Tag Archives: Baseball

Annual chili cook-off heats up as weather cools down

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By D.A. Reed
WKTV Journal Contributor

Aerial view of Sullivan (Valley) Field (Courtesy, Paul Soltysiak)

Even though temperatures are cooling off in West Michigan, competition heats up at the annual Grand Rapids cook-off recently renamed Chili Cook-Off at the Ballpark.

Historic Sullivan (formerly Valley) Field will host Grand Rapids’ annual chili cook-off on Saturday, Oct. 1, with all proceeds benefiting Fans of Valley Field and the organization’s renovation and restoration project of the ballpark.

Saving a historical gem

Called a historical gem of the West Side, Sullivan Field has been actively used often throughout the years, from ball games to concerts and symphony performances, and much more.

Baseball legend Jackie Robinson shakes hands with former Negro League player and Grand Rapids Black Sox manager Ted Rasberry. (Courtesy, Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections)

“It’s fallen into disrepair,” said Dan Verhil, former Cottage Bar owner and Master of Ceremonies for the upcoming chili cook-off. “It needs a lot of TLC (tender loving care) to bring it back.” Verhil said the purpose of the cook-off is to help “raise the funds to restore this classical West Side beauty.”

Cottage Bar had hosted annual fall chili cook-offs since 1981, but “hit pause” in 2018 when Dan and his wife Lisa decided to sell the restaurant. Cottage Bar cook-off proceeds were donated to several different charities, with donations reaching approximately half a million dollars over 36 years.

In an effort to raise funds to renovate Sullivan Field, Fans of Valley Field approached the Verhils in 2021 and asked if Dan and Lisa would be willing to resurrect the chili cook-off if Fans of Valley Field did the legwork.

Passing the torch

“(Lisa and I) met with them, and we liked their sincerity and their integrity and said, ‘Let’s do it!’” said Verhil.

Already having the rules and framework for the cook-off in hand from previous years, Dan and Lisa shared their information with Fans of Valley Field. True to their word, Fans of Valley Field has done the legwork for both the 2021 and 2022 chili cook-offs, allowing Dan and Lisa to simply help guide the cook-off committee.

“Lisa and I are pretty much Master of Ceremonies now,” Verhil said. “Which is great because we can walk around and talk to friends, have fun, and MC the event.”

The first revival of the cook-off occurred in November of 2021 and was a big success even though it was late in the season, and Fans of Valley Field expect a good turnout again this year. The Chili Cook-off of the Ballpark boasts four live bands, 40 cooks—and some unique recipes.

Verhil said that, though all ingredients must be commercially processed for safety reasons, unique ingredients such as rattlesnake have been incorporated into recipes.

Discovering Grand Rapids’ own ‘Field of Dreams’

Learning about Sullivan Field has been enjoyable for Verhil. Though Verhil grew up in Grand Rapids, he lived on the southeast side and admitted that he never attended a game at Valley Field or knew much about the ballpark. When he joined Fans of Valley Field, however, that all changed.

Visitors to last year’s chili cook-off look over memorabilia of Sullivan (Valley) Field. (Courtesy, Paul Soltysiak)

“I researched it and explored the stadium,” said Verhil. “It’s just full of so much history, I became enraptured with the history of the project. It’s like a mini Wrigley Field. It’s really old school, but it’s old school cool.”

Verhil continued, “It was built in 1937 and, over the years, 95 MLB players have come through the system through Valley Field.” Included in that count of MLB players are Kirk Gibson, Al Kaline, Dave Rozema, and Mickey Stanley.

Verhil admitted that there were a lot of facts he did not know before joining Fans of Valley Field, and those facts are widely unknown throughout the Grand Rapids community. The purpose of restoring and revitalizing Sullivan Field is to help people become more aware of the stadium’s presence and all it offers the community.

For years, Valley Field has been used for city league and high school baseball games. “It’s still an active baseball field,” said Verhil. “It’s the home field for Union High School.”

In the past, Valley Field was also the home field for the famous Sullivan’s Furniture amateur baseball teams which won four national titles in the 60s and 70s. Before that, it was home to the Negro Leagues’ Grand Rapids Black Sox in the 40s and 50s.

