Shoe Column: Shoe interviews Shoe
By Tim “Shoe” Sullivan
This might be a journalistic first.
Shoe, a columnist for the Point/Plover Metro Wire, will interview Shoe about local softball. Hang on, here we go.
Metro Wire: We hear that you and local softball go back a long way. Any truth to that?
Shoe: “Yes, it’s true. You heard correctly.”
MW: Great! Can you start from the beginning?
Shoe: “Did you know that baseball and softball are mentioned in the Bible?”
MW: How so?
Shoe: “The Bible starts out: In the big inning…”
MW: When did you start playing softball?
Shoe: “Probably started playing as a 12-year-old Little Leaguer. We had a great neighborhood, and all the kids in the neighborhood built a big softball diamond in the backyards of Richard Stroik’s and Nick Meronek’s. Nick was the only adult involved. He was awesome!”
MW: Tell us about the diamond.
Shoe: “Our field had everything. We had bases, foul lines, home run fences, the whole works. Even a pitcher’s mound.”
MW: Who played?
Shoe: “Almost all of the boys in the neighborhood played. This was in about 1960. We only had one or two wooden bats. The crazy part was that almost everyone except Tommy Warzinik was right-handed. The water tower fence was way out in left field, and nobody ever hit a home run over it. And you could forget about smacking one over the fence in center too. But the fence in the right field was really close. If you hit a pop-up in right, it usually was a home run.”
MW: Give us some names.
Shoe: “Well, let’s see. The Stroik boys: John, Larry, and Jim. Mike Meronek. Charlie and Ed Rossier. Jack Ellenz. Tom “Wuzzy” Warzinik. My brother Casey. Gary Bronk and his brother Ronny. Jeff “Bones” Firkus. Tommy Jensen. Leon Zdzieblowski. Tommy Frymark. We played every day in the summer for several years.”
MW: What came after the neighborhood softball games?
Shoe: “Not much until after high school. The Stevens Point Recreation Department started a High League for organized softball. Still with wood bats, and all of the games were at Goerke Field, the diamond right next to PJ Jacobs High. Almost all of us players were high school seniors or juniors.”
MW: Was the High League fun?
Shoe: “It was a blast! Couldn’t wait to play. And an added bonus was that the Point Journal did actual write-ups of the games. Headlines and everything. Our names would be right in the paper next to Milwaukee Braves reports.”
MW: Was this the beginning of the softball explosion in these parts?
Shoe: “Pretty much. There was a men’s league in the ’50s at St. Pete’s, but that might’ve been fast-pitch. Then came the High League in 1966.”
MW: What was after the High League?
Shoe: “We heard that the Rec Department was starting a softball program around 1968. The games were at Goerke Field and some new place called Iverson Park. The Iverson League only had about eight teams. This era was incredible! Goerke Field was so historic, and the Iverson Diamond was a total gem.”
MW: So softball was starting to really catch on?
Shoe: “I’d put it another way. Softball was starting an explosion. A buddy of mine, Ma Pesch, put a team in that Iverson League in 1969: Ma’s Children. Guys from the neighborhood. People like Ma, Bob ‘Mumbler’ Giese, Pat ‘Woba’ Witkowski, Rick ‘Harvey’ Giese, Larry ‘Crow’ Zimmerman, Mike ‘Caz’ Spreda, Dick ‘Rufus’ Konopacki, Don ‘Duck’ Shannon, and the list goes on. Everyone had a nickname.”
MW: Was there anything unusual about Ma’s Children?
Shoe: “Well, we had our own shirts and warm-up jackets. People in the league thought we were a bar. They wanted to know where the bar was. We told them it was at the intersection of Water Street and Prairie Street by the Black Bridge. Actually, it was just a bunch of Pesch’s pals.”
MW: And then it all took off?
Shoe: “Absolutely! Suddenly leagues were everywhere! In Point, Plover, Junction City. Big rivalries like Moore Barn and the Flame. Soon every tavern had a team or two. There was even a 16-team women’s league.”
MW: Were you on any teams besides Ma’s?
