September 1st - Although it was warm and extremely humid, the three team game was played under cloudy skies. Dick Sessink was on the mound for the overall winning team. They scored 17 while allowing only seven runs on defense. Dick has a record of 14-8 during the off season. George Radlein pitched for the team that scored seven but surrendered 12 runs. The loss evened his record at 10-10. Walt Leggett, whose record fell to 11-5, found his team on the losing end, too. That squad scored 12 but gave up 17 runs.
| Sessink | 2 3 3 | 0 4 5 | 0 = 17 | ||||||||
| Radlein | 1 0 0 | 3 2 1 | 0 = 7 | ||||||||
| Leggett | 2 1 4 | 1 2 1 | 1 = 12 |
The first team hit the ball consistently throughout the game. They were held scoreless only two of the seven innings of play. Lead off hitter Carl Luebking batted 4 for 4 including his seventh double of the off season. Larry Wells hit hard line drives in every at bat and ended the day going 4 for 4 with a double.
The top of the lineup scored the runs for Team One to start the contest. Carl Luebking began with a base hit but was forced at second when Pat Accetta grounded into a fielder's choice. Freddy Gonzalez got aboard when he hit a grounder that was booted. Both players scored when Wayne Mundy connected for a two out single.
The lower portion of the order scored in the second frame. Doug Chamlee and Larry Wells banged back-to-back
doubles before Ken Ota reached base on a fielder's choice play that turned into a defensive error. A double by Carl Luebking drove home the third and final run of the second inning.
Freddy Gonazlez lead off the top of the third with a double. A fine defensive decoy play cut him down at third. Freddy danced around second base after the ball was relayed to third baseman Richard Marino. When Richard threw to rover Vassurl Bess covering second, Freddy took off to third. Vassurl threw a strike back to Richard, who applied the chest high tag to Freddy after he overran the bag & attempted to get back to the third. The next batter flew out to rightfielder Bob Cooper. Afterwards, Wayne Mundy and Dick Sessink each got base hits before Doug Chamlee hit another double. A single by Larry Wells drove the runner for Doug home.
The fifth and sixth innings sealed the victory for the first team. Four scored in the fifth frame and five runs crossed the plate in the sixth. Eight different team mates scored a run and Freddy Gonzalez scored twice. During those two innings, he had a double and a triple.
Team Two seemed to have the strongest hitting team of the three but they ended up scoring the least amount of runs. After the lead off batter grounded out, Don Kemp singled and advanced to third after Chuck Duff had a base hit. Chuck finished the day with a 3 for 3 performance. One of those three hits was a two bagger. After the hit by Chuck, Jim Laffoon singled in a run before Dean Schapeler drew a free pass. A fine defensive play ended the inning. George Radlein hit a ball up the middle that appeared to be a clean single. The runners thought it was a hit too. Rover Carl Luebking got an excellent jump on the ball and reached out to make the grab for the second out. He was so close to second when he made the catch that he stepped on the bag for an unassisted double play to end the inning. He could have thrown to first for a triple play had there beem no outs when the ball was hit.
The second team went three up and three down for the next two innings before they mounted a rally in the fourth frame. Don Kemp lead off with a base rap and raced to third when Chuck Duff doubled in the direction of right centerfielder Ken Ota. A single by Jim Laffoon drove home two runs. Jim ended up scoring from singles by Dean Schapeler and George Radlein.
Team Two had two runs on one timely hit in the fifth inning. Joltin' Joe DeForge walked but was forced out when Reg Barnes grounded to shortstop Wayne Mundy. Don Kemp then hit a fly ball that was dropped in the outfield. As a result of the error, base runners were on second and third base. A single by Chuck Duff drove both runners home.
Team
Three stayed with the leading team for most of the game but faltered at the end. In the first, Sam Harrell and Ron Thompson singled and scored when a ball was booted in the infield and took a wicked hop into the shallow outfield. The ball was hit by Bob Zelazny.
The second inning began well as the first three batters got on base. Rusty Landahl and Bob Cooper both got aboard on errors to start the frame. A single by John Merritt scored the runner for Rusty.
The home team came within one run of a tie in the third inning. Sam Harrell walked to begin the inning before Fred Dampier doubled. A misplayed ball hit by Ron Thompson allowed Fred to score and a triple by Bob Zelazny knocked in Ron from first base. The fourth run scored when Walt Leggett drove a sacrifice fly to the outfield.
John Merritt came through again with an RBI as he drove home a run in the fifth inning. Bob Zelazny doubled before Walt Leggett and Rusty Landahl each singled. The hit by Rusty drove home the first run and a base hit by John Merritt knocked in the runner for Walt.
Two nice catches were made in the outfield this morning. Bob Zelazny patrolled leftfield for the third team. In the third inning, Brent Alumbaugh hit a ball that was sinking as Bob charged in for it. He made a low catch to rob Brent of a single.
In the final frame, the glove of Bob Zelazny came into play again. Doug Chamlee pulled a ball down the leftfield line. Bob charged toward the ball and made the grab just inside the line for the out. Great defensive plays Bob.
LEADING HITTERS:
Carl Luebking - 4 for 4 with 1 double.
Larry Wells - 4 for 4 with 1 double.
Chuck Duff - 3 for 3 with 1 double.
