Ken Carman

Born:                         September 8, 1959

Died:                         ---

Elected As:              Player

Team:                       Ithaca

Ken Carman was born into a huge baseball family. From the time he was a baby, he was already going to Gratiot County Baseball games.  Ken spent his free time playing baseball in the family backyard with his eight brothers.  Shortly after that, he started playing with the North Star Little League team at age nine and continued playing baseball until he was 40 years old.

Ken entered Ithaca High School as a fan of all kinds of sports and planned to play them all.  In reality, he ended up joining the football, wrestling, track, and baseball teams and competed in these sports until his graduation in 1978.  After high school Ken had no intentions of ending his athletic career and continued playing baseball for Alma, Ithaca, and Marion Springs county league teams. In 1979 Ken celebrated a championship title with the Marion Springs club.  In 1981, Ken followed in his father, Vern’s, footsteps and became a player/manager for the Ithaca ball team.  In 1987, Ken dropped the Ithaca team and joined the Ashley ball club, winning Ashley’s final championship in 1991.  In 1992 he rejoined the Ithaca ball club, won two more championships with Ithaca in 1994 and 1997, and retired after the 1999 season.  He would have liked to play for more years, but his lack of patience with the new generation of ball players prevented this from happening.  Ken enjoyed socializing with people and was known to spend time after the games talking with the opposing team, with the exception of the rival Riverdale team.

Highlights of  Ken’s 25 year playing career included:

·         Managing and playing on his 1985 Ithaca team with eight other Carmans on the roster

·         Playing baseball on his 32nd birthday in 1991 and beating the undefeated Ionia team to win the league championship

·         A 1995 game against Ashley in which he argued with the coach to play the younger guys and not put him in, yet the coach won the argument and Ken ended up hitting a game-winning walk-off double

·         Never batting under .350 his entire 25 year career

            Ken is currently a member of the Gratiot County Baseball League Executive Board and providing important insight into the league.  When asked  why he played baseball for 25 years, Ken answered, “It was just what I was going to do.”

Ken Carman was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2019.

Bob Chaffin

Born:                        May 15, 1925

Died:                        February 13, 2020    

Elected As:              Player

Team:                       Pompeii

Bob started playing baseball with his father and brother in the backyard of his family farm for as far back as he could remember.  He said with a chuckle, “There was no TV in those days, so for something to do we would play ball from the time the chores were done until dark almost every day.”  Bob farmed his whole life and started out with a team of horses.  Eventually, his father upgraded to a Ford tractor. 

As a young boy, Bob worked for Hicks and Son Grocery in Alma and played baseball every chance he got.  He remembered watching the Balmoral Farm team playing with the men’s teams.  At Alma High School, Bob continued his baseball skills by becoming the starting catcher each year.  After graduating from Alma High School in 1943, Bob continued playing baseball at Michigan State University and caught for the Spartans for three years.  After three years of collegiate baseball, Bob decided during his senior year that his grades needed focus and hung up his cleats in order to work on his studies.  In addition to his collegiate playing experience, Bob also gained a future brother-in-law with his college roommate and met his future wife-to-be, Sue.

           In 1940, Bob started playing in the Gratiot County Baseball League before the league as we know it was born.  The Gratiot County Men’s League was interrupted because of WWII and restarted in 1946 and Bob was a member of the Pompeii Blue Devils team.  In 1947, Bob won the GCBL championship with Pompeii and remained with the team until 1951 when he went to play for St. Louis. He spent the last three years of his playing career with St. Louis and won three more championships with them until he ended his time with mens baseball in 1954.  At that point, Bob got married and continued the farming career by purchasing the Balmoral Farm just west of  Ithaca.

            When his wife, Sue, was asked about what she thought about all the baseball, her answer was, “The stories of it all through the years just seemed to get better and better.”  Bob was asked why he played for 16 years in the Gratiot County Baseball League and his answer was, “It was more fun than a bunch of monkeys.  I would never trade those times away.”

Bob Chaffin was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2019.

Derek Syrjala

Born:                         November 13, 1966

Died:                         ---

Elected As:              Player

Team:                        Ionia

Derek just played baseball his whole life.  From little league on up to high school, he was simply the best player.  Derek was a three-year varsity starter on the Ionia High School baseball team and also participated in basketball and golf.  After graduating in 1985, he moved on to continue his baseball career at Liberty College in Virginia where he was a three-year starting pitcher.  In the same year, Derek began his men’s league career with Ionia in the Tri-County League. In 1989, Ionia joined the Gratiot County Baseball League and began one of the most impressive runs in the league’s history.  

