AND 1966 INDUSTRIAL WORLD TOURNEY TEAMER WAS THE 2ND PLAYER INDUCTED INTO THE ASA NATIONAL HALL OF FAME. THIS EXCEPTIONAL HITTER WAS A MEMBER OF 5 ASA WORLD CHAMPION TEAMS, WINNING WITH GATLIFF MOTORS, YORKSHIRE, AND HAMILTON TAILORS. DON WENT ON TO STAR IN LEXINGTON WITH IBM ALSO. HE PITCHED BUT LIKE MANY GATLIFF PLAYERS, HE ALSO PLAYED MANY OTHER POSITIONS.

BILLY GOEDDE PLAYED ALL OF THE POSITIONS AND PLAYED ALL OF THEM WELL. HE WAS A GREAT HITTER AND GREAT DEFENSIVE PLAYER. IN 1968 HE WAS SELECTED ASA ALL WORLD AFTER LEADING THE TOURNAMENT WITH AN .815 AVERAGE. HE WAS ON CITY CHAMPIONS IN 1958, 1960 AND 1961. BUT MOST OF ALL, THIS 3 TIME TOURNAMENT MVP WAS THE ULTIMATE TEAM PLAYER, HARD-NOSED COMPETITOR, AND CATALYST OF THE TEAMS ON WHICH HE PLAYED.

“RED” RON JONES WAS A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER AT AGE 18. THE TAFT HIGH GRADUATE PLAYED EVERY POSITION IN SOFTBALL WELL AND ALWAYS HIT THE BALL SHARPLY AND WITH POWER. HE WAS A MEMBER OF 5 CINCINNATI METRO CHAMPS (EDDIE’S, CENTURY, SORRENTO’S). HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE 1988 BUSHELMAN MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONS. HIS LOVE FOR THE GAME KNOWS NO BOUNDS. RED HAS NOW ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS A TEXAS LEGEND ALSO.

DON WHITFORD WAS A KEY COG IN THE GATLIFF MOTORS MACHINE. DON STARTED EVERY GAME IN THE HISTORY OF THE JOE GATLIFF TEAM . THIS EXCEPTIONALLY SPEEDY LEADOFF MAN SET THE TABLE FOR ONE OF THE GREAT TEAMS OF ALL TIME. HE PITCHED AND PLAYED OUTFIELD IN 8 WORLD TOURNAMENTS. THE LEFTY WAS A MEMBER OF WORLD CHAMPION TEAMS (1956, 1957, AND 1963).

RALPH “BO” STUNTEBECK WAS PRIMARILY A SECOND BASEMAN. HE WAS A CONSISTENT LINE DRIVE HITTER, CARRYING A PHENOMENAL .600 LIFETIME AVERAGE. BUT WHEN NEEDED, HE HAD THE POWER TO HIT THE BALL OUT OF THE PARK. BO PLAYED ON 3 ASA WORLD CHAMPIONS (SHIELDS IN 1953, LANG’S IN 1955 AND GATLIFF IN 1957). BO WAS A 2 TIME ASA ALL WORLD PICK (SHIELDS IN 1954 AND LANG’S IN 1955).

CLYDE “SOAPY” STAFFORD HAS BEEN A PREMIER PITCHER ON THE LOCAL SCENE FOR MANY YEARS. THIS MEMBER OF 7 CINCINNATI METRO CHAMPIONS WAS ON THE GREAT GATLIFF TEAMS OF 1959 AND 1960. HE COACHED THE SUDS IN 1980 AND HAS WON INNUMERABLE HONORS AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVELS. THE SOAP BEHIND “SOAPY’S FIVE” IS STILL A DOMINANT SENIOR PLAYER NATIONALLY.

MANAGERS:

ANYONE WHO IS AROUND THE GAME OF SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL KNOWS THAT A FIRM HAND IS NEEDED AT THE MANAGERIAL REINS. PLAYERS AT THE UPPER ECHELONS OF THE GAME AT TIMES NEED FIRM DIRECTION, LEST THEIR EGOS GET IN THE WAY OF TEAM GOALS. OUR FIRST TEAM SELECTIONS USED DIFFERENT TACTICS BUT ALL GOT THE DESIRED OUTCOME-WINNING.

THE GREAT AL BRAUSCH WAS PICKED AS MANAGER OF THE CENTURY. HE LED HIS WORLD CHAMPION GATLIFF PLAYERS BY EXAMPLE. WHEN I PLAYED FOR AL IN 1966, WE SAID A PRAYER BEFORE THE GAMES. THIS ASA NATIONAL HALL OF FAMER’S EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY WAS EMULATED BY HIS CLASSY PLAYERS.