A love for everything baseball

Howard J. Houghton (1936-2011) of Sheridan, Michigan, played baseball on Valley Field several times in the 60s. His daughter, Betsy Klingensmith of Fenwick, Michigan, said baseball was definitely a passion for her father.

Howard Houghton’s player pass for Valley Field. (Courtesy, Betsy Klingensmith)

“He played in high school and played on several leagues over the years,” Klingensmith said. “He did a lot of coaching while he was still playing. He loved to share his love and knowledge of baseball. We still have people he coached tell us about how much he helped them.”

Houghton not only shared his passion for baseball with people in the community, but with his family as well.

“When my oldest sister was old enough for Little League and came home upset that she couldn’t play baseball, Dad and Mom started a girls’ softball league and ran it for 13 years,” Klingensmith said. “He went back to (coaching) boys so he could coach my brother. He came out of retirement from coaching to coach with my sister for her daughter’s age group a couple of years before he passed.”

Klingensmith herself was only a couple weeks old when she attended her first baseball game.

Sharing their stories

“It’s a classic West Side gem,” said Verhil. “The West Side people are so passionate about this place. Most of the small, locally-owned businesses are all contributing something (to the cook-off). Everyone is so onboard to renovate this stadium because it seems like everybody has a story about Valley Field.”

When asked about his own personal Valley Field story, Verhil responds, “You guys are creating my story.”

To learn more about Chili Cook-Off of the Ballpark, click here: Chili Cook-Off

D. A. (Deborah) Reed is an award-winning author of young adult novels and a creative writing instructor from the Grand Rapids area. To find out more about D.A. Reed, visit her website: D.A. Reed Author

Michigan’s best to descend upon Grand Rapids for Little League state tournament

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This empty field will soon be swarming with talent this weekend as the Little League Majors State Tournament runs from July 22-27 at MacKay-Jaycees Park in Grand Rapids.. (Zach Fanko)

By Zach Fanko, WKTV Contributing Writer



The best that Michigan Little League baseball has to offer is coming this weekend to Grand Rapids as 16 district champs, including defending Little League World Series champion Taylor North, vie for a spot in the Great Lakes Regional.

Hosted by Southern Little League, the 12-and-under Little League Majors State Tournament runs from Friday, July 22 through Wednesday, July 27, at the MacKay-Jaycees Park, 2531 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids.

Look for our WKTV Sports Truck and crew covering the game at 7 p.m. Friday, July 22.



Round robin play runs from July 22-24, followed by the single elimination championship round from July 25-27. Admission is free.

Teams by pool (16 district champs)

Pool A: Grosse Points Farm City, Dexter, Midland Northeast, Grand Rapids Southern East

Pool B: White Lake, Paw Paw, Traverse City, Bay City Southwest

Pool C: Millwood, St. Clair, Tecumseh, Taylor North

Pool D: Petoskey, Negaunee, Gladstone, Commerce Township

Each team will play three games, facing each opponent within their pool once with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the single elimination championship round. The state champion advances to the Great Lakes Regional from Aug. 6-10 in Whitestown, Indiana. 

Photo taken after District 9 Southern Senior Little League beat District 7 St. Clair 10-1 in a 2017 tournament. (WKTV)

Defending World Series champs back

Little League World Series champs Taylor North, the first team from Michigan to win it all since 1959, is back to defend its title. They went undefeated in the 2021 state tournament (6-0), allowing just seven runs over six games.

Bay City Southwest returns to the state tournament and is hoping to avenge its semifinal loss to Taylor North a year ago. Another contender, St. Clair, returns after a quarterfinal appearance last year.

Grand Rapids Southern East is hoping home field advantage will play a factor as the District 9 champions look to make some noise this weekend. 

Click here to see the tournament schedule: 2022 MAJOR STATE BB.xlsx

Gonzo’s Top 5: Comedy, baseball, and of course, Easter egg hunts

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By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

Happy Easter, friends.

Yes, we have a few Easter Egg Hunts in the Top 5. But it also includes comedy, baseball and more!

What are you doing? Check out my Top 5, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal.

