EC's South Island League

[Eugene Church]

Monday, July 3, 1961

JOLIET REIGNS SUPREME IN SECONDARY LEAGUE, PROMOTED TO SUPREME LEAGUE
The Joliet Green Giants had a fight on their hands going into the final weekend of the South Island Secondary League season... two clubs had a chance to overtake them, Cherrywood
and St. Dominic... Joliet determined its own destiny with a doubleheader sweep of one of their biggest rivals, the Cherrywood Stouts... that made the Jolly Green Giants undisputed
champion of the Secondary League... next year Joliet will be promoted to the Supreme League... they were in the Supreme League in the team's first season of play in the South
Island Leagues in 1957, but Joliet did not fare well, came in last place and got demoted to the Secondary League... they've been there ever since.

Joliet (18-10) swept a pair, Cherrywood (15-13) lost a doubleheader and St. Dominic (16-12) split... that gave the Secondary League crown to the Green Giants by 2 games over the
Saints and 3 better than the Stouts.

On the final weekend of action Joliet toppled Cherrywood 4-3 and 10-0... St. Dominic won the opener beating the Pelham Oaks 6-5, but they fell in the nightcap 7-4... the Parkland
Perfectos were perfect this weekend with twin wins over the Bar Harbor Acadians 10-1 and 6-5... in the battle of cellar-dwellers, Billings was victorious in the opener 6-0, but Littleville
prevailed in game two 7-3 and sent the Rams home in last place.

[Eugene Church]

First Games of the Doubleheaders

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Second Games of the Doubleheaders

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

MY LIFE IN 2024
EC's Life Is An Encore In '24

Reading Joe Posnanski's fine book featuring some of the most interesting and entertaining moments in baseball history, it brought to EC's memory my wonderful old Wilson baseball gloves... goodness gracious, they were a thing of beauty and perfection because I spent many hours breaking them in, fondling and caressing them with neetsfoot oil... I treated my gloves with tender love and care... they were sorta like a sweetheart... EC never threw my beloved gloves in the dust and dirt... nope, EC treated my gloves and my gals with great respect... Posnanski listed the 5 best barehanded plays in baseball... one of them involved Cincinnati's Johnny Bench, when he was a rookie.

"Wit, Quips and Quotes From the Diamond Minds"
Here is an excerpt from Joe Posnanski's entertaining book "Why We Love Baseball - A History in 50 Moments"... actually he has 108 moments in the book.

There were no gloves in the earliest days of baseball. Those were the days -- baseball's first great chronicler Henry Chadwick wrote -- "when men donned neither glove nor mask... and left the lemonade drinker aghast."

When players started wearing gloves in the 1870s and 1880s, they tended to be flesh colored: they didn't want the fans to notice them. A. G. Spaulding, a first baseman who not only wore a glove but made it black so that everybody would see it. Soon after, he would sell gloves, as Spaulding became one of the biggest sporting goods manufacturers in the world.

Gloves have been an essential part of baseball fielding for almost 150 years.

And yet -- who doesn't love a great barehanded play?

Gerry Arrigo was pitching against the Dodgers. Arrigo was a 27- year-old lefty and by this point in his career he was a veteran. The catcher that day was Bench, who was only 20 years old and a rookie.

Bench noticed early on that Arrigo's fastball was off: he just didn't have the usual zip on it. Bench naturally started calling for more curveballs. Arrigo kept shaking him off. As the game went on -- and the Dodgers kept on hammering away on Arrigo's fastball -- Bench called for curveballs with more and more urgency. Arrigo continued to shake him off.

Finally Bench called time out and went to the mound to tell Arrigo that he didn't have anything on his fastball.

"I'll tell you what, rook," Arrigo said, or words to that effect, "why don't you shut the #*&# up and get behind the #&*# plate and catch whatever I #*#&# throw."

Bench shrugged and went back to home plate and called for another curveball. When Arrigo shook him off one final time Bench called the fastball. Arrigo threw it, and Bench reached out with his right hand and caught it barehanded.

"You should have seen his face," Bench said.