REED HUGHES WAS A FIERY MOTIVATOR. HIS (AND MATTY CARRELI’S) 1961 WORLD CHAMPION HAMILTON TAILOR’S OBVIOUSLY RESPONDED TO HIS EMOTIONAL LEADERSHIP. HE HAD CITY CHAMPIONS WITH TOM SWEENEY IN 1964, EDDIE’S IN 1969, CENTURY TIRE IN 1970 AND 1971. HIS CENTURY TIRE’S 1971 ASA MAJOR WORLD THIRD PLACE FINISH WAS THE HIGHEST SINCE 1965. WE MISS YOU, REED.

TOM ROWAN MANAGED FOR 10 YEARS, AND WAS RUNNERUP MANAGER OF THE SEVENTIES TO REED HUGHES. HE WAS AT THE HELM OF THE PREMIER TEAMS OF HIS TIME, GUIDING DASE’S PLACE, SAVANNAH, AND GREATER CINCINNATI SPORTS. TOM WON 2 ASA METRO TITLES AND A PHENOMENAL 4 CONSECUTIVE USSSA DIVISIONAL CROWNS. HE WON IN 1979 IN SHEBOYGAN AND WAS THE LIMA STEEL’S MANAGER IN 1982.

MATTY CARRELLI WAS BORN IN ITALY AND METEORICALLY ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS OF MANAGING SLOW PITCH. HIS HAMILTON TAILORS WON THE ASA WORLD IN 1960 AND 1961. HE WON METRO CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 1959, 1960, 1963, AND 1966 WITH STANDARD INDUSTRIAL. NUMEROUS ALL WORLD PLAYERS FLUORISHED UNDER HIS GUIDANCE.

SPONSORS:

JOE GATLIFF MOTORS WITH ASA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 1956, 1957, AND 1963 WAS NAMED A CO-WINNER AS SPONSOR OF THE CENTURY. THE 4 ASA NATIONAL HALL OF FAMERS (REINHARDT, RARDIN, BROWN, AND WIGGINS) ALL PLAYED FOR GATLIFF AND ALL ARE MEMBERS OF OUR HALL.

THE OTHER CO-WINNER WAS JAY HOPKINS. JAY IS THE LONG-TIME PLAYER, CO-MANAGER OF THE EIGHTIES, AND SPONSOR OF TOP LEVEL TEAMS FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS IN CINCINNATI. HIS LOVE FOR THE GAME AND HIS RECOLLECTION OF ALMOST ALL THAT HAS TRANSPIRED IN LOCAL SOFTBALL SINCE THE SIXTIES ENDEAR HIM TO THOUSANDS OF LOCAL FANS.

JOHN BUSHELMAN CONSTRUCTION WAS A PREMIER SPONSOR FOR YEARS IN CINCINNATI. YOU COULD FIND JOHN IN HIS WIFE’S BAR (JULIE’S IN SHARONVILLE) WHERE HE WOULD TALK ABOUT THE GAME UNTIL YOU GOT TIRED OF TALKING. HIS FINE TEAMS WON THE 1982 AND THE 1984 METRO TITLES. THEY ALSO WERE THE MIDWEST REGIONAL CHAMPIONS IN BOTH 1982 AND 1983. JOHN UNFORTUNATELY PASSED AWAY IN FLORIDA.

NOTE:

TOM TAYLOR, THE AUTHOR OF THIS PIECE AND THE CHAIR OF THE TEAM OF THE CENTURY COMMITTEE WAS A PLAYER FROM 1957-1988, INCLUDING 1977 AND 1978 WITH THE CINCINNATI SUDS. HE COACHED WOMEN’S SOFTBALL FOR 10 YEARS, AND BRIEFLY COACHED MEN’S SLOWPITCH IN 1999. HE WAS A TEAM MATE OF 26 OF HIS 31 FELLOW HUDEPOHL HALL OF FAMERS. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE HUDEPOHL HALL IN 1988 AND SERVES ON THE HUDEPOHL HALL OF FAME COMMITTEE FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS.

Tom Taylor HOFs Inductions (Incredible List)