Gonzo’s Top 5

Pieces at The Listening Room

5. Pieces at The Listening Room

I love it when I see local kids doing well in music. I’m excited for guitarist Olin Cark in the trio Pieces. I knew him as a student in Comstock Park, and along with his friends Adam Ray on drums and Louie Leager on bass, they are touring nationally. Playing a blend of straight-ahead jazz, rock and avant-garde, Pieces has reached over 30,000 plays on Spotify for its debut album, “1A,” and has been featured on curated playlists such as State of Jazz and Jazz Today, according to its press materials. The trio performs with local act Normal Mode at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (April 16) at The Listening Room in Grand Rapids. More info on the venue’s Facebook event page.

4. Perrin Tap Takeover at Horrocks Market & Taproom

My local brewery makes a road trip to Kentwood today (April 15) for a tap takeover at Horrocks Market and Tavern. Hours are 4-7 p.m. But as regulars know, many of the beers will remain on tap throughout the weekend. If you’re planning a trip to Horrocks to buy Easter dinner items, now you have an extra reason to make a visit. Some of the beers include: Willow Wheat, Perrin Black NITRO, Pineapple Upside Down (Fruited IPA), Slingshot Sour IPA and Fiesta Coffee Cake (Barrel Aged Stout). I just tried the fiesta coffee cake, and it’s super tasty and a little boozy. Enjoy. More info on the Horrocks event page.

Comedian Rob Little

3. Rob Little at Golden Age

It’s been several years now that I’ve been able to hang out with comedian Rob Little. We actually judged a macaroni and cheese competition in Pinconning. Since then, the Bay City native has gone on to a very successful career. In fact, “Last Comic Standing” on NBC named him “The Happiest Comic in America.” He is an awesome guy, and a great comedian. Little performs two shows each night Friday and Saturday (April 15-16) at Golden Age, located on the upper level of Creston Brewing in Grand Rapids. For ticket availability and more information on the show, check out the Golden Age Facebook event page.

Let’s play ball with the West Michigan Whitecaps. (Supplied/West Michigan Whitecaps)

2. West Michigan Whitecaps

I had so much fun Tuesday at LMCU Ballpark where the West Michigan Whitecaps opened a new season against the Lansing Lugnuts. The fun continues through Easter Sunday with games each day. Fans can purchase $1 reserved tickets today. An Easter Egg hunt is planned after the game on Saturday. And $1 lawn seats, plus Kids Eat Free and Kids Run the Bases, are available on Sunday. Also, Crash has a special Easter Brunch in the Pepsi Stadium Club on Sunday. Those tickets are $44. Game times are 6:35 p.m. Friday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. See you there! More info at whitecapsbaseball.com.

1.Easter Egg Hunts

Many churches and organizations have Easter Egg Hunts this weekend. Find one and make memories with the kids. I recommend John Ball Park and Masonic Lodge in Grand Rapids. Both events begin at 10 a.m. Saturday. Typically there are two events, one for the little kids, and one for older kids.

That’s it for now.

As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Have a great, safe Easter weekend.


John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Photo of the Week: Remembering Wyoming’s Field of Dreams

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This photo is from the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s collections. It is part of a set of photos featuring American Seating Company stadium chairs installed in 1937. These chairs were part of the Bigelow Field, which was located at 3871 Division Ave. South, then Wyoming Township. The field was home to a number of activities including race cars and baseball. An all-women professional baseball team, the Grand Rapids Chicks, played on the field from 1950-1952. The stadium burned down in 1952.

Snapshots: Things to do this weekend

Citizen Journalism, ,

Try to be a rainbow in somebody else’s cloud.

Poet Maya Angelou


By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

We Like Big Trucks

The City of Wyoming had its Fleets through the Streets earlier this week and the City of Kentwood will have its this Saturday. The parade will begin at 9 a.m. on the western border of the city near the intersection of Division Avenue and Maplelawn Street, and travel toward the eastern border of the city, ending around 11 a.m. near the intersection of Burton Street and Forest Meadows Court. For a complete map of the parade, visit the city website here.