Shoe: “Everyone pretty much was on several teams. I was on Bob’s Food King with Dave ‘Biz’ Bisbee, Norm Dake, Paul Thompson, and Earl Higgins. Then Westside Merchants with Ken ‘Big E’ Eberhard. First National Bank with Dan ‘The Man’ Houlihan and Dean Justus Paul, a great hitter! Zodiac Bar in Plover… We had a league powerhouse in 1972 at Iverson. Journal write-ups. Team photo in the paper. Stan’s Beer & Liquor with Larry Scipior, Lenny Hucke, Dewey Johnson, Sam Molski, Kenny Eberhard, Dave Stoltenberg, Willie Disher, John Schmitz, Duck Shannon, Leroy Wojtalewicz, Byron Waltenberg, Tom Lewandowski, and our sponsor Stan Lewandowski.”
MW: Do any other teams come to mind?
Shoe: “Sure. My buddy Randy Wievel was in the Naval Reserve. He put a team in a Goerke League. Some of our players actually were in the Reserves, but several were not. The closest any of us came to water was in a canoe on the Plover River.”
“Our Unique Bar teams in the ’80s won a couple of league titles. We had Club Orlow guys like Pete Sipple, Steve ‘Carbo’ Carr, and Mike ‘Spike’ Shulfer, along with Pat Hedquist, Duck Shannon, Bill Stoltz, Harv Giese, Tim Kedrowski, Dave Nachman, and Dewey Johnson. Those teams almost never lost a game.”
MW: Sounds like a lot of fun.
Shoe: “Then came the glory years at Royal Wood in Plover. Doug Berry and Paul Woyak. An awesome 10-year stretch! I played for Furniture & Appliance for a few games with Brian ‘Load’ Filtz, Al Kruzicki, Shawn Becker, Tim Schwebach, Nate Durst, and Steve Van Fleet.”
“We played against a lot of great teams. Fix Amusement with Jerry Ciula, George Klesmith, Dennis Rozak, Scottie Somers, Henry Rozak, John Rozak, Harry Rozak, Todd Obremski, and Kip Johnson. Aldo’s was always loaded with Al Kruzicki, Pat Stanislawski, Mike Bogie, Gary Brilowski, Ryan Kluck, Dean Besiada, TJ Schweback, and Todd ‘Wad’ Higgins.”
“Then there was Point Trophy with Dennis Groshek, Tim Steinke, Brian Swan, Mike Fredrickson, Kurt Zelhofer, Tom Lodzinski, Dennis Gaskill, and Vern Steinke.”
“Those Royal Wood Leagues were something else! And they went crazy out there for 10 years! Women’s leagues, tournaments, Tom Meyer’s GBI, Matt Thies, John Dickrell, Brian Michalski, Jay Warner, Bruce Soik, Roger White… There might’ve been 80 teams in those days. Sponsors everywhere. Players were known by their softball teams. Jerry Firkus of Johnny & Elaines. Bullhead Koehler of Top Hat. Fritz Becker of Gumney Trucking. Patty Glennon and Louise Ludwig of Lakeside.”
MW: Word on the street is that you also are familiar with softball score booths. Care to comment?
Shoe: “I started scorekeeping in 1966 for the Rec Department at Goerke. It was actually a women’s softball league. I had a P.A. system up there and would play ’60s records on my microphone between innings. The ladies danced during the tunes.”
“Then I announced games at Iverson, Goerke, Memorial Park in Plover, Royal Wood, and Doug’s Sports Pub in Buena Vista. We recently finished announcing the co-ed softball on Mondays at Doug’s. I’ve been in a scorebooth for almost 60 years.”
MW: And now it seems like softball has almost vanished?
Shoe: “Yes, and it’s sad. I don’t know what happened. No beer games anymore? Stricter drinking laws? Expensive entry fees? People just lost interest? Softball ruled for many years! Now all you see are empty ball fields. Neighborhood kids won’t play. Too many video games. I don’t know.”
MW: Any closing thoughts?
Shoe: “I liked your questions. Back in the day, I thought softball would last forever. I guess it didn’t, and I feel sorry for all the kids who came later who missed out.”
MW: Did softball in Point have many fans back in the day?
Shoe: “Oh, for sure! League games always brought out the people, and some of the crowds for the bigger tournaments were awesome! The Point Classic at Iverson was always packed. There were such terrific teams in it. The Miami Dolphins’ tight end had a power team, DJ’s of Miami. Then there was Hooligan’s and Pit Stop. At some of those Point Classics, the parking lots were full of cars and fans were actually parking on the Jefferson Street hill entering Iverson. And the crowds at Royal Wood for their state-modified tournaments were unreal.”