Freddy Gonzalez - 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 2 doubles.
Gene Baker - 3 for 4.
Rusty Landahl - 3 for 4.
Wayne Mundy - 3 for 4.
| DOUBLES: | Doug Chamlee 2 (7), Fred Dampier 1 (35), Chuck Duff 1 (12), Freddy Gonzalez 2 (44), Carl Luebking 1 (7), |
| Larry Wells 1 (17), Bob Zelazny 1 (15) | |
| TRIPLES: | Freddy Gonzalez 1 (5), Bob Zelazny 1 (9) |
| WALKS: | Joe DeForge 1 (27), Sam Harrell 2 (6), Richard Marino 1 (1), Ken Ota 1 (3), Dean Schapeler 2 (3) |
| SAC FLYS: | Walt Leggett 1 (3) |
Jack Donnelly came out and cheered the players. He has been battling some lingering medical problems so he has not played softball since the season ended. It was good to see you Jack and we all want you back on the old ball field again.
September 4th - The three team game ended after quite a few runs were scored in the game. George Radlein picked up a win to bring his off season record above the .500 mark. Dick Sessink and Ron Thompson each absorbed losses.
| Sessink | 2 2 0 | 0 2 3 | 4 = 13 | ||||||||
| Thompson | 3 2 2 | 0 2 1 | 7 = 17 | ||||||||
| Radlein | 5 5 4 | 3 3 1 | X = 21 |
It took a while before Team One could develop any kind of offense. They managed two runs in the first and second frames, but then went scoreless for two innings. The end game was kind to the team, though.
In the first, Don Kemp drew a walk and charged home when Chuck Duff banged a two out double. A single by Vassurl Bess drove Chuck home.
Two runs scored on two hits in the second inning. Joel Freedman and Lee Baker walked. The team made the pitcher pay because both guys ended up crossing home plate. Pat Accetta and Brent Alumbaugh each had RBI singles.
The first team finished strong by pushing across nine runs in the final three innings. Chuck Duff was credited with a three run, inside-the-park homer when rightfielder Sam Harrell attempted a catch on the sinking liner that was hit in his direction. Unfortuantely, the ball hit the ground and skipped by Sam before he had a chance to make the grab. That occurred in the sixth frame. Chuck also singled and scored in both the fifth and seventh innings. Pat Accetta singled twice in and scored both times. Brent Alumbaugh smashed a triple and also singled before he left the game feeling weary. The heat must have affected him but he felt fine by the time the game was over.
Team Two jumped out with a three spot in the first. Carl Luebking, Ron Thompson, and Roger Edwards each singled to begin the inning.
The first out forced Roger at second base when Bob Zelazny hit into a fielder's choice. Randy Lane and Richard Marino each had base hits before the inning was complete. Richard had his best hitting day since joining the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club. He finished with a 5 for 5 performance and had a double.
Back-to-back doubles by Roger Edwards and Bob Zelazny accounted for the two runs Team Two scored in the second inning. Carl Luebking had his second hit of the day before the two baggers. Carl also singled in the third. He has been having great success with his inside-out swing and ended with five hits for the game.
The bottom of the lineup, namely Richard Marino and Skip Morrison, scored the four runs for Team Two in the next three innings. Richard had two singles during the time and Skip got on both times by means of a fielder's choice that erased two singles by Gene Baker. Gene has been hitting the ball with authority lately. He has been included in the hitting leaders for the past two games. The line drive over the second base position has been working well for Gene.
The last frame was monumental
for the second team. They were down by 11 runs and ended up losing by four. Roger Edwards batted twice and went 2 for 2 with a double. Two other players also came to the plate two times but did not have quite the success as Roger. Richard Marino had a big double that drove home two runs.
The home team took charge from the beginning and never looked back. The maximum five runs scored in the first two innings while four more scored in the third.
Reg Barnes began by reaching base on an infield error. George Radlein singled Reg to second before the first out was recorded. A fly out to leftfielder Bob Zelazny was the first out. A second booted ball in the infield allowed Jim Laffoon to reach base. All runs would be unearned since that should have been the final out. As it turned out, five men crossed home. Larry Wells singled in two runs before Sam Harrell flew out to Bob Zelazny. The third misplayed ball in the infield let Rich Moots get on base and knock in another run. Joltin' Joe DeForge added to his league leading walks when he drew a free pass. A single by Reg Barnes, batting for the second time in the first, drove home the fifth run.
The first five batters scored in the second frame but two players reached base on errors by infielders. George Radlein, Freddy Gonzalez, Jim Laffoon, and Rich Moots each had base hits in the five run second inning.
Team Three did not let up in the third as four more runs scored for the powerhouse team of the day. They had their best offensive inning of the game in the frame. Reg Barnes, George Radlein, Jim Laffoon, Larry Wells, Sam Harrell, and Joltin' Joe DeForge all produced singles.
The third team scored in every inning. Freddy Gonzalez went 3 for 3 in the last three innings. One of the hits added to his league leading amount of doubles. Jim Laffoon also went 3 for 3. Jim had two opposite field triples in his effort.
LEADING HITTERS:
Richard Marino - 5 for 5 with 1 double.
Jim Laffoon - 5 for 6 with 2 triples.