1988 – Norwood-Sorrento’s Greater Cincinnati Softball HOF

1992 – Northern Kentucky Sports HOF

2002 – Sorrento’s Hamilton County Sports HOF

2008 – Dayton-Miami Valley Senior Olympics HOF

2009 – Ohio Senior Olympics HOF

2009 – Ohio ASA HOF

2009 – Kentucky Softball HOF and Honor

2014 – Ohio USSSA HOF

2015 – Greater Cincinnati USBC Bowling HOF

2016 – Ohio All-Time Slow Pitch Softball All-State Team HOF

2018 – Butler County Softball HOF

Tom Taylor

GREATER CINCINNATI WOMEN’S SLOW PITCH ALL-CENTURY

FIRST TEAM

Player of The Century- Jenny Johnson-Kappes

Pitcher- Dot Bailey

Catcher- Jan Deters

Catcher- Irma Richardson

First Base- Marsha Replogle Helton

Second Base- Sharon Graham

Third Base- Sue Malcolm

Third Base- Anita Reiskamp-Gardner

Shortstop- Jenny Johnson-Kappes

Outfield- Alberta Kohls-Sims

Outfield- Norma Eschenbrenner-Ante

Outfield- Karen Kuhnheim

Outfield- V. K. Lehmann

Outfield- Missy Merrell

Outfield- Brenda Ryan

Utility- Pam Patrus

Utility- Donna Wolfe

Manager- Commie Currens

Sponsor- Empress Chili

SECOND TEAM

Pitcher- Amy Flaugher

Pitcher- Shirley Patterson

Catcher- Jenny Hammerle

Catcher- Laverne Zureick

First Base- Wanda Evans

Second Base- Bev Beck

Third Base- Carol Weiss-Kiradjieff

Shortstop- Gloria Hill

Outfield- Theresa Hirschauer

Outfield- Peggy Meacham

Outfield- Carol Smith

Outfield- Chris Winters

Utility- Mary Jane Ranz

Utility- Mary Strotman

Manager- Merle Williams

Sponsor- Rutenschroer Florists

THIRD TEAM

Pitcher- Peg Carney

Catcher- Martha Kidd

First Base- Becky Calahand

First Base- Jan Worley

Second Base- Jean Dowell

Shortstop- Shelly Cummins

Shortstop- Sherry Tabb

Outfield- Kate Arlinghaus

Outfield- Mary Bierman

Outfield- Marsha Friedhoff

Outfield- Tina May-Tuck

Outfield- Jane Scheper Meier

Utility- Sharon Tice

Utility- Cathy Walz

Manager- Bill Goedde

Manager- Don Johnson

Sponsor- Sorrento’s Pizza

HONORABLE MENTION

Kathy Ante Porter

Jeannine Bohn

Marilyn Booher

Rhonda Klette

Joan McGannon

Barb Meadows

Arlene Naumann

Robin Ryan

Theresa Shepherd

Vickie Stambaugh

Cindy Winburn

Cincinnati News Player of the Year Winners & Runner-ups

Player of the Year Runner-up – Player of the Year

1977 Mike LaFever, Rockcastle Motors Jim Kuhn, Hal Manufacturing

1978 Hal Ward, Greater Cincinnati Sports

Ron Jones, Strohs

1979 Rick Linz, Greater Cincinnati Sports Jack Robinson, Bushleman’s Construction

Hal Ward, Greater Cincinnati Sports

1980 Galen Kelly, Bushleman’s Construction Davey Johnson, Hammers

Steve Hicks, Bushleman’s Construction

1981 Mike Tolliver, Jay’s Steve Hicks, Bushleman’s Construction

1982 Mickey McMullen, Bushleman Construction Joe Griffith, Knights

1983 Leo Osterday, Bushleman’s Construction Jack Collins, Bushleman’s Construction

1984 Bob Massong, Bushleman’s Construction Leo Osterday, Bushleman’s Construction

1985 Jack Collins, M.W. Tribble Mike Sullivan, VIP Limousine

Mike O’Brien, Jay’s

1986 Mike O’Brien, Jay’s Mike Sullivan, VIP Limousine

Don Cleaver, VIP Limousine

1987 Scott Hein, VIP Limo/Express Transport Mike Sullivan, VIP Limo/Express Transport

Mike Harvey, Jay’s

Bob Cole, F&C Athletic

1988 Steve Roeder, VIP/Express Transport Larry Shircliff, VIP/Express Transport

1989 Billy Jackson, VIP/Express Transport Steve Roeder, VIP/Express Transport

Marty Monterosso, Jay’s

1990 Marty Monterosso, Jay’s Homer Ruth, VIP/Express Transport

