SPA News

COLUMBUS, OHIO - LOTA SOFTBALL left no doubt as to who the top team in SPA 80 WORLDS was AUGUST 5-8 at COLUMBUS, OHIO BERLINER FIELDS.

LOTA, short for LOUISIANA, OKLAHOMA, TEXAS, ARKANSAS the states they are from, not only went 6-0 in the 12-team two division brackets but beat all the top teams.

In addition to beating all the teams in the 80 GOLD group in bracket play they downed FIRST, RUNNER-UP and FOURTH place finisher from the SILVER bracket.

However, it wasn't a cake walk for LOTA as they only won by 65-57 in five of the games for a two-run margin difference..but who cares it only takes one run.

in pool play LOTA beat SILVER DIVISION fourth place CHICAGO GEEZERS 13-12, runner-up PRO HEALTH CARE 15-4 and SILVER CHAMP PEACH TREE RESTAURANT 16-15.

In the 80 GOLD BRACKET double-elimination LOTA beat PFEIFFER AUTO twice 12-10, 14-11 and HAMEL BUILDERS 10-9.

By winning the SPA 2019 80 WORLDS they are now the only 80 team which has won both the 80 WORLDS and the 80 WORLD SERIES (2018 Dalton).

Individual awards earned by LOTA : SPA 2019 GOLD 80 MANAGER OF THE YEAR DON HARRIS and TOURNAMENT MVP LENNY YAFFE.

Named to the tournament ALL-AMERICAN TEAM were ELDEN BRAST, DON HARRIS, ROBERT BRAKER, EDDIE GLOVER and ROSCOE SMITH.

Other members of the 2019 SPA 80 GOLD WORLD CHAMPIONS  LOTA SOFTBALL are:

ROBERT BUISSON., RON FORTE, ED HARDY, JOE HOUSLEY, HARLAN JENSEN, ED PETLAK, FERRELL ROTON, MARLYN SCHROEPFER, JESSE SMITH,  DON SWIFT and F.JAMES TINELLI..

COLUMBUS, OHIO - PENNSYLVANIA'S PEACHTREE RESTAURANT recovered from an opening pool play disaster (0-3) to go undefeated (3-0) in bracket play and win the 2019 SPA 80 SILVER DIVISION WORLDS  AUGUST 6-9 AT COLUMBUS , OHIO'S BERLINER PARK.

Although PEACHTREE had won a 75 DIVISION WORLDS a few years back it was their first SPA 80's WORLD

title.

The RESTAURANT gang started the bracket run beating NY STATESMEN 18-11, WISCONSIN'S PROHEALTH CARE 15-2  and MICHIGAN'S MAIN STREET PUB 80'S  21-3 to reach the finals.

PEACHTREE wrapped up the crown beating PROHEALTH 20-7 in the finale.

PROHEALTH came out of the losers bracket by downing MAIN STREET 17-13, SAN ANTONIO 80'S 16-9  and CHICAGO GEEZERS 14-12. The seventh team in the SILVER bracket was KC ANTIQUES.

BILL REGAN was the SPA 80 SILVER DIVISION MANAGER of THE YEAR while HAROLD WHITE was  TOURNAMENT MVP.

Selected to the 80 SILVER ALL-AMERICAN TEAM were: ART BARNES, BRUCE DE BRIGADA, FRANK GORDON, MARVIN KRAVITZ and CALVIN FREEDMAN.

Others on the 2019 SPA 80 SILVER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM are; LEN BECCHETTI, KARL HORST, PETE PETITO, AL SCHULMAN, RON WEIDMAN, BILL DEPUTY, TOM SIEWIOREK, JIM HARRIS, GEORGE MERLO, MORT TIRNAUER, ROBERT HOSTETLER and JOHN CARTER.

COLUMBUS, OHIO - Some things never seem to change, one being somebody besides CENTER FOR SIGHT winning the SPA 85 WORLDS. It definitely didn't happen this year.

Playing in the SPA 85 WORLDS AUG 5-8 at COLUMBUS BERLINER PARK,CENTER FOR SIGHT beat PROHEALTH CARE 6-1 and 24-9 to run their consecutive string of any and all SPA 85 DIVISION softball championships to who knows how many.

They did lose one game in pool play losing to one of the kids teams, the NY STATESMEN 80's 10-17. However, they also beat a pair of 80's teams SAN ANTONIO 80'S 16-11 and ANTIQUES OF KC 16-13.

CENTER FOR SIGHTS also hauled in a ton of individual hardware.

DON GSELL, who filled in for HUGH BROTHERON who had to stay home because of an illness, took home the 2019 SPA 85 MANAGER-OF-THE-YEAR AWARD while BOB JOHNSON was the tournament MVP.

