The League - 1976

THE PIONEERS OF PRO SOFTBALL – WHO IS PLAYING WHERE AND WHY?

CONNECTICUT FALCONS

The Raybestos Brakettes, reigning world softball champions and national champions since 1970, entered the pro softball league intact. Barring a natural disaster (like a case of tendinitis affecting Joan Joyce’s right arm), they have to be expected to dominate the pro league just as they have dominated amateur competition.

Asked to pinpoint the one factor that makes her team so strong, All-American third baseman Irene Shea replied, “We win.” Elaborating on her analysis, Shea citied hitting, pitching and fielding as Connecticut strong points. “Our strength is that we have very few weaknesses,” she concluded.

Despite this air of confidence—a Brakette trademark—the veterans aren’t resting on their laurels (no pun intended). “We’re practicing twice as hard as we ever did as amateurs” reports Connecticut coach Brenda Reilly. “There’s more at stake; people aren’t going to pay to see errors.”

While most of the Brakettes were still laboring in their off-season jobs, open tryouts were being conducted in Connecticut. Fifty would-be Falcons showed up for a shot at a spot on the roster. “Two stood out,” Reilly said. “Sandy Hamm and Annette Fortune.” Whether they would stand out when the rest of the team showed up for spring training was another story, Reilly conceded.

The Connecticut coach expects some stiff competition from the Southern California Gems—especially when Rosie Beaird Black takes the mound. “We saw her play as a 17 year old,” says Reilly, “and we thought she had the skill then. But she’s an entertainer. It will be interesting to see how she handles the pressure of competition.”

Joan Joyce who is sharing pre-preseason publicity with Rosie Black, has been spending more time pushing the league than practicing her slingshot delivery. As part owner of the team, co-founder of the league, co-coach and field manager of the team she’s had to deal with everything from press conferences to lighting problems. Pitching, she admits, will be a breeze compared to the organization chores she’s had to face in the off season.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GEMS

The Gems’ crown jewel is pitcher Rosie Black. She is the star of every press conference and the subject of every press release. She is as famous for her blindfolded pitches and her between-the-legs delivery as Joan Joyce is for her blazing fastball. But she gained her fame, not by dominating amateur softball but by touring the country, taking on all comers with a four-woman team called The Queen and Her Maids, and the question in everyone’s mind is, can the entertainer also compete?

Joining Rosie in the pro ranks are her touring teammates Karen Beaird (second base), Eileen Beaird Francabandera (catcher) and Debby Bevers (first base). The 23 year old Bevers has been touring with the “Queen and Her Maids” for eight years and is billed (by the Gems) as one of the top hitters in the country.

Managing the team is Rosie’s father Royal Beaird, who also coaches and manages the “Queen and Her Maids.” The Maids had originally planned to honor tour commitments despite the fact that exhibition dates conflicted with WPS games, but because the tour conflicted with the August pennant stretch, Beaird elected to cancel the Maids’ summer tour. “It became evident,” said Beaird, “that a total commitment to the Gems would be necessary for us to bring a championship to San Bernardino.”

Joining the Maids in the Gems’ infield will be Pattie Schnell, former third baseman for the Orange Lionettes, and Melodie Burch, a right-hander who batted .380 for East Anaheim in amateur competition last year.

SAN JOSE SUNBIRDS

“It’s not the money,” said Laura Malesh, general manager of the San Jose Sunbirds. “What will make us feel like pros are the new facilities.”

The Santa Clara Laurels, like the Raybestos Brakettes and the Orange Lionettes, entered the pro ranks virtually intact. Though the number-two team in the nation last year, the Laurel “stadium” only seated what Malesh describes as “300 cold, freezing and very loyal fans.” The new facility accommodates 5,000 and the Sunbirds would like to fill that stadium this September for a play-off game with their cross-country rivals from Connecticut. The fact that both teams are pro now has done nothing to stifle the desire to avenge their loss in last year’s National Championships.

With a league championship in mind, the Laurels have been working out since March. “We didn’t want to start too early,” says Malesh, “but in California the weather is so nice, it was hard to hold them back.”

Standouts for the Sunbirds include pitching ace Charlotte Graham, who spent most of last season in the dugout recuperating from knee surgery; All-American shortstop and last year’s leading hitter Diane Kalliam; All-American catcher Merribeth Carlson; and second team All-American outfield Diane Weiner, who drove in the Laurels’ sole run in their 1975 championship game against the Brakettes.

Relieving Graham on the pitching mound will be second team All-American Bonnie Johnson. Johnson’s finesse and wide variety of pitches complement Graham’s speed.

Though fans are unlikely to see radical line-up changes between the Laurels of old and the new Sunbirds, two players have been added to the line-up. One is Marilyn Burnett, a 24 year old left-hand pitcher, who as a player for the Los Gatos Wildcats and for the Hayward Lifters posed one of the Laurels’ main threats in local amateur competition. The other new player is Mary Flint, a shortstop from Yakima, Washington.

SANTA ANA LIONETTES

Along with the Raybestos Brakettes, the Orange Lionettes have historically dominated women’s softball. They have won the National Championship nine times and have been a major force in the development and promotion of their sport. Their decision to turn pro this summer lent instant credibility to the pro softball league.