Derek’s dominance of the league became apparent quickly as he was used mainly as a pitcher until the early 1990’s.  Derek was the winner of seven pitching titles and his 143 pitching wins is the most win in GCBL history.  Derek’s batting prowess was also apparent as he won four homerun titles and collected a career total of 82 homeruns which was the fourth highest on GCBL record.  Derek played on 24 championship teams which is the third highest on record.  The first 19 championships came with the Ionia team from 1989-2004.  Derek moved on to the Sidney team where he celebrated five more championships.  Through three decades as a player, Derek has been a model of consistency as a pitcher and hitter.  He insists that his defense was as important to him as his pitching and hitting.  Derek has two sons who also carried on the family baseball tradition by playing for the Ionia ball club.  He continued his passion for baseball for 15 years as his sons’ head coach or assistant coach for Greenville Little League, Grand Rapids Elite, and Greenville varsity baseball.

Among his greatest moments in the G.C.B.L were:

·         Watching his son, Parker hit a walk-off homerun in the championship game against St. Louis in 2016

·         Hitting a game-winning homerun at Lumberjack Park against Riverdale that hit the trees on the other side of the road

·         Going undefeated in the 2000 season and winning the Labor Day U.P. Hardball Tournament in Felch that same year

It could be argued that Derek was the best player of his time and maybe the best overall player the GCBL has ever known.  His wife, Carrie, of 26 years, was asked what she thought about Derek’s baseball career in the GCBL and she answered, “That is just what Syrjalas do.  That was part of the package when I married him.”  When asked why he played baseball in the GCBL for so long, Derek explained, “It was like a drug.  I just couldn’t stop playing!”

Derek Syrjala was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2019.

Phil Kliber

Born:  August 27, 1942

Died: ---

Elected As: Manager

Team:   Manistee

Phil’s baseball career began at a very young age going out in the backyard playing catch with his father.  From that point on he was hooked. The first baseball team he played on was Snyder’s Shoes at the age of seven.  He had a dream of playing pro baseball at a young age. However, in high school, Manistee did not have a baseball team until Phil’s senior year and at that point he had starting positions at pitcher and shortstop.

After graduation, Phil went to Western Michigan University where he discovered that although he was a better baseball player than most, his dream of being in the pro’s was not going to be in the cards for him.  He started his legendary career with the Manistee Saints in 1961 and ended his playing career in 1973. In 1974, Phil became the manager of the Manistee Saints and that lasted until 1980. Phil was offered a coaching position with the Chicago White Sox and their A-Ball Team called the Appleton Foxes.  After one year of coaching minor league baseball, Phil decided to move back to Manistee and resume his role as manager of the Manistee Saints where he remained until 2015.

Manistee was in the old Wolverine League from 1974-1980 when the league folded.  In 1981, Phil’s Manistee team joined the U.B.L. League where they played until 2005 and the U.B.L. folded. In 2005, Manistee joined the G.C.B.L. where Phil coached until his retirement in 2015.  His favorite G.C.B.L moment was in 2010 when Manistee won the play-off championship.

Through Phil’s 53 years with the Manistee Saints, he achieved many coaching accomplishments such as:

• Coaching 8 minor leaguers

• Coaching a year of minor league baseball

• Fundraising for the Saints team for the last 40 years averaging $35,000 per year

• His dearest accomplishment was the continuation of Manistee Saints baseball team, which is the longest continually run baseball team in the state of Michigan originating in 1934 and one of the longest continually run teams in the entire nation.

After 53 years of Manistee Saints baseball, Phil Kliber is a true icon for adult amatuer baseball in the state of Michigan.   When asked why he was involved in men’s baseball for so long, Phil answered, “I just couldn’t imagine life without it.”

Phil Kliber was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2018.