1991 Tony Salamone, Greg Back/Kipling’s Doug Riley, Greg Back/Kipling’s

Tim Clemmons, Jay’s

1992 Mike Kinnett, Watanabe/Scarlato’s/Easton Doug Riley, McCluskey Chevrolet-GEO

1993 Tommy Thompson, Jay’s/Worth Mike Kinnett, Watanabe/Scarlato’s/Easton

1994 Randy Lewis, Watanabe/Scarlato’s/Easton Mike King, Hosea Worldwide

1995 Mike Kinnett, Watanabe/Scarlato/Perkin’s Joe Penwell, Backstop/Easton

1996 Jim Kearns, Lovill/Easton Joe Penwell, Backstop/Easton

John Steele, Watanabe/Scarlato/Perkins

1997 John Steele, Watanabe/Scarlato/Perkins Marvin Doyle, Backstop/Easton

1998 Randy Lewis, Watanabe/Scarlato/Perkins Tom Ellis, First American Title

1999 Mark Smith, Watanabe/ Perkins/Bike Tony Sharkins, Perkins Roofing/TPS

2000 Jack Collins, EMR/Meiner’s Cafe/Worth Kevin Atwood, Perkins Roofing/TPS

2001 Marvin Doyle, EMR/Worth Jason Roesch, Cooper/Pohlman/Worth

Steve Spille, Perkins/TPS

John Steele, Perkins/TPS

2002 John Steele, Perkins/Watanabe/TPS Marvin Doyle, Cooper/Specialty Vending

2003 Brian May, Watanabe/K&G/TPS Tom Ellis, Watanabe/K&G/TPS

Darrell Hall, DLB/Arnold/Superior

Jon Jamison, Luckey Homes/Rite Rug

2004 Brian Wegman, Watanabe/New/K&G Shane Hatfield, Alpine/Easton

Mike Kinnett, EMR/Worth

Johnny Miller, EMR/Worth

2005 Brian May, Watanabe/Superior/CHL/B&A Jon Jamison, Arnold/Freeze

2006 Brad Reckart, Watanabe/Superior/B&A Kevin Greene, Storm/Wessel/Nixco/Flanagan’s

Frank Gruber, A&K Tile/Wessel/GRK/Blitz

2007 Jon Jamison, Freeze/Arnold/JAC/Putter’s Jason Roesch, Blitz/Watanabe/ Wessel/Easton

2008 Jimmy Carter, Blitz/Watanabe/Wessel Shane Spicer, EAP/Real Estate Title/Wessel

2009 Jon Jamison, Blitz/Watanabe/Weller Jason Brown, EAP/Tiger Fitness/Easton

2010 Brad Tabler, Blitz/Watanabe/Weller Jon Jamison, Blitz/Watanabe/Weller/Minges

2011 David Kessler, Blitz/Weller/Watanabe Chris Taylor, Seminoles/Schmoe’s/Clutch

2012 Brad Reckart, Blitz/ Watanabe/K&G Roger Drake, PRI/Easton

2013 — No more info available on the Player of the Year, The USSSA Tri-State Conference started

— in 2012 and the TSC awarded Player of the Year and MVP accolades

Tri-State Conference MVP Winners & Runner-ups

2012 Roger Drake, Pure Romance/Easton Chris Riddle, Cooper/Shinetime

2013 Tyler Collins, Cooper/Yuengling/Easton Brad Tabler, 3rd Street

2014 Nick Weimer, Cincysoftball/Buffalo Joe Mike Marksbury, Vicious Sports – (Class-D)

2015 – no information available

2016 – no information available

ASA Cincinnati Open/Major Metro Championship

Year Champ – Runnerup

1953 Baldwin Piano Wolf’s Cafe (Wolf’s went to Nationals also)

1954 Waldeck’s Tavern Cincinnati Firefighters (Firefighters went to Nationals also)

1955 Tresler Comets Baldwin Piano (Baldwin went to Nationals also)

(Waldeck’s went to National as 1954 defending National Champ)

1956 Eureka Bar ???

1957 Rosmarin Reality ???

1958 Hamilton Tailoring Bud’s Cafe

1959 Hamilton Tailoring Bud’s Cafe

1960 Hamilton Tailoring ???

1961 Tip Toe Inn ???

(Hamilton Tailors went to National as 1960 defending National Champ)

1962 Bud’s Café ???

(Hamilton Tailors went to National as 1961 defending National Champ)

1963 Hamilton Tailoring Bud’s Café (Bud’s Cafe went to Nationals also)

1964 Tom Sweeney’s Pontiac ???

1965 Gatliff Auto (Newport, KY) ???

1966 Standard Industrial Laundries ???

1967 Abrams Texaco ???

1968 Buckeye Merchants Dick Luken Volkswagen

(Dick Luken went to National in place of Merchants)

