Winter Haven Senior Softball

All sports fans know that it’s World Series time. The “Grand Old Game’s” climax; baseball’s championship series between the National League and the American League. The series has been played since 1903, 109 Series have been contested, with the AL winning 63 and the NL winning 46. In two separate years, 1904 and 1994 the World Series was not played, due to a boycott and a strike. 

In the first World Series Boston upset Pittsburgh, 5 games to 3, behind the pitching of Cy Young. The team with the most championships is the New York Yankees; they have played in 40 World Series and won 27. For the NL, the St. Louis Cardinals have appeared in 19 World Series and have won 11 world championships. As for the current contestants, the KC Royals have been in 3 World Series and have won 1. The SF Giants have been in 20 World Series, (second to the Yankees), and have won 7.

During this World Series time, I think it’s appropriate to mark the passing of the torch in the WHSS league. Bob Zelazny has fulfilled his duties as commissioner and has passed the title along to Donny Witmer. Bob did an outstanding job as commissioner and we all owe him a heartfelt thank you. Organizing and managing a league is a daunting task. Bob meet the responsibility with dignity and a sense of humor, while putting in some hard work. Many thanks to you, Bob, I hope you enjoy all that bribe money people passed on to you, in their efforts to be placed on a good hitting team.

In honor of the World Series, I will dub the WHSS, AL teams that competed today after the last 3 AL, World Series winners; the Red Sox, Yankees and White Sox. I will also throw in a little World Series trivia from time to time; you can check your answers at the end of this article. If you can get four answers right, you win the World Series. Maybe, you can sweep all 7 answers, give it a go.

The Hitting Team, The Red Sox, consisted of F. Gonzalez, Alumbaugh, Witmer, Duff, D’Herin, Reagan, Poke Hite, Lopez, Wells and Kallmer.

The Sitting Team, Yankees, players were Rivera, Pinnick, Keller, Jacobson, Laffoon, Dampier, Coffman, Giordano, Hartley, Matta and Long.

The Fielding Team, White Sox, team: Pepin, T. Smith, Toro, Hamilton, DeRidder, Zelazny, Schapler, JD, Fabian, Doerbaum and Lopiccillo.

Trivia 1: The World Series is also known as:

A. The end of the season.

B. The Fall Classic.

C. The Diamond in the Rough.

D. Oktoberfest.

 

In the first inning the White Sox, (Fielding Team), jumped out to an early lead with singles from Pepin, Smith, Toro and DeRidder. On the power of those four hits the White Sox were able to score 3 runs.

After 1 inning the score was Red Sox: 1- Yankees: 0 and White Sox: 3.

Trivia 2: Who were the two teams involved in the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal?

A.     NY Knights vs. SD Black Dragons.

B.     NY Yankees vs. St Louis Browns.

C.     Boston Red Sox vs. Pittsburgh Pirates.

D.    White Sox vs. Cinn Reds.

In the second inning the Yankees, (Sitting Team), figured that they had done enough sitting around and watching the game. They decided to take an active role, so they rolled out 3 runs of their own. Singles by Laffoon, Dampier and Giordano got the team headed in the right direction. With the bases loaded, Hartley had the key hit in the inning, a double to deep center field, which scored two runners. Matta followed with a sac fly that brought in Giordano and ended the scoring for the Yanks.

After two innings the score was Red Sox: 1- Yankees: 3- White Sox: 4.

Trivia 3: After the 1919 World Series, Black Sox scandal baseball decided to elect its’ first commissioner, his name was:

A.     Bob Zelazny.

B.     Mountain Jack Lafayette.

C.     Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

D.    Bowie Kuhn.

In the 4^th inning all three teams were tied 6-6-6, at least temporarily, until the White Sox batted, in the bottom of the 4^th. Not content to stay with the crowd, those pesky Sox added 3 more runs to their score. Pepin singled to right and with two outs, Toro hit a towering fly ball over the right field fence for a two run homerun. Hamilton followed with a triple and DeRidder singled him home.

After 4 innings the score was Red Sox: 6- Yankees:6- White Sox: 9.

Trivia 4: Which teams were involved in the 1989 Earthquake Series?

A.     Orioles and the Giants.

B.     Athletics and the Giants.

C.     Reds and the Athletics.

D.    Shakers and the Quakers.

 

The Hitting Team, Red Sox, surged into the lead late in the game, by scoring 2-1-1 runs in the last three innings of play. D’Herin, Reagen, Poke, Alumbaugh, Witmer, Hite and Lopez all had crucial roles to play in the scoring during those innings.

When the Sitting team tried to answer in the 7^th inning, their rally was cut short by a brilliant defensive play coming from Joe D’Herin. With runners on 1^st and 2^nd base, Don Keller hit a soft line drive into shallow right field. If the ball falls in for a hit, it probably rolls into the right field corner and Keller has himself a triple. D’Herin ranges far to his left, from his defensive position at 2^nd base and snags the ball, for the 3^rd out, to kill the rally.

Trivia 5: From 1972-1978, seven years, only three teams won the World Series, which teams were they?

The last at bat in our WHSS game belonged to the White Sox, the score at the time was Red Sox: 10- Yankees: 7- White Sox: 9. The White Sox had not scored since the 4^th inning. Could the batting order of Toro, Hamilton, DeRidder and Zelazny do it? That’s like asking if a fish can swim. Of course, this fearsome foursome delivered the goods, 4 singles translated into two runs. The first run tied the game the 2^nd one won the game for the White Sox.

Final Score: Red Sox: 10- Yankees: 7 – White Sox 11.

Trivia 6: Who hit the only game 7, walk off HR, to win the World Series?

 

Leading Hitters:

Alumbaugh: 3/ 4 with a triple.

D’Herin: 4/ 4.

Laffoon: 3/3.

Dampier: 2/3.

Giordano: 2/3.

Hartley: 3/3 with a triple and a double.

Pepin: 4/4.

Toro:  3/ 4 with a HR.

DeRidder: 4/4.

 

Trivia 7: Name the World Series MVP from 2013?

 

Answers:

1.     Fall Classic

2.     White Sox and Reds. (The NY Knights were the fictional team in the movie The Natural.)

3.     Kenesaw Mountain Landis. (You were close if you guessed Bob Zelazny.)

4.     Athletics and the Giants.

5.     Reds, Athletics and Yankees. This period was book-ended by World Championships for the Pittsburgh Pirates, in 1971 and 1979.

6.     Bill Mazeroski.

7.     David Ortiz, Big Papi.