Tuesday December 31st

Games are on.

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American League Team List.

TEAM NICK Lenny DeBroeck Dave Doerbaum Wayne Epperson Tommy Hamilton Les Jacobson Don Keller Nick Matta - Manager Bill Mineer Lonnie Netzel Ron Pepin Bob Pope Dave Shirer Don Witmer

TEAM TONY Rick Brock Luiz Guzman Al Guzzo Steve Hicks Eddie Hurn Alwin Narvaez Morty Ogden Rad Pcholinski Tony Quinones - Manager Manny Rios Brad Scheirer Scott Sequinn Wally Wallace

TEAM JD JD Davis - Manager Don Fee Dana Ferrande Danny Grove Pete Gutenberger Miguel Hernandes Ron Ramos Jose Rivera Don Scarbrough Bob Schulthesis - T Jeff Stier Juan Toro Mark Tutrani Mike Vaccaro 12/30/2019

Friday December 27th

Games are on right now. Rain predicted for late morning. Lets play ball.

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Tuesday December 24th

No games today. All fields have standing water. Enjoy your Holiday. See you Friday.

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Tuesday December 24th

No games today. All fields have standing water. Enjoy your Holiday. See you Friday.

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Friday December 20

Games are on.

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Tuesday December 17

Games are on. Rain predicted for after lunch.

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The National League Draft was held today after the  ball games were rained out. We have a couple of new managers this year. Mike O'Callaghan, Jerry Deridder and Bobby Vandenberg came on board to help Loren Fabian, Larry Strait and Steve Hill. Tom Capozzi is going to assist Bob Vandenberg.  The managers did a great job  in selecting the teams for the 2020 season. Below are the teams.

TEAM # 1 LOREN FABIAN - MANAGER Benson, Tom Essenmacher, Kurt               Fabian, Loren Gibson, John Grabb, Larry Hite, Bob Hunter, Jim Kallister, BJ McColgan, Chuck McPartlan, Jimmy Seguin, Gisele Vanderhyde, George Westermann, Joanne

TEAM # 2 CAPOZZI/VANDENBERG - MANAGERS Bloom, Marshall Dampier, Fred Gelinas, Ken Gonzales, Freddie Hawbaker, Don Hollenback, Robert Learn, Norm MacDonald, Cathy Peski, Joe Ridley, Hal Spigel, Ed Spitaleri, Robert Vandenberg, Bob

TEAM # 3 LARRY STRAIT - MANAGER Ayer, Bill Burtner, Gary Knox, George Kriger, Leo Lamay, Don Letourneau, Joe Levesque, Ray Lopiccolo, Pat McLellan, Bill Minder, Jack Newton, Richard Rodriguez, Poke Strait, Larry Witter, Jerry

TEAM # 4 MIKE O’CALLAGHAN - MANAGER Black, Elmer Boswell, Ralph Castillega, Bobby Constantine, Chris Fryzowicz,Travis Gibbons. Alf Laffooon, Jimmy Miller, Alan O’Callaghan Shafer, Phillip Shearer, Wayne Torok, Don Wells, Larry Zakrowski, Art

TEAM # 5 JERRY DERIDDER - MANAGER Bowley, Bill Deridder, Jerry Gazarek, Eddie Hartley, Mick King, Russ McColloch, Don McNally, Pat Mears, Justin Oesterreich, Herbie Parker, Danny Pinnick, Steve Rutan, Bill Taylor, Ted Wheeler, Michael

TEAM # 6 STEVE HILL- MANAGER Altemose, Jim Andrews, Gerald Hartley, Dave Hill, Steve Hipel, Dave Hudson, Bob Johnson, Dale Morton, Willie Roy, Ray Skidmore, Bobby Spellman, Martin Thompson, Ron Vorher, Wayne Zelazny, Bob

The American League will make a decision next week on their draft. I encourage all American League players to come to the ballpark on Tuesday so you can have a voice on what we will do for the 2020 Season.

Don Witmer, Commissioner

Friday December 13th

Games are on.

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Fwd: Tuesday December 10, 2019

Tuesday

December 10, 2019   Field C

A pitcher's battle was shaping up today on Field C today.  Hal Ridley on the mound for the visitors and Larry Wells leading the way for the Home team.  The two managers Bob Hite and Denny Shaffer put the lineups on the board as follows:  Visitors- Shaffer, Constantine, Jacobs, Gadzarek, Leverque, Ridley Taylor, Gelasky, McCulloch, Joanne Westerman and Bloom.  Home team- Miller, Hite, DeRidder, D'Herin, Mears, Grabb, Rutan, Wells, Hawbaker, Mick Hartley, LaMay.