George Radlein - 5 for 6 with 1 triple.
Carl Luebking - 5 for 6 with 1 double.
Chuck Duff - 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Gene Baker - 4 for 5.
Brent Alumbaugh - 3 for 4 with 1 triple.
| DOUBLES: | Chuck Duff 1 (13), Roger Edwards 1 (12), Freddy Gonzalez 1 (45), Rusty Landahl 1 (7), Richard Marino 1 (1), |
| Ron Thompson 1 (18), Bob Zelazny 1 (16) | |
| TRIPLES: | Brent Alumbaugh 1 (6), Jim Laffoon 2 (9), George Radlein 1 (2) |
| HOMERS: | Chuck Duff 1 (2) |
| WALKS: | Lee Baker 1 (14), Joe DeForge 1 (28), Joel Freedman 1 (3), Don Kemp 1 (2) |
September 5th - Saturday - We lost a
dear friend and a member of our softball family. Chuck Richmond went to be with our Lord this morning at 5:30 after a courageous battle with throat and lung cancer.
Chuck played in the Lakeland Senior Softball program for many years. He joined the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club for a brief stint in 2008.
During his local softball career over the years, he played Florida Half Century tournament ball with the Road Ends Bullets 50s team, the Lake Wales Legends 60s team, and the Lakeland Rounders 65s team.
We will miss Chuck with all his energy and enthusiasm for the game.
September 8th - Even though one team seemed more powerful than the other two, that team did not score the most runs. The team that seemed the least strong did not disappoint, as they finished at the bottom of the barrel.
| Leggett | 5 0 2 | 3 5 0 | 0 = 15 | ||||||||
| Sessink | 0 2 0 | 3 0 2 | 5 = 12 | ||||||||
| Radlein | 1 5 4 | 5 0 4 | X = 19 |
The first team had the most potent lineup. The second through the eighth batters were all capable of driving the ball close to the warning track. They began with authority. After the lead off batter grounded back to pitcher George Radlein for the first out, Walt Leggett and Jim Laffoon singled before Chuck Duff drove a ball in the gap to right centerfield for an inside-the-park homer. After the dinger, Bob Zelazny singled and Dean Schapeler doubled Bob to third. The team needed two
more runs for a five spot in the first so Don Scarbrough drove both base runners in with a base hit.
The second team went down without a run although lead off batter Carl Luebking had a single and Ron Thompson pushed him to third with a double ground ball to rightfield.
Carl was erased on the base paths when third baseman Don Scarbrough fielded a hot grounder from the bat of Sam Harrell. He made an accurate sidearm throw to rover Vassurl Bess, who covered second base. Vassurl finished the DP with a sharp throw to first baseman Larry Wells.
The home team should have had a three up, three down inning but the third batter reached base on an error. Wally Granger doubled home the runner. Don Kemp singled but Wally was not able to score.
A super defensive play ended the inning. Doug Chamlee hit a sharp line drive to the opposite field. First baseman Sam Harrell reacted quickly and reached to his right and caught the low liner for the third out. Nice grab Sam.
At the end of one inning of play, the score was 5-0-1.
After the first team went down
without a run in the second, the middle team scored twice. Wayne Mundy batted first and got aboard on an infield error. A double by Fred Dampier put two runners in scoring position. After the first out was made, Bob Cooper singled Wayne home and Gale Doty had an RBI base hit.
The third team struck up their offense in the second frame. George Radlein and Rusty Landahl had base hits to begin the rally. It was almost quickly extinguished as the next two batters lined out to shortstop Wayne Mundy. With two outs and not runs in, Joel Freedman, Randy Lane, and Pat Accetta each had singles. A dropped ball in the outfield extended the inning, which allowed Wally Granger to single in the fifth run.
With two innings in the books, the score stood at 5-2-6.
The first team had three productive innings in the third through the fifth frames. Don Scarbrough went 2 for 2 in the middle innings. He finished the day going 3 for 3 in the 12 man lineup. During the three innings, the number one through the number nine batters each scored one run, except for Don, who scored twice. Dean Schapeler smashed a deep triple to right centerfield, driving in two runs in the process.
Team Two remained mired in third place in the middle innings. They managed three runs in the fourth but were scoreless in the third and fifth frames.
In the fourth, Wayne Mundy punched a one out single. Fred Dampier hit a long ball over the head of rightfielder Rich Moots for an inside-the-park homer. With two runs on the boards, Dick Sessink singled and took a pinch runner at first. That paid dividends as Gale Doty singled the runner to third and John Merritt hit a ball that was misplayed in the infield to drive in the run.
The home team fought tooth and nail with Team One during the next three frames.
Bernie Mohan went 2 for 2 and drove home base runners with both singles. Four batters scored two times as they went 8 for 8 combined. Don Kemp, George Radlein, and Rusty Landahl each had two base hits and Doug Chamlee had two doubles.
At the end of five innings of play, the score was 15-5-15.
With the game up for grabs, the first team put their brakes on and racked up two zeroes in the sixth and seventh innings.
Team Three finally took the lead for good in the sixth. Don Kemp, who hit well this morning going 3 for 4, singled to start the rally. The next batter made an out before George Radlein had a base knock. The second out should have been made but, instead, Rusty Landahl was on base and one run scored. Bernie Mohan, Richard Marino, and Joel Freedman had consecutive base hits. In all, four runs scored and those four runs were enough to win the game.