[Eugene Church]

Up next in the South Island Leagues, I will recap the season and post the final leaderboards... will also pick the league MVPs and Golden Gloves.

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, July 15, 1961

JACKS CLAIM 2ND SUPREME LEAGUE TITLE
It took them quite a few years, but the Jackson Jackalopes (20-8) finally captured their second Supreme League pennant... the Jacks won the inaugural season in 1955, came in second and almost repeated in 1956... and in 1959 they were the runner-up... this season they played steady ball the entire year and pretty much hit their way to the pennant... second in the standings was the Delta Stars (18-10)... the Stars were doomed by a disasterous 1-5 start at the beginning of the season... they never managed to make up for that... going into the final weekend, they still were close challengers... third place Meraux's (15-13) season was wrecked by a 1-5 run in May... the Tigers still had a chance at the title on the last weekend, but fell twice to champion Jackson.

Jackson and Delta both had strong bats and a good offense... the Stars also had good pitching... the Jackalopes copped the pennant despite its poor fielding and pitching... Delta and Meraux had good defense and fine pitching, but they still came up short in the standings.

The Supreme League Most Valuable Player Award went to Delta's fine southpaw Johnny Goodman, who chalked up a 9-3 record with a 3.18 ERA... he fanned 73 batters in his 99 innings, walked 35 and held teams to an impressive .228 BA... Goodman is 24 years old.

The Supreme League had a Triple Crown winner... center fielder Lynn Parker hit for power, average and drove in runs in abundance... the 20-year-old topped the league with a .388 BA, 7 homers and 34 RBIs.

Teams Season Recaps
Around the towns in the Supreme League... Jackson's bats took them to the league championship this year... top to bottom in the batting order they could drive in runs... they didn't hit for high average, but they got the runs across the plate, sparked by first baseman Nate Perkins (.242 BA) with 28 ribbies... second baseman Chris O'Neal (.409 BA) batted in 19 runs and center fielder Matt Coleman (.274 BA) and right fielder Lawrence Chapman (.281 BA) drove in 18 apiece and catcher Harper Lovejoy (.333 BA) added in 16... Denny McCain (7-3) was the dependable ace of the mound staff... Donnelle (6-2) wasn't really that good this year, but he gave them just enough pitching to win... and though his stats are not that impressive, reliever Doyle Jenkins (2-0) contributed a lot from the bullpen... he played vital part in 9 victories... doing the right thing at the right time sometimes wins you a pennant... Jackson is 60-30 in its 7 seasons in the South Island Leagues... the Jackalopes have the best overall record in the leagues' history.

On paper the most talent-laden team in the Supreme League just might have been the Delta Stars (18-10)... they had the best stats in the league... the Stars did everything well... however, Jackson claimed the title on the field... center fielder Lynn Parker won the Triple Crown with a .388 BA, 7 homers and a league record 34 runs batted in... and he had plenty of help from second sacker Buzzy Roberts (.317 BA/30 R) and right fielder Jimmy Carter (.276 BA/ 20 RBI/20 R)... Delta had the Supreme League MVP pitcher Johnny Goodman (9-3), along with Eric Pahler (5-5)... they were a solid mound tandem the entire season... yeah, buddy, the Stars were really good statistically... historically, Delta has performed well in the Supreme League for 7 years... the Stars came in second in the standings in 1957 and 1958... that was their best seasons... Delta is 56-44 in its 5 years, all in the South Island Supreme League.

The Meraux Tigers (15-13) had the best mound corps in the league with Bobby McNew (9-3/3.41 ERA) and Tommy Kitchen (5-6/2.61 ERA)... they kept the Tigers in every game... they also had the very capable Angelo Zarrella (1-4/1.59 ERA) in the bullpen... however, Meraux was meek at the plate... they had trouble scoring runs and ranked dead last... their top guns were 1B Alton Ragsdale (.320 BA/4 HR/21 RBI), catcher Remi Melancon (.343 BA/1 HR/16 RBI), shortstop Don Fontenot (.305 BA/1 HR/16 RBI) and left fielder Aaron Mettler (.307 BA/3 HR/11 RBI)... more offense and the Bengals might have roared loudly this year in the Supreme League... Meraux started off in the South Island Secondary League in 1957 like a ball of fire and won promotion to the Supreme League... the Tigers even took the Supreme League crown in 1958... they have never had a losing season... Meraux has posted the best record in the league with a sparkling 49-30 mark in its 5 years in the South Island Leagues.