“We’d accomplished everything there was to accomplish as amateurs,” said Shirley Topley, first baseman and field manager of the team, “and we wanted to be pioneers in a new venture for women. We’re not doing it for the money—we’re going pro to keep our organization intact and because it will keep us in the best competition in the world.”

Topley joined the Lionettes in 1962, helped them to a national title that year, then took a brief sojourn to Connecticut to play for the Brakettes. She returned to the Lionettes in 1965, became their coach in 1967 and has been with the team ever since. Topley stresses team work and team accomplishments; but asked to name a Lionette star, she singles out pitcher/outfielder Carol Spanks. Spanks has been with the team since 1958 and according to the Lionette souvenir program, “has won every award possible in softball.”

Joining veterans Topley and Spanks will be Cathy Benedetto of Portland, Oregon and Stephaney Tenney of the Orlando Rebels. These two are the only outsiders to break into the Lionette line-up this year. Benedetto is an All-American basketball player, but on the softball diamond her specialty is pitching. “She throws hard and has a good variety of pitches,” says Topley.

Topley is enthusiastic about her team’s chances but equally excited about the league’s possibilities as a whole. “We have a lot of outstanding young teams in America,” says Topley, “but they reached a point where they had nowhere to go. The pro league gives the 15 year old something to shoot for as both a means of recreation and a means of employment.”

PENNSYLVANIA LIBERTIES

The Telford Wanderers were the Avis of Atlantic Coast amateur softball; the Brakettes were Hertz and for years wouldn’t budge from the driver’s seat. But this didn’t keep the Wanderers from trying harder. Coached by Bernice Mohn, the team produced some outstanding softball players. And no sooner were they produced than they migrated to Stratford.

But all that has changed now; the cream of the Avis crop has been reunited under the Pennsylvania pennant. The most notable of the Telford graduates now playing for the Pennsylvania Liberties are former Brakettes Pat Whitman and Joan Moser. Other Wanderers reunited in Reading are first baseman Pat Dierking and second baseman Ronnie Maurek. Joining the Telford bunch are Pat Willis and Toni Swartout, veteran of 14 national tournaments and three-time All American with the Orlando Suns.

Mohn’s impression of the team is that they’re “very coachable” and “highly motivated.” If her estimate can be trusted, realtor Dianne Reed has bought a valuable piece of property. Reed, who owns the team and acts as general manager, has been affiliated with softball for 15 years. “I have to be actively involved in everything I do,” she says, explaining her active role in the management of her team. “I have good people in my real estate firm and I’ll be able to devote the necessary time to the team.”

THE CHICAGO RAVENS

The Ravens have spent almost as much preseason time getting acquainted as they have taking batting practice. They are a heterogeneous conglomeration of talent from a dozen different cities and a dozen different backgrounds. The only thing they do have in common is softball, but Mary Conway, coach of the Chicago franchise, seems to feel that softball is the only common bond required.

“Other teams have played together so long that they’re reluctant to take on new players,” she says. “But our choice of players will be completely objective. We’ll be more receptive to new talent.”

Before settling on a starting line-up, Conway concentrated on conditioning. “She really ran us through the wringer,” said centerfielder Sue Trefny. “If nothing else, we’ll be in shape. While the other teams are passing out in the 120 degree heat in Phoenix, we’ll still be standing.” Conway feels that the schedule calling for 120 games in 101 days, conditioning will be a big factor in determining play-off berths.

Standing may be all the team has to do when Donna Lopiano takes the mound. Lopiano retired from active competition in 1972, but not before striking out 1,633 batters in 817 innings (an average of two strike-outs per inning). Add to that a lifetime batting average of .295 and you can understand why the Ravens were willing to trade cash and next year’s first round draft choice to win her away from the Southern California Gems.

Joining Lopiano in the Raven bullpen will be Donna Schwenk, formerly a pitcher for the Redbirds of Moline, Indiana. Schwenk was originally drafted by Buffalo but came to Chicago (at her own request) in a three-way trade involving Chicago, Buffalo and Connecticut. Add to this formidable duo the talents of former Kutis hurler Sue Sinovich and Chicago appears to have one of the strongest pitching staffs in the league.

SAN DIEGO SANDPIPERS

The last franchise in the Women’s Pro Softball league to materialize was the San Diego Sandpipers. Owner L.J. Cella—one of the WPS founders—admits that he bought the team “just to give the league an even number.” But what began as an afterthought may prove to be a strong contender for the league championship.

The first player drafted was Nancy Welborn, star pitcher for the Orange Lionettes. As player/coach of the Sandpipers, she lured her Lionette battery mate Nance Ito out of retirement, and Cella’s investment began to look less like a lark. Ito was a star catcher for the Southern California team from 1960 to 1974 and made the All-Star team 13 of those 14 years. Described by Stormy Irwin, editor of Women in Softball, as “a big power hitter and a smart base runner.” It will lend experience to an otherwise young and untested team.

