From Don Ing, Bill Bowley

 PAT DROUILLARD HAD A STROKE THIS PAST FRIDAY AND IS IN INTENSIVE CARE....

Please keep Pat and his family in your thoughts and prayers.   I'll pass along any information as soon as I can. 

An update from Greg Denny's Facebook post

For all my Florida softball buddies, some bad news. Pat Drouillard, from Windsor, Ont. had a stroke this morning. He has no feeling in his left side and is in ICU in Windsor. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. I got the word from Don Ing, who also plays ball with us. I will keep you all posted when I get updated.

Ron

Playing Hard And Having Fun
Tuesday, May 20, 2015  

We had a wing-ding-doodler of a game at the DiamondPlex.Team Wing; Team 1: Dampier, F. Gonzalez, Toro, T. Smith, DeRidder, Capozzi, Hill, Marino, Kallister, Powell, Moots and Merritt.

Team Ding; Team 2: Pepin, Witmer, Doerbaum, Lopez, Grabb, Hite, Spitaleri, Thompson, Straight, Leggett, Bess and L. Baker.

Team Doodler; Team 3: Rivera, Coffman, Jacobs, Schapler, King, Simon, Matta, Shirer, Wells, Boswell and Gibson. 

The game was as close as the hair on a flea’s ear. Team’s Wing and Ding started out as hot as Florida asphalt on a summer’s day. The 1st inning was highlighted by two homeruns, one by Team 1, (Toro), and one by Team 2, (Doerbaum). Toro ran for his HR, after hitting a shot in the right center field gap. He ran the bases like a rabbit with his tail on fire. Doerbaum’s homerun tore a hole through one of the clouds, as it landed over the left center fence. Both teams scored 3 runs. The Doodler Team was asleep under a shade tree in the 1^st inning, they scored 0.

In the 2^nd inning, Team 1, added to their lead by ripping several base hits and scoring five runs. Kallister, Powell, Moots, Dampier, Toro and Smith all had key hits, in the inning. Team Doodler woke up from their nap, in the 2^nd inning, and decided to crank it up, they scored 4 runs. Schapler, King, Simon and Matta scorched a few hits. Simon’s triple was the big hit of the inning. After two innings the score was Wing: 8-Ding: 3 and Doodler: 4.

Team Wing cooled off in the 3^rd inning. Team Ding added two runs to their score when master carpenter, Dave Doerbaum, built a rainbow bridge over the left center field fence, and dinged a two run shot on that rainbow express. Team Doodler kept up their hitting and added 3 runs, Rivera, Coffman, Jacobs and Giordano all had hits. Jacob’s triple was the biggie. After 3 innings the score was Wing: 8-Ding: 5 and Doodler: 7.

 

The teams were in a dog fight throughout the rest of the game, as the teams tried to snarl, growl, bite and claw their way to victory. (Or maybe, that dog fight description was just one of Richie Marino’s stories that I heard in the dugout). As a matter of fact, Rich had a big dog hit in the 7^th inning, smashing a line drive into the gap, in left center, for a home run, that gave Team Wing the lead.  He took a bow after he wowed us, that makes him a bow wow. Team Ding tried to answer back in the middle of the 7^th; they scored 2 runs to make it close. However, with runners on 1^st and 2^nd base, the final out was recorded and Team Ding was done.

It was all up to Team Doodler to see if they could set the bases ablaze and win the game. Looking back, they had ended the 6^th inning ahead by one run. The score at that time was Wing: 8- Ding: 11- Doodler: 12. However, after Wing’s 7 run, 7^th inning outburst, the Doodlers came to bat in the bottom of the 7^th , down by 3 runs. Boswell got things started in the 7^th  , for the Doodlers, with a single. Rivera then singled him to third and Coffman scored them both, with a double. With two outs, and still down a run, Jacobs was intentionally walked, as the boo birds laid down a chorus of jeers, from the bench. With runners on 1^st and 2^nd, Giordano was the right man, in the right spot. He singled to tie the game and move the winning run to 3^rd.  We were knocking on heaven’s door. Alas, that is as close to winning as we would get. The next batter hit an atom ball, a hard liner right at em, which was caught by Witmer, to end the game. Final Score: Wing: 15- Ding: 13- Doodler: 15.

 

All three teams fought hard to bag a trophy elephant; instead all we got was a final score that was irrelevant. In this case, it’s not whether you win or lose, but being able to play in the game that matters.

Gold Glove Plays:

Frank Jacobs’ catch of a sinking line drive in right center.

Ron Pepin’s catch, over his shoulder, in deep left field.