Fourth place Braxton (14-14) went 1-5 in June and that ruined their season... the Bruins possessed decent pitching from Emile Delhomme (7-6/3.72 ERA) and Kevin Stokes (7-4/4.04 ERA), but nothing in the relief corps... Braxton was only fair at the plate with catcher Mike Bryan (.309 BA/2 HR/19 RBI), first baseman Lionel Chauvin (.220 BA/5 HR/16 RBI) and left fielder Steve Andros (.312 BA/1 HR/14 RBI)... the Bruins were just an average team this season... they really didn't have any standout players... Braxton spent 1955 to 1959 in the Secondary League... they won it in '59 and moved up to the Supreme League, but have not fared very well overall in both leagues, playing under .500 ball (42-48).

Hope was rampant for the Grin Hill Smileys (13-15) heading into the 1961 season... the Smileys won their first-ever pennant in the South Island Secondary League in 1960 and moved up with the big boys, but they faltered and came in 5th in the standings... Grin Hill ran into better pitching this season and had trouble scoring... mound work was good from Jay Logan (3-6/3.81 ERA), who set a new record with 102 Ks in 106 innings... Matt Moore (4-1/3.45 ERA) was dependable, too... poor relievers hurt the team a lot... the most productive bats were right fielder Cliff Lebreton (.278 BA/3 HR/20 RBI), first sacker Nico Pocorello (.303 BA/13 RBI)... center fielder Slim Smiley (.310 BA/2 HR/10 RBI) and left fielder Lim Smiley (.304 BA/11 RBI) performed well... overall in the South Island Leagues Grin Hill has just been so-so... the Smileys have only gone 48-53 in their 7 seasons.

The Mystic Mariners have had rough sailing in the Supreme League since they hauled in the pennant their first year in 1957... the Sailors are a very poor 35-45 in the league history... Mystic (12-16) staggered in sixth this year, troubled by a lack of offense... the mound staff was fairly good... and the Mariners were the best defensive team in the league... Chris Foyle (5-5/4.21 ERA) and John Hudson (5-4/3.68 ERA) performed in fair fashion, but the bats were subpar... they did not have a .300 hitter... second baseman John Dailey (.291 BA/20 RBI), shortstop Casey Carter (.291 BA/2 HR/14 RBI), third baseman Bobby Cieslak (.299 BA/13 RBI) and first baseman Frank Gullo (.243 BA/3 HR/13 RB) were just average at the plate.

The Zebulon Zips (10-18) have been in the Supreme League since 1957 with little success... the Zips are just 35-44 in those 5 seasons... this was their worst season... they wound up in 7th place... Zebulon had terrible pitching this year with a 5.17 ERA... Chad Hooker (3-2/3.98 ERA) and Duck Davis (4-8/4.89 ERA) were the best of the worst... the relievers were horrible... however, the Zips could zap the ball and score runs... they just couldn't get anyone out... standouts at the plate were second baseman Eddie Rabbitt (.361 BA/2 HR/19 RBI), right fielder Mickey Campbell (.328 BA/1 HR/23 RBI), catcher Tubby Ernst (.317 BA/1 HR/22 RBI), center fielder Lester Lambert (.354 BA/1 HR/13 RBI), third baseman Terry Humphries (.291 BA/1 HR/16 RBI) and Alex Henderson (.389 BA/1 HR/12 RBI).