1969 Eddie’s Cafe Dick Luken Volkswagen

1970 Century Tire ???

1971 Century Tire ???

1972 Hauck’s Cafe Century Tire

1973 Queen City Pattern Century Tire

1974 Sorrento’s Pizza Century Tire

1975 Sorrento’s Pizza Stan’s Roofing

1976 Don Simpson’s Cafe Rumpke

1977 Franz Cafe ???

1978 Hal Manufacturing ???

1979 Greater Cincinnati Sports ???

1980 Sorrento’s Pizza Greater Cincinnati Sports

1981 Quality Manufacturing Knights ???

1982 Bushelman Construction ???

1983 Brogan Oil/Joe & George/Red Sox ???

1984 Bushelman Construction ???

1985 Bushelman Construction M.W. Tribble

1986 F&C Athletic ???

1987 VIP Limousine/Express Transport M.W. Tribble

1988 VIP Limousine/Express Transport ???

1989 VIP/Express Transport ???

1990 VIP/Express Transport ???

1991 VIP/Express Transport Greg Black Transportation/Kiplings

1992 J.R. Express ???

1993 Jay’s Watanabe Optical

1994 UDF/Clifton Medical/Worth ???

1995 Backstop/Easton ???

1996 Watanabe Optical ???

1997 Watanabe Softball/TPS ???

1998 Watanabe/Perkins/Scarlato’s/TPS ???

1999 Watanabe/Perkins/Scarlato’s/TPS ???

Year Champ – Runnerup

2000 Perkins/TPS Watanabe Softball/TPS

2001 Perkins/Watanabe/Corken/TPS EMR/Worth

2002 Perkins/Watanabe/TPS EMR/Worth

2003 Watanabe/K&G/Scarlato’s/TPS Perkins/TPS

2004 Watanabe/New/K&G/TPS EMR/Worth

2005 Watanabe/Kattus/Tiny/WHW/Alpine/TPS EMR/Kubota Group/Worth

2006 Wessel Sports/A&K Tile/Blitz Watanabe/Kattus /Superior/CHL/TPS

2007 Blitz/Watanabe/TTP/Wessel/A&K/Easton ???

2008 Blitz/Watanabe/Bull/Wessel/Easton ???

2009 EAP/Tiger Fitness/Easton Blitz/Watanabe/Bull/Minges/Wessel/Easton

2010 Blitz/Watanabe/Minges/Weller/Easton EMR/Belly’s Party Bus/Red’s Boys

2011 Blitz/Weller/Watanabe/Easton ???

2012 Blitz/Weller/Watanabe/K&G/Wilson ???

2013 3rd Street/ Weller/Louisville Slugger Fred’s Boys/Louisville Slugger

2014 Premier/Louisville Slugger Cincysoftball.com

2015 EMR Premier/Louisville Slugger

2016 no more information available

 

 