The second team did not go down without a fight, though. The five runs scored in the seventh put the team in double figures for the game. Skip Morrison started the inning by reaching base on an infield error. Hits by Carl Luebking and Sam Harrell followed the misplayed grounder. Ron Thompson hit a sacrifice fly to drive home a run. Before the inning was over, Freddy Gonzalez and Fred Dampier also scored a run apiece.
A nice defensive play was made in the sixth inning and the play killed a rally for the hitting team. With one out in the scorebook, Randy Lane lifted a fly ball to left centerfielder Freddy Gonzalez. Freddy caught the ball and made an accurate relay throw to shortstop Jim Laffoon. The ball wasn't thrown hard to Jim since Freddy thought that was the third out. Jim fired the ball to catcher Skip Morrison to get the runner out by a step. Great throw Jim and nice catch Skip.
LEADING HITTERS:
Vassurl Bess - 3 for 3.
Don Scarbrough - 3 for 3.
Fred Dampier - 3 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Chuck Duff - 3 for 4 with 1 homer.
Walt Leggett - 3 for 4 with 2 doubles.
Wally Granger - 3 for 4 with 1 double.
Don Kemp - 3 for 4.
Jim Laffoon - 3 for 4.
Rusty Landahl - 3 for 4.
Bernie Mohan - 3 for 4.
George Radlein - 3 for 4.
| DOUBLES: | Brent Alumbaugh 2 (20), Doug Chamlee 2 (9), Fred Dampier 1 (36), Wally Granger 1 (14), Walt Leggett 2 (9), |
| Dean Schapeler 1 (8), Ron Thompson 1 (19) | |
| TRIPLES: | Dean Schapeler 1 (3) |
| HOMERS: | Fred Dampier 1 (15), Chuck Duff 1 (3) |
| WALKS: | Bob Cooper 1 (2), Sam Harrell 1 (7), Carl Luebking 1 (3), Dick Sessink 1 (3) |
| SAC FLYS: | Ron Thompson 1 (1) |
One prospective ballplayer joined in on the game this morning. Bob Uhlig played rightfield for Team Two. Thank you for playing, Bob, and please consider joining the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club.
September 11th - The memorial service for Chuck Richmond took place in Lakeland this morning. Also, the Florida Half Century tournament for the age groups of 60s, 65s, and 70s will be played this weekend at Altamonte Springs.
As a result, only 15 players showed up for the game this morning. Cones were placed in the outfield behind second base and batters were obligated to hit the ball only to one side of the field.
| Wells | 2 2 3 | 1 1 1 | 6 = 16 | ||||||||
| Moots | 3 0 5 | 2 5 0 | 0 = 15 |
Three players made their pitching debut this morning. Larry Wells chalked up the victory after his first trip to the mound in a game situation. He has pitched in batting practice. Rich Moots has thrown batting practice as well. He pitched for six innings and left with a 15-10 lead. Freddy Gonzalez came in from the bullpen to rack up a save. Things didn't go as expected for the new pitcher. He gave up six runs in his very first inning and received the loss.
LEADING HITTERS:
Freddy Gonzalez - 5 for 5 with 1 double.
John Merritt - 4 for 4.
Sam Harrell - 5 for 6.
Rich Moots - 4 for 5.
Larry Wells - 4 for 5.
| DOUBLES: | Freddy Gonzalez 1 (46), Don Kemp 2 (2) |
September 15th - Eddie's back.
| Radlein | 1 5 0 | 0 3 0 | 0 = 9 | ||||||||
| Sessink | 4 5 3 | 0 4 4 | 4 = 24 | ||||||||
| Diaz | 3 0 1 | 0 2 0 | 0 = 8 |
Team Two outclassed the competition by far. Although the lineups were balanced, the guys on the second team put it all together. The first three batters, Vassurl Bess, Fred Dampier, and Jim Laffoon, scored 16 of the 24 total runs for the squad.
The first team had two players who stood out from the crowd. Freddy Gonzalez stroked two doubles to extend his off season lead to 48 two baggers. He also had a single in four at bats. Don Kemp had two hits in four plate appearances but scored three times. One of his hits was a triple way over the head of defending leftfielder Dean Schapeler.
Team Three had three players who batted 1.000 this morning. Chuck Duff continued his torrid hitting streak. He went 4 for 4 with a double and a triple. Chuck is batting .810 during his abbreviated time between the white lines this off season. He has played in 17 of the 41 games. Chuck missed many games with a knee problem and has volunteered to umpire on numerous occasions when he does not play.
Dean Schapeler had four hits in his four trips to the plate on the third team. He banged out his ninth double. Bob Zelazny also got a hit in every official at bat for Team Three. He went 3 for 3, including his 17th double of the off season.
LEADING HITTERS:
Dick Sessink - 5 for 5 with 1 double.
Chuck Duff - 4 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Dean Schapeler - 4 for 4 with 1 double.
Bob Zelazny - 3 for 3 with 1 double & 1 sacrifice fly.
Vassurl Bess - 5 for 6.
Joel Freedman - 4 for 5.