Travel at Your Own Pace

Muskegon’s Lakeshore Museum recently opened “Turtle Travels,” a fun-filled, interactive exhibit that gives visitors a turtle’s-eye view of life in the “slow lane.” Once you step onto the giant board game, follow the instructions and you’ll be detoured to interactive games. Find out what it’s like for a turtle trying to cross a road or traverse changing habitats. Be a turtle tracker and see how real field biologists track animals in the wild. There are lots of photo opportunities and fun turtle facts. The exhibit is free to Muskegon County residents and $5 for non-Muskegon County residents. The museum is located at 430 W. Clay Ave in Muskegon.

Catch the Boys of Summer

The West Michigan Whitecaps now play at the newly named LMCU Ballpark. (Supplied/West Michigan Whitecaps)

With limited number of tickets, now is a good time to snap up some for next week when the Whitecaps return home to play against the Lake County Captains. Themes for next week include a 70s night on May 25, Silver Slugger on May 26, Thrifty Thursday on May 27, and Princess Weekend May 28-29.

Grand Rapids could have been the capital

When Michigan was a young state, its 1835 constitution stated Detroit could be its capitol until 1847. When 1847 came around, communities outside of the Detroit area were not happy with the amount of power that Detroit had and wanted the capitol moved. There was much debate on where with Grand Rapids being a contender but eventually it was decided to make the “hole in the woods,” known as the Township of Lansing, the state capitol.

Photo of the Week: Play Ball!

Citizen Journalism, , ,

During World War II, great numbers of young men were being drafted into the armed services leaving managers, owners and fans at Major League Baseball parks across the United States concerned. In danger of low attendance and lack of quality players, a girls’ softball league called the All-American Girls Softball (later Baseball) Professional League (AAGBBL) was formed to provide a solution. The League emerged in the spring of 1943 and continued until 1954.

In Midwest communities such as Grand Rapids, Michigan, home to the AAGBBL team the Grand Rapids Chicks, the sport was immensely popular. Supported by leading business persons as spectator entertainment that was based on high moral and professional standards, the games attracted a diverse audience that appealed to all ages, classes and both sexes. The game was embraced as great family entertainment.

Spring sports delay of little impact for Wolves baseball, softball compared to last year’s lost season

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WKTV’s featured game crew was at this 2019 baseball game between Wyoming and South Christian high schools — the last season the Wolves were able to take the field due to the cancellation of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 restrictions. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

High school baseball and softball games in March routinely get rained, or snowed, out in West Michigan. But this year, even if delayed, they stand a chance to played — unlike last season, which was canceled as COVID-19 hit the scene.

So even before the announcement last week from the Michigan High School Athletic Association that spring sports practices and competitions would be delayed by a week, which is expected to have little impact on the Wyoming High School’s ball teams, the Wolves are mostly simply eager for their first live action in more than a year.

“With the delayed start being only one week, as well as the MHSAA allowing us to continue both four man workouts and conditioning workouts, I see no real impact,” Travis Stricklin, Wyoming head baseball coach, said to WKTV. Stricklin is entering his first year leading the Wolves onto the field. “If anything, it gives us an extra week with the kids to prepare and get ready for the start of our season.”

Kaitlin Failing, Wyoming head softball coach, agrees — but includes an additional reason the delay isn’t so bad.

“I think that the later start date is good considering basketball got pushed back,” Failing said to WKTV. “We share a lot of athletes with basketball and it would become pretty difficult to field teams if they are overlapping. We never really get games in the first couple of weeks anyways, so it doesn’t really matter to us that we are starting later.”

Both coaches, however, see last year’s hiatus from high school competition as being the real obstacle to be overcome by their 2021 teams and their entire programs.

“I think (losing) the entire season really affected our program and other programs in similar economic situations,” Failing said. “We tend to run a lot of opportunities for the girls within Wyoming to participate in softball through the school system, for 5th grade up.  With the season being cancelled, our girls lost out on their only opportunity to participate in softball. … (Also) without being allowed to run clubs and clinics for all of our younger students, we are not able to get new students interested in playing or give our younger girls the opportunity to get better.”