Let me start with this.  In order to write an article for the Web Page on Winter Haven Senior Softball the score sheet must be able to be read.  Names must be printed and readable.  Hit should be checked on the left side of the box (BB 1B, 2B, 3B, HR). Thank's and now to the game.

The pitchers were making good pitches but the hitters were blasting the balls all over the field.  Only one walk showed up on the score card.  Shaffer and Constantine start the first frame with doubles, after an out, Gadzarek drew the only walk of the game. Leverque, Ridley, and Taylor had hits to post 4 runs in the inning.  Miller led off for the home team with a 3 base hit blasted to the fence. Hite singled and DeRidder blast to right center for a home run. D'Herin singled, Mears double and an infield out produced the 5th run of the inning for the home team.  Both teams scored 7 runs over the next two innings. Score after three was 11 to 12 for the home team. 

In the fourth Constantine led off with a single, Jacobs followed with another base hit and Leverque blasted the first of two homers in the game for him.  Two more hit from Ridley and Gelasky drove in the 4th run for the visitors. LaMay started the bottom of the 4^th with a single, Miller and Hite also had base hits then DeRidder tripled and D'Herin followed with a homer for the 5 run of the inning. 

Hite's home team tallied 15 runs in the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th innings while Shaffer's visitors score 14 runs in a comeback bit over the final four innings.  Final Score Visitors 29 Home team 34.

Hitters – Almost everyone.  Home Runs - Ray Leverque 2, Miller, Hite, DeRidder 2, D'Herin.

Game time 4 hours and 10 minutes.  Seemed like it. 

Great game and great weather for it.

 

Don LaMay

Games are on!

Bob Hite
bhite1955@gmail.com
443-745-1090

Angel Tree A Great Success

Hey, ball players and friends. We can’t Thank You enough for all your support in making this years’ Angel Tree a Tremendous Success.  We will be putting a smile on the faces of 60 children on Christmas Morning. This might be the only gift some of these kids receive.  How fortunate are we. 

Thanks Again, Regards Elmer Black.

Tuesday December 3

Games are on. It is a little cold. Wear something warm.

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A fantastic 3 team game in the National League today. Managers were Hill, Hite and Fabian. After 1 inning the score was 4-5-4 and then the brakes got put on. Going into the open, 7th inning, it was 10-11-10 with Hite's team leading. Fabian's Ridge Riders started the 7th and put up 6 in the open inning to go ahead 16-11-10. That was the final score as both teams went down easily in the 7th. 

It was a very well played game and quite professionally umpired by Elmer Black and Tom Capozzi who are both on the injured reserve list. 

See y'all next week.  

Write up by Loren Fabian

Friday November 29

Games are on. Let your wives do the shopping. You come play ball.

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Tuesday   November 26, 2019   Field D

Today a two team game was played on Field D.  Bobby Spitaleri was at the helm of the visitors and Joe D’Herin managing the home team.  The two opposing pitchers today were Thompson and LaMay who have a total of 168 years of experience, not all playing softball but most of it.  Visitors batted as follows: Gonzales, Dave Hartley, Hipel, Spitaleri, Hunter, Rutan, Gelesky, McColgan, Mick Hartley, McPartlin and LaMay.  Home team line up with Constantine, D’Herin, Essenmacher, O’Callahan, Gibbons, Spellman, Castillega, McCollough, Vandenberg, Fabian and Thompson.

Freddy G. led off with a single and Dave Hartley and Hipel followed with base raps to produce a run for the visitors.   Constantine led off the first inning with a double, followed by a D’Herin single and triple off the bat of Essenmacher, then O’Callahan’s single drove in the 3 run of the inning.  Score after one Home 3 Visitors 1.  Thompson and team held the visitors scoreless in the next two innings while LaMay was hitting the bats of the home team that resulted in 6 runs in two innings.  Score now 9 to 1.  Home team compiled runs in every inning for a total of 24 runs and the visitors squeezed in 7 runs over the final 6 frames.  Final score was 24 to 8 in favor of the home team. 

All in all it was the most fun and sportsmanship this writer has played in a long time. 

Winning pitcher: Thompson

Leading Hitters visitors: Dave Hartley 4 for 4, Gonzales, Gelesky, McColgan and LaMay all 2 for 4.  Every player had a hit.

Leading hitter for Home team: Constantine 3 for 5, D’Herin, 4 for 5, Essenmacher 5 for 5, O’Callahan 5 for 5, Gibbons 3 for 5, McCollough 5 for 5, Vandenberg 3 for 5, Fabian 3 for 4 and Thompson 2 for 5,  Every player has a hit.

