Pittsburgh Champions

Last updated

The Pittsburgh Champions were a professional softball team based in Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania that played in the North American Softball League (NASL) in 1980.

Contents

Team history

Pittsburgh was represented by the Pittsburgh Hardhats in the first professional league, the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL), beginning with the founding of that league in 1977. After three seasons, Ted Stepien, owner of the Cleveland Stepien's Competitors, left to form a new league, the NASL, with the Fort Wayne Huggie Bears and the Milwaukee Schlitz, APSPL champions from 1979. The Hardhats continued in the APSPL in 1980, and NASL teams were formed in Cincinnati and Lexington, Kentucky as well to compete with existing APSPL franchises there. Stepien owned many of the NASL teams, including the Champions. [1]

The Champions played at LaRussa Field, Sokol Club in Lower Burrell, just outside of Pittsburgh. [2] The Hardhats owner Jim DiIorio brought a challenge in federal court in an attempt to prevent splitting the young professional sport. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] The Hardhats also brought a legal challenge against new Champions player and General Manager Roger Snatchko for breach of contract as he had been under contract with the Hardhats previously. That lawsuit was withdrawn because a salary amount was not specified in the Hardhat contract. [8] Tensions with Stepien remained as he tried to lure talent away from the APSPL teams, notably Chuck Lazar, a football player from near-by Allegheny College who had been in-camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers and had played previously with the Hardhats. [9] [10] Lazar would play briefly for the Champions. [1] [11] [12]

The Champions struggled in 1980, finishing in last place of the Eastern Division with a record of 25-39 (.391), 11.5 games behind the division-winning Detroit Auto Kings. [13] The Milwaukee Schlitz won the 1980 NASL World Series 5–2 over Detroit with Ken Parker (.586 BA) of Milwaukee honored as Series MVP. Ron Olesiak (.555, 34 HRs, 124 RBIs) of Chicago Nationwide Advertising was the NASL league MVP. Outfielder Roger Snatchko (.478 BA) was the only Champion to make the all-NASL team. [14] Fred Ryan hit 29 home-runs for Pittsburgh, 7th most in the NASL, and Jim Picard, Ed Zalewski, Mark Johnson and Roger Snatchko made the mid-season All-Star team. [15] [16]

Across town, the Hardhats had their best season, finishing with a 44-19 (.698) record, trailing only the Kentucky Bourbons who they upset 3–2 in the playoffs to advance to their first APSPL World Series, where they were swept 3-0 by the Rochester Express.

After the season, the leagues officially merged, but only the Milwaukee Schlitz would go to the new United Professional Softball League (UPSL) and the Champions disbanded. The Hardhats moved to the Champions stadium, LaRussa Field in Lower Burrell in 1981, where they continued to play until the UPSL folded after the 1982 season, bringing an end to the professional softball era for men in the United States. [17]

Pittsburgh Champions record

YearRecordPctFinishDivisionPlayoffsLeague
198025-39.3914thEastern-NASL

Related Research Articles

The Detroit Caesars were a professional softball team played in the American Professional Slo-Pitch Softball League (APSPL) from 1977 to 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit Auto Kings</span> Professional softball team

The Detroit Auto Kings were a professional softball team that played in the North American Softball League (NASL) in the 1980 season at Memorial Field in East Detroit, Michigan.

The Kentucky Bourbons were a professional softball team that played in two men's professional softball leagues between 1977 and 1982 at Bishop David Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. The Bourbons, Cincinnati Suds and Pittsburgh Hardhats were the only three teams to play all 6 seasons of professional softball.

The Pittsburgh Hardhats were a professional softball team that played in two men's professional softball leagues from 1977 through 1982. The Hardhats, Cincinnati Suds and the Kentucky Bourbons were the only franchises to play all 6 seasons of professional softball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Men's professional softball in the United States</span> APSPL, NASL and UPSL

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, several men's professional slow-pitch softball leagues were formed in the United States to build on the growth and talent in the booming men's amateur game during this period. The American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) was the first such league, launching in an era of experimentation in professional sports leagues. The APSPL was formed in 1977 by former World Football League executive Bill Byrne, who would go on to found the Women's Professional Basketball League. Former New York Yankees star Whitey Ford was the first APSPL commissioner.