Dave Doerbaum’s catch of a hot grounder, which he turned into a double play.

Dave Shirer’s throw to the plate to gun down a runner.

John Gibson’s catch at the plate to retire that same runner.

Hot Hitters:

Team 1:

Dampier: 4/4 with a double.

Toro: 2/3 with a HR.

Smith: 3/ 4.

Capozzi: 4/4.

Marino: 3/ 4 with a HR and a double.

Powell: 3/ 4.

Merritt: 2/3.

Team 2:

Witmer: 4/4 with a double.

Doerbaum: 2/4 with 2 HRs.

Lopez: 4/4 with a HR.

Grabb: 3/3 and a walk.

Straight: 3/4.

Team 3:

Rivera: 2/3 and a walk.

Jacobs: 2/ 3 with a triple and a walk.

Giordano: 3/ 4.

King: 2/3.

Simon: 2/3 with a triple.

Matta: 3/3 with a triple and a HR.

Boswell: 2/3.

A board meeting was held after the games on Tuesday, May 12. Board members present were Reggie Barnes, Tom Hamilton, Bob Hite, Richard Moots and Larry Powell. Board advisors Ron Butler and Joel Freedman were also present. The summer season has kicked off and most of our snowbird friends have gone home. We have been playing a lot of three team games in the month of May. Summer is a slow time for the league and also for Board activity. The Board wants to remind everyone of the six (6) swing batting practice policy that was reiterated in the last board meeting.


The leagues equipment manager, Lee Baker,  has started putting out the water cooler due to the heat. We also have liquid flavoring for the water. Last year, everyone was given a nice aluminum water bottle to use during the summer season. Please bring your water bottle with you to the ball park. It is beginning to get hot and we all need to stay hydrated.


As usual, if you have any questions, please talk to me or a board member.

Don Witmer, Commissioner

You Haven't Seen This Before

Cypress Belles?

Most United States cities have slogans. Lakeland’s is “Close To Everything, Away From It All”.  That motto is quite appropriate for the city’s central location between the Atlantic and the Gulf, between Orlando and Tampa. Winter Haven’s slogan, “The Chain Of Lakes City”, ok, I get it. The old slogan for Winter Haven was “The City Of Beautiful Girls”, back in the day when Cyprus Gardens was going strong and young maidens strolled through the park. Since that time, you guys either married those pretty maidens, or chased them off.

I am going to give appropriate slogans for the three teams that played in Friday’s WHSS game. Team One, Hitting Team: Pepin, Shaffer, Witmer, Reagen, Capozzi, Marino, Wells, Bess, Merritt and Gibson. Their slogan, “The Spoilers; We Won’t Win The Game, But Neither Will You”. The Spoilers were a light hitting bunch, only scoring eight runs, in the seven inning game. However, their defense and pitching stopped the Sitting Team from scoring many runs, which kept them from winning.

Team Two, Sitting Team: Coffman, Hamilton, Butler, Matta, D. Hill, Hite, Leggett, Simon, Spitaleri, and L. Baker. Our slogan, “Close To Scoring, Far From Winning”. A few guys on the team brought their bats and set up some scoring situations. While a few other guys, better think about buying a new bat, because the one that they are using must have a hole in it. (“Lisa, if you are reading this, I need a new bat.”). With men on base we just could not get a key hit. Give credit to Team Spoiler and the pitching of Josh Wells for keeping us down. In the field, we did play good defense turning three double plays against Team Three.

Team Three, Home Team: Constantine, Gonzalez, Laffoon, T. Smith, Thompson, Davis, Lopez, Moots, Straight, and G. Baker. Their slogan, “Freddy’s Angels; Nobody Clips Ours Wings!” Although they hit into three DPs, the Angels still had enough key hits and wing power, to fly around the bases and score 17 runs. The artist, Michelangelo said, “I saw an angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Freddy’s Angels kept carving up the field with their bats, until they had enough runs to win the game.

Final Score: Team One: 8-Team Two: 11- Team Three: 17.

Here is a good softball slogan for us all to keep emblazoned in our hearts: “Throw, Hit, Catch, Smile and Repeat.”

Diamond Plex, Diamond Players:

Team One:

Pepin: 3/ 4.

Witmer: 4/4 with a double.

Reagen: 3/ 4.

Wells: 4/4 with two doubles.

Team Two:

Coffman: 3/3 and a Sac.

Butler: 3/ 4.

Hite: 3/ 4 with a HR and a triple.

Simon: 3/4.

Spitaleri: 4/4.

Team Three:

Constantine: 2/4 and a walk.

