February 2nd - The games were cancelled due to rain. The weather forecasters have predicted more of the wet stuff for the next two to three hours. Even if the rain had stopped before game time, the fields would have been too wet to use.
Although the league is one third of the way through the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club regular season, eight of 24 games have been scheduled, two of the game dates have been rained out.
Listed are the statistics leaders through six games played.
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| BATTING AVERAGE | Elmer Wilcox | .783 | BATTING AVERAGE | Chuck Duff | .739 | |||||
| Bill Miller | .767 | Al Andrews | .708 | |||||||
| Bernie Peterson | .714 | Don Bercaw | .700 | |||||||
| RUNS | Bill Evans | 19 | RUNS | Don Bercaw | 16 | |||||
| Ron Augenstein | 17 | Fred Dampier | 16 | |||||||
| Bill Miller | 16 | Chuck Duff | 16 | |||||||
| Floyd Welton | 16 | Al Andrews | 16 | |||||||
| Joe D'Herin | 16 | |||||||||
| Don Erb | 14 | |||||||||
| Jim Laffoon | 14 | |||||||||
| Carl Luebking | 13 | |||||||||
| HITS | Bill Miller | 23 | HITS | Bob Zelazny | 18 | |||||
| Floyd Welton | 21 | Chuck Duff | 17 | |||||||
| Bernie Peterson | 20 | Al Andrews | 17 | |||||||
| Bill Evans | 20 | Joe D'Herin | 17 | |||||||
| Walt Leggett | 20 | Don Erb | 16 | |||||||
| Jim Laffoon | 16 | |||||||||
| DOUBLES | Bernie Peterson | 8 | DOUBLES | Joe D'Herin | 10 | |||||
| Floyd Welton | 5 | Don Erb | 6 | |||||||
| Doug McLellan | 4 | Al Andrews | 6 | |||||||
| Ron Thompson | 4 | Roger Edwards | 5 | |||||||
| Bill McEllister | 4 | Jim Laffoon | 5 | |||||||
| Bill Evans | 4 | |||||||||
| TRIPLES | Doug Chamlee | 3 | TRIPLES | Chuck Duff | 4 | |||||
| Mike Stepp | 2 | Don Scarbrough | 4 | |||||||
| Ed Kline | 2 | Carl Luebking | 3 | |||||||
| John Stewart | 2 | Don Erb | 3 | |||||||
| Bill Miller | 2 | 11 Tied With | 2 | |||||||
| 7 Tied With | 1 | |||||||||
| HOME RUNS | Jerry Noble | 6 | HOME RUNS | Don Bercaw | 4 | |||||
| Bill Evans | 4 | Don Erb | 3 | |||||||
| Bernie Peterson | 3 | Neil Gelpi | 2 | |||||||
| Danny Parker | 2 | |||||||||
| Denny Shaffer | 2 | |||||||||
| Bob Zelazny | 2 | |||||||||
| TOTAL BASES | Bernie Peterson | 39 | TOTAL BASES | Don Erb | 37 | |||||
| Bill Evans | 38 | Bob Zelazny | 32 | |||||||
| Jerry Noble | 36 | Don Bercaw | 31 | |||||||
| OBP | Elmer Wilcox | .783 | OBP | Fred Dampier | .750 | |||||
| Bill Miller | .774 | Chuck Duff | .731 | |||||||
| Ron Thompson | .724 | Al Andrews | .731 | |||||||
| Don Bercaw | .708 | |||||||||
| SLG | Jerry Noble | 1.565 | SLG | Don Erb | 1.609 | |||||
| Bernie Peterson | 1.393 | Don Bercaw | 1.550 | |||||||
| Bill Evans | 1.310 | Chuck Duff | 1.304 | |||||||
| OPS | Jerry Noble | 2.217 | OPS | Don Bercaw | 2.258 | |||||
| Bernie Peterson | 2.117 | Don Erb | 2.224 | |||||||
| Bill Evans | 2.010 | Chuck Duff | 2.035 | |||||||
| WALKS | Terry Feehan | 4 | WALKS | Fred Dampier | 7 | |||||
| Ron Thompson | 4 | Doug Graham | 3 | |||||||
| Lee Baker | 3 | Bob Cooper | 3 | |||||||
| 7 Tied With | 2 | Don Bercaw | 3 | |||||||
| Larry Wells | 3 | |||||||||
| Ken Wilson | 3 | |||||||||
| Sam Lopez | 3 | |||||||||
| Vassurl Bess | 3 | |||||||||
| 7 Tied With | 2 | |||||||||
| SACRIFICE FLYS | Doug Chamlee | 2 | SACRIFICE FLYS | Don Erb | 3 | |||||
| Ron Carrothers | 2 | Larry Wells | 2 | |||||||
| Doug McLellan | 1 | Jim Laffoon | 2 | |||||||
| Bill McEllister | 1 | 11 Tied With | 1 | |||||||
| Dick Sessink | 1 | |||||||||
| Ron Augenstein | 1 | |||||||||
February 5th - The week layoff seemed to revive the
Cardinals as they gathered win number one. They outlasted the Astros 19-16. Hopefully, with the initial "W" under their belt, the Cardinals can get on the winning track.
The game was not without drama, though, because the contest wasn't decided until the bottom of the eighth inning. Five Cardinals runs crossed the plate without the benefit of an out. Ted Taylor lead off with a base hit, followed by singles from the bats of Jerry Noble, Bill McEllister, and Ron Carrothers. Pool player Doug Chamlee had an RBI double and winning pitcher Ted Granoski singled in the fifth and final run of the frame.
