SPA News

It took the entire season but SERIOUS FUN finally found a way to have some as they won the 2018 SPA 55 WOMEN’S WORLDS 9/21-9/23 at HERITAGE PARK in DALTON, GEORGIA.

SERIOUS FUN had started the season earning a second and two thirds in 2018 SPA TOURNAMENTS.

In the 2017 WORLDS they were 3-3 with a third place finish.

SERIOUS FUN’s 2018 title wasn’t a walk in the park.

The champs had to beat number one seed THE PLAYERS in the winner’s bracket semi-finals with a four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh for a 17-16 win but lost to EAST COAST GEMS 5-15 to force the “IF” Game..

SERIOUS FUN beat the defending 2017 SPA WORLDS champs EAST COAST GEMS 12-11 in the title game which was decided in the bottom of the seventh.

Pinch hitter LINDA HANSON supplied the two-out winning blow.

Against THE PLAYERS it was JAYNE STAGGS who delivered the two-out game winner.

“Our girls have a never-give-up attitude and that was the difference in the tournament, “SERIOUS FUN manager and SPA 55’s MANAGER-OF-THE-YEAR ROBERT HALL said. “It took an extra effort to beat two teams like THE PLAYERS and EAST COAST for the title. They are both exceptional teams.”

Other teams in the six-team 55’s bracket were SHO-ME 55’s, SLUGGERS and SUNNY BEACHES.

For EAST COAST it saw their perfect SPA tournament record come to a halt. After winning the 2017 SPA WORLDS, EAST COAST won the SPA SPRING NATIONALS, ROCKY TOP and TWITTY tournaments.,

SERIOUS FUN’S SANDY SPENCER was the 2018 SPA WORLDS TOURNAMENT MVP, while teammates MARY HELEN CONNER, EVA HIXSON, JAYNE STAGGS, KIM MOORE and KAREN CULLEY were selected to the ALL-AMERICAN TEAM.

The SERIOUS FUN championship roster included CONNER, HIXSON, STAGGS, MOORE, CULLEY,, SPENCER, SYLVIA HANCOCK, NELLE PALLME. POLLY DENNISON, CAROL LAND, PAULA BARNES, CAROLE RUSSELL, LINDA HANSON, CHRISTINA OSTROWSKI, BRIDGETTE STAFFORD, PATTY HARCH and Manager HALL.

The trip from MINNESOTA to OHIO took a whole day for the LEGENDS OF MINNESOTA to finally wake up and compete in the SPA 80 SILVER DIVISION WORLDS August 6-9 at COLUMBUS, OHIO’s BERLINER PARK.

After losing their opening games in pool play (4-19 HAMELS, 6-9 NY STATESMEN6-12 CHICAGO GEEZERS) they put it all together in bracket play.

The LEGENDS started out with wins over ANTIQUES OF KC (16-6) and CHICAGO GEEZERS (10-8) before stumbling against 85 WORLD CHAMPS CENTER FOR SIGHT (7-10).

They rebounded in style downing the ANTIQUES 22-10 and beating CENTER FOR SIGHT 20-12 in the championship game.

Teams in the SILVER DIVISION were: LEGENDS OF MINNESOTA, CENTER FOR SIGHT. ANTIQUES OF KC, CHICAGO GEEZERS, SAN ANTONIO 8-0’S and PRO HEALTH CARE 80’S.

Taking home individual awards for the champs were: 80 SILVER MANAGER-OF-THE-YEAR DICK ANDERSON and tournament MVP BOB DAMADIO.

Selected to the ALL-AMERICAN team were: STEVE AGARD, NORRIS KRUSE, DON EICHTEN, TOM DANIEL and DICK GOSSE.

Members of the Champion LEGENDS team are: DAMADIO, KRUSE, GOSSE, DANIEL, EICHTEN, AGARD, D.ANDERSON, EARLE ANDERSON, DAVID BELBIN, KNNETH BENTFIELD, DAVID BRAY, WAYNE CAMPBELL, RICHARD FULDY, ROBERT LENZNEIER, MICHALE SMEIJA, FRED SWENSON, LOWELL THOMPSON.