Failing also pointed out that some high school programs had a high level of travel participation, with their athletes able to play throughout the summer and fall despite Michigan restrictions, “while a lot of our athletes haven’t played in over a year now … our athletes missed out on their only opportunities to play if they do not play travel” ball.

And, she pointed out, with the missing season, many student-athletes are choosing not to play this season “for a number of other reasons because of COVID.”

Much the same is true for the Wolves baseball program.
  

“Not having a season last year took a toll on our program for sure,”  Stricklin said. “We feel that we are beginning to progress as a program, so losing a year due to the pandemic was definitely not easy.

“That being said, I am beyond proud of the way our kids handled it. Rather than getting upset and letting it keep them down, they simply asked when we could begin working out together again to try and get better for whenever we do actually get to play.”

Delay aside, a 2021 season is expected

The MHSAA announced Feb. 22 that its Representative Council had approved an “adjustment to the Spring 2021 schedule delaying the start of practices in those sports one week to March 22 and competition to March 26 “to accommodate a later end to Winter sports this season,” according to the statement.

“The calendar change should alleviate pressures on indoor facility usage and athletes changing seasons with Winter sports concluding up to two weeks later this school year after a delayed start due to COVID-19,” according to the MHSAA statement.

The MHSAA said it based its decision in part on feedback from a survey of MHSAA member high schools, which saw 74 percent favoring a delay in spring sports activity of at least one week. State coaches associations for spring sports also were consulted, and, according to the MHSAA statement “the great majority of Michigan schools are unable to begin consistent spring sports outdoor activity and competition until early April.”

All spring sports tournament dates remain as originally scheduled, however, with MHSAA finals in baseball, softball and girls soccer concluding the 2020-21 postseason June 19.

Previously, the MHSAA council approved an allowance for spring teams to meet for voluntary practices over 16 contact days in September and October, 2020. General conditioning with an unlimited number of students was allowed, with other out-of-season training (four-player workouts, open gyms/facilities) allowed to continue through March 21, with council having eliminated the preseason downtime restriction for Spring sports this year.

But those allowances did not necessarily benefit all schools, or programs, equally.

“We couldn’t really do much with the 16 days because we do not have enough athletes to scrimmage ourselves or run practices because our athletes all play other sports in the fall,” Failing said. “We held open fields but we knew we wouldn’t have a ton of participation because they were not available.  I know other schools were able to get their teams together and scrimmage themselves.”

Whitecaps announce 2018 schedule which marks its silver anniversary

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Play ball! West Michigan Whitecaps will mark its 25th season in 2018. (Supplied)

By Mickey Grahm

West Michigan Whitecaps

 

The West Michigan Whitecaps released their 2018 season schedule today. The team will celebrate its 25th season beginning with the season-opener at home on Thursday, April 5 at 6:35 p.m. versus the South Bend Cubs.

 

Fireworks will once again light up the night sky over Fifth Third Ballpark with 21 Family Fare Fireworks Nights, including Opening Night, every summertime Wednesday and Saturday home game and selected additional nights, with a special Independence Day celebration on Tuesday, July 3.

 

The long-time Tiger Friday series will move to Wednesdays, with five Tiger Wednesday dates starting in June slated to include the popular former Tiger appearances and Tiger-related giveaway items for the first 1,000 fans. Fridays, starting in May, will be rebranded as family- and kid-focused theme nights, including Princess, Dinosaur, Pokemon and others, with entertainers and other special events on the concourse.

 

Weekly promotions:

 

Sunday (with a new start time of 2 p.m.):  Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Family Days (first 1,000 kids eat free; autographs and play catch on the field pre-game; kids run the bases post-game)

 

Monday: JQ99 Bulletin Night (half off box or reserved seats with worship or community bulletin)

 

Tuesday: Select Tuesdays will be Dime Dog Nights presented by Manpower

 

Wednesday: Senior Night, Tiger Wednesdays and Family Fare Fireworks (beginning in June)

 

Thursday: Altogas Thrifty Thursdays ($2 hot dogs, Pepsi products and 20 oz. beers); show a college or military ID and get $5 reserved seats.