What a story the last place New Yerby Yankees (10-18) are... they have the best overall mark in the South Island Leagues... in 5 seasons the Yanks are 51-28 with 3 pennants... they copped the Secondary League flag in 1958 and jumped up to the Supreme League in 1959 and won the title two years in a row... then tumbled badly this year all the way to last place and got themselves sent back to the Secondary League... the pitching was atrocious (5.40 ERA)... Vito Parnelli (6-4/4.23 ERA) and Kenny Hersh (2-2/6.57 ERA) were the best they had to offer... the bullpen was absolutely lousy... but the Yankees could hit and score runs with the likes of catcher Kent Clemenceau (.340 BA/3 HR/25 RBI), shortstop Dom DeLuca (.327 BA/2 HR/21 RBI), center fielder Clayton Delaney (.304 BA/1 HR/17 RBI), Whitey Powell (.323 BA/13 RBI) and first baseman James Madison (.266 BA/3 HR/14 RBI)... it's stunning what happened to New Yerby this year... totally unexpected.

Supreme League Batting Leaders



Supreme League Pitching Leaders

[Eugene Church]

MY LIFE IN 2024
EC's Life Is An Encore In '24

Yeah, buddy, EC's life is more in '24... my cup truly overflows... life is so good today... EC is truly blessed... somebody up there must like me... I'm back on the radio after being retired for 21 years... EC is an "old has-been DJ that never was"... I had my 15 minutes of fame for a few years in the 1980s... it was all downhill the last 15 years of my radio career... I peaked early and then faded out of sight... I survived very well at bad radio stations, that nobody listened to, but never regained any popularity... surprisingly, my current 2-hour Sunday afternoon show on Christian station sounds pretty good, even if I had to say so myself... I got one request in 8 months... now that will humble you... I'm not doing it for my glory, I'm doing it my Creator that takes such good care of me.

If you would like to listen, put Sound Radio in Baton Rouge in your search engine... my show is The Gospel Truth For The Lost and Found, Sunday afternoons, 1 PM to 3 PM... I play the best Southern Gospel that I can find... nothing but the hits... music that will lift your spirit and speak to your heart... if you like old-time country music like George Jones, Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell and Loretta Lynn, combined with the great gospel quartets like the Oak Ridge Boys, Cathedrals, Gold City and Kingsmen, you will like my show.

So far, my peers have said, i sound like I'm 21 years again

Here is the link to the station:

https://soundradio.live/#

Yeah, buddy, the Boys of Summer are back and EC is lovin' every minute of it... can't wait for OOTP25 and the regular season... Here a little bit about Jose Canseco, taken from Joe Posnanski wonderful book.

"Wit, Quips and Quotes From the Diamond Minds"
Here is an excerpt from Joe Posnanski's entertaining book "Why We Love Baseball - A History in 50 Moments"... actually he has 108 moments in the book.

There was a time when Jose Canseco seemed destined to be the player of his generation. He had Reggie Jackson's power He had startling speed. He had charisma and good looks and a burning ambition to be an all-time great player. The ambition mostly came from his hard-driving father, who would yell, "You stink" at him for motivation.

Once in the big leagues, Canseco hit three homers in a game.

"Yeah," his father asked afterward. "What did you do in your other at-bat?"

Later, there would be steroids admissions and player accusations and bizarre turns in his personality. But in 1988, he was the first player to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in a season. Annie Leibovitz photographed him shirtless for a magazine cover. He started hanging out with Madonna.

"Why are you so popular?" he was asked on ABC's Primetime Live.

"I'm Jose Canseco," he said. "I do things out of the ordinary."

Over time, though, his popularity turned sour. It wasn't any one thing. Canseco was reportedly a difficult teammate. He dealt with some nagging injuries. Steroid rumors began surrounding him.

Canseco did not understand at all why people had turned on him. "I'm the most exciting player in baseball," he insisted.

Fewer and fewer people seemed to believe. Canseco got hurt in 1993 and played in only 60 games. but in one of those games, he played a key role in the funniest play in baseball history.

It was a Wednesday night in Cleveland. Kenny Rogers was pitching for the Rangers. The Cleveland hitter was Carlos Martinez, who lofted a fly ball to deep right center, where Canseco was playing.

Canseco was not, in the best of circumstances, a graceful fielder. He turned back toward the ball and lifted his golve to catch it.

And then -- no other way to say it -- the ball conked him on top of the head and bounced over the fence for a home run.

Then he looks around helplessly for the ball.

It's the most perfect piece of slapstick comedy.