CANTERBURY CRUISERS 75 MAJORS must have scared the rest of the SPA 75 MAJOR teams away, because they were the only entrant at the AUGUST 6-9 SPA WORLDS at COLUMBUS, OHIO BERLINER PARK.

As a result they were crowned the 2018 SPA 75 WORLD CHAMPS...but not without first earning the recognition.

The CRUISERS played 75 AAA teams going 3-0 in pool with wins over COSSA 75’s (13-8), MINNESOTA MASTERS (20-5) and BAILEY TALENT CAVALIERS (19-11).

CANTERBURY beat PITTSBURGH GOLD 15-3 before losing to 75 AAA runner-up INDIANAPOLIS CLASSICS 15-13 in their final tournament game.

INDIVIDUAL Awards went to: 75 MAJOR MANAGER-OF-THE-YEAR RONALD HELLIER. RONALD SANNER was the team MVP.

ALL-AMERICAN honors went to: ROY SIMS,RAY DYE, VIC NUCATOLA, JERRY JOHNSON and SAM LAPICCOLA.

Members of the CRUISERS are: DAVID BEEBE, ALFRED BROWN. VAUGHN COVERT, GERALD DEMARA, HROBOSKI,DONALD HUSER, JAMES RANISZEWSKI, LOUIS SOTO, MANUEL FRENCH, DOUGLAS HOGUE, SIMS,JOHNSON,SANNER, LAPICCOLO, DYE, HELLIER and NUCATOLA.

What had been a dismal senior softball season for the HAMELS 80’s team turned to GOLD August 6-9 at the BERLINER SOFTBALL COMPLEX in COLUMBUS, Ohio.

The MARYLAND team was a perfect 6-0 (3-0 pool.3-0 bracket) in winning the 2018 SPA 80’s GOLD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

HAMELS beat LEGENDS OF MINNESOTA 19-4, CHICAGO GEEZERS 20-8 ANTIQUES OF KC 17-8 in pool play. The competition was a little stronger but the results the same in bracket play. The SILVER STARS fell 10-17 and PFEIFFER GREY SOX went down twice (9-10.7-15) as HAMELS took the five-team 80 Division GOLD title.

Individual awards went to 2018 SPA 80 GOLD MANAGER-OF-THE-YEAR AL HUNTER. DONALD MORTON was the tournament MVP.

HAMELS ALL-AMERICAN SELECTIONS were DICK HILL, FRANK DERAMO, CLARENCE LEWIS, WILLIAM BAHNMAIER and HUNTER.

Members of the WORLD CHAMPS are: JAMES MARTIN, JAMES BUTLER, FRBK CARLMAN, VINCENT DELVECHIO, ROBERT ETCHBERGER, LARRY GAERATNER, JR, DON GALVIN, THOMAS GEARHART, EDWARD MORRISON, FRANCIS PILARSKI, ART POFFENBERGER, CHARLES WARNICK, MAYNARD WELLS, BOBBY ELLIS, HILL, MORTON, HUNTER, DERAMO, LEWIS and BAHNMAIER

The COSSA (COLUMBUS,OHIO) 75’s wrapped up a championship year by adding the SPA 75 SILVER DIVISION WORLDS to their trophy case.

COSSA earned the WORLD TITLE August 6-9 at the BERLINER SOFTBALL COMPLEX in COLUMBUS, Ohio.

It was the team’s FOURTH 75’s SENIOR TITLE in FIVE tries this year. COSSA won the COLUMBUS HEART OF OHIO May tournament, DAYTON FIRST FLIGHT in July and SHELBYVILLE HOOSIER CLASSIC in JULY, They also took runner-up honors at BARBERTON’S June BUCKEYE CLASSIC,

At the SPA WORLDS COSSA lost their first two pool games (8-13) CANTERBURY CLASSIC (MAJ) and GOLD BAILEY TALENT CAVALIERS (9-12).