Submitted by Don LaMay   

Friday November 22, 2019 Field B

Two team game today on field B with Russ King managing the visitors and Joe D’Herin skippering the home team.  Each team had 10 players with the Comish Don Witmer playing shortstop for both teams. 

Bright sunny skies and the temps in the upper sixties made it a great day for a game.  Visitors led off the first inning with S. Hill, King, Miller, Boswell, Hipel, Spellman, Hunter, Wells, LaMay and Mineer.  Home team took the field with Coffman, Hartley, Knox, D’Herin, McCulloch, Burtner, Ridley, McPartlin, Bloom, and Hudson. 

With Ridley and Wells on the mound this game was shaping up to be a low scoring game especially with Witmer at short for both teams.  The game started with both teams posting zero’s in first two innings.  Mineer singled after one out in the third, then King and Miller followed with base hits and Hipel drove in the third run of the inning.  Wells was on his game today holding the home team scoreless for the first five innings.  King’s Court added 5 more runs in the fourth inning to take an 8 to 0 lead.  Both pitchers to control of the game again by holding the hitters hitless in the fifth inning.  Ridley put up three more scoreless frames against the visitors, while his team added three runs in the sixth and seventh innings.  The visiting team added four runs in the eighth and the home team rallied four in the bottom of the ninth for a final score of Visitors 12 Home team 7.

Leading hitters for Visitors: King and Miller 4 for 5, Hipel 3 for 5, Mineer 3 for 4, everyone else had at least one hit.

Leading hitters for Home team:  Coffman, Hartley, and Knox 3 for 5, Knox added a triple, D’Herin was 4 for 4 with a SAC, and the rest of the team had at least one hit.

Good game, good sportmenship and a Big thanks to Elmer Black for umpiring the game.

National League is looking for managers see Don Witmer or any of the League officers. 

Submitted by Don LaMay

Gobble, Gobble

Crisp air and moderate temperatures, it was perfect weather for softball on 11/19. With Thanksgiving right around the corner today’s AL writeup will definitely have a feast day feel to it.

Pilgrims, Visiting team: Pete, Dana, Lou, Keller, Matta, JD, Tommy, Scarbrough, Pep, Skid and Bill.

Indians, Home team: Rivera, Shirer, Vaccarro, Fee, Wayne, Gerry, Witmer, Alwin, Grove, Coffman, Pope and Wells.

The Pilgrims started off the game and they looked like they never got off the boat. We were shut out in the first. While the Indians had a cornucopia of hits. Rivera, Shirer, Vaccarro, Fee, Wayne, DeRidder and Witmer all reached base safely. They cooked up a casserole of runs, 5, without recording an out.

The lead did not change until the 5^th inning. That’s when Matta, JD, Hamilton and Scarbrough put down their drumsticks and picked up their bats. The pilgrims scored 3 runs to take a 7-6 lead.

In the 6^th inning the Pilgrims were thankful for another run when Pep scored to give us an 8-6 lead. It was short lived as the Indians carved up the ham; Shirer, Fee and Wayne sliced a few hits into the open field and tied the game with two runs of their own. After 6 innings the score was 8-8.

Today we would say “goodbye”, in 1620 the pilgrims would say “fare thee well”.  Whichever way you phrase it, neither team was able to say adios on the field. These two teams and the score was as close as butter on corn. Both pitchers, JD and Wells did a fantastic job and the defense was as deep as a pumitukew. That is the Indian language, Algonquian word for river.

The 7^th inning was the difference maker, the Pilgrims served up a banquet. Dana cooked the green beans with a double, Lou served up the potatoes, with a single; Keller cooked the turkey with a double, Matta brought the stuffing when he walked therefore stuffing or loading the bases, JD added the cornbread with a single and Hamilton dished out the gravy with a single. The Pilgrims scored 4 runs to give us a 12-8 lead. That would hold for the final two innings and be the final score.

This Thanksgiving lets all be thankful to Monto’ac, which is Algonquin for Great Spirit, God; for all that we have been given.

Ohh and pass the pumpkin pie, please.

Pilgrims who baste the turkey:

Dana: 3/5 with a triple and a double.

Lou: 3/5.

Keller: 2/5 with two doubles.

Matta: 4/4 and a walk.

Hamilton: 3/5 with two doubles.

Indian chief contributors:

Shirer: 2/4 with a double and a triple.

Fee: 3/4.

Wayne: 2/3.

DeRidder: 2/2 and a sac.

Alwin: 2/3.

Written by Nick Matta