Our Hillcrest team went to California that year and played in the ASA Men's Major National Championship. We were ranked number 20 in the country most of that year. We had to qualify in the Regionals held in Pittsburgh to make the trip.

That was with the local talent that Coach Neale had put together. When we got to Sacremento for the ASA we found out we had to play Ken Sanders Ford again. Well the second time around can do wonders for you. We had lost to Ken Sanders in 1978 at the ASA that was held in Parma, Ohio.

Ken Sanders who was ranked in the top 3 teams all year opened the ASA with a lopsided 69-8 victory. They played on the field with the wind blowing straight out. The next day we were scheduled to play them on the field with the wind blowing straight in. That was definitely an advantage for us because we didn't have all of the power that they did. We mixed in some base hitters to go along with our homerun hitters. So when the dust cleared we had beat the infamous Ken Sanders Ford team 3-2. There was one homerun hit in the game and it was our catcher Indian Joe Terebenic.

You can also take a look at the tribute to Jerome Ernest and read about one of the original promoters of the great game of softball. Jerome passed away in April of 2000. He use to put the schedule together for the Men Of Steele's tours in the late 1980's. His good friend Gordie Heagle (The Old Scout) has been trying to carry on Jerome's legacy of following Big Time softball and has been doing a great job. I am sure Jerome is smiling in the heavens.

I have had the pleasure of playing softball with and against the singer and songwriter Michael Bolton.. The first time was in Scranton, Pa. and the second time was in Bridgeport, Conneticutt. Michael Bolton.