Freddy Gonzalez - 3 for 4 with 2 doubles.
Eddie Diaz - 3 for 4.
| DOUBLES: | Fred Dampier 1 (37), Chuck Duff 1 (14), Freddy Gonzalez 2 (48), Jim Laffoon 1 (9), Dean Schapeler 1 (9), |
| Dick Sessink 1 (8), Bob Zelazny 1 (17) | |
| TRIPLES: | Chuck Duff 1 (4), Don Kemp 1 (1), Jim Laffoon 1 (10) |
| HOMERS: | Fred Dampier 1 (16) |
| WALKS: | Gene Baker 1 (5), Walt Leggett 2 (10), Don Witmer 1 (8) |
| SAC FLYS: | Angel Merced 1 (1), Bob Zelazny 1 (1) |
Angel Merced returned after missing most of the 2009 season. He was the first baseman for Team One and went 2 for 3 this morning. Welcome back Angel.
Rich Palmer is still on the DL after enduring knee replacement surgery many months ago. He dropped by the old ball park the last half of the game to watch the action.
Rich is turning the big 8-0 tomorrow. Happy 80th Rich and many happy returns!
September 17th - Thursday - Russ King made his highly anticipated return to the old ball field in Lakeland this morning. He has had some major medical problems and fought through them like a pro.
Pictured is his first at bat, which was a single to the opposite field. You haven't lost your stroke Russ. Welcome back.
September 18th - It was a warm one this morning. The temperature before the game was complete had reached the 90° F mark. The humidity was high so the sweat glands were wide open. Whew!
| Leggett | 4 2 3 | 1 0 0 | 0 = 10 | ||||||||
| Diaz | 4 2 0 | 1 2 1 | 0 = 10 | ||||||||
| Witmer | 4 3 4 | 4 0 4 | X = 19 |
Today marked the second consecutive lopsided game. The home team took the lead after two innings of play were in the books and continued to pile on the runs. They did not even need to bat in the seventh and ended up with almost as many runs as the other two teams combined.
The first four batters went 19 for 19. Lead off hitter Vassurl Bess punched out five singles, Bob Zelazny hit three inside-the-park homers, Jim Laffoon hit a triple down the opposite field line and doubled to right centerfield, and Angel Merced lashed out four line drive singles to leftfield.
All three teams put up a four spot in the first frame. Pat Accetta doubled
to open the game for Team One and Fred Dampier followed with a deep inside-the-park homer over the head of rightfielder John Merritt. After the dinger, Wayne Mundy doubled. The fourth extra base hit came after the first out was made. Pitcher Walt Leggett hit a triple over the head of the left centerfielder and scored on a Rusty Landahl base rap. Sam Harrell and Richard Marino singled to load the bases but the defense got out of the jam with a inning ending double play.
Team Two began their rally after the lead off batter popped up to first baseman Sam Harrell. Freddy Gonzalez connected for a double and scored when Brent Alumbaugh tripled down the rightfield line. Rightfielder Richard Marino was busy today. The next two batters reached base on defensive errors and the fourth and final run scored on a booted ball in the infield.
The first four batters scored for the third team. Vassurl Bess singled to begin the bottom of the first. Bob Zelazny picked on rightfielder Tom Snider all day
and hit a line drive to the left of Tom for his first of three inside-the-park homers. Before the game was over, Bob would have two more inside-the-park homers due to line drive gapper hits to the opposite field. After the homer, Jim Laffoon tripled to rightfield. Rightfielder Tom Snider was busy today, too. Angel Merced banged out a base hit to drive Jim home. A single from the bat of Don Witmer chased Angel to third base, and he scored when the next batter grounded into a fielder's choice.
Team One did all their scoring in the first half of the game. Fred Dampier went 2 for 2 in the second and third innings and scored twice. Wayne Mundy and Roger Edwards each scored once on base hits. Walt Leggett drove in two runs as he went 2 for 2 in the second and third innings.
Freddy Gonzalez was the spark plug for Team Two. He finished the day with four runs and is second during the off season with 89 runs scored.
Team Three continued their hitting barrage at the top of the lineup all game long. The bottom two hitters kept the innings alive for the top as John Merritt found his way on base twice and Joltin' Joe DeForge walked two times. John and Joe each scored twice.
Pitcher Eddie Diaz left the game after the fifth inning due to discomfort in his chest. It was very warm this morning so maybe the heat got to him. Take it easy, Eddie.
LEADING HITTERS:
Bob Zelazny - 5 for 5 with 3 homers.
Vassurl Bess - 5 for 5.
Jim Laffoon - 4 for 4 with 1 triple, 1 double, & 1 sacrifice fly.
Angel Merced - 4 for 4 with 1 walk.
Fred Dampier - 4 for 5 with 1 homer.
Freddy Gonzalez - 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Richard Marino - 3 for 4.
| DOUBLES: | Pat Accetta 1 (7), Brent Alumbaugh 1 (21), Freddy Gonzalez 1 (49), Jim Laffoon 1 (10), Wayne Mundy 1 (5) |
| TRIPLES: | Brent Alumbaugh 1 (7), Jim Laffoon 1 (11), Walt Leggett 1 (4) |
| HOMERS: | Fred Dampier 1 (17), Bob Zelazny 3 (8) |
| WALKS: | Joe DeForge 2 (30), Don Kemp 1 (3), Angel Merced 1 (1) |
| SAC FLYS: | Pat Accetta 1 (2), Jim Laffoon 1 (2) |
Ted Granoski dropped by the old ball park for a visit. He had another back surgery four months ago and brought a copy of the x-ray. He has 10 pins in his back now and a rod in his spine. Ted did not recover form the first back surgery as he should have and needed the second one. Take care Ted and come back to play after you have completely healed.
