Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
RANDA FIELD, near the Hiawatha statue and Manny's restaurant is already empty of snow and ready for some ball. The Oldtimers League managers met on Wednesday in the leagues first official meeting of the year and began the process of addressing rule changes, adding new teams, and figuring out tournament dates.
By IAN MINIELLY
Ironwood - Like a scene straight out of a Mario Puzo book, the skippers of the Range Oldtimers Softball League circled around three square tables Wednesday evening at the Aurora Club to discuss the upcoming season. Currently the league consists of seven teams, but a potential eighth team manager was present at the initial meeting.
Jim Kuker, Rigoni's manager, held sway and moderated the meeting of the grizzled veteran coaches. Last year's end of season tourney was rained out and then unable to be rescheduled due to endless conflicts, so the managers discussed tournament options for this year to avoid the same fate. While a final decision was not made, the team bosses discussed three options.
The three options included a June tournament, a Saxon Fair tournament - based on an old invite by the Saxon fair committee that may no longer exist, and the standard August, end of year tourney. Half of the team chiefs appeared to favor scheduling two tournaments, while others leaned toward just one, based on the difficulty of getting players to commit to weekend softball.
Deno's Sports Bar, Wakefield, offered to place an order for softballs for any of the other teams that might need them in a sign of collegiality. Likewise, the teams briefly discussed final roster dates and rules votes.
The next meeting is scheduled for Deno's Sports Bar in Wakefield on April 26 at 6 p.m. At that meeting, which is expected to last longer, the teams are planning to vote on any rules changes for the upcoming season. Some of the rules being considered are modifications to pitch height, always a heated topic, and whether to change from two swinging strikes to one. The league expressed no interest in changing the strike zone.
The final meeting before league play begins is set for May 3 at Chubb and Sandy's. At the meeting on May 3, final rosters and league money must be turned in. The skippers were in agreement they would accept a new team into the league, even if they showed up on May 3 with their roster in hand. It would only entail minor adjustments to scheduling to add a new team.
If local area talent that has aged into the league is looking to join a team, there are slots available with most of the teams. Prospective players should contact the team manager and inquire about availability of a roster slot.
-Wolf's Den in Mercer, Eric Behnke, 715-604-2253.
-American Legion (Ironwood), Keith Johnson 906-364-4316.
-Aurora Club, Brian Orr, 906-285-3386.
-Chubb and Sandy's, Mike Cook, 906-364-3859.
-The Pit Stop, Ed Hocking, 906-364-3085.
-Rigoni's Inn, Jim Kuker, 906-932-9705.
-Deno's Sports Bar, Scott Libertoski, 906-364-3229.
-Nora's Bar, John Markowski, 715-862-2733.
One additional piece of news coming out of the initial meeting is the potential for a co-ed softball league. The managers expressed interest, but said it has been tried in the past and has failed. Jason Brommenschenkel, though, is taking the bull by the horns. He wants to try and get four teams, filled out with six males and four females to play on the night opposite of the men's league, and not on the women's league night.
Brommenschenkel said the co-ed league would be open to everyone over 18 and is still in its infancy as an idea. He thinks it would be highly successful in the area and is willing to adjust the starting date to accommodate established leagues, perhaps even having a start date after the current season's end. Brommenschenkel can be reached via email at [email protected], or via text message at 906-231-0894.