Gonzalez: 3/ 4 with two doubles.

Laffoon: 3/4.

T. Smith: 3/3 and a walk.

Thompson: 3/ 4.

Davis: 3/3 and a walk.

Straight: 3/ 4 with a triple and a double.

G. Baker: 3/ 4.

WP: Thompson.

Written by: Nick Matta

HEADLEY INSURANCE SENIOR SOFTBALL GOLF TOURNAMENT


Several of our WHSS members play softball on the Headley Insurance FHC team. They are sponsoring a golf tournament to raise money for their team. If you would like to participate in the tournament, applications will be available beginning Friday, May 8th at the sign in table. The tournament is at the Willowbrook Golf Course in Winter Haven and will be on Saturday, June 13th with a shotgun start at 8:00 AM. See application for more details.

Cinco De Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for the 5^th of May, a holiday that is primarily celebrated in Mexico and the USA. The true origins of the holiday date back to May 5, 1862, when the Mexican forces, numbering 4,000 men, won a huge battle over the French army, numbering 8,000 soldiers. In honor of the Mexican-American holiday the game write up will center on the holiday. I’ll start by naming the teams after Mexican beers.

Team Corona, Hitting Team: Dampier, Torres, Hamilton, Zelazny, JD, Chrest, Crowell, Shaffer, Mohan, Barnes, Ducham, Gibson and Cappozzi.

Team Sol; Sitting Team: F. Gonzalez, Grabb, Butler, M. Gonzalez, Matta, Deano, Thompson, Lopez, Leggett, Moots, Bowley and L. Baker.

Team Dos Equis; Home Team: Scarborugh, Reagen, Wolfe, Coffman, Marino, Simon, Pepin, D. Hill, Wells, Merritt, Strait and G. Baker.

Team Corona knew it was Cinco de Mayo, they started their celebration by putting up five runs, in the first inning. Dampier, Torres, Hamilton all singled. Zelazny went long distance and hit a triple, Chrest and Shaffer added singles to round out the hits for the inning. Team Corona cruised to an easy win in this game adding 17 more runs throughout the rest of the game.

The Sitting Team, Sol, had the holiday confused. We thought it was Stinko de Mayo, we did not score five runs over the course of the entire game. In all practicality the game was over for us after the first inning. However, we played it out, because you never know with a few key hits maybe we would have been the ones to celebrate. Instead we were like the French army, we were defeated by a force that out played us.

The Home Team stayed in the game through four innings, scoring seven runs. However, after the 4^th inning they took a siesta and did not score again in the game. Team Dos Equis celebrated Sinking de Mayo, instead of Cino de Mayo.

Final Score: Hitting Team: 22- Sitting Team: 4- Home Team: 7

As the Dos Equis, “most interesting man in the world” spokesman would say, “stay thirsty my friends, for more softball”.

Cinco Estrellas Jugadores, (5 Star Players).

WP: Davis

Defensive plays of the game; Denny Shaffer for an over the shoulder grab in right center field. Ron Butler for stretching out and snagging a fly hit in shallow center, Ron made the play all the way from his shortstop position.

Hitting Team:

Dampier: 3/ 4 with a triple and a double.

Torres: 3 / 4 with a double.

Hamilton: 3 / 4 with a double.

Zelazny: 4 / 4 with a triple and a double.

Chrest: 3/ 4 with two doubles.

Mohan: 4/4 with a double.

Barnes: 3/ 4.

Cappozzi: 2/ 3.

Sitting Team:

Butler: 2/ 3.

M. Gonzalez: 2/ 3.

Matta: 2/ 3.

Deano: 2/ 3.

Leggett: 1/ 1 and a walk.

Bowley: 1/2.

Home Team:

Wolfe: 2/ 3.

Coffman: 2/3.

Marino: 2/3.

Pepin: 3/3.

D. Hill: 3/3 with a double.

Wells: 1/ 2 with a walk and a double.

G. Baker: 2/3.

SSUSA Newsletter

For those of you that don't get the SSUSA newsletter here's a link to the PDF version.

Yes that's Don Held playing 1st base in the cover photo.  Also check out page 20 for the All Tournament selections.  Not to toot my own horn but Gary DeFalco and I earned the award and recognition of our team leaders.  See the listing under 65AAA Lake Wales Legends.

Also American Legion's Post 8 Team in the 70's AAA awarded Larry Grabb and Frank Jacobs All Tournament Player.

And the Bucs and Bulls playing in the 75's AAA division gave the same award to Bill Miller, John Ormsby and Doug McLellan.

SSUSA Newsletter