"Did you ever see anything like that?" someone asked Canseco's teammate Julio Franco after the game.

"Yeah," Franco said. "In cartoons."

NOTE: You can watch the historic play here at this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=PVGWWjD8mI8

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, July 15, 1961

GREEN GIANTS HAD A JOLLY GOOD SEASON, WON SECONDARY LEAGUE CROWN ON LAST WEEKEND WITH SWEEP OF STOUTS
It was a thrilling finish in the South Island Secondary League this season... 3 clubs battled down to the last weekend before the Joliet Green Giants took charge and created their own destiny... Joliet (18-10) tamed the third place Cherrywood Stouts (15-13) twice and nabbed their first crown in 5 years of play in the South Island Leagues... the St. Dominic Saints (16-12) wound up in the runner-up spot... the Pelham Oaks (15-13) were the other club in the top half of the league... Joliet will now return to the Supreme League where it first started in 1957... the Green Giants will be promoted to the Supreme League next year... the last place team in that league, the New Yerby Yankees, will fill Joliet's spot in the Secondary League next season.

The South Island Secondary League was filled with 8 ballclubs that were fairly evenly-matched... no one stood out above the others very much... except in one respect, perhaps on the hill... Joliet had 3 productive moundsmen... its two main rivals, St. Dominic and Cherrywood, could not match them... otherwise the Secondary League was filled with parity.

Joliet (18-10) had an even-keeled season with no bad stretches... the Green Giants played consistent baseball throughout the year... they had 3 quality hurlers in Rufus Turner (8-4/2.75 ERA), Ellis Schexnaydre (3-2/3.29 ERA) and Sid Landry (5-3/3.74 ERA)... Turner was voted the 1961 South Island Secondary League Most Valuable Player... shortstop Phil Richard came in second in the MVP poll... bats were aplenty for the Green Giants, sparked by Phil Richard (.279 BA/2 HR/27 RBI/18 R), first baseman Alphonse Guidry (.280 BA/8 HR/23 RBI/25 R), left fielder Ronnie Fleming (.315 BA/2 HR/18 RBI/21 R)... second baseman Ralph Varricchio (.331 BA/11 RBI/23 R) and catcher Teebo Chargois (.322 BA/13 RBI/23 R) were also standout hitters... Joliet will return to the Supreme League... they played one season there in 1957, finished dead last and were relegated to the Secondary League, where the Green Giants had little success until this pennant-winning season... overall in its South Island history, Joliet stands only 37-43.

The St. Dominic Saints were doomed by a slow 3-7 start the first 5 weekends... but they did come on strong down the home stretch and almost caught league champion Joliet... the Saints suffered from a lack of good starters... only one Max Rommel (7-2/3.21 ERA) was effective most of the season... they lost Jean-Paul Renoir (3-2/2.92 ERA) in late May with an arm injury... he would have made a difference in their season... they didn't find a replacement for Renoir... like most of the teams in the league, the Saints had pretty good offense... top performers were center fielder Norm Manchester (.350 BA/6 HR/19 RBI/21 R), third baseman Larry Arbour (.292 BA/4 HR/19 RBI/17 R), first baseman Gil LaGrange (.298 BA/2 HR/12 RBI/23 R), catcher Clement DeHavilland (.333 BA/16 RBI) and right fielder Blaise Lapeyrouse (.250 BA/4 HR/18 RBI/16 R)... as far as team history, St. Dominic began play in 1957 and lasted 3 seasons in the Supreme League... the Saints were demoted after the 1959 season to the Secondary League... the team record is 39-40 for its 5 years in the South Island Leagues.

