For further information contact Mike Stapp at 636-239-7908 or estapp@sbcglobal.net.

Please email me the scores of  your games.  I usually have them posted within 24 hrs of receiving them, sometimes within minutes.  They will be "seeding" teams for the post season tournament so it's even more important to get them in.  Email to estapp@sbcglobal.net.

Thanks!  Eileen

1957       Glenn Wood took over as President in 1957.  And if 1956 was the season for records, then 1957 was the year for a strange event.  In July, the manager of the Blue Goose team suddenly left town, taking with him all the team equipment etc.  Donations from the community were received to help the team finish the season.  In light of those donations, the team name was changed to "The Citizens Team".  

On Monday, July 24th, Dick Stratmann threw a No HItter for the Knights of Columbus team defeating Asel's 603.  He struck out 8 batters in 7 innings.  Stramann would later become a teacher at Washington High school where he retired and in 2002 was elected as the Mayor of Washington. 

The Missourian recognized Floyd Vandegriffe, commonly known as "Van", for his 30 years of umpiring.  He umpired locally in Khoury League, American Legion, and local softball leagues. 

Future lawyers were seen playing in the league on the 1957 Dairy Queen team,  which included future Circuit Judge Gael Wood, and the Gross Market team which included future Asst. Prosecutor Jack Meyer.  

Coaches,

I read this about 4 months ago and filed it a way for another day. I got it out today and thougth about all the teams beginning winter practices and as the 2011 season rolls around, Doug and I wanted to ask that you please stress character and sportsmanship to your team. Below is a true story and really felt it was relevant in our sport. Thank you for allowing Doug to serve as MO State Director and myself as the KS State Director. We have had a blast doing this and it is so many of the great people we get to meet and be around.

"I'm an Ump!"
 
            Donald Jensen was struck on the head by a thrown bat while umpiring a little league game in Terre Haute , Ind.   He shook off the blow, and finished working the game, but that night he went to a hospital with head pains.  While being kept overnight for observation, the umpire wrote the following letter to parents of Little Leaguers everywhere.
 
            "I'm an umpire.  I don't do it for a living, but only on weekends for fun. I've played baseball, coached it and watched it, but somehow nothing takes the place of umpiring.  Maybe I feel deep down that I am providing a fair chance for all kids to play the game without disagreements and arguments.
            But, there is one thing that bothers me about my job.  Some of your folks don't understand why I'm there.  Some of you feel I'm there to exert authority over your son.  For that reason, you often yell at me or encourage your son to yell when I make a mistake.  How many of you really understand that I try to be perfect?  I try not to make a mistake.  I don't want your son to feel he got a bad deal from an umpire. 
            Yet, no matter how hard I try, I can't be perfect.  I counted the number of calls I made in a six-inning game today.  The total number of decisions on balls and strikes or safes and outs was 146.  I tried my best to get them all right, but I'm sure I missed some.  I could have missed eight calls today and still got 95 percent right.  In most occupations that percentage would be considered excellent.
            Let me tell you more about my game today.  There was one close call that ended the game.  A runner for the home team was trying to steal the plate on a passed ball.  The catcher chased the ball down and threw to the pitcher covering the plate.  The pitcher made the tag and I called the runner out.
            As I was getting my equipment to leave, I overheard one of the parents comment, 'Its too bad the kids have to lose games because of rotten umpires.  That was one of the lousiest calls I've ever seen.'
            Later, at the concession stand, a couple of kids were telling their friends, 'Boy, the umpires were lousy today.  They lost the game for us.'
            Well, I heard that and felt terrible.  Those kids had made a lot of mistakes, which had cost them runs.  A parent or adult leader who lets a child blame his failures on an umpire is doing the worst kind of injustice to that youngster.  That irresponsibility is bound to carry over to future years.
            As I sit here writing this letter, I am no longer upset, as I was this afternoon.  At one point, I wanted to quit umpiring behind that plate for a pitcher who pantomimed his displeasure at any close call.  One could sense that he wanted the crowd to realize that he was a talented player who was doing his best to get along, and that I was a black-hearted villain who was working against him.
            This kid continued for two innings at the same time yelling at his own player's mistakes.  For two innings the manager watched this.  When the kid returned to the dugout to bat in the top of the third, the manager called him aside.
            In a voice that I was able to overhear, he said, 'Listen son, it is time you made a decision.  You can't be an umpire, an actor or a pitcher, but you can be only one at a time when you are playing for me.  Right now it is your job to pitch and basically you are doing a lousy job.  Leave the acting to the actor, the umpiring to the umpire, or you won't do any pitching here.
            Needless to say, the kid chose the pitching route, and went the game.  When the game was over, the kid followed me to my car.  Fighting back tears, he apologized for his actions and thanked me for umpiring the game.  He said that he had learned a lesson that he would not forget.  I can't help but wonder how many more young men are missing their chance to develop into outstanding ball players because the parents encourage them to spend time umpiring, rather than working harder to play the game.
 
The following morning, Donald Jensen, part-time umpire, died of a brain concussion resulting from the blow by the thrown bat. Please pass this on to any and all who might get something out of this.  It is a good letter that really shows the reality of today's youth sports.  Being around sports as much as I am, I see stuff like this all the time.  Not only in baseball, as this story depicts but in all sports.  We all could learn a lesson from the story. 
 
Remember this:  Youth sports builds good character, only if the adults show good character.


Doug Morrison (USSSA MO State Director)
Jeremy McDowell (USSSA KS State Director)

As new parents take on existing projects sometimes information does not get passed on so we would like to explain the agreement on the use of the concession stands at the athletic fields. 

Currently the City lets the organizations use the concession stands at no charge.  However to be able to do this, the organizations that use the concession stands are responsible for picking up trash in the area they are selling to.  This would include around the concession stand, in the bleachers, under the bleachers, dugouts, etc.  – any place your participants and spectators are at during your event.  The concession stands must also be kept clean.  The City currently pays for electric, water and building maintenance.  The organizations are responsible for any concession stand supplies and equipment maintenance.

The Parks Department is cleaning up the areas today at Ronsick Field since we were not sure if the information had been passed down in the last few years.  Please from this point on the areas must be cleaned in order for the City not have to spend additional funds in manpower to clean the areas up. 

Thank you for your understanding and your prompt attention.

Cindy Frankenberg, Secretary

City of Washington Parks Department

We have been asked to post the pitching machine settings in case someone changes the machines without permission so you can know what the settings should be.  We have also placed tape measures in the boxes for use with the machines.
The settings are:

BB.  Micro-4. Release block -3. Power level 7

SB machines   Micro-2.  Release block -4.   Power level 5