Mike Stepp slammed a one out solo homer in the top of the ninth for the Astros but that was it in the scoring column. Elmer Wilcox was left at third when the game ended and pool player Doug McLellan occupied first. Both had reached base with singles after the homer.
The Mets and Rockies put up numbers to envy a football game. The Mets persevered and won 26-21. Similar to the other National League game, this contest was decided late, too. The Mets and Rockies were knotted at 21-21 heading into the final frame but the undefeated team busted out with five runs for the victory. Bernie Peterson started his team out with a double. He finished with four hits and was a single away from hitting for the cycle. Dick Sessink singled Bernie home after the previous batter grounded out short to first and advanced Bernie to third. John Merritt knocked a base hit to push the runner for Dick to third. The next two batters drew walks. Gale Doty and Ed Schmiedeke walked and the free pass to Ed drove home a run. Pool player Rusty Landahl singled in two runs but the inning came to an end when the next batter grounded into a double play.
Sam Harrell lead the Rockies in runs scored with four. Bill Evans was one behind. He touched home plate three times. Every Rockies player scored in the losing effort.
The Red Sox and Tigers each picked up their fifth win in seven games in American League action. For the second consecutive game against the Royals, the Red Sox won in the late innings. This time, they exploded for eight runs in the ninth to win by nine. At one point, they had been shut down for five straight innings.
The Red Sox ninth began with singles by Mike Urell and Larry Wells. The Royals pitcher briefly lost control as John Abramo and Ken Ota drew back-to-back free passes. The ball seemed to start bouncing the right way for the Red Sox after the walks. Mike Wheeler singled, the third walk of the inning was issued to Tom Bonds, and that brought the top of the potent lineup to bat. Al Andrews hit a sacrifice fly ball, which was only the first out. Joe D'Herin and Don Erb each smashed doubles and Chuck Duff had a base rap. The dust seemed to settle after the hit by Chuck but major damage had already been done. The one run lead turned into a nine run win.
The Tigers handed the Athletics a fifth loss with a close 16-15 victory. The new pitcher for the Athletics, Clair Auchey, did a fine job on the mound in his pitching debut. He walked only two batters and kept his team in the game with his performance.
The Tigers scored 16 runs and each of the 11 men in the lineup scored at least once.
| Cardinals | 19 | Astros | 16 | Mets | 26 | Rockies | 21 |
| Red Sox | 19 | Royals | 11 | |
| Tigers | 16 | Athletics | 15 |
LEADING HITTERS:
Cardinals
Doug Chamlee - 4 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Bill McEllister - 4 for 5.
Astros
Mike Stepp - 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 triple.
Doug McLellan - 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Elmer Wilcox - 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Frank Miller - 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
Mets
Dick Sessink - 5 for 5
Bernie Peterson - 4 for 5 with 1 homer, 1 triple, & 2 doubles.
Don LaMay - 3 for 4 with 1 double & 1 sacrifice fly.
Gale Doty - 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
Joel Freedman - 3 for 4.
Rockies
Bill Evans - 4 for 5.
Red Sox
Al Andrews - 3 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 sacrifice fly.
Mike Urell - 3 for 4.
Mike Wheeler - 3 for 4.
Royals
Jim Laffoon - 3 for 4 with 1 double.
Bob Zelazny - 3 for 4.
Tigers
Freddy Gonzalez - 5 for 5 with 2 doubles.
Stevan Hill - 4 for 5.
Don Keller - 3 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 double, & 1 walk.
Athletics
Neil Gelpi - 3 for 4 with 1 walk & 1 sacrifice fly.
National League homers: Mike Stepp (Astros); Bill Miller & Bernie Peterson (Mets); Jim McPartlan (Rockies).
American League homers: Al Andrews (Red Sox); Don Keller (Tigers); Danny Parker (Athletics).
Jim Margolin returned from Monroe, Twp, New Jersey. He was the DH for the Rockies this morning. Welcome back Jim.
Kirk Coffman joined the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club today. He was placed into the American League pool and was the first baseman for the Royals on Fred White Field. Kirk had a double and scored one run for the team. Welcome aboard, Kirk.
Randy Mair played left centerfield for the Royals. He used his free play date to patrol left centerfield for the Athletics. Randy singled in his second of three at bats. Please return and join the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club, Randy.
February 6th - Saturday - Ted Taylor formed a team primarily from the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club and challenged Nalcrest to a doubleheader. The team, the Ashton Gators, was named after the Lake Ashton community in Lake Wales. The two games were played at Nalcrest Eagles Field.
The first game came down to the wire and wasn't decided until the bottom of the ninth inning.
The Ashton Gators were ahead 17-15 but Nalcrest had loaded the bases for power hitter Jim White. He came through in a a big way. Jim belted a grand slam home run over the left centerfield fence for a 19-17 Nalcrest victory.
Dave "Crash" Kieffer earned the win for Nalcrest. The pitcher of record for the Ashton Gators was Jerry Witter.
Leading hitters for Nalcrest included Matt McKulvey, who went 4 for 5 with a homer; Jim White, who batted 4 for 5 with two homers; and Joe Nittoli, who went 5 for 5. Dan Casey, and Dave "Crash" Kieffer each had 3 hits in 4 trips to the plate.