Norwood Sorrento’s Hall of Fame

* in ASA or USSSA National HOF

INDUCTED INDUCTEE CATEGORY
1985 Raymond “Whitey” Brown* Player
Al Brausch* Manager
John Bushelman Sponsor
Ed Clott* Special Service
Russ Cupito Umpire
Commie Currens* Manager
Ray Ernst* Umpire
Norma Eschenbrenner Ante* Female Player
Al Goodman Special Service
Reed Hughes Manager
Jenny Johnson* Female Player
Bernie Kampschmidt* Male Player
John Kinsella Sponsor
Alberta Kohls Sims* Female Player
Steve Massong Male Player
Jim Ramage* Male Player
Don Rardin* Male Player
Myron Reinhardt* Male Player
Marsha Jean Replogle Female Player
LeRoy Rutenschroer* Sponsor
Lou Sandmann Special Service
Don Schachleiter Manager
Walt Wherry Male Player
Donna Wolfe* Female Player
1986 Dot Bailey Female Player
Bill Cappel Special Service
Matty Carrelli Manager
Elmer Gerwin Special Service
Frank Harvey Male Player
Kathryn “Sis” King* Female Player
Al Rinehard Male Player
Dan Romanello Umpire
Jack F. Snodgrass Sponsor
Norb “Cyclone” Warken* Male Player
Don Wickersham Special Service
1987 Ray Feldhaus Special Service
Bill Goedde Male Player
Sam Monterosso Umpire
Joe Nagy Manager
Eddie Vollmer Special Service
Hal Wiggins* Male Player
1988 Bev Beck Female Player
Willie DeLuca Sponsor
Jan Deters* Female Player
Karl Nageleisen Male Player
Mary Jane Tabeling Stille Female Player
Tom Taylor Male Player
1989 Anita Gardner Rieskamp Female Player
Barry Norman Male Player
Clyde Stafford Male Player
Les Treitel Umpire
1990 Bill Gourley Male Player
Gloria Hill Female Player/Manager
Jim Kuhn Male Player
Don Whitford Male Player
1991 Charlie Leftin Male Player
Rick Linz Male Player
Carol Weiss Kiradjieff Female Player
Richard Zureick Umpire
1992 Dick Goedde Manager
Leo Osterday Male Player
Dave Penick Male Player
Bo Stuntebeck Male Player
1993 Roger Grein Manager
Erma Johnson Female Player
Ron Jeffers Umpire
V. K. Lehmann* Female Player
Paul Nutley Male Player
1994 Earl Berryman Male Player
Dave Johnson Male Player
Tom Rowan Manager
Bill Rumpke Special Service
Tom Rumpke Special Service
Walt Stepaniak Special Service
1995 Ron Baird Manager
Sharon Graham* Female Player
Mike O’Brien Male Player
Bill Schlesinger Male Player
1996 Don Johnson Manager
Mike LaFever Male Player
Pam Patrus* Female Player
Lee Sledge Male Player
1997 Mike Burns Male Player
Ron Cutter Male Player
David Greek Sponsor
Mary Strotman Female Player
1998 Butch Hays Male Player
Sue Malcolm Female Player
Tony Salamone Male Player
Ray Stroschen Umpire
1999 Ron Jones Male Player
Jim Nageleisen Male Player
Brenda Ryan* Female Player
Mike Sullivan Male Player
2000 Max Dixon Special Service
Bob Fennell Manager
Denver Gabbard Male Player
Joe Kiradjieff Sponsor
2001 None N/A
2002 Jim Anaruma Umpire
Tina May-Tuck* Female Player
Marty Monterosso Male Player
Sonny Rider Male Player
2003 Jack Collins Male Player
Martha Kidd Female Player
Fred Meinking Umpire
Dick Thielmeyer Male Player
2004 Galan Kelly Male Player
Hudson Knock Male Player
Micky McMullen Male Player
M. J. Ranz Female Player
2005 Kevin Birkofer Male Player
Marilyn Booher Female Player
John Earls Male Player
Scott Hein Male Player
2006 Dave Beamer Male Player
Ken Ewald Male Player
Bob Long Male Player
Walt Roeckers Male Player
Carol Smith Female Player
2007 Theresa Hirschauer Female Player
Mark Huber Male Player
Mike Kinnett Male Player
Jerry Meyer Special Service
2008 Dick Jones Male Player
Gary Mounts Male Player
Colleen Needham* Manager
Dave Neiheisel Sponsor
John Steele Male Player
Ken Williams Special Service
2009 Dan DeClaire Sponsor
Dick Ernst Senior Player
Jerry Fick Umpire
Marsha Friedhoff Female Player
Randy Lewis Male Player
Dale Overmann Male Player
2010 Tim Barker Male Player
Billy Carter Male Player
Marvin Doyle Male Player
Ron Garnett Senior Player
Danney Saylor Special Service
Theresa Shepherd Female Player
Pat Wright Male Player
2011 Reenie Fitzgerald Female Player
Tom Kasee Male Player
Brian May Male Player
Bob Owens Speclal Service
Pat Shanks Male Player
Jim Wessel Senior Player
2012 Chuck Atha Male Player
Shelly Cummins Female Player
Gerry Scaringi Male Player
Loyd Smith Male Player
Dave Watanabe Manager
Merle Williams Manager
2013 Jeannine Bohn Senior Player
Bobby Hays Manager
Joe Penwell Male Player
Ray Vaughn Umpire
Butch Whitaker Male Player
Chris Winter Female Player
2014 Jeff Click Male Player
Bob Massong Male Player
Shirley Patterson Female Player
Mike Smith Male Player
Jim Spelbrink Senior Player
Vickie Stambaugh Female Player
John Tomlinson Sponsor
2015 Tim Klemm Umpire
Red Moore* Manager/Sponsor
Jason Roesch Male Player
Walt Shroyer Senior Player
Jan Worley Senior Player
George Young Sponsor
2016 Tim Cocco* Male Player
Amy Flaugher Female Player
Jack Hatter Senior Player
Jon Jamison Male Player
Bob Shad Sponsor
Eron Smith Manager
2017 Bill Brown Senior Player
Don Holden Sponsor
Bob Kroell Umpire
Bobby Noeth Male Player
Missy Merrell Female Player
Mike Tribble Manager

 

Jerome Earnest

The Greatest Softball Writer of All Time

Jerome Earnest

If you don’t know by now, there is a fellow named Jerome Earnest from Florida who has been writing about the slow pitch scene for many years. Jerome was born April 5, 1942 in Apalachicola, Florida. He moved to Panama City in the fourth grade and became interested in ball since he saw his mother washing and pressing the uniforms for the town team in Apalachicola. He played softball before and after school. His teacher in the fifth grade even let him out to go set up the bases for a softball game during break. Jerome played little league and high school ball and went to the state tournament in his junior and senior year. His team played against former major league star Boog Powell’s.

got his start at sports writing upon winning a contest in the local newspaper. It was titled “What Professional Baseball Means to The Community.” The prize was getting to be the batboy of the Panama City Flyers. This inspired him to go on and cover the Flyers and eventually led to his reporting of the Alabama-Florida League statistics.  While in the ninth grade, he started doing little league and midget football for the Panama City News-Herald and this led to his covering the high school games during his 10th grade year. He even wrote the baseball articles while he was still a player. Eventually, he became sports editor of the News-Herald and remained there for several years (until 1976). Jerome was the sports editor when ASA Hall of Famer H.T. Waller (who played at the little school of Vernon), was presented the paper’s “Thom McAnn Award” for the best athlete in the area back in the 1960’s.