The Cherrywood Stouts (15-13) and the Pelham Oaks (15-13) deadlocked for third place this season... like St. Dominic, the Stouts played poorly at the start of the season, lagging behind with a 3-7 mark... they turned it around and got back in the hunt for the league pennant, but Joliet shattered their hopes by sweeping a twinbill on the last weekend of the season... Dave Schulman (7-6/3.32 ERA) was the only steady starter this year... Austin Pride (6-4/4.53 ERA) was inconsistent most of the season... on occasion he shined and did well... the Cherrywood bullpen was lousy... at the plate the Stouts did fine, led by first baseman Tony Armstrong (.349 BA/5 HR/24 RBI/15 R), left fielder Lester Atkins (.387 BA/3 HR/19 RBI/23 R), shortstop Rick Fargnoli (.322 BA/20 RBI/13 R) and center fielder Robert Wheeler (.274 BA/1 HR/17 RBI/22 R)... in the club history, Cherrywood has always been in the Secondary League, but has done well in recent seasons... they lost a playoff game to Grin Hill in 1960 and missed out on being promoted to the Supreme League... the Stouts were under the .500 mark only in its debut year 1957... they are now 43-37 over 5 seasons.

The Pelham Oaks (15-13) rank high in all categories and look like the best team in the Secondary League... the Oaks standout at the plate, on the hill and with the gloves... but they swooned in June and dropped 4 straight games... the Oaks never recovered from that slump... yet they did tie for third place and winded up just 3 games behind champion Joliet in the pennant chase... Corey Wyatt (7-6/3.68 ERA) and John Wright (4-5/3.99 ERA) were two dependable starters and the bullpen was fairly good, too... scoring runs was a sore spot... Pelham possess only one .300 batter... that was catcher Doug Patterson (.350 BA/2 HR/12 RBI/20 R)... right fielder Matt Lucas (.298 BA/2 HR/13 RBI/20 R) and third sacker Mike Henson (.287 BA/4 HR/18 RBI/16 R) were the only other productive bats in the lineup... looking at the Oaks' past history, they have been in the South Island League for all 7 years... Pelham began in the Supreme League and did well for the first two seasons... the Oaks were the league champ in 1956, but were demoted a year later to the Secondary League... they have been mired there since then... Pelham has a losing mark with 47 wins and 52 defeats in its history.

The Parkland Perfectos (14-14) have an abundance of talent, but have only managed an overall 39-40 record in its 5 seasons, all in the South Island Secondary League... Parkland wound up fifth this year... they are very consistent and very average... their only losing season was the first year in 1957... and they were 5-7 that season... with better pitching this season, the Perfectos could have been a serious contender... if they had just had a decent bullpen, they might have challenged for the pennant... Parkland can hit the ball... they play good defense... the starters Denny Lee (4-6/3.61 ERA) and Jeff Veltre (6-4/4.44 ERA) do pretty well, but relief corps is abominable (6.96 ERA)... the Perfectos are the top team offensively, paced by shortstop John Strauss (.321 BA/26 RBI/18 R), left fielder Vincent Jeansonne (.343 BA/2 HR/23 RBI/21 R), Aaron Kettering (.295 BA/8 HR/22 RBI/24 R), right fielder Bruce Bundy (.313 BA/16 RBI/16 R), Ballhawk Bannen (.227 BA/1 HR/17 RBI/16 R) and third baseman Mike Jones (.333 BA/9 RBI/16 R).

The Bar Harbor Acadians (13-15) have been a mediocre team for all of its 7 years in the South Island League, 6 of them in the Supreme League... this year the Cajuns were demoted to the Secondary League and they were still mediocre, winding up in sixth place... Bar Harbor began the season very well running up a sensational 7-1 mark in the first month, then they went on a hellatious 10-game losing skid that ruined the year... the Acadians can't hit a lick... they depend on shortstop Mike Allen (.274 BA/2 HR/19 RBI/19 R) and first baseman Andre Martel (.289 BA/5 HR/16 RBI/18 R) to put runs on the scoreboard with some help from third baseman Jeff Grubin (.336 BA/1 HR/14 RBI/11 R) and right fielder Warren Gravois (.366 BA/9 RBI/11 R)... the Cajuns have posted a 48-52 record and never has won a league flag...the closest they ever came was in 1956 when Bar Harbor (7-3) ended up second to Supreme League champion Pelham (8-2).

