Note: This article appeared in the 1989 ISC Guide. Written by Roger May.

Past Innings. 1981 ISC World Tournament

1981. I'm certain it was a great year in sports; but unless I was to review the sports

highlights for that year, none of the events are clear in my mind-but one; Saginaw, Michigan

- the International Softball Congress World Fastpitch Tournament.  That tournament of

fastball not only gets my vote as the greatest tournament I have even seen, but I

believe the records established in that tournament rate it as one of, if not the

greatest tournament ever played.

Michigan has a history of quality fastball teams and with Saginaw and

Midland being close to home (300 miles), I've always enjoyed going there for various

tournaments.  The pitching rivalries in those two cities from 1979 through 1981

consisted of Owen Walford, Kevin Herlihy, Michael White, and Peter Finn.  Art Gillis,

sponsor of the Saginaw Bolters, played a large part in bringing each of those

players into the area. In addition the quality of teams coming into both Midland

and Saginaw were first-rate.

Part of the enjoyment of going to a tournament is making new friends and renewing

acquaintances whether they are fans, coaches, players or officials. Being a part

of the excitement on opening day and anticipating the match-ups after seeing the

tournament draw, these are all part of the ritual that helps build the excitement.

As Saginaw was to be my first ISC World Tournament, I didn't know what to expect.

Would I see a handful of teams dominating the rest? I had been told by fastball

friends the ISC was the greatest tournament in fastball.

Boy, were they right!

After researching for this article, I decided to highlight the dominance of the

pitching. Some critics (there were some) thought the pitching dominance was due

to the gray ball with the high seams that was used and others attributed it to

the lack of color contrast between the ball and the infield.  Although these may

have played a minor part in the record-setting performances, I believe the only

significant reason was the talent of the pitchers.

The 1981 ISC helped establish pitchers Mark Smith and Paul Magan, youngsters Peter

Finn and Peter Meredith, introduced Steve Schultz, Chris Nicholas and Brad Underwood,

and affirmed the talents of Kevin Herlihy. Cal Oxford and Peter Brown. In addition,

the fans were witness to some of the legends of the game winding down their careers.

All of these pitchers had many different skills, but three things they had in common

were intensity, determination, and confidence.

Was the pitching dominant? Flip through a current issue of the ISC Guide and look

at all the pitching and fielding records recorded at the '81 event. Then examine

some of the stats that don't appear in the book: total games played-80; total

shutouts: 23 of 41 winner's bracket games, 22 of 39 losers bracket games. Only 5

games could be considered one-sided (more than a 4 run differential). Extra inning

games-12: 4 at 8 innings, 1 at 9, 2 at 10, and 1 each at 11,12,13,28, and 34 innings.

One run games-39 and only ten teams batted .200 or better and the team batting

average for all 41 teams -  .166 ! Three teams, Tulsa, Midland and Madison had

21% of the total putouts and played 20% of the total innings.

But it wasn't only the pitching that made this tournament so memorable. In a

winners' bracket game, Aurora Home Savings & Loan and Larry Miller Toyota of

Salt Lake City hooked up in a rematch from the 1980 ISC. The previous year in

a winners semi-final game in Tempe, AZ, Aurora had shut out Miller Toyota and

was intimidating in doing so.  So the 1981 game looked to be a repeat as defending

champions, Aurora were leading 2-0 in the 3rd, when suddenly the roof fell in.

Bunts, chops, seeing-eye singles, (no ball left the infield) and before the

inning was over, the Toyota gang had finished off the champs getting a 9-2

victory in 5 innings.

In Saginaw, seating down both lines was not protected from the playing field

above box level (about 42 inches). Therefore fans had to be ever alert,

especially those bringing back trays of beer in 24 oz cups. It became quite

common (and comical) to see spectators drenched in beer- as the beer carrier

was successful in avoiding a line drive but not so lucky in saving the beer.

The fans loved it and cheered each occasion.

Art Gillis, host of the event, remembered spending 60 consecutive hours at

the park due to extra innings. One ball game ran into the next, and for him

there was never a break or a chance to relax. From August 18, a Tuesday

starting at 8 a.m. until Friday, August 21st, 12:15 a.m. there was continuous

action.  Art Cashion, then ISC statistician who was scoring game 2,3, and 4

after the 34 inning game, recalls:  "We finally finished up our paperwork at

7:50 a.m. and the next day's session was to start 10 minutes later!".

What is the definition of a Cinderella team? Certainly any team that plays

the equivalent of 16 games over nine days (10 in the losers' bracket), has

to be the ultimate Cinderella team.  The Tulsa Firebirds played the equivalent

of 6 games in less that 24 hours, starting their first game at 5:54 a.m.