Frankie Acevedo had knee surgery yesterday morning. He has had leg problems for quite some time and opted to have his knee repaired. We all want to see you on the old ball field after you have your doctor's release, Frankie.
September 19th - Saturday - Regino "Gutey" Gutierrez assembled a team and traveled to Sebring for a wood bat doubleheader. The Sebring All Stars defeated the Lakeshore All Stars twice. While the line drives from the bats of the Lakeshore team seemed to find every Sebring glove, the Sebring All Stars were dropping in hits with deadly accuracy. They won the first game by the score of 9-1.
Lakeshore took a 5-3 lead into the fourth inning of the second game but
Sebring fought back and were victorious again. The final score was 13-9.
Winter Haven Senior Softball Club members Fred Dampier and Angel Merced played with the Lakeshore All Stars. Fred batted 4 for 4 in game two with a double. Angel achieved two hits in the second game. Lead off batter Ivan Renta hit well, too. He started each of the two games with a solid line drive single into centerfield.
Raphael Rivera made two sparkling catches in the outfield. He charged in hard from rightfield just in time to make a shoestring catch on a sinking line drive hit in his direction during the first game.
While playing the rover position in the second game, Raphael backed up shortstop Miguel Negron on a "Texas Leaguer" hit up the middle. The ball tipped out of Miguel's glove but Raphael was directly behind him and grabbed the loose ball while it was still in the air.
Raphael also threw a Sebring runner out at home when a teammate singled to rightfield. The runner thought he was going to score from second base but Raphael threw a bullet to catcher Felix Rivera for the out.
The infield turned three double plays in the second game. Two were started by shortstop Miguel Negron, who scooped the grounders, tagged second base unassisted, and threw to first baseman Regino Gutierrez.
Francisco Cosme was on the mound for the Lakeshore All Stars for the duration of both games. He pitched well and issued only two walks in the doubleheader.
After each of the two games, the Sebring team treated Lakshore to cold sodas.
Although Lakeshore absorbed two losses, a good time was had by all and the next challenge will be held at the Nalcrest Eagles field.
September 22nd - Today marked the first day of Fall although we are still experiencing the warm summer weather. The high is expected to reach 92° F before the day is over.
| M.Taylor | 5 4 2 | 5 0 4 | 0 = 20 | ||||||||
| Diaz | 2 0 9 | 0 2 1 | 1 = 15 | ||||||||
| Radlein | 5 0 5 | 4 0 0 | 4 = 18 |
Team One jumped out with a turbo charged first inning but the defense did give them a quite a bit of help. The first three batters reached base on errors before the hitting began. Clean up hitter Chuck Duff singled in two runs and Angel Merced contributed with an RBI base hit. With two runners on base, Larry Wells pounded out a single, driving in the fourth run of the frame. After the first out was recorded on a fielder's choice play to get Angel out at third, Rusty Landahl connected for a single to load the bases. Poor Richard Marino popped up to shortstop Jim Laffoon for the second out, an infield fly rule. By now, pitcher George Radlein was figuring they would get out of the inning if the defense could get the next batter for the sixth out of the inning. Not to be. Tom Snider singled in the fifth run.
Fred Dampier began the middle of the first with a lead off homer over the head of defending rightfielder Tom Snider. After that, Vassurl Bess singled and Brent Alumbaugh drew a free pass. Don Kemp flew out to left centerfielder Chuck Duff while Vassurl tagged and advanced to third.
A single from the bat of Doug Chamlee accounted for the second run.
The third team put up five runs in the first on a combination of hits and errors. Reg Barnes knocked a one out liner toward rightfielder John Merritt. John couldn't field the ball and it rolled past him for an inside-the-park homer. Three of the next four batters reached base on booted balls in the infield and outfield. The inning mercifully came to an end on RBI singles from the bats of Pat Accetta and Bernie Mohan.
The first team added to their lead on the second and third frames. The team batted through their twelve man lineup plus two hitters and scored six runs. Freddy Gonzalez, Ron Butler, and Wayne Mundy had consecutive singles in the second and they all scored. In the third inning, Marvin Taylor, Rusty Landahl, Richard Marino, and Tom Snider followed each others lead with base raps. The inning ended with a 6-11-3 double play.
After Team Two went four up and three down in the second, the guys put on their hitting shoes and racked up a whopping nine runs to tie the first squad 11-11. Seven straight singles were hitting gaps all over the field. After the first batter reached base on an infield error that had to be retrieved by leftfielder Ron Butler, Fred Dampier singled in the direction of left centerfielder Freddy Gonzalez and Brent Alumbaugh singled to rightfielder Tom Snider. Hits by Don Kemp, Doug Chamlee, and Chris Constantine followed before Eddie Diaz smashed a deep double towards right centerfielder Chuck Duff. The team wasn't finished just yet. Rich Moots walked before Joel Freedman and Lee Baker had base hits. No outs were in the books by the time the ninth and tying run crossed the plate. What an inning!