Softball received great coverage from this paper. Jerome Earnest was the one who started the Southeastern Invitational in 1963. This tournament is still active today. Jerome even managed his own team for 13 years, until 1976. None of his teams ever made it to the nationals, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t good… back then it was very hard to make it there. You could have three of the best teams in the country in the same regional, but only two advanced.

His Commander’s Real Estate team in 1973 was probably the most successful team he had – they finished 4th in the Pick of Dixie tournament in Chattanooga, TN and fourth in the Smoky Mountain Classic in Maryville, TN that same year. He had many sponsors. Included amongst his players is a veritable who’s who of softball history: H.T. Waller, Luther Ates, Harold Kelley, Charlie Mitchell, Steve and Curtis Williams. In 1977 he merged his team with Buddy Brandt’s in Tallahassee. Buddy’s team was around for many years and even went to nationals in 1960 and 1961. In 1977, they tried to get to the nationals but did not make it. They were third behind Ken Sanders Ford and Jerry’s Caterers in the regionals, and only two teams got to advance.

Jerome started doing a softball newspaper in 1977. He says he’s been fortunate to be tied up with such teams as Nelson’s Painting, Dave Carroll, Howard’s Furniture, Ken Sanders, Elite Coatings and Steele’s Sports. The first paper he had was “Super Slowpitch“. That’s how he got involved in the big time, with R.T. Nelson, owner of the famous Nelson’s Painting team, after Mr. Nelson saw one of Jerome’s articles. All Mr. Nelson did was move Jerome out to Oklahoma City in 1978. That’s where and when the National Slo-Pitch Conference (NSPC) started. Jerome oversaw getting on the phone and contacting every elite team (ASA or USSSA) from coast to coast. They included Jerry’s Caterers, Ken Sanders, Howard’s Furniture, Dave Carroll’s Sports, Hillcrest Tavern, York Barbell, Campbell’s Carpets, Capitol Insulation, Snyder’s Softball Club, Taylor Brothers Jewelers and, of course, Nelson’s Painting. Jerome speaks very highly of many sponsors, especially R.T. Nelson: “Mr. Nelson was a great man … he treated me like a son and my three sons like grandkids.”  Richard Howard also was highly respected by Jerome. “Mr. Howard was another great man, very generous.”  Dave Neale is another of Jerome’s favorites; “Dave Neale is another one who loved softball …. he would go to tournaments on weekends, then go out to league games during the week.”

In Jerome’s first year he wrote mostly about the Southeast teams like Howard’s Furniture, Kobax, Valley Merchants, Jo’s Pizza, Warren Motors, Ken Sanders Ford and Jerry’s Caterers.  Mr. Nelson encouraged him to branch out and begin writing about the national scene. With the NSPC, Jerome was the publicity man when Dave Carroll was the executive director. He started an NSPC paper called “National Slo-Pitch“. It was a league paper and a national paper also. Jerome was the executive director of the NSPC in 1979 and 1980. Robert Brown (who was the Director of the Professional North American Softball League in 1980) took over in 1981 and Jerome became his assistant.

After the NSPC folded in its regular season format in 1982 (They did still have a National Championship in 1983), Jerome made his way over to Elite Coatings in Gordon, GA and did the “Softball Insight” magazine for Gary Hargis of Elite in 1984 and 1985. Jerome was also very fond of Gary Hargis… “He was very generous.”

Jerome then got hooked up with Steele’s Sports and was responsible for all the PR, scheduling and statistics when Steele’s went on their barnstorming tours in the mid to late 1980’s. He did everything including driving the team van. “Sports Illustrated” did a big article on the Men of Steele back in 1986 and they talked about Jerome being the guy who knew everything. There was a saying: “Ask Jerome, he knows.”  He left Steele’s for a brief stint with the “Atlanta Journal” Newspaper in 1988 and 1989 but came back to Steele’s in 1990. He started the “Softball USA” publication for Steele’s that year and continued it up into 1991 when Steele’s folded the team for the year.

He covered softball in 1991 and 1992, mostly on his own… he didn’t have a publication then, but he did have National Rankings and Statistical Leaders published in special editions of Softball USA printed in 1992. He has written articles that have been published in both the ASA’s “Balls and Strikes” and USSSA’s “Slo-Pitch News”.  He started Softball USA up again in late 1993 and continued it until 1995, when he changed the name to “Supreme Softball“.