Leading hitters for the Ashton Gators: Ted Taylor - 4 for 4; Don Keller - 4 for 5 with a triple and two doubles; Brent Alumbaugh - 4 for 5 with three doubles; and Lakeshore resident John Devitt, who went 3 for 4.
The second game was a high scoring affair, too. The Ashton Gators won 24-16 in the seven inning game .They took charge early by scoring 14 runs in the first three frames.
John Stewart hit 3 for 4 with a triple to lead the charge for the Ashton Gators. Bill Evans and Jerry Noble each connected for a double while batting 3 for 4. Bob Cooper and Ken Ota each went 3 for 4.
Nalcrest players Matt McKulvey and Jim White each hit one home run over the fence in the second game.
Jerry Witter posted the win to even his record for the day at 1-1 and Matt McKulvey absorbed the loss.
February 9th - The undefeated Mets had their work cut out for them this morning against the Astros. The Astros tied the score at 9-9 when they put up three runs in the fifth frame. The first three batters in the lineup reached base and all three scored by the time the inning was in the books. Frank Miller and Ron Thompson each singled to start things off in the right direction. The next batter also got aboard. A single by Ed Guspyt pushed Frank home, then a groundout scored the second run. The final run was tallied when pool player Doug McLellan singled.
The Mets went ahead for good in the seventh when they added two to their score. Three more in the eighth were insurance runs. John Merritt tripled home two runs in the eighth inning. He also had an RBI back in the third frame.
The Rockies evened their record at 4-4 with a win over the Cardinals. The Cardinals dropped to 1-7 this season.
It was either feast or famine for the Rockies. They scored the limit of five runs in five different innings but were shutout completely in the other three frames. Since they were the home team, the Rockies had the game wrapped up and did not have to bat in the bottom of the ninth.
Although the Cardinals went down in defeat, it was not because of their defense. After the lone miscue in the infield during the first inning, not a single error was committed afterwards in the losing effort.
The infield was headed by shortstop Bill McEllister, with Ron Carrothers playing the rover position and handling all grounders up the middle. Pool player Doug Chamlee and John Fulton were vacuum cleaners at second and third. Solid gloveman Rich Moots took every infield throw at first base. The outfield was handled with ease by Fred Ducham, Jerry Noble, Ted Taylor, and Les Wolff.
In the American League, the Red Sox came from behind to post their sixth victory in eight contests. They were down 13-4 against the Athletics heading into the bottom of the third and exploded for seven runs. After lead off hitter Al Andrews flew out to start the third, Joe D'Herin doubled and was driven home with a single from the bat of Don Erb. Chuck Duff and Don Bercaw each connected for base hits before Mike Tomasso hit a triple down the leftfield line. Larry Wells kept the hitting spree going with a two bagger. Bill Rutan and John Abramo followed with singles. The hit by John drove home the seventh and final run of the third.
The Athletics put five runs on the boards in the fourth for the third straight inning. A bases loaded, bases clearing double by Clair Auchey turned out to be the crushing blow in that frame. In the previous inning, Clair lead off with a triple so his bat was steaming hot this morning.
The Red Sox tied the score at 18-18 in the bottom of the fourth when they put up seven more runs. Joe D'Herin hit his league leading 14 th double. Don Bercaw also pounded out a double, his first of two for the game.
The Athletics scored two runs in the seventh but were shut down with goose eggs in the fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth innings.
Two long balls were hit out of Fred White Field during the game. Danny Parker drove the ball over the fence for
the Athletics in the first for a two run tater. Red Sox slugger Don Erb hit a home run over the leftfield fence to cap off the eighth inning but was only credited with a triple. His run would have gone over the limit of runs for the inning. Another player was dealt the same fate in the other American League game today. Read on.
The Tigers are beginning to make a habit of coming from behind when they are matched against the Royals.
At one point in the game, the Royals had built their lead up to seven. The first three Royals batters scored 45% of the runs. Number one man Carl Luebking scored four while two hole and three hole hitters Fred Dampier and Bob Zelazny found their way home three time apiece. Milo Macko also scored three times for the Royals but was elsewhere in the lineup.
Royals player Don Scarbrough blasted the ball over the left centerfield fence to finish the top of the fourth inning. As luck would have it, his run would have been the sixth of the inning, so his hit was scored as a triple.
With the Royals leading 22-18 going into the bottom of the last inning, the Tigers got pumped up when a close but correct call at first in the top of the ninth didn't go their way. The outspoken and disgruntled players took out their frustration on the ball. Art Zakrowski and Larry Powell began with base knocks before pool player Bernie Mohan laced a hot grounder down the leftfield line. By the time outfielder Denny Shaffer was able to relay the ball back to the infield, Bernie had already made three left turns and touched home plate for an inside-the-park homer. Stevan Hill doubled before the next batter popped up to third baseman Frank Acevedo for the first out. As it turns out, that was the only out recorded in the bottom of the ninth as everything continued to unravel for the Royals. Dan Whisler singled Steven home for the tying run. Dan represented the winning run so manager Larry Powell called on speedy Freddy Gonzalez to run from first. Instead, he walked to second and third when monster hitters Don Keller and Brent Alumbaugh were intentionally walked. A single from the bat of Jack Benson gave the Tigers another come-from-behind win.
| Mets | 14 | Astros | 11 | Rockies | 25 | Cardinals | 19 |
| Red Sox | 26 | Athletics | 20 | |
| Tigers | 23 | Royals | 22 |
LEADING HITTERS:
Mets
Don LaMay: 4 for 5.
