1980 held at Rotary Park in Decatur, Illinois.
Champion – Peterbilt Western, Seattle, Washington
Runner Up – Midwest Galleries, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Winning six straight games at Decatur, IL, Peterbilt/Western out of Seattle, WA, accomplished what no other men’s fast pitch team from the Pacific Northwest had done – win the major fast pitch national championship.
To do it, Peterbilt had to go 14 innings before Jeff Borror’s double to left-center at Borg Warner Field September 14 scored Bill Stewart and Butch Batt with the deciding runs to defeat Midwest Galleries of Cedar Rapids, IA, 2-1.
Midwest Galleries had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the inning when Jim Sokolik singled, moved to second on Denver Dixon’s sacrifice, and scored on Steve Andrew’s RBI single.
The Cedar Rapids’ run ended a scoreless streak of 29 innings by Seattle’s Mark Lee, who was relieved by Graham Arnold, the tourney MVP, then got Tom Williamson to ground to end the inning and get credit for his fourth victory of the tournament. Lee got the other two wins, including a no-hitter against Made Rite Potato Chips of Bay City, MI, 1-0.
Stewart got 11 hits in 21 at bats to lead the 24 team tourney in hitting (.529 average), plus he had the most RBI (9) and most home runs (4). He’s the second player to hit four home runs in a national championship.
For the first time in many years, the Sunners came to a National Championship without Ty Stofflett, who has missed the entire season due to a fracture in his wrist. The Sunners used veteran pitcher Larry Bergh and Philadelphia Legend George Ulmer, a multiple Regional MVP from the old Flat Iron AC team.
- MVP – Graham Arnold, Peterbilt Western
- Batting Leader – Bill Stewart, Peterbilt Western – .524
- Home Run Leader – Bill Stewart, Peterbilt Western – 4
- Most Outstanding Pitcher Award – Graham Arnold, Peterbilt Western
FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
P – Graham Arnold, Peterbilt
P – Gregg Bosch, Midwest Galleries
P – Alan Colglazier, Home Savings and Loan
C – Jim Marsh, Guanella Brothers
C – Robin Voss, Home Savings and Loan
1B – Darryl Day, Home Savings and Loan
2B – Ted Hicks, Decatur ADM
3B – Ron Mason, Clearwater Bombers
SS – Don Van Deusen, York Barbell
OF – Bill Stewart, Peterbilt (11-21, 4 HR)
OF – Russ Van Zoeren, McArdle Pontiac-Cadillac
OF – Ray Allena, Guanella Brothers
OF – Bob Slagle, Decatur ADM
UT – Richard Zeke Delong, York Barbell
SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
P – Dick Brubaker, Home Savings and Loan (2-1)
P – Chuck D’Arcy, Guanella Brothers
P – Mark Lee, Peterbilt
C – Michael Lucas, Midwest Galleries
C – Butch Batt, Peterbilt
1B – Denny Place, Decatur ADM
2B – Terry Muck, Home Savings and Loan
3B – Jeff Seip, York Barbell
SS – Denver Dixon, Midwest Galleries
OF – Hal Martinez, All-American Bar
OF – Mike Bishop, Peterbilt
OF – Jim Sokolik, Midwest Galleries
OF – Tom O’Brien, Walnut Products
UT – Barry Cashin, McArdle Pontiac-Cadillac
FINAL STANDINGS
1. Peterbilt Western, Seattle, WA (6-0) (Northwestern)
2. Midwest Galleries, Cedar Rapids, IA (4-2) (Mid America)
3. Home Savings & Loan, Aurora, IL (5-2) (Midwest)
4. Guanella Brothers, Santa Rosa, CA (3-2) (Pacific Coast-At Large)
5t. Lakewood Jets, Lakewood, CA (4-2) (Pacific Coast)
5t. Clearwater Bombers, Clearwater, FL (2-2) (Southern)
7t. Decatur ADM, Decatur, IL (3-2) (Host)
7t. Made Rite Potato Chips, Bay City, MI (3-2) (Great Lakes- At Large)
9t. Walnut Products, St. Joseph, MO (2-2) (Mid America-At Large)
9t. Rochester Rockets, Rochester, NY (2-2) (Mid-Atlantic)
9t. York Barbell, Reading, PA (2-2) (Central Atlantic-At Large)
9t. All American Bar, St. Paul, MN (2-2) (Northern)
13t. McArdle Pontiac, Midland, MI (2-2) (Defending Champ)
13t. Ohio Caverns, West Liberty, OH (2-2) (East Central)
13t. Poindexter Lumber, Winston-Salem, NC (1-2) (South Atlantic)
13t. Butt’r Top, Clear Lake, IA (1-2) (Northern- At Large)
17t. Petrochen Kings, Camerillo, CA (1-2) (Pacific Coast-At Large)
17t. Plangger’s Furniture, Benton Harbor, MI (1-2) (Great Lakes)
17t. Poyner’s, Portales, NM (0-2) (Rocky Mountain-Cactus)
17t. Hampshire, Baltimore, MD (0-2) (Central Atlantic)
17t. Bad Bob’s, Memphis, TN (0-2) (Southwestern)
17t. Southern States Petroleum, Ogden, UT (0-2) (Rocky Mountain-Alpine)
17t. Interstate Batterymen, Spencer, MA (0-2) (New England)
17t. Odessa Merchants, Odessa, TX (0-2) (Texas)
NOTES:
Poyner’s, Portales, NM went in place went in place of Rocky Mountain-Cactus Champ – Reno Toyota, Reno, NV, who could not attend.