The Littleville Supermen (11-17) were a .500 team in April and May, then the bottom dropped out as they went 1-9 and tumbled near the bottom of the league standings and just barely escaped last place in the last game of the season, when they beat last place Billings in the second game of the doubleheader... Littleville can hit homers, have two fairly solid starters, but not much of a bullpen... Carlo Fresina (6-7/3.75 ERA) and Billy Pate (4-5/3.43 ERA) are quality hurlers, but the relievers rarely hold the lead late in the games... the Supermen have some potent bats in third baseman Jay Danley (.348 BA/9 HR/19 RBI/25 R), right fielder Dusty Brennan (.369 BA/3 HR/17 RBI/17 R), left fielder Billy Daniels (.282 BA/4 HR/16 RBI/18 R) and second baseman Denny Farmer (.229 BA/3 HR/17 RBI/17 R)... historically Littleville has never recorded a winning season in its 7 years, all in the Secondary League... in 1956 and 1957 they did break even... the Supermen's league record is a very poor 40-59.

The last place team in the South Island Secondary League this season was the Billings Rams (10-18)... the Rams have been pathetic in the Secondary League for all 7 years with an overall 40-59 mark... however, Billings has had 2 winning seasons, 1957 and 1958... they broke even in 1960... the Rams have never come close to winning or even challenging for the Secondary League title... once they came in third in the standing, 3 and a half-game behind the league winner... that was in 1960... Gaspar Marini is a jack of all trades... a fine pitcher with a 6-6 record and impressive 2.91 ERA and the team's regular second baseman... he is batting .306 with 1 homer, 7 ribbies and 14 runs... third baseman Ralph Ziegler (.306 BA/3 HR/14 RBI/18 R) and center fielder Mike Mitchell (.262 BA/2 HR/14 RBI/13 R) also help out.

South Island Secondary League Batting Leaderboards

[Eugene Church]

South Island Secondary League Pitching Leaderboards

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, July 15, 1961

SOUTH ISLAND SUPREME AND SECONDARY LEAGUES ANNOUNCE 1961 MVP AND GOLDEN GLOVERS
Two pitchers were acclaimed the 1961 Most Valuable Players... the awards went to Johnny Goodman of the Delta Stars and Rufus Turner of the Joliet Green Giants... South Island
League officials also announced the 1961 Gold Glove Award winners, which are given to the best defenders at each position.

DELTA ACE GOODMAN NAMED SUPREME LEAGUE MVP
The best could still be yet to come for Johnny Goodman of the Delta Stars, and that's the scary part.

At the age of only 24, the ace pitcher has accomplished a major feat, being named the 1961 South Island Supreme League Most Valuable Player Award winner.

His breakthrough campaign saw him put up a 9-3 record, while pitching 99 innings, with 73 strikeouts and 31 walks, for a 3.18 ERA. Goodman was tough on hitters all season long,
as they only put up a .228 batting average against him.

"I had a lot of fun this season," the young talent said.

A talented pair of his teammates challenged him for the MVP honor. center fielder Lynn Parker finished second in voting, while second baseman Buzzy Roberts finished third.

In spite of these players success, the best Delta could do was second place to league champion Jackson... the Stars lost the pennant by 2 games to the Jackalopes.

JOLLY GREEN GIANT TURNER TOP PLAYER IN THE SECONDARY LEAGUE
Not only has Rufus Turner been named winner of the 1961 South Island Secondary League Most Valuable Player Award, he's done it at an age when many of his peers are still trying
to establish themselves in South Island Secondary League.

"I feel fortunate to win this award at age 20," he said. "I feel like I still have my best years ahead of me. Hopefully I can put my name on this trophy a few more times."

The Joliet Green Giants ace had a 8-4 record over 14 starts and 111 innings. He struck out 85, issued 33 walks and had an impressive 2.75 ERA... Batters hit only .239 against him during the season.

Shortstop Phil Richard of the Joliet Green Giants finished second in voting, while center fielder Norm Manchester of the St. Dominic Saints finished third.

