1968 ASA Men’s Open Slow Pitch Nationals

1968 held at Jones Beach, New York.


Champion – County Sports, Levittown, New York (72-4)
Runner Up – Jo’s House of Pizza, Milton, Florida (104-18)


Jo’s House of Pizza beat County Sports 7-5 in winners bracket final, County Sports then came back and beat Jo’s twice 11-7, 17-12 to win the crown. Bert Smith hit HR in his first two at bats to ignite County Sports in the final championship game. Smith came up big the Long Island team every game getting 23 hits and 24 RBI in the teams 8 games.

County Sports’ Jim Galloway chipped in with 6 HR and11 RBI, and along with Bill Malloy (9 HR, 19 RBI), Lou Russo (5 HR, 13 RBI) and Pitcher Bill Brown’s 5 HR, led an explosive offense.

HT Waller was a one man machine for Jo’s House of Pizza as he led them going 13-21 (.619) with 9 HR and 17 RBI. Jo’s Pitcher Gerry Martello and Outfielder Luther Ates played outstanding defense for Jo’s.

County Sports pitcher Bill Brown fractured a bone in his hand and Don Burns was called on to pitch the final two games to win the title.

Jo’s House of Pizza received a special sportsmanship trophy for staying the extra day, waiting out the rain to play. At the time of the postponement, Jo’s was the only undefeated team and could have left and been declared the National Champion. They opted to stay and play. And as mentioned, County Sports defeated them twice to win the title.

County Sports will receive an automatic berth to the 1969 Nationals as the defending National Champs and the ASA of Long Island Tournament committee also awarded Jo’s Pizza an automatic berth in the 1969 Nationals as the defending National Runner-up for what they did. Had Jo’s won the tournament, HT Waller probably would have been the MVP as he was Jo’s leading hitter and also had the most HR in the tournament at the time.


  • MVP – Bert Smith, County Sports
  • HR Leader – Bert Smith, County Sports – 11
  • Batting Leader – Bill Goedde, Dick Luken Volkswagen – .813

FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

P – Jerry Martello, Jo’s House of Pizza (4-2 Pitching and 5-19, .263, 2 RBI, 4 Runs)
C – Bill Malloy, County Sports (21-33, .638, 9 HR, 19 RBI, 14 Runs)
1B – Lou Russo, County Sports (20-35, .571, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 15 Runs, 10 Doubles)
2B – H.T. Waller, Jo’s House of Pizza (13-21, .619, 9 HR, 17 RBI, 11 Runs)
3B – Bill Goedde, Dick Luken (13-16, .813, 9 RBI, 3 Runs)
SS – Tom DeLanzo, Hudepohl Beer (12-21, .571, 2 RBI, 7 Runs)
OF – Bob Schugman, County Sports (19-38, .500, 2 RBI, 12 Runs)
OF – Jerry Booher, Wilsman Trucking (16-26, .615, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 13 Runs)
OF – Bert Smith, County Sports (23-37, .622, 11 HR, 24 RBI, 19 Runs)
OF – Luther Ates, Jo’s House of Pizza (10-22, .455, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 8 Runs)


SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

P – Ron Ritter, Jiffy Club (3-2 Pitching and 10-16, .625, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 6 Runs)
C – Mark Chandler, Erie Sheet Metal (10-16, .625, 4 HR,11 RBI, 8 Runs)
1B – Cal Bodenstein, Jo’s House of Pizza (9-19, .476, 3 HR, 2 RBI, 3 Runs)
2B – Jim Galloway, County Sports (19-35, .543, 6 HR, 11 RBI, 17 Runs)
3B – Mac Stalcup, Kobax Corporation (9-13, .692, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 6 Runs)
SS – Roy Hill, Kobax Corporation (8-17, .471, 3 RBI, 5 Runs)
OF – Larry Harbin, Anderson Shell (13-22, .591, 11 RBI, 7 Runs)
OF – Gordon Pfeiffer, Heidelberg Beer (10-12, .833, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 6 Runs)
OF – Junior Riggs, Jiffy Club (8-13, .615, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 Runs)
OF – Otto Knowles, Jo’s House of Pizza (10-18, .556, 5 RBI, 5 Runs)


OTHERS

Jim Sibert, Gene Angelos (10-13, .769, 2 RBI, 9 Runs)
Jack Goodrich, Gene Angelos (8-12, .667, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 Runs)
Steve Loya, Gene’s Sunoco (6-10, .600, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 Runs)
Preston Powell, Erie Sheet Metal (10-17, .588, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 10 Runs)
Bill Brown, County Sports (12-21, .572, 5 HR, 9 RBI, 10 Runs)
Rocky Salice, County Sports (15-30, .500, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 12 Runs)
Chester Dungan, Jo’s House of Pizza (10-21, .476, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 7 Runs)
Andy Loya, Gene’s Sunoco (5-11, .455, 1 HR. 7 RBI, 3 Runs)
Ron Annotico, Gene’s Sunoco (5-11, .455, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 4 Runs)
Steve Shurina, County Sports (13-33, .394, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 10 Runs)
Stan Harvey, Kobax Corporation (5-14, .357, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 Runs)
Howie Krause, Erie Steel (6-20, .300, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 6 Runs)


FINAL STANDINGS

1. County Sports, Levittown, NY (7-1)
2. Jo’s Pizza House, Milton, FL (4-2)
3. Dick Luken Volkswagon, Cincinnati, OH (5-2)
4. Wilsman Truckers, Hamilton, OH (5-2)
5t. Erie Sheet Metal, Cleveland, OH (3-2)
5t. Heidelberg Beer, Tacoma, WA (2-2)
7t. Anderson Shell Misfits, Anderson, SC (4-2)
7t. Hudepohl Beer, Springfield, OH (3-2)
9t. Jiffy Club, Louisville, KY (3-2)
9t. Twin Cities Construction, Meriden, CT (3-2)
9t. Kobax Corporation, Chattanooga, TN (2-2)
9t. Ragu Foods, Rochester, NY (2-2)
13t. Climatic Air Rams, Maspeth, NY (2-2)
13t. Bayer & Mingola, Millbury, MA (2-2)
13t. Kutis Funeral Hone, St. Louis, MO (2-2)
13t. Playboy Tavern, Kennewick, WA (2-2)
17t. Central Brevard Merchants, Cocoa, FL (1-2)
17t. Shakey’s, Rockville, MD (1-2)
17t. Colonial Inn, Richmond, VA (0-2)
17t. Mahan Ford, Columbus, IN (0-2)
17t. Gene’s Sunoco, Cleveland, OH (1-2)
17t. Countryside Realty, Hopkins, MN (0-2)
17t. S.M. Pisut, Joliet, IL (1-2)
17t. Buck Moore’s Service Station, Macon, GA (0-2)
25t. Wamble Realty, Virginia Beach, VA (0-2)
25t. Del Campo Baking, Wilmington, DE (0-2)
25t. Coast Wholesalers Supply, Long Beach, MS (0-2)
25t. Kilberg-Grochran, San Carlos, CA (0-2)

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