 

Friday: Kid-focused theme nights

 

Saturday: Family Fare Fireworks (beginning in May)

 

The three 11 a.m. school days, popular as school enrichment field trips, are returning once again, scheduled for Tuesday, May 22,Wednesday, May 23, and Tuesday, June 5. In addition, there are four special weekday 12 p.m. matinee games scheduled for Tuesday, April 10, Thursday, April 12, Wednesday, April 18 and Wednesday, May 9.

 

Some featured promotions include Armed Forces Night on Saturday, May 19; Star Wars Night, returning on Saturday, June 30 and MSU/U of M Rivalry Night on Thursday, August 16.  Many more promotions will be added throughout the off-season and will be added to the Whitecaps website as they are booked.

 

Fans can purchase season tickets and mini plans beginning Wednesday, October 25, by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131. Tickets for groups of 20 or more, including private party areas, will go on sale November 17. Individual game tickets will go on sale in early 2018.

 

The full 2018 schedule is attached and is available on the Whitecaps website at whitecapsbaseball.com.

Game on:WKTV’s featured games for March 20-25

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This week in WKTV’s featured high school sports games are:

 

Tuesday, March 21, the quest for a basketball state championship is underway as Tri-Unity Christian will face Buckley.

Tri-Unity Christian faces Burkley tonight.

 

Tri-Unity enters the contest with a 16-8 record while Buckley remains undefeated with a 24-0 record. The game will be at Tri-Unity Christian, 2100 44th St. SW.  where they will have the home court advantage and the winner of this game will advance to play at Michigan State in the semi-finals in hopes of winning a state championship.

 

Wednesday, March 22, both of Wyoming’s baseball and softball teams will be opening their season with an away game at Lowell. The boys will play at 4 tp.m. and the girls will play at 4:15 p.m.

 

Thursday, March 23, Wyoming will take on Grand Rapids Covenant Christian for a baseball game, while the softball team of Wyoming will play against Zeeland West. Both games will be at Wyoming and played 4:15 p.m.

 

Friday March 24, South Christian will have its season opener at Holland Christian in a boys lacrosse game at 6 p.m.

 

Saturday, March 25, Grand Rapids Christian will play against East Kentwood’s baseball team at Davenport University at 6 p.m.

 

WKTV videos and broadcasts several games each week during high school sports season.

 

For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action in January, see now.wktv.org/sports/

 

DVDs of each game are also available for purchase at $20 including shipping. For more information, visit WKTV.org

Tickets on sale now for Whitecaps opening day April 6

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Play ball! West Michigan Whitecaps will soon begin play at Fifth Third Ballpark. (Supplied)

WKTV Staff

 

Detroit Tigers pitchers and catchers have reported, position players are filtering in. That can only mean that, despite the current weather in Grand Rapids, spring is coming and the Whitecaps season is coming too.

 

The first tickets for the 24th season of baseball at the Fifth Third Ballpark went on sale this week, with opening day planned for April 6, as tickets for the 4Topps tables and the opening day bash in the Stadium Club are now available. Regular game tickets for all 70 home games season will go on sale Tuesday, Feb. 21.

 

At the Whitecaps opening day, the first 1,200 fans through the gates will receive a Whitecaps Alpine Hat courtesy of Fifth Third Bank, and there will be a post-game fireworks display.

 

The 4Topps tables include four swivel chairs at a rounded table behind home plate, with exclusive wait service so you don’t have to wait in concessions stand lines. Tickets for Safeco Insurance 4Topps tables are $110 and the number of tables was expanded to a total of 30 tables a year ago.

 

The Opening Day Bash in the indoor Pepsi Stadium Club overlooking right field is a special event for the 6:35 p.m. opening day game against the South Bend Cubs. In addition to access to the Pepsi Stadium Club, each ticket includes an all-you-can-eat barbeque from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for $26 per person. The Stadium Club is usually rented to large groups for Whitecaps games.

 

Fans can order 4Topps tickets and Opening Day Bash tickets, as well as regular game tickets later, online at whitecapsbaseball.com, by phone at 616-784-4131 and in person at the Fifth Third Ballpark administrative offices  at 4500 West River Drive, Comstock Park. A complete schedule is also available online.