They beat MINNESOTA MASTERS 15-10 in the final pool game.

COSSA took the three-team bracket title beating MINNESOTA MASTERS 15-11 and 18-12. The MASTERS reached the finals with a 12-11 edging of MIDWEST DRIVING SCHOOL.

Individual awards went to FRANK CLEMENTS MANAGER-OF-THE-YEAR 75 SILVER DIVISION TOURNAMENT MVP DON PENROD.

COSSA players selected to the 75 SILVER ALL-AMERICAN team were TOM ROLLINS, JOHN FLOR, JOHN SKAGGS, DICK REIDENBACH and DICK GOLDSMITH.

Members of the SPA 1980 75 SILVER WORLD CHAMPS are: CLEMENTS, FLOHR, MO FOWLER, GOLDSMITH, JOHN HARWELL, TIM KLODNICK, BUCKY LOUDERMILK, DICK MARTIN, AL MUELLER, PENROD, REIDENBACH, ROLLINS, SKAGGS and ERNIE WICKER.

When you are the only 85 team in the tournament, yo are automatically the SPA 85 WORLD CHAMPS and such was the case with CENTER FOR SIGHT at COLUMBUS, OHIO’S BERLINER FIELDS August 6-9..

But the CENTER FOR SIGHT gang almost went one better by almost winning the SPA 80 SILVER DIVISION.

They won three in a row in bracket play before losing to the 80 SILVER CHAMP LEGENDS OF MINNESOTA 20-12 in the finals.

Prior to that they had beaten PROHEALTH CARE 16-13, SAN ANTONIO SPURS 18-2 and LEGENDS OF MINNESOTA 10-7.

Coming in second to 80’s teams in a tournament is nothing new to CENTER FOR SIGHT. They also came in second at THEE BUCKEYE CLASSIC against five 80’s teams.

“W also play 75’s teams, “manager HUGH BROTHERTON said. “Not to many 85’s playing so we have to play most of our games against the kids (75/80). It doesn’t bother us though, heck at 85+ we are just happy to still be playing.”

Individual Award winners were HUGH BROTHERTO, MANAGER-OF-THE-YEAR, ROGER THRESHER, TOURNAMENT MVP and ALL-AMERICANS ALAN DEWERTH, FERRELL SPARKS, JOE SYKES, TOM INGHAM and TOMMY HICKS.

Members of the 2018 champs are: BROTHERTON, THRESHER, DEWORTH, SPARKS, SYKES, INGHAM, HIKS, DAVID BUSH, BOB DARNELL, DAVID GOLDBERG, DONAL GSELL, JERRY JONES, DWIGHT MCIVER, AL MURRAY, HOWARD SCHOEN, EDWARD SCHULTZ and JAMES THOMAS.

Some times it takes a village but in softball it takes a team and as a result PROHEALTH is the 2018 SPA 75 GOLD WORLD CHAMPS.

The WISCONSIN team did it the hard way. After losing their opening bracket game to the INDIANAPOLIS CLASSICS (4-16) they came out of the losers’ bracket beating PITTSBURGH GOLD (22-2), CANTERBURY CRUISERS. INDIANAPOLIS CRUISER 20-5 to force an “IF” game and beat the CLASSICS 8-5 in the title game.

PROHEALTH manager MIKE HANEY felt so strongly that it was teamwork which won his team the title, he refused to accept ALL-AMERICAN AWARDS for his players

“We played as a team and I don’t feel picking out five players out of fourteen is the right thing to do,” HANEY said. “We feel our entire team should be ALL-AMERICANS”

Although not accepting ALL-AMERICAN awards, PROHEALTH did not go home empty handed in individual awards.

JERRY STREMIKIS revived the TOURNAMENT MVP AWARD and HANEY accepted the MANAGER-OF-THE-YEAR- AWARD.

The INDIANAPOLIS CLASSICS took runner-up honors. The CLASSICS started out the bracket play well beating BAILEY TALENT CAVALIERS 22-22, PRO HEALTH 16-4 and CANTERBURY CRUISERS 15-13 before losing the final two games to PROHEALTH.