Supreme Softball covered the major softball scene and when Jerome did an article on a tournament or national championship event, after you read it, you walked away with no questions whatsoever. You felt as if you were there. He explained the entire event to you inside and out, complete with stats, comments and quotes. He created the Supreme Softball Web Site and turned it into one of the best softball web sites there ever was for information and cold, hard facts.

I want to thank Jerome Earnest for taking the time to give me some details about his life and times as a writer. I feel honored, having sensed that his sharing of information with me was the result of a recognized joint love of the game. I know one thing… words cannot describe the extent to which Jerome has assisted me in my effort to chronicle the history of our beloved sport. I wouldn’t have my web site if it weren’t for him. Anyone that reads any softball publication should give Jerome Earnest a thank you, because without him, softball would be an afterthought when it comes to media coverage. Sure, they’ll be reports of a certain national championship taking place in Anytown, USA. It will have the winner listed and maybe who they beat for the championship. Jerome Earnest made it possible to create a national publication that deals strictly with softball.

There is a sad epilogue to this story. Jerome was stricken with a brain hemorrhage and placed in intensive care before passing away on April 9, 2000 from heart failure.  He will be remembered for all he has done for the sport. I hope someday there is a place in the Hall of Fames for this person who, in recent years, brought published softball information to unprecedented heights. He recognized the value of the internet as to how it could provide immediate information to the great fans of this game and used this medium to cover the national events that commanded our interests. Reading a Jerome Earnest article was tantamount to a front row seat at these events. Jerome Earnest was posthumously inducted into the ISA National Hall of Fame in 2000.

Jerome Earnest (1942-2000) Rest in Peace

2003 NSA Men’s C Super Worlds

2003 held at Cherry Park in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Champion – Royale Comfort, Stoney Point, North Carolina
Runner Up – Alternative Air/Jokers, Toms River, New Jersey

  • MVP – Tim Dameron, Royale Comfort
  • MVP – Ray Drayton, Alternative Air/Jokers
  • HR Champion – Andrew Pagano, Alternative Air/Jokers
  • Coaches Award – Shawn Hammer, Royale Comfort
  • Defensive Player Award – Wesley Jarret, Royale Comfort

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM

  • Tommy East – Royale Comfort
  • Paul Dameron – Royale Comfort
  • Brad White – Royale Comfort
  • William Austin – Royale Comfort
  • Jason Lerman – Alternative Air/Jokers
  • Mike Kalinowski – Alternative Air/Jokers
  • Rock Crawford – Alternative Air/Jokers
  • Wayne Park – Don’s Boys
  • Greg Jones – Don’s Boys
  • Dan Novak – Canadian Club
  • Tony Mack – Russell’s Paint & Body
  • Brian Martin – Rock Hill Merchants

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Royale Comfort, Stoney Point, NC (6-1)
2. Alternative Air/Jokers, Toms River, NJ (8-2)
3. Don’s Boys South, Boston, VA, (4-2)
4. Russell’s Paint & Body, Orlando, FL 6 2
5t. RH Merchants, Rock Hill, SC (3-2)
5t. Canadian Club, Chicago, IL (3-2)
7t. Club 185/American Legion, OH (4-2)
7t. Team Havoc, NJ (3-2)
9t. PNA/Meter’s, Marske, IN (3-2)
9t. GEM Construction, NC (2-2)
9t. Titan Sports/Towne Tavern, MA (4-2)
9t. Outsiders, NC (4-2)
13t. Grande Pointe Hammers, IL (3-2)
13t. Trojans, MD (3-2)
13t. NWSC, WA (2-2)
13t. CDS/Cash Advance, KY (2-2)
17t. Fatties Hoghead, MD (2-2)
17t. Monaco Ford, CT (1-2)
17t. CLC/Miken, NC (1-2)
17t. Charleston Moose/Tyler Trucking, Huntington, WV (1-2)
17t. HKA Enterprises, NC (1-2)
17t. Salty Dog/Diamond Blade, MD (1-2)
17t. Cavaliers, MI (1-2)
17t. Roy Hobbs, IL (1-2)
25t. Bob’s Bosox, IN (1-2)
25t. The Firm/Miken, VA (1-2)
25t. Panic, CA (0-2)
25t. Melons/Aluminumbats.com, SC (0-2)
25t. Critters Dreams/Primetime, WI (0-2)
25t. TRS, PA (0-2)
25t. The Scene, Commack, NY (0-2)
25t. AP Gamblers, IL (0-2)
33t. Bencin Trucking, OH (0-2)
33t. Lima/American Legion, OH (0-2)
33t. Classic Coney/Perkins, MI (0-2)
33t. Hooded Frogs, IL (0-2)