The Milwaukee Schlitz were a professional softball team that played in three men's professional softball leagues from 1977 through 1982 at Wilson Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Detroit Softball City was a professional softball team that played during the 1982 season in the United Professional Softball League (UPSPL). Detroit Softball City played at and was named for a large recreational softball complex on the grounds of the Michigan State Fair in Detroit.

The Rochester Express, originally named the Rochester Zeniths, were a professional softball team that played in two professional softball leagues from 1978 through 1982 at various locations in the Rochester, New York area.

The Cincinnati Suds were a professional softball team that played in two men's professional softball leagues at various stadiums in the Cincinnati, Ohio region from 1977 through 1982. The Suds, Pittsburgh Hardhats, Milwaukee, and Kentucky Bourbons were the only franchises to play all 6 seasons of professional softball.

The New England Pilgrims were a professional softball team in Connecticut that played in two different men's professional softball leagues between 1977 and 1981.

The Cleveland Jaybirds (1977–78), later named the Cleveland Stepien's Competitors (1979–80) and finally the Cleveland Competitors (1982), were a professional softball team that played in three professional softball leagues between 1978 and 1982 at two different locations in the Cleveland, Ohio area.

The Cincinnati Rivermen were a professional softball team who played at Newport Recreation Center in Newport, Kentucky in the North American Softball League (NASL) during the 1980 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Storm (softball)</span> Professional softball team

The Chicago Storm were a professional 12-inch softball team that played in the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) during the 1977 and 1978 seasons. They played their home games at the Windy City Softball Complex in Bridgeview, Illinois in 1977 and then at two different parks in 1978 - Lions Park in Mt. Prospect, Illinois and Community Park in Addison, Illinois.

Chicago Nationwide Advertising were a professional softball team that played in the North American Softball League (NASL) during the 1980 season. They played their home games at The team played at Lou Boudreau Field in Harvey, Illinois.

The Philadelphia Athletics, later named the South Jersey Athletics, were a professional softball team that played in two professional softball leagues at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia (1978), Dyer Field in Wilmington, Delaware (1979-1980) and finally the Cjonacki Sports Complex in Berlin, New Jersey (1981-1982).

The New Jersey Statesmen, sometimes seen as Trenton's New Jersey Statesmen, later named the Trenton Statesmen and the Trenton Champales, were a professional softball team that played in the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) from 1977 through 1979 at Mercer County Park in West Windsor, New Jersey (1977–78) and Wetzel Field in Chambersburg, New Jersey (1979).

The Fort Wayne Scouts were a professional softball team that played in the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) in the 1979 season at the Tah-Cum-Wah Recreation Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Lexington Stallions were a professional softball team who played at Southland Park in Lexington, Kentucky in the North American Softball League (NASL) during the 1980 season.

Lima Steele's were a professional softball team based in Lima, Ohio. Lima Steele's played at the baseball diamond on the campus of the Ohio State University at Lima in the United Professional Softball League (UPSL) in 1982.

The Syracuse Salts were a professional softball team based in Syracuse, New York who played at Hopkins Road Field in Liverpool, New York in the United Professional Softball League (UPSL) in 1981.

References

  1. 1 2 "Clipped From The Pittsburgh Press". May 8, 1980. p. 4 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "NASL – Softball History USA". www.softballhistoryusa.com.
  3. ↑ "Clipped From The Pittsburgh Press". March 9, 1980. p. 84 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Clipped From The Pittsburgh Press". May 8, 1980. p. 4 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Clipped From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". June 19, 1980. p. 61 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Clipped From Detroit Free Press". March 8, 1980. p. 33 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Clipped From Detroit Free Press". March 8, 1980. p. 37 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Clipped From The Pittsburgh Press". May 16, 1980. p. 14 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Clipped From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". April 24, 1980. p. 11 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Clipped From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". April 24, 1980. p. 14 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Clipped From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". May 20, 1980. p. 11 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Clipped From The Pittsburgh Press". May 27, 1980. p. 19 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Clipped From The Pittsburgh Press". July 6, 1980. p. 65 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Detroit Auto Kings". Detroit Caesars.
  15. ↑ "Clipped From The Pittsburgh Press". July 17, 1980. p. 28 – via newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Professional Slow Pitch Softball History". www.angelfire.com.
  17. ↑ "Softball History USA – This site is dedicated to collecting the history of the great sport of softball". www.softballhistoryusa.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.