PROHEALTH CARE 2018 ROSTER: HANEY, STREMIKIS, DICK BARTELL, FRANK BATI, GARY BENDER, GARY BLASCHKE, JAMES DUCHARME, THOMAS KRESS, DARRELL LESCHEN, HARRY NELEZEN, BILL RUTZINSKI, JOHN SIMONS, BERNARD SLOWEY, LAWRENCE VANNUEDEN, ROD WILTERDINK, JIM HANDLEY, EDWARD HURLEY and WAYNE STAPLETON.

Teams in the 75 GOLD BRACKET were PROHEALTHE CARE, INDIANAPOLIS CLASSICS, CANTERBURY CRUISER, PITTSBURGH GOLD and BAILEY TALENT CAVALIERS.

MN MASTERS/ANCEL emptied the guns in the SPA 60 MAJOR WORLDS title game winning 42-18 over HENDRICKS SPORTS MANAGEMENT July 22 at DALTON, GEORGIA’S HERITAGE PARK.

The champs set up the title game with HENDRICKS by beating CAROLINA COBRA’S (23-20) and INDIANA LEGENDS (23-30).

HENDRICKS made it to the finals b wins over CAROLINA COBRA’S 22-7 and INDIANA LEGENDS 23-21 after losing their bracket opener 23-24 to CAROLINA.

Individual awards were earned by DON BOWMAN JR, MANAGER OF THE YEAR and LON STOLE,MVP.

ALL-AMERICANS were DARYLY COOPER, GARY HAMILTON, GARY MORRIS, STEVEN SCHLETTY, LUDWIG NORDAHL and JEFFREY HANEVIDT.

Other members of the WORLD CHAMPS are GARY BENNETT, LARRY NELSON, JOHN ORF, WAYNE PETERSON, RANDALL SIMONSON, GARY HAENDEL, STEVE PEASE, RAYMOND GLYNN and MICHAEL HALEY.

WINDY CITY SOFTBALL blew through bracket play at the SPA July 19-22 at DALTON, Georgia's HERITAGE PARK to win the 2018 SPA 60 MAJOR WORLDS.

The champs beat ATLANTA RECYCLE 28-21 and 22-17 along with disposing of HOUSTON FIRE by a 27-14 count.

ATLANTA RECYCLING reached the finals by EDGING GONZALES INSULATION 14-13.

Taking individual awards for WINDY CITY were: MIKE PEURA MANAGER-OF-THE-YEAR, JIM PHAD MVP and ALL-AMERICANS ROY AMBROSE, BRIAN CAMPBELL, JIM CUSHING, MIKE MCCALL and BOB TORTORICI.

Other members of WINDY CITY are: DAVID KOELPER, MATTHEW THOMPSON, JAMES WALLER, STEVE MISEWICZ, TOM CAHILL, RICHARD OLSEN, SALVATORE CIRRINCIONE, REX DANLEY, TODD NIEMUTH and DANIEL OSBERG.

TEXAS CRUSH SIXTIES made short work of the competition at the 60 MAJOR PLUS SPA WORLDS tournament July 19-12 at DALTON, GEORGIA’S HERITAGE PARK.

The LONE STAR STATE team beat OMEGA IT SERVICES 19-3 and 23-14 to take the three-team bracket and the 60 MAJOR PLUS CROWN.

OMEGA reached the finals beating HOLLIS APPRAISAL twice.

Taking home individual hardware were: JOHN ROACH, MANAGER OF THE YEAR and ALL AMERICAN status. MIKE GARIBAY was tournament, MVP and while ALL AMERICANS were JUAN NAVARRO, MURRAY WILLIAMS, MARK HENSON, RODOLFO ZAPATA and EDUARDO ORTIZ.

Other members of the TEXAS CRUSH team are: ANYHONY BALTAZAR, ROBERT GARCIA, REGINOLD SIMMONS, MIKE TEPERA, DON WILSON and DONALD COLBATH.