Esteban “Steve” Lopez

Born: November 13, 1954

Died: ---

Elected As: Player

Team:   Riverdale

As a lifelong sports lover, Steve did not start playing baseball until the ripe age of 13.  He joined the Middleton Pony League baseball team during his first playing season and was hooked after the team won the season championship.  Steve had a stellar athletic career at Fulton High School where he played golf, basketball, baseball, and ran track. He received all-conference awards for track, baseketball, and three times in baseball.  Steve was also awarded MVP of both the baseball and basketball teams as well as being the 1972 senior class athlete. Steve’s love for basketball led him into playing men’s basketball for three seasons after high school for Robby Brothers Roof Trimming.  After graduating from Fulton High School, Steve enrolled at Central Michigan University with intentions of playing baseball during his studies. While walking on campus during the winter of 1972, a car lost control and hit Steve ending his college aspirations.  

Steve’s G.C.B.L. career started in 1970 when he joined the Ashley ball club, but his desire to pitch led him to play for Ithaca’s Fowlers team where he played for two years.  In 1973, Steven began his career playing for Fulton which lasted until 1980. While playing for Fulton, Steve won the 1978 batting title hitting .493. In 1974, he averaged 14 strikeouts a game for his entire pitching season.  In 1981, Steve moved on again and played for the Riverdale ball club where he continued playing through the 1985 season. Playing for Riverdale and winning three season championships was a thrill for Steve, but what was most enjoyable was the atmosphere of camaraderie with the Riverdale players.  Many fond memories were made hanging around long after the games ended with players, their wives, and children at the ball field. In 1986, when arm trouble prevented Steve from pitching anymore, he returned again to Ashley and played through the 1988 season when his arm finally forced him to retire from G.C.B.L. baseball after 19 years.  While at Ashley, Steve was a member of three more championship teams. Always accident prone, Steve’s injuries included: getting hit by a car as a freshman at college, three motorcycle accidents, and falling off a roof and breaking three ribs.

Steve’s most cherished moments in the G.C.B.L  were:

• Pitching in 1973 for Fulton while in a leg cast

• Playing frisbee after games at Lumberjack Park in the outfield

• The camaraderie with family and friends after the games

When asked why he played baseball in the GCBL for 18  years, he explained, “I just enjoyed it!”

Esteban “Steve” Lopez was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2018.

Bob Sullivan

Born: July 29, 1961

Died: June 10, 2020

Elected As: Player

Team:   Riverdale

Bob started his 42 year baseball career at the age of seven playing for the Union Township Tigers.  As a lifetime lover of sports, Bob entered Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart High School as a standout player in football, basketball, and baseball.  Throughout his high school career, Bob played on a football team that made it to the state semi-finals and a baseball team that lost the regional finals to the state champions of Muskegon by one run.  For his efforts, Bob received all-state honors as an outfielder for the Irish.

After graduation in 1979, Bob played fastpitch softball for the Mt. Pleasant Merchants team and it was then that he learned about the Riverdale men's baseball team.  Bob’s career with Riverdale and the G.C.B.L. began in the 1987 season. Apparently he showed up to the first game thinking it was a just a practice, but he ended up impressing the team nonetheless.  This began a 26 year career with the Gratiot County Baseball League that would be one of the most impressive playing resumes in the history of the league including:

• Batting average over .400 - 23 seasons

• Batting average over .500 - 8 seasons

• Hit five or more homeruns - 11 seasons

• Batting average of .465 over the course of a 20 year span

• Hit 86 homeruns - the second most in the league history

• 4 batting titles - second most in league history - last one at age 43

• 3 home run titles

• 1 pitching title

• Seven championships with Riverdale

Bob was a rare form in baseball being a five tool player who could hit, hit with power, run, catch, and throw -- making him a member of anyone’s top ten GCBL players of all time.  When not playing on the field, Bob spent many extra hours improving the field and had dreams of making Lumberjack Park a wonderful place for future generations to play baseball. Even exceptional careers must come to an end and in 2013, Bob retired from baseball.  Yet, he hated to idea of not competing so he joined the pit crew of Chad Raby Racing Team, which he still continues to the is day. Bob’s best baseball memories included:

• Hitting a home run against Ionia that hit the top of the trees over the left field fence

• Playing in the Roy Hobbs baseball tournament in Florida in 2001 with a group of Lansing players and winning all 11 games plus the championship

• Catching an entire game before realizing he wasn’t wearing a cup

When asked why he played baseball in the G.C.B.L. for 26 years, Bob answered, “It doesn’t seem like a long time when you love it.”  