John Merritt: 3 for 4 with 1 triple.
Gale Doty: 3 for 4.
Dick Sessink: 3 for 4.
Astros
Doug McLellan: 3 for 4 with 1 homer.
Ed Guspyt: 3 for 4 with 1 double.
Ron Thompson: 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Elmer Wilcox: 3 for 4.
Rockies
Gene Morey: 4 for 4.
Bill Evans: 4 for 5 with 2 homers & 1 triple.
Floyd Welton: 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Walt Leggett: 3 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 triple.
Cardinals
Doug Chamlee: 5 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Fred Ducham: 5 for 6.
Ed Kline: 4 for 5.
Red Sox
Don Erb: 5 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 triple.
Al Andrews: 4 for 5.
Don Bercaw: 3 for 4 with 2 doubles.
Randy Mair: 3 for 4 with 1 double.
Chuck Duff: 3 for 4.
Athletics
Chris Constantine: 4 for 4 with 1 double.
Danny Parker: 3 for 3 with 1 homer, 2 doubles, & 1 walk.
Keith Linton: 3 for 3 with 1 walk.
Clair Auchey: 3 for 4 with 2 triples & 1 double.
Royals
Carl Luebking: 4 for 4 with 1 walk.
Denny Shaffer: 3 for 3 with 1 homer, 1 walk, & 1 sacrifice fly.
Bob Zelazny: 4 for 5 with 2 triples & 1 double.
Don Scarbrough: 3 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 triple, 1 double, & 1 walk.
Milo Macko: 3 for 4 with 1 homer.
National League inside-the-park homers: Mike Stepp & Doug McLellan (Astros); Bill Evans 2 homers, Reg Barnes, Walt Leggett, & Floyd Welton (Rockies); Ted Taylor (Cardinals).
American League homers over the fence: Don Erb (Red Sox); Danny Parker (Athletics); Don Scarbrough (Royals).
American League inside-the-park homers: Brent Alumbaugh & Bernie Mohan (Tigers); Fred Dampier, Milo Macko, & Denny Shaffer (Royals).
Bill Rutan returned from Columbus, Indiana. He is a pool player who helped the Red Sox with two hits in four trips to the plate. Bill Triolo arrived from Milford, New York and was put into the National League pool. Bill played with the Mets and also went two for four. Welcome back Bill and Bill.
The Winter Haven Senior Softball Club season games are cancelled for Friday, February 12 th. The fields will be used for the Winter Nationals, a tournament sanctioned by Senior Softball, USA.
The pizza and pop party has been postponed until Friday, February 19 th.
Team pictures will be scheduled for Friday, February 19 th. Please make every attempt to be at the old ball park to be included in the team pictures.
February 13th - Saturday - Regino "Gutey" Gutierrez took his Lakeshore All Star team to Sebring for a wood bat doubleheader this very cold morning. The temperature was in the 40s at game time. The 15-20 MPH wind made the air temperature feel like it was in the upper 30s due to the wind chill factor. The sun did make a brief entrance through cloudy skies during the bottom of the sixth inning of the second game. Practically every player stopped to applaud Old Man Sol's appearance.
Lakeshore started off strong as they put three runs on the board in the opening inning of the first game. Fred Dampier,
Angel Merced, Jose Molina, Miguel Negron, and Matt McKulvey each connected for base hits before the first out was made. A single by John Hibschman drove home the third and final run of the first.
The second frame was also productive for the Lakeshore squad. John Devitt opened with a single, but the next two batters flew out to left centerfield and leftfield respectively. Lakeshore mounted a nice two out rally after that. Jose Molina, Matt McKulvey, Jim White, and J.C. Crowell connected for successive base raps. Four runs scored in the inning according to the score sheet but the team was credited with thee.
Lakeshore had a comfortable 6-0 lead at the end of two innings of play. It was looking great for the good guys. But the feeling wouldn't last long enough.
Sebring fought back in the third with four runs and added another in both the fourth and fifth innings. The score was now tied 6-6.
Neither team could
put much of an offense together and the score remained tied heading into the home seventh. Sebring had the winning run on third with one out recorded when the Sebring batter flew out to right centerfielder John Hibschman. The runner tagged up from third and scored when the throw was strong enough but pulled catcher Rosendo Soto off the plate.
Sebring won the first game 7-6. Matt McKulvey was on the mound for the Lakeshore All Stars and would get the call for the second game, too.
John Devitt and Miguel Negron each went 3 for 4 and J.C. Crowell went 2 for 3 with a walk. Three hitters batted .500 with two hits. Matt McKulvey, Angel Merced, and Jose Molina all achieved that feat.
The second game started after a ten minute break. The rest period gave all the players a chance to thaw out from the cold. Lakeshore tried to fight back throughout the contest but kept falling short. Sebring put up a two spot in the first and added two more in the third inning. The final score was 10-4 in favor of the Sebring All Stars.
Matt McKulvey went 3 for 3 with one free pass. Both Fred Dampier and Angel Merced went 3 for 4 with one triple apiece.
The next wood bat doubleheader between the two teams is tentatively scheduled for March 13 th at the Nalcrest Eagles Field.
February 16th - The weather was a bit on the cool side with the high expected to reach 58° F. The wind was a factor for the outfielders since it was blowing about 15 MPH.
