Witnessed the end of an era...

[knightfan26917]

For 30 seasons, "Friday Night Lights" for my Dad meant managing an Elgin IL City League softball team.  Dad's 30-year managerial career ended Friday, 09/10/2010, with a 20-16 loss in the 2010 playoffs to a team that had blown his team out 2 of 3 games (by the slaughter rule) during the 2010 regular season.  His team's only win against that team was a 13-12, extra inning, come-from-behind win in early July.  In the playoff game, Dad's team scored 8 runs w/2 outs in the top of the 3rd inning to take a short-lived 10-7 lead.


During 30 seasons, Dad's team...
...sported ~140 players, 1 (Scott L) was w/Dad all 30 years
...ended above .500 in 24 of 30 seasons
...captured 1st place 7 seasons (including a 14-0 1987 season)
...grabbed 2nd place 6 seasons
...took 3rd place 9 seasons
...finished 4th place 2 seasons
...landed 5th place 3 seasons
...landed 6th place 2 seasons
...landed 7th (last) place 1 season (1998)
...featured several names:
OSSA The Surgeons
Jake's Pizza
Mel's Pizza
Elgin Industries

In this 2010 final season, Dad's team started 0-2, then won 8 straight games to jump into a virtual tie for 1st place.  A double-header loss dropped them to 8-4 and out of the top spot.  They finished in 3rd (10-5), 2 games behind the 1st and 2nd place teams (12-3).  The fourth place team was 6-9.

Dad has statistics for EVERY player (batting percentages, on base percentages, singles, doubles, triples, HRs, fielding percentages, etc.) AND for EACH field on which they played (wins vs losses).


Remembering the players that played for Dad and the many exciting games is like having a highlight reel on a TV sports show running.  A few of those games, I did "play by play".

In a 1991 game, Dad's team was down 20-10 in the 7th inning.  But, with 2 outs in the top of the 7th, Dad's team scored 11 runs (in the rain) to take a 21-20 lead ... and held the opposition scoreless (after they had scored in EVERY inning thus far) in the bottom of the 7th to win.  With the score 20-17 and the bases loaded with 2 outs, I turned to my "broadcast partner" at the time and said, "We wouldn't have gotten this close, if we weren't going to win, right?"  Two hits and 4 runs later, we had the lead.

Another highlight is from a 2007 game.  In one inning, the third baseman (Scott L) sparked a double play when he scrambled to step on third for one out ... and then threw a bullet to the first baseman for the 2nd out, "just in time".  Then, the very next batter smashed a line shot towards right field, but Eric J (bro-in-law, who leads his own co-ed team on Tuesday nights in the Elgin City Leagues) dived and snagged the ball for the third out.



In the 30 years Dad managed:

Mom & Dad have owned 8 cars...
1976 Monte Carlo
1981 MC SC (became mine, December 1999)
1982 Chevette
1990 Corsica
1988 nova
1997 mc LS ... still have
2002 Cavalier
2006 Cobalt ... still have

When the city-league team started in 1980, the Monte Carlo celebrated its 10th anniversary and featured a Turbo engine for the first of 2 times (1981 being the 2nd).


Elgin's...
...center (1980) was literally downtown, along the Fox River
...center (2010) is roughly Randall Rd, W of downtown
...2 hospitals (1980) were on the opposite sides of the river
...2 hospitals (2010) are within miles of each other along Randall Rd


The Chicago Cubs have won...
...2 NL East titles (1984 & 1989)
...1 NL wild-card (1998)
...3 NL Central titles (2003, 2007 & 2008)

Dad's Pittsburgh Pirates have won...
...3 NL East titles (1990, 1991, 1992)
...1 World Series (1979, the year before Dad's team joined the city league)


1980 notable TV series:
Dallas (CBS)
Little House On The Prairie (NBC)
The Dukes Of Hazzard (CBS)
60 Minutes (CBS)
M*A*S*H (CBS)
The Love Boat (ABC)
The Jeffersons (CBS)
Alice (CBS)

The year Dad's team went undefeated (1987)...
...Andre Dawson won NL Most Valuable Player for the last-place Chicago Cubs
...the MN Twins defeated the STL Cardinals 4 games to 3 in the World Series (home team won EVERY game)
...the LAST Monte Carlo rolled off the assembly line
...notable TV series:
The Cosby Show (NBC)
Cheers (NBC)
60 Minutes (CBS)
The Golden Girls (NBC)
Who's the Boss? (ABC)
Murder, She Wrote (CBS)
Empty Nest (NBC)

The year Dad's team finished in last place (1998)...
...Harry Caray, broadcaster for the STL Cardinals, Oakland A's, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs, died in February
...the Chicago Cubs captured the NL Wild Card by beating the Dusty Baker-managed SF Giants in a 1-game playoff at Wrigley Field
...the Joe Torre-managed NY Yankees defeated the SD Padres 4 games to 0 in the World Series
...notable TV series:
ER (NBC)
Frasier (NBC)
60 Minutes (CBS)
Touched By An Angel (CBS)
Home Improvement (ABC)
NYPD Blue (ABC)
7th Heaven (WB)
Early Edition (CBS)

2010 notable TV series:
Friday Night Lights (NBC)
Castle (ABC)
Glee (FOX)
Modern Family (ABC)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Human Target (FOX)
Blue Bloods (CBS)
60 Minutes (CBS)
Desperate Housewives (ABC)




I will miss going to the Elgin Softball Complex every Friday night during the season.  But, my brother-in-law's Tuesday night team will continue next year, so I won't completely have "withdrawal"...!


Some trophies:




























Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |
MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Summer has come and passed" ... Green Day ... 'Wake Me Up When September Ends'

[Otto Puzzell]

A tip of my baseball cap to your dad, Cort.

[Ultra]

He's a real Wonderboy.

[knightfan26917]

*nods*

Thank you Otto and Ultra!  Much appreciated guys .



Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |
MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"The stars might lie, but the numbers never do" ... Mary Chapin-Carpenter ... 'I Feel Lucky'

[BlueCat]

Your Dad clearly loved softball. It appears that softball also loved him. Many kudos to your Dad for a lifetime of joy given to countless players, families and spectators!

[trobinett]

Your Dad clearly loved softball. It appears that softball also loved him. Many kudos to your Dad for a lifetime of joy given to countless players, families and spectators!

What a guy, this world needs more.

[knightfan26917]

*nods*

Thank you, BC and Trob!

It sure was a complete love affair between Dad, softball, players and fans!



Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |
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