Bob Sullivan was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2018.

Don Bohil

Born:                          October 8, 1936

Died:                           August 8, 2007

Elected As:                 Player

Team:                         Ashley

Don Bohil grew up with a group of neighborhood kids who loved to play sports.  In all seasons of the year, you could see all of the kids in the community playing football, basketball, or baseball.  The same group of kids played together all the way through high school.  In 1955, Don was a member of the Ashley High School basketball team that played in the state championship game – the first Gratiot County team to play in a state championship. 

Don started playing in the Gratiot County Baseball League in 1953 joining a struggling Ashley team.  After graduating from Ashley High School in 1955, Don extended his athletic career by continuing with the Ashley ball club and joining a county men’s basketball team. He continued playing basketball well in the 1960’s, but baseball was his passion. By 1958, Ashley’s baseball team had become a league contender for the first time lead by batting champion Bohil, winning his first of four and losing the 1958 championship to a very talented Crystal team.  From 1959-1965, Ashley went on to win six league titles and all seven tournament championships and become the most dominate of any team in the G.C.B.L.

To say that Don was a feisty competitor throughout his playing days at Ashley would be an understatement. His overly competitive nature has endured to this day in the G.C.B.L. circles.  His hatred for losing forced him to play the game very hard and he always felt losing was not an option.  He also took pride in his defensive game playing mostly shortstop or third base.  Don played the entire 1964 season without committing a single error. 

Don’s wife, Kathy, liked the Sunday baseball and put lots of her own time into coaching freshman softball at Lansing Eastern High School for 15 years along with announcing and scorekeeping for other sports.  She enjoyed getting together with player’s families and having picnics after Sunday ball games.  Shortly after Don’s two daughters, Kendra and Kara, were old enough to start their own sports careers, he decided to call it quits.  He left behind an 18 year career that consisted of 19 team championships, four batting titles – which is the second most of any player next to Eugene Kral’s six from Ashley -- and one homerun title. 

When his daughters were asked why their dad played baseball for 18 years, they said he loved the competition so much that it filled his need to stay competitive.  In his later years, Don loved watching the Tigers, arguing with the television set, and watching his grandchildren play their sports.

Don Bohil was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2017.

Ronnie Carman

Born:                       June 7, 1956

Died:                        ---  

Elected As:             Player

Team:                        Fulton

Coming from a huge baseball family, it seems as though Ronnie Carman was born playing baseball.  Going to Sunday baseball from the time of his birth was the norm for Ronnie for the next 60 years.  Every season. Every summer.  Every Sunday.  Ronnie was there.

His playing days started like most young boys of the day—out in the backyard with his brothers playing from daylight to dark.  The only interruption was to eat and the daily brawls over who was the winner.  Ronnie did not like second place even when it was just backyard baseball.  Ronnie started Little League in 1962 and has not missed a year of baseball as of the 2016 season.  After playing football and baseball during his freshman year at Fulton High School, Ronnie moved on to the Gratiot County Baseball League in 1973 playing for his dad, Vern Carman’s North Star team and starting a career that has lasted 44 seasons.  His 44 years playing in the G.C.B.L. is the longest career of any player in league history.

In addition to playing baseball, Ronnie spent 17 years playing fastpitch softball on week nights in St. Louis and Merrill.  The fastpitch was fun, but he never missed a Sunday baseball game. Ronnie also had an interest in car racing.  He owned and raced his own racecar for 10 seasons at Crystal Raceway.  In the end, it was always baseball for Ronnie.

Throughout the many years in the G.C.B.L., Ronnie played for many teams winning championships with North Star, Marion Springs, Ashley, Ithaca, and Fulton.  During the last 21 years that Ronnie spent with Fulton, he considers it the most rewarding. 

The greatest memories of his storied career was pitching in a game at North Star because his brother, fellow Hall of Famer – Mick Carman, hurt his arm and could not pitch.  They lost the game 7-3, but what made it so special was that Ronnie was not a pitcher and his dad, Vern, caught that game. The other moment came in 1979 playing for Marion Springs.  The young Marion team had just squeaked into the playoffs and upset the outstanding Riverdale team to win the tournament championship. 