The Mets extended their winning streak to nine games with a victory over the Rockies. The Rockies did all they could as they played a solid and errorless defense throughout the entire game against the league leaders.
The Rockies took the lead in the third frame with five runs and added three more in the fourth. In the third, pool player Jim Margolin lead off
with a single, followed by base hits from the bats of Floyd Welton and Sam Harrell. A one out single by Ron Augenstein knocked in a couple of runs as did the three bagger by Walt Leggett. A base hit by Reg Barnes capped off the inning.
Three runs in the Rockies fourth added to their lead. The runs were produced by way of base knocks from the bats of Bill Ayer, John Merritt, Jim Margolin, and Floyd Welton.
The Mets pecked away at the Rockies lead until the game was tied at 11-11 after eight innings of play. Then the fun started. With the help of two defensive errors and a barrage of singles, the Rockies pushed across eight runs in the top of the ninth. What an inning!
The Mets were
now down 19-11 heading into the home ninth with the very top of the batting order due to bat. Bill Miller, perfect for the day and already credited with hitting for the cycle in his first four at bats, banged out his second double of the day. After the next batter popped up to the shortstop, John Stewart singled Bill to third. Bernie Peterson stepped up and smashed his second homer of the day. This three run shot added to his RBI total after a solo homer in the opening inning. Newly acquired pitcher Rich Palmer singled before John Smith, who moved over from the Astros, drove a ball down the rightfield line for an inside-the-park homer.
The big lead by the Rockies continued to dissipate. Gale Doty and Ed Schmiedeke got on base with singles so Les Wolff could drive them in with a homer down the leftfield line.
The score was now knotted at 19-19 but the Mets weren't through yet. Skip Morrison singled. A base hit by Bert Snyder moved the pinch runner for Skip to second and a single by Joel Freedman drove the winning run home.
What an exciting finish! Eight runs in the top of the ninth and nine in the bottom of the last frame.
The National League game on Field E was no less climatic. The Cardinals had gone quite a bit of distance behind the Astros by the time the top of the seventh arrived. The Astros had built up a 20-11 lead. John Fulton started the Cardinals seventh with a single before Bart Gongaware and Ray DePalma drew free passes to load the bases. Rich Moots singled in two runs before the first out was recorded. The last batter in the lineup struck out. After the big K, Fred Ducham had a hit and Ted Taylor walked. The pattern repeated itself once more as Jerry Noble singled and Bill McEllister walked. Successive base raps by Doug Chamlee, Ron Carrothers, and Ted Granoski tied the score at 20-20.
The Astros regained the lead in the home seventh with timely hitting from the team.
But they didn't mount their offense until the first two batters made outs. Afterwards, Mike Stepp, Ed Guspyt, Elmer Wilcox, Marshall Bloom, and Ray Mills each punched out base hits. Three runs scored as a result.
The Cardinals pulled the game out with three in the ninth to win by one run. Doug Chamlee drove home a run with a double and Ed Kline knocked in what would turn out to be the winning run with a triple to the opposite field.
Chris Constantine took
over the reins of manager in the absence of leader Russ King. Chris took home a victory in his debut as the Athletics knocked the Tigers out of a first place tie with the Red Sox. The final score was 21-11.
Four pool players aided the Athletics in their win. Dean Schapeler had an inside-the-park homer to go along with a triple. He finished with four RBIs. Ed Gazarek went 2 for 3 with a three bagger and drove home two runs for the day. Doug Graham went 2 for 3 with a walk and scored twice, and Greg Bombard scored once.
Clair Auchey took the mound for the Athletics and picked up his first win. He also helped his cause by smashing two triples.
The Tigers were puzzled by the pitching finesse of Clair Auchey. They were shut down five of the nine innings. But they weren't without good hitting performances. The three-four punch in the batting order went 6 for 7. Dan Whisler had three hits, including a double and Don Keller had two doubles and a single in three official at bats. He also walked one time.
The Red Sox won by five over the Royals on Field D this morning. The bottom of the lineup got on base frequently to turn the batting order over for the Red Sox. Bob Lundquest singled twice and hit one double in his last three trips to the plate. Ken Ota coaxed two walks and singled.
Once the top of the lineup got to the plate, they scored in bunches. Al Andrews, Don Erb, Chuck Duff, and Mike Tomasso each scored three times and Joe D'Herin touched home on four separate occasions.
The Royals didn't have an answer during the game. Try as they may, they were always down at the completion of an inning all game long. The consistent hitting of Jim Laffoon kept the team going. He went 5 for 5 on the day.
| Mets | 20 | Rockies | 19 | Cardinals | 25 | Astros | 24 |
| Athletics | 21 | Tigers | 11 | |
| Red Sox | 22 | Royals | 17 |
LEADING HITTERS:
Mets
Bill Miller: 5 for 5 and hit for the cycle with 2 doubles.
Ed Schmiedeke: 5 for 5.
Rockies
Jim Margolin: 4 for 4.
Bill Ayer: 4 for 5.
Cardinals
Bill McEllister: 4 for 4 with 1 walk.
Ted Taylor: 2 for 2 with 3 walks.
Ed Kline: 4 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Ted Granoski: 3 for 4 with 1 sacrifice fly.
Astros
Ed Guspyt: 5 for 6.
Athletics
Don Kemp: 2 for 2 with 2 walks.
