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1990 ASA Super National Championship

 

1990 ASA Super National

August 19th – Oklahoma City, OK


 Steele's Silver Bullets (help fill in names ?)

Dan Shuck, Scott Virkus, Monty Tucker, Dirk Androff, Todd Joerling, Greg Schulte

Rick Lucas, Billy Blake, John Grissom, Mike Macenko, Rick Weiterman, ?

Terry Perryman, Ernie Montgomery, Dave Neale, Joe Foley, Danny Williams

Steele's super in Super
(From the Daily Oklahoman)

Oklahoma City – Bill Blake hit 6 home runs and drove in 10 runs to lead Steele's Silver Bullets to a 65-50 victory over Lighthouse-Sunbelt-Worth August 19th in the Wilson/ASA Super Slow Pitch National Championship.

The championship was the first ASA title for the Grafton, Ohio team since 1987.

Steele's took control early, scoring 14 runs in the first and 18 in the second.  Steele's had an 8-0 lead before Ernie Montgomery lined to the shortstop for the first out.

The game appeared to be headed for a run rule after an inning and a half, with Steele's leading 32-5, but Lighthouse-Sunbelt slowly came back.  The team from Stone Mountain, Georgia, outscored Steele's 23-17 in the middle three innings.

Wendell Rickard was the Lighthouse-Sunbelt beacon with 6 solo home runs.  Pitcher Kenny Carver led the team in runs batted in with 7.

Steve Craven and Ricky Huggins added 6 RBI apiece and a combined 9 home runs.

Although Lighthouse-Sunbelt pulled within 11 runs after the fourth and fifth innings, they could never take the lead.  Steele's outscored the home team 10-5 in the sixth inning and put the game away.

The teams combined to hit 70 home runs but Silver Bullet left fielder Scott Virkus was nearly as important on defense.

Virkus leaped to save 4 home runs from atop the chain-link fence.  The fourth save off the bat of Curtis Williams ended the ball game with two runners left on base.

The Silver Bullet battery – pitcher Monty Tucker and catcher Mike Macenko – were named the tournament's most valuable players.

Tucker hit .880 in the tournament, while Macenko hit .871.  Both players hit 18 home runs in their 4 games.

Steele's won the ASA Super Slow Pitch championship from 1985 to 1987, but the Silver Bullets finished fifth in 1988 and 1989.

Steele's made the finals by defeating Superior/Apollo 53-44 earlier that morning.  Steele's outscored Superior/Apollo 11-1 in the fifth inning to put the Connecticut team away.

Both teams entered the final game undefeated in the double-elimination competition, but the title was decided in a single game for television.

DW Note: maybe someone out there can fill me in on how both championship teams could be undefeated in a double elimination tournament where all but two teams had two losses.  The only thing I can think of is that they made the winner's bracket championship the final game and played the loser's bracket for 3rd place?

Some great names on that all tournament team.


2 responses to “1990 ASA Super National Championship”

  1. Dale, I ran across this and thought I’d share my experience at that event.

    I was with Budwieser and doubt we finished tied for 7th.

    I think they ran a weird two bracket system to get a one game finals for TV.

    The reason I think we placed higher then 7th is because two Budwieser players made first team all American. Those players are not listed in this article and I would guess it’s because the reporter had never heard of them.wes and I had never played in a major tourney..heck…we had never played an ASA game.

    My teammate Wes Lord won the batting/first team all American title going 18-20 (I think 20 ABs was the minimum). Wes stayed around the park to take the All American picture and I would guess I could get that for you.

    The second all American for Budweiser was myself (18-21 with 15 homeruns) …I went with my best friend/teammate (Jeff Peterson) across the street from ASA hall of fame stadium to check out the air museum instead of watching the finals and be in the picture. In hind sight…I was a real dumb youngster…now that picture would have a chance to be the only softball related thing in our house….I am sure the all American plaque is in my barns hayloft somewhere…maybe I should try to find it.

  2. Gary Shuba says:

    In the Photo the name for the ? mark is Gary Shuba, I traveled with the 1990 team as souvenir salesman and drove the equipment truck across the country. I grew up with the Neal family in Cleveland Ohio is how I got the job. Dave Neale let me dress in uniform for this game/picture by the teams request. I did not play but was on the roster. Before the picture was taken I found 2 bricks to stand on so I would
    look the part. LOL

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