Ronnie’s baseball legacy is defined by both his flaming competitive spirit that you would have to see to believe and his very unique batting stance that many have talked about.  Both will endure throughout the G.C.B.L. time.

When asked why he has played for 44 years in the G.C.B.L, Ronnie said he just could not imagine not playing baseball and never wants to stop until he has to.  Ronnie’s wife, Karri of 21 years, said she loved going to the games and it would have killed him if she asked him to quit.

Ronnie Carman was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2017.

Tommy (T.J.) Johnston

Born:                          July 27, 1952

Died:                           ---

Elected As:                 Player

Team:                         Ionia

Born to the father of a Baltimore Orioles minor league baseball player, Tom grew up on the baseball field.  He moved from town to town until 1956 when he settled in Portland, Michigan. The traveling ended, but the baseball never stopped. By the time Tommy entered high school, his baseball skills had advanced and he was a varsity starter at shortstop as a freshman.  Not only was he a four year starter in baseball, but he also excelled as a three year starter in both basketball and football. He earned honors as league MVP in basketball his senior year and was later inducted into the Portland High School Football Hall of Fame.  After graduating from Portland High School in 1970, Tommy attended Western Michigan University where he played baseball for two seasons. 

After his collegiate baseball career ended, Tommy had no interest in giving up sports.  He continued playing with Portland and Ionia in the Tri-County league with a career that started in 1968 and continued in to what is one of the most impressive adult athletic careers imaginable, playing football until the age of 30, basketball until the age of 47, and is still playing baseball at the age of 63.  In 1989, Tommy played with Ionia in the Gratiot County Baseball League and then later moved on to play with the Sidney club.  In 2013, Tommy and Matt Spitzley revived the Ionia team coaching and playing again at Bertha Brock Park.   His men’s baseball career was impressive with such feats as:

·         59 total baseball championships

·          26 of those with the Gratiot County Baseball League including 21 with Ionia and 5 with Sidney

·         28 championships with Tri-County League

·         4 championships in the Felch U.P. Hardball Tournament

·         1 Gratiot County Baseball League Labor Day Championship

Among Tommy’s crowning moments was an Ionia game against Breckenridge when, in the fifth inning, Tommy’s son Zeke led off the inning and singled, Tommy singled next, next batter was son Zane who singled, and next batter was son Zack who followed with a double…four straight hits by the Johnstons!  With pride, Tommy holds this memory as dear to him as being on championship teams so often.

Tommy’s wife, Cheryl, of 31 years never minded Tommy playing so long and always said, “May your skills last as long as your will to play” and always thought there could be a lot of worse things to do besides spending your time on a baseball field.  When asked why he played baseball for so long, Tommy said, “After church, what else was there to do on Sunday?”  After 46 years of playing and coaching men’s league baseball, Tommy felt it was a humbling experience and realized through each phase that there was more and more to learn and, “I didn’t know much about baseball.” 

Tommy Johnston was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2016.

George Conklin

Born:                       April 10, 1947

Died:                       ---

Elected As:             Player

Team:                      Fulton

George began his playing career at the ripe old age of eight, playing for the Maple Rapids Red Sox.  During the very first practice he caught an infield pop up right in the eye.  George decided that he would keep his eye on the ball from that point on.  Coming into his own his freshmen year at Fulton High School, George played football, basketball, baseball, and ran track.  In baseball, George was the varsity starting second baseman with the other eight starters being seniors.  In 1965, George graduated and ended his high school career as a four year starter in baseball, three year starter in basketball, two year starter in football, and ran four years in track…totaling 13 varsity letters.

In 1966, George was drafted into the U.S. Army spending two years as an airplane mechanic.  Ironically, George spent his time playing on the basketball team in the military, instead of the baseball team.  In 1968, George finished his service with the U.S. Army and started his long men’s league baseball career beginning with A.J. Robinson’s Perrinton Team in the Tri-County League.  In 1970, George joined the Ashley team winning seven championships; and in 1971, Ashley became the first Gratiot County Baseball league team to have an undefeated season—a feat matched only one time by Ionia in 2001.  In 1976, George joined the Fulton team and went back to the Tri-County League.  In 1977, Fulton switched to the GCBL and that was George’s home until the 2010 season when, what he liked to call “his baseball journey” ended.  The 34 years of playing for Fulton were the best of times for George.  He loved the fact that he played 25 of those years with his nephew and 2015 Hall of Fame Inductee, Mike Goodknecht.  George marveled in the 2007 championship experience and felt that he had won it for his longtime Fulton coach, Ron Murdock.