Other players with national experience include former Lionette third baseman Sue Sims; former Santa Clara Laurel shortstop Adele Johnson; Jodi Marquardt, shortstop for the Utah Shamrocks and 1975 leading hitter in the Pacific Coast League; and her teammate Leslie Ball.

Local talent will round out the roster, though Cella admits that local talent is scarce. San Diego has a strong Bobby Sox softball program, but no triple A ball. “We’re building for the future,” he says. But with Welborn and Ito, the Sandpipers are building on a strong foundation.

PHOENIXBIRD

In the early stages of the player drafts, it was assumed that the Sun City Saints would form the nucleus of the Phoenix pro softball franchise. The assumption proved incorrect. Most of the Saints adopted a “wait and see” attitude, and the Birds were left to feather their nest with out-of-state talent.

Some speculate that the Saints wanted to end their amateur careers as national champions, others that the young team wanted to take advantage of a tour of the Netherlands they’d already arranged for the summer of 1976. Whatever the reason, only a handful of Saints went marching into the pro ranks, among them pitcher Billie Harris, catcher Linda Spradley and utility infielder Gail Norman.

Harris, the first black to enter the pro softball ranks, has been in softball since 1949 and is a 15 time All-American. The charismatic southpaw isn’t the hardest throwing pitcher in the league, but general manager John Barkley says she’ll be “stable through a whole game and has a good variety of pitches.” It is also anticipated that Harris will be valuable to the team as a drawing card. She has a large following in the Phoenix area, acquired over six seasons as a Saint, and people are buying season tickets just to see her play.

Eight Birds will look familiar to Fullerton Royals fans. Described by the Phoenix management as “young but experienced,” Fullerton standouts (drafted by the Gems, then traded to Phoenix) include first baseman Sandy Iverson, second baseman Beverly Slover and catcher Mary Riechart. Another player to be reckoned with is Maureen England. Barkley describes her as “a real sleeper. She’s a great hitter,” he elaborated, “and she acts like she owns the outfield.”

The Bird plans to add four college players to their line-up but could not divulge their names—or actively recruit them—until the college softball season was over.

If the Saints sitting out the first year had hopes of entering the league as a team next year, they may be in for a rude awakening. The league owners recently passed a resolution that in the future no clubs could enter the league as a unit.

BUFFALO BRESKIS

When Henry Breski decided to buy a team in the new pro softball league, there was one stipulation: that his daughter Cindy play first base. This may sound indulgent—it wasn’t—it was good business. Cindy Breski was first team All-American in 1975 and managed a .667 batting average in the National Championships. Several of Cindy’s amateur teammates turned pro along with her; among the standouts is Mary Ann Cardillo, billed as the power hitter in the league.

The amateur Breskis (who make up the core of the professional Breskis) finished seventh in the last year’s National Championships and hope to place considerably higher in pro competition. They are particularly anxious to tangle with the Southern California Gems and their highly touted pitcher, Rosie Black.

“Rosie and her team came to Buffalo three years ago,” explains general manager Tim Maloney, “and Cindy hit three triples against her.” Unfortunately, the first baseman was stranded there all three times, and the Queen and Her Maids won the game.

While R.B.I.s may, on occasion, be in short supply, crowd support is rarely lacking in Buffalo. In one game against the Brakettes 7,500 fans showed up to watch the confrontation despite the fact that it was pouring rain.

MICHIGAN TRAVELERS

“We don’t have a Joan Joyce or a Rosie Black,” says Carrie Lonero, part owner of the Travelers, “but we do have an Iowa High School Hall of Famer named Wanda Milbraith.”

Milbraith’s record at Iowa State University was 119 wins against 9 losses. On the way to that 93-percent winning record, she hurled 30 no-hitters. Joining her on the Michigan squad is her collegiate catcher Fay Perkins.

Backing up this young but talented battery is 1975 All-American outfield Mary Nutter whose claim to fame is that “she can hit against Joan Joyce.” Nutter will have a chance to back up the management’s boast in the very first game of the Michigan season.

Also in the line-up is Linda Muehler, a second baseman who hit .575 last year for Little Caesars of Royal Oak, Michigan. Muehler, who coaches high school softball, volleyball and basketball in the off season, was the first to sign a Traveler contract. A great deal of fanfare accompanied the signing ceremonies, owing to the presence of league founder Billie Jean King.

“I’m not going to make money on this thing,” she told a gathering of local reporters, “but we’re creating opportunities for women in sports and that’s what interests me.”

Overshadowing even King’s altruistic motives in backing pro softball is the selfless dedication of the Traveler ownership. “We’re not rich,” Lonero admits, “but each of the six owners is actively involved in running the team, and we think it will make a difference. Even though this is a business, we’re also in it to promote women’s sports.”

Lonero is a softball player herself, or was until she broke her legs sliding (twice in consecutive seasons) and her father urged her to pursue a safer pastime. Investing in a sports franchise is hardly a safer undertaking, but the risks to Lonero and her co-owners are financial, not physical.

“We’re the dark horse team,” says Lonero, evaluating her team’s chances. “We’re building on youth and speed. We’ve got kids who can get from home to first in 2.7 seconds.”

To read news articles about the league in 1976, see below.