The home team batted only
three men in the second but came back with five straight runs in the third to come within one run of a three way tie. Errors were abound this morning and the bottom of the third frame was no exception. Don Witmer and Reg Barnes began with base hits before the defense booted balls on the next two batters. Walt Leggett had a single after the miscues. Before the inning was over, Pat Accetta and Bernie Mohan each had their second hit in two at bats apiece at the time.
The score at the end of three innings of play was 11-11-10. Don Witmer and Joel Freedman did a fine job of aligning players to make equal teams today.
Team One pulled a five out of their offense in the fourth. Once again, errors played a major role in the run production. Four errors were recorded to go along with the three hit inning. Wayne Mundy, Chuck Duff, and Angel Merced punched out singles and Larry Wells sacrificed in a run.
The home team responed with four in the fourth in an effort to keep up with the leading squad after Team Two went quietly in the middle of the inning. Joltin' Joe DeForge had a one out base rap and his pinch runner from first
base came around to score the initial run. Reg Barnes singled the runner home before Jim Laffoon had a hard line drive to rightfielder John Merritt for an inside-the-park homer.
The first team scored four more in the sixth and that turned out to be the deciding runs of the game. The inning ended on a crazy play. Rusty Landahl hit a sacrifice fly for the second out to score the fourth run but the runner from first didn't tag and was out as he headed back to first.
The home team put up a fight in the final frame in an attempt to win the game outright. Down by six runs, Jim Laffoon began with a double before a misplayed ball in the infield allowed Dean Schapeler to reach first. Walt Leggett and George Radlein each had base hits. The third hit of the day by Bernie Mohan drove home a run and a Jim McPartlan hit knocked in the fourth run. By the time the final out was made, Team Three was only two runs of a tie.
Some nice defensive plays were made during the course of the game. In the first inning, leftfielder Ron Butler charged in as fast as his legs would take him to make a shoestring catch on a sinking line drive that was hit by Don Kemp.
In the fourth inning, George Radlein singled. The speedy runner from second thought he could score on the hit. Shortstop Brent Alumbaugh took the cut off throw from right centerfielder Don Kemp and threw a strike to catcher Gale Doty for the out at home.
Third baseman Pat Accetta snagged a low line drive from the bat of Wayne Mundy for a great catch. Pat displayed some quick reflexes on that one.
The seventh and last frame of the game had a good defensive play, too. Doug Chamlee came to bat and laced a line drive that seemed to clear the infield. But rover Les Wolff reached high to make a "snowcone" grab of the hard hit ball. Great plays, Ron, Don, Brent, Gale, Pat, and Les.
LEADING HITTERS:
Chuck Duff - 3 for 3 with 1 sacrifice fly.
Fred Dampier - 3 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 triple.
Reg Barnes - 3 for 4 with 1 homer.
Eddie Diaz - 3 for 4 with 2 doubles.
Angel Merced - 3 for 4.
Bernie Mohan - 3 for 4.
| DOUBLES: | Eddie Diaz 2 (9), Jim Laffoon 1 (11), Larry Wells 1 (18) |
| TRIPLES: | Fred Dampier 1 (10) |
| HOMERS: | Reg Barnes 1 (2), Fred Dampier 1 (18), Jim Laffoon 1 (4) |
| WALKS: | Brent Alumbaugh 1 (4), Lee Baker 1 (15), Jim McPartlan 1 (4), Rich Moots 2 (7) |
| SAC FLYS: | Chuck Duff 1 (4), Rusty Landahl 1 (2), Larry Wells 1 (2) |
Three players who haven't been to the park in a while joined in on the fun at the old ball park. Chris Constantine and Marvin Taylor have been nursing some nagging injuries and healing their bodies. Les Wolff has been on a road trip to cooler parts of our United States. Welcome back Chris, Marvin, and Les.
Sam Lopez watched the action from the front row of the grandstands. He is recovering from foot surgery and plans to have another operation next month. Sam plans to play again in December.
September 25th - Pitcher Walt Leggett compiled his 13th win against only five defeats as his team that reigned supreme this morning. The two opposing pitchers recorded losses in the three team contest. Eddie Diaz has an off season record of 7-13 and Marvin Taylor dipped below .500 with the defeat. His record now stands at 2-3.
| Leggett | 3 4 0 | 2 5 1 | 2 = 17 | ||||||||
| Diaz | 0 0 2 | 1 0 3 | 2 = 8 | ||||||||
| M.Taylor | 1 1 3 | 0 2 0 | 3 = 10 |
The first three batters scored 12 of the 17 runs for Team One. Don Witmer came into his own and had a banner day. He scored five runs on four hits, including a triple and a double. Clean up hitter Roger Edwards was perfect at the plate. He went 4 for 4 and had six runs batted in during the game.
Two hitters near the bottom of the lineup did an excellent job. John Merritt achieved three hits in four plate appearances and Richard Marino went 2 for 4 and scored a run.
Team Two had their struggles
both at the plate and in the field. Steady hitter Ron Butler went 4 for 4 and scored two runs and the last batter, Gale Doty, contributed with two hits in three at bats. Gale also scored two runs and so did Ron.
