Phoenix/Arizona Bird

Western Division

201 E. Southern #107, Tempe, Arizona 85282

602.968.9727

Director: Donal Hogan

General Manager: John Barkley

Field Manager: Gerald Stapley

Home Field: Tempe Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

Starting Time: 7:30 p.m.

Team Colors: orange, gold, white

The Bird played only the first year the league was in existence. Due to poor attendance in Phoenix the team moved in July to Prescott (90 miles north of Phoenix) and changed their name to the Arizona Bird. When the team was “dissolved” after the 1976 season, the Bakersfield Aggies were given rights to the Bird players.

The following are excerpts from the 1976 San Jose Sunbirds (Reprint 1) and 1976 Santa Ana Lionettes (Reprint 2) programs.

Reprint 1 – The Sun City Saints of Phoenix each year were strong contenders for national amateur honors, but only a handful of team members have joined the Phoenixbird pro team. Fortunately for the Phoenix club, those players who did decide to turn professional are among the best in the country. Pitcher Billie Harris began playing amateur softball in 1959 and is a 15-time All-American. She doesn’t throw the blazer anymore, but her variety of pitches and experience make her difficult for anyone to hit. Harris is also considered one of the best drawing cards in the league.

Catcher Linda Spradley and infielder Gail Norman are former Saints who’ve marched into the pro ranks with Harris. Former Fullerton Royal players – drafted by the Gems and traded to Phoenixbird – include first baseman Sandy Iverson, second baseman Beverly Slover, and catcher Mary Riechart. Outfielder Maureen England has been described by general manager John Barkley as “a great hitter.” At press-time the Bird planned to add four college players to their roster, but could not divulge their names until the college softball season was over.

Reprint 2 – The Phoenixbird team has signed some of the better players out of the amateur ranks. Billie Harris, Linda Spradley, Lois Elkington and Gail Norman formerly played for Sun City while the core of the Fullerton Royals are also on their roster. They include Sandy Iverson, Bev Slover, Becky Bruce, Carol Schmoll, Mary Reichert, Lori Fishburn and Maureen England. Billie Harris, a veteran pitcher who has been named to the National All Star teams on numerous occasions and was the MVP in the 1969 A.S.A. Nationals, is the ace pitcher for the Arizona entrants. She has played for the Phoenix Ramblers, Yakima Webb Cats and Sun City Saints.

1976 Highlights

Some of the old and some of the young brought winning softball to Arizona's Birds in the inaugural IWPSA season. The best of the old was the pitching of the legendary 43-year-old Billie Harris and the managing of Hall of Famer Dot Wilkinson, who arrived when the team owned a 10-25 record on June 25 and guided the Birds into playoff contention and a plus .500 record.

The best of the young, where most of the Birds' future lies, was the pitching and hitting of 19-year-old Margaret Rebenar and the consistent bat and glove of 23-year-old Cheryl Stice, an IWPSA All-Star who can handle either corner of the infield with equal effectiveness.

Rebenar, a flame-throwing righthander, started slowly, but joined the 20-game winner's club by winning 13 of 16 decisions over a three-week span in July and August. In addition to her pitching prowess, Rebenar established herself as a premier home run hittter, ranking third behind Buffalo's Maryann Cardillo and Southern California's Debbie Bevers in the home run derby.

Stice, a solid .280 hitter, led the Birds in runs batted in and gave Arizona a potent 1-2 punch in the middle of the lineup that figures only to get better. The Birds also boasted one of the league's top young outfielders in Denny Buchanon.

To read news articles from the Phoenix/Arizona Bird 1976 season, see below.