1961 Supreme League Award Winners


1961 Secondary League Award Wnners

[Eugene Church]

MY LIFE IN 2024
EC's Hopin' His Life Will Soar in '24

You know, that is not exactly true, I really don't want my life to soar... I am already truly blessed... and have been for almost 84 years now... my life is wonderful the way it is... I'm at peace with myself and my Creator... not anxious about what is going on right now in my life and not anxious about what is coming down the road for me... He will take care of me, the way He has always taken care of me, no matter what trials, travails and tribulations await me at the end of my long, long journey in this world.

Whoa! That's enough of real life expounding and revelation.
Yeah, buddy, it's the fictional life that is really important!

SAYONARA TO THE SOUTH ISLAND LEAGUES
Au revoir... Adios... Arrivederci... Dasvidanya (Russian)... Auf Wiedersehen (German) and Gule Gule (Turkish).
Just so you know, EC got a degree in German, was a Russian Language Specialist in the Air Force... and I picked up a little bit of Turkish while serving there in 1960.

Sadly, the time has come for me to retire the South Island Leagues... they are not perfect leagues... all my OOTP leagues have been flawed for one reason or another and not perfect the way I wanted them to be... I want to recreate my ultimate OOTP league that will be perfectly created right, right from the start... one with complete archives and history... one with wonderful graphics... my ultimate and perfect league... I want them to be sinless and perfect, like Jesus, not like EC.

In theory, it will be a perfectly designed small league, no more than 16 teams... I will choose the teams based on how good the logos, jerseys and caps are... some teams will come from by beloved Islandian Pro Alliance... some from the North Island and South Island League teams... and some new teams I've never used, taken from the greatest and gifted graphics designers on the OOTP Forums, folks like knuckler, txranger, low and Lawn Loaf and a few others.

Choosing the teams will be quite a task... EC has about 100 teams in my leagues over the years... all of them with good graphics provided by the best graphics people on the OOTP Forums... It will be tough to narrow them down to just 16.

I want a league like Major League baseball from the 1950s when I grew up... just 16 teams with no free agency... you knew who played for who back in that day because the players didn't move to a new team every year like they do today in modern baseball... you could really get immersed in the teams... I knew the day-to-day lineups and pitching rotations for ALL THE TEAMS back then... knew the stats of the ALL THE PLAYERS, too... to be honest, my IPA had too many teams... 64 teams is way too many with way too many players for me to learn and remember... that is twice the teams and players in MLB... and I can't keep up with them these days... even the small South Island Leagues with 16 to 24 teams was too much for me to learn and get to know and to remember.

Hmm? Maybe I getting to old to learn and remember?
Nope, EC thinks he is still young at heart... you young folks at OOTP keep me young at heart.

THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING THE SOUTH ISLAND LEAGUES... I really appreciate each and every one of you.

EC's gonna say, "So long for awhile", but not forever.
Look for a new league coming soon to a ballpark near you.

I will continue my life story in the new league... yep, I know I may be the only one interested in my life story, but I enjoyed remembering the good times of my life, and on occasion, even the bad times, too... my life story is corny, dreamy, idealistic, maudlin, mushy, nostalgic, saccharine, silly, sweet, touching, weepy and maybe boring to some, but I enjoy writing it.

One of my favorite people, Jimmy Buffett, said it best, "Some of it's magic, some of it's tragic, but I had a good life all the way".

Yeah buddy, EC is a wimpy and whimsical romantic, but I've had a good life all the way.

I was told long ago on the dynasty forum, that the only important thing about a dynasty league is that the author enjoys doing it... nothing else matters... popularity, praise, number of views, number of comments... none of that matters.

Yep, EC loves his dynasty reports.

Get yo' self set for my NEW ULTIMATE OOTP LEAGUE, coming to a ballpark near you soon.

[TC Dale]

Thumbs up. I know I can't wait to see what you come up with. Sad to see the others waft into the misty future, but, hey it was fun to follow along!

Thanks for all you do, Eugene. MUCH appreciated.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by TC Dale

Thumbs up. I know I can't wait to see what you come up with. Sad to see the others waft into the misty future, but, hey it was fun to follow along!

Thanks for all you do, Eugene. MUCH appreciated.

Thank you, TC Dale.

It's people like you that motivate me to continue my dynasty leagues.

Thank you doing such a good job as an OOTP Forum moderator.