Chris Constantine: 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Clair Auchey: 3 for 4 with 2 triples.
Tigers
Don Keller: 3 for 3 with 2 doubles & 1 walk.
Dan Whisler: 3 for 4 with 1 double.
Red Sox
Mike Urell: 4 for 5 with 1 triple.
Chuck Duff: 3 for 4 with 1 double & 1 walk.
Bob Lundquest: 3 for 4 with 1 double.
Royals
Jim Laffoon: 5 for 5.
Don Scarbrough: 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 walk.
National League homers: Bernie Peterson 2 homers, Bill Miller, John Smith, John Stewart, & Les Wolff (Mets).
American League homers: Neil Gelpi & Dean Schapeler (Athletics).
Ed Gazarek returned from Woodslee, Ontario, Canada and rejoined the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club. Welcome back Ed.
Several roster changes were made one week ago and put into effect this morning. The managers met with the intention of trying to even out the teams in the league. One team was undefeated, one team was playing .500 ball, and the other two squads had lost more games than they won.
Three players were relocated to the Mets. Rich Palmer moved from the Rockies, John Smith left the Astros, and Les Wolff was traded from the Cardinals.
John Merritt was moved from the Mets to the Rockies, Ray DePalma left the Mets for the Cardinals, and Mets pitcher Dick Sessink went to the Astros.
The four National League managers also decided the season would be divided into two parts, with the Mets winning the first half with an 8-0 record.
The team pictures will be delayed until the weather gets warmer in the area. The team pictures had been tentatively set to be taken this Friday.
February 19th - Today games were contests of upsets. Judging by past performances from the teams, one can almost predict who will win before the games begin. But that was not the case this morning.
The Mets were put down to Earth by the Astros as the final score was 33-18. Not even close. On some days, 18 runs will win a game but the big bats of the Astros assured that many more than 18 were needed today.
The Astros scored the maximum five runs in four of the eight innings and finished with five in the ninth frame. Ed Guspyt, Frank Miller, and Mike Stepp each contributed with inside-the-park homers.
The other National League game was the only one that played out as planned. It took the full nine innings for the Rockies to pull out the win against the Cardinals. The two deciding runs scored in the ninth when Jim McPartlan reached base from an infield error after the first out was recorded. Lead off hitter Floyd Welton produced a single to advance Jim to third. Sam Harrell grounded
to third for the second out as the first run crossed the plate. A two out single by Bill Evans drove home the second run.
The Cardinals fought back in the home ninth but fell short. After Erv Fitzke walked and Ted Taylor singled, Jerry Noble lined out sharply to shortstop Bill Ayer for the first out. Bill McEllister then hit a hard shot up the middle. The outfielders could not cut off the liner as it rolled past the left centerfielder and right centerfielder for a three run homer. Ray DePalma walked afterwards but was forced at second base.
Both of the American League games were deemed as upsets. The Athletics won over the Red Sox powerhouse team, which is nicknamed the Lake Wales Legends. Four strong hitters on the team play Florida Half Century tournament ball for the 60s bracket team. The Lake Wales Legends is currently ranked number 14 in the state.
The Athletics combined pitchers Clair Auchey and Eddie Diaz to win by four. Danny Parker, the Lake Wales Legends player on the Athletics, went 3 for 4 with a triple and a double.
The last place Royals defeated the second place Tigers. The luck of the Tigers ran out this morning. They have been winning late against the Royals. But not today. The Royals Mr. Consistency, Jim Laffoon, extended his consecutive hit streak to 10, with a couple of walks and a sacrifice fly mixed in the formula. He went 4 for 4 with a double this morning.
The Tigers scored only two runs after the fifth inning but Don Keller couldn't be stopped all day long. He went 3 for 3 with two doubles and a walk. Speedy Freddy Gonzalez had a three run homer in the fifth and finished hitting 3 for 4. If Jack Benson had a bit more pep in his step, he could have been credited with a homer. Jack crushed a deep fly to leftfield that easily sailed over the head of defending outfielder Denny Shaffer.
| Astros | 33 | Mets | 18 | Rockies | 15 | Cardinals | 13 |
| Athletics | 20 | Red Sox | 16 | |
| Royals | 16 | Tigers | 14 |
LEADING HITTERS:
Astros
Dick Sessink: 5 for 5 with 1 walk.
Mike Stepp: 5 for 6 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Doug Chamlee: 5 for 6 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Ron Thompson: 4 for 5 with 1 double & 1 walk.
Frank Miller: 3 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 walk, & 1 sacrifice fly.
Mets
Bill Miller: 4 for 5 with 2 doubles.
Don LaMay: 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Rockies
Reg Barnes: 3 for 4 with 1 double.
Floyd Welton: 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
Cardinals
Erv Fitzke: 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
Ed Kline: 3 for 4.
Rich Moots: 3 for 4.
Athletics
Dean Schapeler: 4 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 triple.
Chris Constantine: 4 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Russ King: 4 for 4 with 2 doubles.
Danny Parker: 3 for 4 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Neil Gelpi: 3 for 4 with 3 doubles.
Ken Wilson: 3 for 4.
Red Sox
Ken Ota: 2 for 2 with 2 walks.
Mike Wheeler: 2 for 2 with 2 walks.
Chuck Duff: 4 for 5 with 1 triple.
Don Bercaw: 4 for 5 with 1 double.