RAY BOSETTI, DAVE BUSH, STUART SELLINGER, AL DEWERTH and LARRY MC CURDY were all selected to the ALL-AMERICAN team.

Other members of the WORLD CHAMPION 85 CENTER FOR SIGHT team are; ROCCO CAMBARERI, BOB DARNELL, DAVE GOLDBERG, DWIGHT MC VICKER, HOWARD SCHOEN, ED SCHULTZ, FERRELL SPARKS, ROGER THRESHER, JOE SYKES and NORMAN HALTRIC.

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.

The 80’s and 85’s went MAJOR LEAGUE at THEE 2018 SPA BUCKEYE CLASSIC June 18,19, 20.

Due to too many 80/85’s (13) and 70’s (12) THEE BUCKEYE CLASSIC had to find an additional complex to carry the overflow.

AKRON FIRESTONE STADIUM despite it’s dimensions fit the bill.

Built in 1925 the STADIUM has been home to minor league baseball, NCAA Regional softball, Ohio High School state championships, Ohio fast pitch men's, industrial, church and open state championships as well as woman’s fast pitch championships.

Lately it has been home to the 16U and 18U girls state and regional championships. The AKRON RACERS of the womens professional softball league played irs home games at FIRESTONE as well as games against the US Olympic teams.

Five SPA 80’s and one 85 team played their six-game bracket in THEE BUCKEYE CLASSIC bracket of the round-robin tournament at FIRESTONE

The six teams were PROHEALTH (WIS), FITTEAM (OH), SYRACUSE (NY), LOUISVILLE THUNDER (KY), CHICAGO GEEZERS (IL) and the 85-team CENTER FOR SIGHT (FL).

The current layout was perfect for the elder statesmen with the dimensions being 210 down the lines and 220 in center.

“It gives us a chance to hit home runs over the fence also,” said five ft-eight MIKE GUY of FITTEAM who hit a pair out in one game. “It was really a thrill and made the game so much more enjoyable to me and other players my age and size who can no way reach the 300-ft fences.”

Forty plus home runs were hit by the 80 group in their 27 game schedule. However, the long ball wasn’t all they liked about FIRESTONE.

“The complex was outstanding,” BILL DOEL of the GEEZERS said. “Step down below field level major league style dugouts, manicured outfield, true hops in the infield, 4,500 seating stadium, it was major league all the way.”

"I think FIRESTONE was a great idea for the 80’s,” SPA President and CEO RIDGE HOOKS said. “We (SPA) are going to look into it a little more as a possibility for a women's tournament with the 6’s, 65’s and 70’s playing there and the others in Barberton.”

“If we can work something out, it would be great,” he said.

The 85-year young CENTER FOR SIGHT team invaded THEE SPA 2018 BUCKEYE CLASSIC in BARBERTON, OHIO June 18,19, 20 and surprised the competition nearly winning the 80 PLUS title straight-up.

Playing without the equalization extra player and additional runs the FLORIDA team went 4-2 just one game behind PRO HEALTH 5-1 in the FIRESTONE STADIUM division of the 12-team 80 field.

“What a thrill,” CF S manager HUGH BROTHERTON said. “We have never won more than one game in a tournament when we play against the kids (80 year old). This is real great !!

Brotherton’s team beat LOUISVILLE THUNDER 23-14, SYRACUSE 20-13, PRO HEALTH 19-16 and the THUNDER again. Their only defeats were 20-11 to the CHICAGO GEEZERS and second place (AKRON) FITTEAM 17-15.

“We should have beat FITTEAM,” Brotherton said. “We just made some mistakes at the wrong time.”

However the win over PROHEALTH was a huge bright spot for the 85-team.

“We never had never beaten PROHEALTH ever since we started playing them ten years ago,” BROTHERTON said. “That is a high point for us, to beat a quality team of kids like PROHEALTH just makes participating against the younger teams worthwhile.”

The CFS team has a hard time finding 85-young opponents to play and some times even 80-young teams.

“That is why we like coming to BARBERTON, there are always nine-or-ten 80’s to play and we do not have to play 75’s.” BROTHERON said. “Those kids are catching up with us and will soon be our age.”

When reminded the CFS team will be 90 when the 80’s are 85, Brotherton replied.

“We will still play them, they will just have to give us more runs and two extra players.”

The CENTER FOR SIGHT roster:

Hugh Brotherton, FL; Willard Kittrell, FL; Harold Oliver, FL; Edward Schultz, FL; Bernard Sciacca; Tommy Hicks, FL; Bob Darnell, GA; Howard Schoen, GA; Ferrell Sparks, GA; Alan DeWerth, OH; Dwight McVicker, OH; Roger Thresher, OH; David Goldberg, MN; Jerry Jones, AL; James Thomas, MI; William Weddle, TN; Joe Sykes, TN and Stuart Sellinger.