 

The journey ends as District 9 falls to West 5-3 at the Big League World Series

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District 9

By: Mike DeWitt

Mike.DeWitt@wktv.org

 

District 9 battled their way back from the bottom of the bracket at the Big League World Series but fell to West in a back-and-forth game that ended the team’s quest for a championship.

 

In a rematch of District 9’s first tournament game, a 3-0 loss, District 9 battled from an early 2-0 lead after West drove in two runs in the first inning. The score remained until Jarod Nickel made contact and brought home Drew Hernandez on a fielder’s choice. John Corey would strike out on the next at bat, but District 9 had finally found a groove in the batters box.

 

Two innings later, in the bottom of the sixth, Bruce Buurstra knotted the score at two with a line drive to right field that brought Jace Beatty home. Two batters later, Corey hit a sacrifice bunt to bring Brendan Oosse home and gave District 9 a 3-2 lead with one inning to play.

 

However, the lead would be short-lived as West scored on an error and then on a sacrifice fly by Kawena Alo Kaonohi that scored Shadd Santo and gave West the lead for good.

 

District 9 had one final chance in the bottom of the seventh that was quickly squashed due to two strikeouts and a groundout to the pitcher.

 

While the end result wasn’t what District 9 was hoping for, the boys had a fantastic tournament that started with four straight shutouts in the Regional Tournament and extended to the semifinals of the United States Bracket at the Big League World Series.

WKTV program showcases the women who helped build ‘a league of their own’

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Former player Marie Legman, who once played for the Rockford and Fort Wayne clubs.
Former player Marie Wegman, who once played for the Rockford and Fort Wayne clubs, discusses a call with an umpire. (From “A Team of Their Own)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

For a young pre-teen girl whose family was struggling to survive the Great Depression, baseball – specifically the teams that made up the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Players Association – brought a little bit of hope to Marilyn Jenkins.

Jenkins was living on the south side of Grand Rapids in the 1940s, near the corner of Cass and Hall Street “which was about a long block and a railroad track from South Field where the ‘Chicks’ played,” she said during a 2008 interview for the documentary “A Team of Their Own: The First Professional Baseball League for Women.” There is a screening of the documentary set for Wednesday, March 23, at noon at Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Dr., Allendale. Also on Wednesday, March 23, at 8 p.m. and again Saturday, March 26, at 1 p.m., WKTV will be airing “Women in Baseball, a Veterans Oral History Special,” featuring a panel of women who played on the Grand Rapids Chicks during World War II.

For Jenkins, baseball was the one thing she had to do. “I knew there was no money to go to college. There weren’t scholarships and all that business, and in what? I wasn’t qualified,” she said. “I was a good student in hight school [Jenkins attend South High School], but anyway, I had to play ball.”

The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was started by Philip Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs, during World War II to fill the void left by the departure of most of the male baseball players for military service. Female players were recruited from across the country, and the league was successful enough to be able to continue on after the war. The league had teams based in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, and operated between 1943 and 1954. The 1954 season ended with only the Fort Wayne, South Bend, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Rockford teams remaining. The League gave more than 600 women athletes the opportunity to play professional baseball. Many of the players went on to successful careers, and the league itself provided an important precedent for later efforts to promote women’s sports.

For Jenkins, who developed her love of the game through her father, the experience was profound. She went from helping with the grounds at age 11 to batgirl at age 13 to playing for the team right out of high school. She would be one of the last players when the league ended in 1954. Jenkins would stay in Grand Rapids,  earning an associate degree to become a radiologist and later working in an attorney’s office.

Jenkins said she enjoyed her time as a “Chick” and has continued as a member of the AAGPBL, but knew at some point it would end.

“…there were good ball players, but there are today too, but the skirts, the uniform, the time, it’s in a little pocket of history, where it fit in perfectly and I don’t know where you’re going to find another pocket like that…,” she said.

For more on the documentary “A Team of Their Own: The first Professional Baseball League for Women” visit gvsu.edu/wibdoc. For the full interviews with the AAGPBL players, visit www.gvsu.edu/vethistory. For WKTV programming, visit wktk.org.