Royals
Jim Laffoon: 4 for 4 with 1 double.
Bob Cooper: 2 for 2 with 1 walk.
Roger Edwards: 3 for 4 with 1 double.
Tigers
Freddy Gonzalez: 3 for 4 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Don Keller: 3 for 3 with 2 doubles & 1 walk.
Jack Benson: 3 for 4 with 1 triple.
Ron Butler: 3 for 4 with 1 double.
National League homers: Ed Guspyt, Frank Miller, & Mike Stepp (Astros); Ray DePalma & Bill McEllister (Cardinals).
American League homers: Chris Constantine & Dean Schapeler (Athletics); Don Erb (Red Sox); Brent Alumbaugh & Freddy Gonzalez (Tigers).
One American League roster move was made a week or so ago but was not posted. Bob Uhlig has yet to attend an Athletics game so he was placed in the American League pool. His slot on the roster for the Athletics was not filled so that squad is the only American League team with 11 players.
One team in the National League is also down to 11 players. When Skip Morrison was moved to the Mets on January 26th, the vacancy was not filled on the Astros roster.
The other three National League teams and American League teams all sport a roster of 12 members per team.
February 23rd - Teams played against each other that have missed the past three times they were scheduled to meet. It was nice to take on a seemingly new team after playing two other teams over and over and over. But such is the case in a four team league.
The Astros displayed some power and well placed hits on Field B when they defeated the Rockies by a score of 23-18. Three inside-the-park homers were hit in the seventh inning and two were in succession. Mike Stepp and Ed Guspyt each connected for back-to-back dingers and Elmer Wilcox followed suit after Marty Martinez had singled. Ron Thompson also circled the bases on his hit after the ball in rightfield was misplayed.
The surging Cardinals handed the Mets a second straight loss. The recent realignment has continued to change the balance of power in the National League.
Cardinals power hitter Jerry Noble had a three run homer. The round tripper marked his seventh of the season after hitting six in the first five games.
In the American League, the Red Sox added to their league lead with a win over the second place Tigers.
The Tigers are now two games back of first. Besides the five runs in the opening inning for the Red Sox, the game was a defensive battle.
In the first, the leadoff batter for the Red Sox reached base on a misplayed ball. Joe D'Herin singled in a run after the error and Don Erb doubled in another one. Chuck Duff continued the rally when he smashed a two run, inside-the-park homer to right centerfield. Don Bercaw, the next batter in the potent Red Sox lineup, singled. Don was given a break from his pitching duties this morning due to the acquisition for the game of pool player Dennis Holder. Mike Tomasso singled after the base hit by Don. With runners on the corners and two outs in the books, Mike Urell roped a base hit to drive home the final run of the first frame.
The Royals downed the Athletics 11-6. Royals pitcher Jerry Witter did an excellent job on the hill as he held the opposition to a single digit run total. But some fine defensive plays helped out quite a bit. Pool player Ed Gazarek compiled two outfield assists from his left centerfield position. He relayed to ball to shortstop Jim Laffoon twice as they cut down opposing base runners at home plate. Rover Don Scarbrough ran back on a "Texas Leaguer" pop over the infield to make an over-the-head catch ala Giants great centerfielder Willie Mays. Don had his back to the infield for the inning ending grab. Leftfielder Denny Shaffer charged in hard to catch a potential single. That also ended an inning.
The catch of the day for the Athletics occurred in the eighth frame. Shortstop Danny Parker leaped high in the air and extended his arm fully to make a super catch on a hard line drive in his direction. Whoever said white men can't jump would not have believed how high Danny leaped to nab that hot shot.
| Astros | 23 | Rockies | 18 | Cardinals | 32 | Mets | 21 |
| Red Sox | 11 | Tigers | 10 | |
| Royals | 11 | Athletics | 6 |
LEADING HITTERS:
Astros
Elmer Wilcox: 4 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 triple, & 1 walk.
Ed Guspyt: 4 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 triple, & 1 sacrifice fly.
Marty Martinez: 3 for 4 with 1 sacrifice fly.
Rockies
Bill Ayer: 5 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Bill Evans: 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Dave Podbielski: 4 for 5.
Cardinals
Doug Chamlee: 5 for 6 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Ted Taylor: 5 for 6.
Bill McEllister: 4 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 sacrifice fly.
Mets
John Smith: 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Red Sox
Joe D'Herin: 4 for 4 with 1 double.
Chuck Duff: 3 for 3 with 1 homer, 2 doubles, & 1 walk.
Don Bercaw: 3 for 4 with 1 double.
Tigers
Freddy Gonzalez: 3 for 4 with 3 doubles.
Royals
Denny Shaffer: 2 for 2 with 1 triple & 2 walks.
Athletics
Chris Constantine: 3 for 4.
National League homers: Ed Guspyt, Mike Stepp, & Elmer Wilcox (Astros); Bill Evans (Rockies); Doug McLellan & Jerry Noble (Cardinals); Bernie Peterson & John Smith (Mets).
American League homer: Chuck Duff (Red Sox).
Dennis Holder returned to the old ballpark after a year layoff due to health problems. He pitched for the Red Sox and recorded a victory. Welcome back Dennis.
Angel Merced entered the hospital and will undergo surgery tomorrow. Please keep Angel in your prayers and thoughts for a complete and rapid recovery.
Gene Baker, a new photographer for the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club, has been very busy clicking photos of the ballplayers. More of his work has been put on the website. Follow the 2010 and 2010 Season links. As usual, the red dots signify the newest pictures.