Wally Granger connected for a hard line drive over the head of defending leftfielder Richard Marino for a solo inside-the-park homer in the fourth inning.
The third team rallied for three runs in the final frame to insure opposing pitcher Eddie Diaz of a loss. Before the last inning, Eddie was set up to record another victory. That was not to be. With two outs in the books, a hit was needed for the home team to go ahead and Angel Merced came through with a two run single. Angel ended the day hitting 4 for 4.
Lead off hitter Carl Luebking went 3 for 4 and ignited his team each time. He scored two runs and almost accounted for a third run but was thrown out at home plate.
Two notable defensive plays were executed today. Sam Harrell was assigned to play the third base position. He aligned himself just in the right place when pull hitter Larry Wells came up to the plate in the third inning. Sam caught a screaming liner for the out.
With a runner on first base in the sixth inning, Tom Snider singled to right centerfield. Fill in outfielder Roger Edwards picked up the hit and fired a strike to third baseman Pat Accetta, who applied the tag to the speedy runner.
LEADING HITTERS:
Roger Edwards - 4 for 4 with 3 doubles & 1 sacrifice fly.
Ron Butler - 4 for 4.
Angel Merced - 4 for 4.
Don Witmer - 4 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Eddie Diaz - 3 for 4.
Carl Luebking - 3 for 4.
John Merritt - 3 for 4.
| DOUBLES: | Chris Constantine 1 (5), Fred Dampier 1 (38), Roger Edwards 3 (15), Freddy Gonzalez 1 (50), Ron Thompson 1 (20), |
| Don Witmer 1 (25) | |
| TRIPLES: | Don Witmer 1 (1) |
| HOMERS: | Wally Granger 1 (10) |
| WALKS: | Pat Accetta 1 (1), Reg Barnes 1 (17), Vassurl Bess 3 (12), Chris Constantine 1 (3), Fred Dampier 1 (10), |
| Rich Moots 1 (8), Ron Thompson 1 (15) | |
| SAC FLYS: | Roger Edwards 1 (2) |
September 29th - The last playing date of the month brought ball players out of the woodwork. Two fields were allocated for the games this morning.
The game on Navel Field pitted pitcher Walt Leggett against lefty Dick Sessink. The final score was 23-10 and the winning team did not make one single error, according to the score sheets. Come on guys, be fair.
Eddie Diaz was on the mound against Marvin Taylor on Temple Field. The defense studdered behind Eddie and the close game ended with a 10-8 victory for Marvin.
| M.Taylor | 3 1 0 | 1 0 3 | 2 0 0 = 10 | ||||||||
| Diaz | 1 1 1 | 2 0 1 | 0 2 0 = 8 |
LEADING HITTERS:
None
| DOUBLES: | Fred Dampier 1 (39), Dan Davis 1 (1), Angel Merced 1 (1) |
| TRIPLES: | Eddie Diaz 1 (2) |
| WALKS: | Joe DeForge 1 (31), Bernie Mohan 2 (3) |
Before the games this morning, Dick Sessink was presented with the Florida Half Century division winner plaque by fellow American Legion Post 8 team mate Ron Thompson. The American Legion Post 8 is a team in the 70s division of Florida Half Century tournament softball. The manager is Jose Agosto.
Post 8 won their division in Altamonte Springs for the September tournament. Dick Sessink pitched all four games and gave up only six total earned runs.
He was working on a shutout during one game. Late in the game, a run scored when one of the Post 8 players thought the side was retired and rolled the ball to the pitcher's mound. The alert runner from third base broke for home and scored the only opposing run of the game.
Congratulations Dick for an outstanding job in the September tournament.
| Leggett | 1 1 5 | 0 1 0 | 2 0 0 = 10 | ||||||||
| Sessink | 4 1 2 | 5 5 1 | 5 0 X = 23 |
LEADING HITTERS:
Doug Chamlee - 5 for 5 with 2 doubles.
Chris Constantine - 4 for 4 with 1 triple & 2 doubles.
Don Kemp - 4 for 5 with 1 triple.
Freddy Gonzalez - 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Joel Freedman - 4 for 5.
Vassurl Bess - 3 for 4 with 2 doubles.
John Merritt - 3 for 4.
Frank Miller - 3 for 4.
| DOUBLES: | Vassurl Bess 2 (12), Doug Chamlee 2 (11), Chris Constantine 2 (7), Freddy Gonzalez 1 (51), Walt Leggett 1 (10), |
| Richard Marino 1 (2), Don Witmer 1 (26) | |
| TRIPLES: | Chris Constantine 1 (5), Don Kemp 1 (2) |
| WALKS: | Tom Bonds 1 (1), Bob Uhlig 2 (2) |
Four players returned to the old ball field. Al Andrews returned from West Port Island, Maine, Marshall Bloom lives in Winter Haven but does not play in the summer, Tom Bonds came down from Melholly, New Jersey, and Frank Miller returned from Byron Center, Michigan. Welcome back Al, Marhsall, Tom, and Frank.
Dan Davis is a new perspective Winter Haven Senior Softball Club member who played this morning. Please consider joining in on the morning softball games, Dan.
