SANTA CALLING

Every year WHSS provides ball players to help staff the SANTA CALLING sponsored by the City of Winter Haven. SANTA CALLING involves calling young children in the Winter Haven area and pretending to be Santa Claus. The interaction with these young children is priceless. Your help can make a great difference in a child's holiday experience by participating in this rewarding event.

SANTA CALLING will be on Thursday, December 6th at the City Hall in Winter Haven from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Light refreshments and a prize drawing for the participants will be held at the end of the evening. The sign up sheet has been available since last Friday, November 23rd at the sign in desk at the ball park. Please sign up and make a great difference in a child's holiday experience.

We only have five people signed up at this time. Please get with Don Witmer on Friday and sign up for this worthy event.

Thanks.

Don Witmer, Commissioner  

CHRISTMAS ANGEL TREE

Elmer Black would like to have all of the gifts for the Angel Tree children brought to the ball park on Friday. He will then be able to get them to the school early next week.

Thanks

Tuesday November 27

Games are on. It's cold and windy. An ear muff day. Let's play ball.

Sent from my iPhone

Friday, November 13th.

Today's is considered Black Friday for the shoppers of the world. Well there ain't no Black Friday in Winter Haven when you get to play ball on a beautiful day where the sun is shining bright and the temperatures were in the seventies.

Forty seven ball players showed up to play ball today. There was one American League game and one National League game.  Both games were close contests with a five run difference in the American League and a one run difference in the National League.

WHSS had seven new players sign up this week. It is time for our yearly influx of snowbirds who have been putting up with the snow and cold weather up north to come to Florida. Please come to the ball park when you get here as soon as you can so we can get the numbers together for the 2018-2019 season.

Thanks.

Don Witmer,
Commissioner

Tuesday, November 20th

Sixty Two ball players showed up to play ball today. We had two National League teams and One American League team. Below is the write up for one of the National League team games. 

Heck of a National League game on field D between Strait's Sluggers and Fave's Flyers. Strait took. 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Fabe put up a nickel in the bottom and never looked back. Final was 17-14 and the Sluggers put up their own nickel in the 7th to pull within striking distance. Newcomer Jim Hunter had a great day in center field, making all catches and plays, 2 of the catches being hard on the run of bloopers wanting to drop in. He also was 3-5 at the plate. John Gibson also had a great behind the plate, snagging one foul tip and another put out at the plate on a throw from Robert Spitalari from the outfield grass. 

Strait hitters.   Walton 3-6. Spitalari 5-6. Capozzi 3-6. Thompson 2-4. Wells 4-4. Gibson 3-5. 

Fabian hitters.   Herb 4-5 w/HR. Roy 4-5. Titan 2-5. Morton 4-5. Hawbaker 4-5. Fabian 4-5. Hunter 3-5. 

WP. Lopiccolo. 

 

Write up by Loren Fabian

SANTA CALLING IS HERE AGAIN

Every year WHSS provides ball players to help staff the SANTA CALLING sponsored by the City of Winter Haven. SANTA CALLING involves calling young children in the Winter Haven area and pretending to be Santa Claus. The interaction with these young children is priceless. Your help can make a great difference in a child's holiday experience by participating in this rewarding event.

SANTA CALLING will be on Thursday, December 6th at the City Hall in Winter Haven from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Light refreshments and a prize drawing for the participants will be held at the end of the evening. There will be a sign up sheet available on Friday, November 23rd at the sign in desk at the ball park. Please sign up and make a great difference in a child's holiday experience.

Thanks.

Don Witmer, Commissioner  

CHRISTMAS ANGEL TREE

A Note from Elmer Black, Chairman of the Christmas Angle Tree Program:

Last year was our first Angel Tree for Lake Elbert Elementary School and we were able to please 42 kids, many more did not receive a gift. This year I will be asking the School for 50 names and if we have money for extra we will try to fill the void. The School has many students that can use our help. 

The Angel Tree is going strong but we still need help from our ball players in order to meet our goal of 50 gifts. Please see Elmer Black as soon as possible and select a child from the Angel Tree. If you are not in Winter Haven yet and want to sponsor a child from the Angel Tree, give Elmer a call, he will sponsor a child for you and you can pay him back when you get here. The cost is $20.00 and Elmer will buy and wrap your gift.  Elmer's number is 863.204.9668 or 450.825.2005.

Regards Elmer Black

BLACK FRIDAY GAMES

We will be playing ball on the Friday after Thanksgiving for those of you that don't want to go shopping.

Friday, November 16th

Solivita Softball was a success this Friday as 13 players from WHSS traveled to Solivita to play a double header against a great bunch of guys from Solivita. The first game looked like it was going to be a rout for WHSS. WHSS scored thirteen runs in the first three innings while holding Solivita to zero runs. In the fourth inning, WHSS was held to zero runs and Solivita roared back into the ballgame with 10 runs scored and making this a close ball game. Solivita scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a one run lead. WHSS had the top of their lineup coming up and Tommy Hamilton led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a single up the middle. Eddie Hurn, who was hitting the ball hard all day, followed Tommy's single with a walk-off two run homer and WHSS won the game with a final score of 20 to 19.

In the second game, WHSS's bats were still hot. They started the game with 5 runs in the first inning, four runs in the second inning and scored 23 runs in seven innings. This was to much for the Solivita guys who could only manage to score 11 runs in the second game.

The friendly competition with Solivita started last year and we have continued to have fun with the great folks from Solivita this year. They come to WHSS one month and we travel to Solivita the next month. We are looking forward to doing this next year and for years to come. If anyone is wondering, Solivita has won more games in this friendly competition than WHSS has but we plan on catching up with them in the future.

Players for WHSS were: Steve Hicks, Tommy Hamilton, Eddie Hurn, Dave Doerbaum, Mike Vacarro, Luis Guzman, Tony Quinones, Dave Shirer, Jeff Stier, JD Davis, Al Guzzo, Ron Pepin and Don Witmer. Home runs were hit by Tommy Hamilton, Eddie Hurn, Dave Doerbaum and Luis Guzman (2). Mike Vacarro was injured in the first game but continued to bat in both games. Lets hope Mike gets better soon.

Write up by Don Witmer

NOTICE    NOTICE     NOTICE     NOTICE     NOTICE

WINTER TIME HOURS ARE HERE. THE CHANGES WILL BE EFFECTIVE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH. SIGN IN AT THE BALLPARK NO LATER THAN 9:00 AM AND GAMES WILL BEGIN AS SOON AS THE TEAMS ARE SELECTED. IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE LATE, YOU CAN CALL DON WITMER AT 863.860.5381 AND HE WILL SIGN YOU IN.

We all hate three team games. It is important to know how many players are going to be at the ballpark in order to determine the number of teams. If you are late, the number of players who are on time may indicate a need to have a three team game when it is not necessary. Please be courteous to your fellow ballplayers and be there on time.

Thanks.

Don Witmer, Commissioner