Gene took some more pictures this morning and they will be posted within the next few days. Stay tuned. We all appreciate his efforts and hard work. Thank you Gene.
February 26th - The month of February wrapped up with the Mets continuing their tumble. Although still in first place, they dropped a third straight game. That means every other team in the National League has taken their turn at downing the league leaders.
The Rockies came out on top this morning by jumping out with a strong lead through the first five frames. A total of 22 runs were scored by the Rockies during that time and the maximum five runs crossed the plate in the second, fourth, and fifth innings.
The Rockies one man wrecking crew, Bill Evans, homered in his first three at bats. The potential fourth straight homer came in the fifth inning but that would have been the sixth run, so he was credited with a triple in that trip to the plate.
The Mets were down by more than five runs from the second inning through the completion of the game. They pushed six runs across the plate in the sixth but were still down by 11. The six runs were scored on three hits, a walk, and two errors. John Smith, Ed Schmiedeke, and Less Wolff each produced base hits while John Stewart drew a free pass.
The Mets rallied for six more runs in the final frame. Bernie Peterson slammed a three run homer and John Smith had a two run shot during that time.
The Cardinals game against the Astros went down to the wire, with the Red Birds winning in the bottom of the ninth with two outs in the books. Ray DePalma was credited with the game winning hit when he singled home the runner from third. Bill McEllister tied the game with a base hit two batters prior to the plate appearance by Ray.
The Tigers had a story book finish when they played the Athletics in the Junior Circuit. The bases were loaded with Tigers and the game was tied 12-12 in the bottom of the ninth. One out had been recorded in the score book. Brent Alumbaugh stepped to the plate and Mighty Casey didn't strike out in this poem. There was joy in Mudville as Brent crushed the ball over the rightfield fence for a grand slam home run. Great finish, guys.
The Royals won by forfeit when only eight Red Sox players showed up for the contest. That marked the first forfeit in either league this season. A forfeit occurs when more than three players of a team's roster are absent.
A notable play was made in the Tigers game against the Athletics. The aftermath of the play was caught on the digital camera by photographer Gene Baker.
Tigers player Freddy Gonzalez was the runner on third base with no one occupying first or second. A grounder was hit to Athletics third baseman Chris Constantine. Freddy danced off third with the intentions of scoring after Chris made the throw to Ken Wilson covering first base. But Chris didn't throw to first. Instead, he faked the throw and hung Freddy out to dry as he tagged him out before Freddy could retreat back to the safety of the third base bag.
Great play Chris and a nice action photograph Gene.
| Rockies | 26 | Mets | 19 | Cardinals | 24 | Astros | 23 |
| Tigers | 16 | Athletics | 12 | ||
| Royals | 9 | Red Sox | 0 | FORFEIT |
LEADING HITTERS:
Rockies
Bill Evans: 5 for 5 with 3 homers & 1 triple.
Ron Augenstein: 4 for 5 with 1 homer & 1 double.
Floyd Welton: 4 for 5 with 1 homer.
Walt Leggett: 4 for 5 with 1 triple & 1 double.
Mets
Bill Miller: 4 for 4 with 1 homer, 1 triple, & 1 walk.
Ed Schmiedeke: 3 for 4 with 1 walk.
Cardinals
Ron Carrothers: 4 for 4 with 1 double & 1 sacrifice fly.
Bill McEllister: 5 for 6.
Astros
Ed Guspyt: 6 for 6 with 2 doubles.
Frank Miller: 5 for 6 with 1 homer.
Mike Stepp: 5 for 6 with 1 double.
Tigers
Ron Butler: 3 for 3 with 1 triple, 1 double, & 1 walk.
Stevan Hill: 2 for 2 with 1 triple, 1 walk, & 1 sacrifice fly.
Sam Lopez: 3 for 4.
Athletics
Danny Parker: 4 for 5.
Clair Auchey: 3 for 4.
National League inside-the-park homers: Bill Evans 3 homers, Ron Augenstein, & Floyd Welton (Rockies); Bernie Peterson 2 homers, Bill Miller, & John Smith (Mets); Ray DePalma & Ed Kline (Cardinals); Frank Miller (Astros).
American League homer over the fence: Brent Alumbaugh (Tigers).
Jim Margolin returned to Monroe, TWP, New Jersey. He was one of the National League pool players this season. See you next year, Jim.
The sixth annual Winter Haven versus Lakeland softball competition will begin on March 3rd in Lakeland. The Winter Haven rosters are listed in the 2010 WHSSC vs Lakeland link, which can be found in the 2010 link.
The 2010 Polk Senior Games softball tournament will be contested tomorrow in Lakeland. Several members from the Winter Haven Senior Softball Club, Lakeland Senior Softball program, and Nalcrest Senior Softball will be represented on the diamond. Former WHSSC member Kenny Duell has entered his Lake Wales Legends in the 60s bracket. Larry Powell manages the 60s team Polk County Warriors. Nalcrest Senior Softball president Joe Nittoli has entered the Nalcrest Eagles in the 60s bracket. The Lakeland Rounders, piloted by Lakeland Senior Softball member Larry Sweet, will participate in the 65s bracket. The Lakeland Canadians will also be in the 65s bracket. That team is managed by former WHSSC member John Ormsby.
Please head out to the ball park and cheer the guys to victory.