(a.m. not p.m.) and defeating Seattle Westside Federal 4-0 in a game that

ended at 7:50 a.m. the next morning. They then took the diamond immediately

after for an 8 a.m. game against Newmarket Rays from Ontario. That same night

they started a 28-inning game against Ashland Faultless at 11:20 p.m. That

one ended at 4:50 a.m. when they used a suicide squeeze to nab a 1-0 victory.

Three games, three victories, 42 innings, in 22 hours, 56 minutes!

During the tournament, Tulsa played three extra inning games totaling 49 innings,

the equivalent of seven, 7 inning games.

Manager Carl Wilson, reminiscing, stated: "It was an incredible performance

by the whole team. We played for a run and always seemed to scratch one out

when we needed it. We had a lot of team players. Cal Oxford (pitcher)

was the ultimate team player and never got down on anyone or blamed anyone

if an error was made. Cal had a back injury the following year and never fully

recovered. But what a performance he gave!  Catcher, Tom Presley suffered

from poor leg circulation and was never the same after 1981.".

Mark Smith pitching in his first ISC World tournament, would go undefeated

in ISC World play until 1988 in Decatur when he lost to Midland's Peter Finn

in extra innings.  However, Mark almost lost his first game against St. Louis.

(note: this team was managed by the late Russ Boice).  The Camarillo Kings were

losing 1-0 when Floyd LaVergne saved the day with a two-run single.  Remembering

the game, Mark stated: "I was nervous and definitely felt the pressure. It was

one of the worst games I had pitched all season, and I was upset and disappointed.

My next start I had something to prove and was ready."  Mark credited his pitching

coach and mentor, Jackie Newman for developing his talent and building his 

confidence. (note: his next start was a perfect game). Umpire Bob Walsh, who

worked the plate in Smith's perfect game, remembers: "His rise ball was exploding

and he had good location. Possibly due to wildness in his first game against

St. Louis (seven walks and near defeat), he might have intimidated some of the

batters.". Smith fanned 13 and allowed only four ground balls in recording his

perfect game against Las Vegas.

Kevin Herlihy of the Saginaw Bolters also pitched a perfect game for 9-1/3 innings

- and lost in the 10! Herlihy, who struck out 16 consecutive batters in that

game, was the hard luck story of the tournament, finishing with a record of 5-2

although fashioning a ERA of 0.15 ! He struck out 21 of 28 batters and rarely

had more than one ball on any of them.

Many fans now refer to it as THE GAME. Midland vs Madison. Finn vs Meredith.

34 innings, seven hours, 26 minutes, 106 strikeouts. What an incredible

performance by two superb pitchers. THE GAME started Tuesday at 5:58 p.m.

and ended at 1:24 a.m.  Finn, the 2-1 victor, threw 12 consecutive perfect innings,

striking out 26 of 36. He faced 118 batters and fanned 64 of them. He allowed

one hit from the fourth through the 23 inning and struck out the side 7 times.

Meredith, facing a tougher lineup, had 19 perfect innings and struck out 42

of the 121 he faced. He allowed just one hit from the 20th through the 32nd

and fanned the side twice.

In a recent conversation (1989), Finn related: "I became more confident as

the game progressed. I felt that every pitch I threw was where I wanted it.

It was just an incredible feeling and tough to describe. I just couldn't

throw a bad pitch. I remember Meredith throwing so well during the last

half of the game.".

Ex-Midland player Gerry Hoffman remembered THE GAME in his own unique way:

"I got bored. I fell asleep. I signed autographs on behalf of Peter Finn.

I cheered until I was hoarse, and I saw a game that I'll remember for the

rest of my life. Other than that, it was just another game!".

Ex-ISC Commissioner, Tim O'Hara from Washington recalled it in this way:

"I had arrived at the park around 6 p.m. and watched the first few inning

of THE GAME. As the Westside Federal team wouldn't be playing until 10:30,

I decided to go back to my room and take a nap. My nap turned into a sleep

and I woke up about 10:45. I was in a panic. I was going to miss most of

the Westside game. I rushed to the park to find THE GAME in the 23rd inning!

I still had 11 innings plus two more 7 inning games to sit through before

I got to see my team play.". Since the 1981 ISC World Tournament, I have

been to many other tournaments in Canada, the U.S. and New Zealand. Some

of these, including the 1986 and 1987 ISC tournaments in Sioux City and

Saskatoon, were tremendous tournaments both statistically and as

entertainment. But I doubt whether any tournament will be able to match 1981.

What a tournament! ISC-Saginaw, Michigan-1981.

Acknowledgements:  Art Cashion, (ex)ISC Statistician, Judy Hoffman of

Midland, MI.,  Players, Coaches, Officials and Fans for their recollections.

Roger May

mailto:RogMay32@aol.com