George loved the 20 years that he was able to travel to the Felch U.P. Hardball Tournament with his Fulton team and winning the tournament in 2004.  It was at Felch that George was picked up to play in Arizona, which he continued to do for four years until his retirement from baseball in 2010. 

George’s greatest moment came in 2006 at 59 years old when he hit his final homerun off the Breckenridge team and the left fielder saved the ball for him.  He was also very proud of playing third base for all of these years and of his last at bat which was a line drive base hit up the middle...which he decided was a  good enough hit with which to end his career.

When asked why he played baseball in the GCBL for 37 years, he explained, “I just loved it so much and I would still be playing now if I could.  I could not imagine getting up on a Sunday and not going to the ball field.  I owe a lot to baseball and I had a blast!”

George Conklin was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2016.

Brian Beebe 

Born:                        July 16, 1956

Died:                         ---

Elected As:             Player

Team:                      Riverdale

Brian’s Gratiot County Baseball League legacy in men’s baseball began very early in his childhood. His father played for the Crawford baseball team and his older brother, Joe, played for Riverdale.  There was never a time that Brian was not around Sunday men’s baseball.  Baseball was the sport for Brain from the start, but he did get involved in wrestling throughout his high school days competing in the 98 lb. division. However, it was baseball that he excelled at and Brian’s senior year in 1974 at Mt. Pleasant High School, where he made his mark.  His high school team went 32-2 and advanced to the state semi-finals.

           Brian’s men’s league baseball career started on June 10, 1973 when he made his playing debut in left field for Riverdale.  Brian had two hits his first game and his brother, Joe, scored the only run beating Alma Container 1-0.  This was just the beginning of a 39 year career with all 39 years spent playing or coaching for Riverdale.  From 1977 through the 2010 season, Riverdale was a terror in the GCGL, advancing to the playoffs every year except for one.  Brian solidified the second base position, and for 30 years, the opposition could count on Brian Beebe batting first in the lineup and taking the field at second base, although he’s been known to have played every position on the field in order to help his team out.  Keeping up with his high expectations, his favorite rival teams to beat were:  Ashley in the 1970’s and 80’s, Ithaca in the 1990’s, and Ionia in the 1990’s and 2000’s. Brian viewed playing these teams as an event and looked forward to the competition of playing them. 

In 2002, Brian became player/coach for the Riverdale team.  He like the coaching part of the game every bit as much as the playing and felt he had more impact on the games as a coach than as a player.  Brian’s most cherished moment in the GCBL came in 1997 after losing to the dreaded league champions of Ithaca four times during the season.  Riverdale had a fifth shot at Ithaca in the playoffs and Brian made a coaching decision to rotate all five of his pitchers based on Ithaca’s batting order.  His coaching decision paid off as Riverdale upset Ithaca and Brian walked away with a playoff win with much credit to his coaching.

In his 39 years with the GCBL, Brian was a part of nine league titles and five tournament titles.  His 782 hit record is the most documented hits of any player in the history of the GCBL and he is widely considered the best all-around second baseman in the history of the league.  Brian’s wife, Bethany of 11 years, realized that Brian’s life revolved around baseball and that it was “awesome”.  She loved the baseball stories and was very proud of his baseball career. 

 When asked why he was involved in the GCBL for so long, he replied, “I just loved baseball and not many people had the opportunity to keep playing and that’s what I wanted to do.”

 Brian Beebe was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2016.

Mickey Carman

Born:                       December 25, 1952

Died:                        ---

Elected As:             Player

Team:                      North Star

Mickey’s ball playing days started in his backyard with his brothers with the attitudes of “If I can’t beat you in baseball, I’ll beat you up.”  Ultimately, a fight or two was guaranteed just about every time a game was played and it instilled a flaming competitive spirit in Mickey that followed him throughout his career.  Mickey’s Gratiot County Baseball experience began by watching his father, Vern Carman, play ball every Sunday of the ball season until the year 1967 when he got to play a few innings himself at the age of 14.

The first twelve years of playing baseball for North Star were the best for Mickey and he couldn’t wait for Sunday baseball, which meant a day away from cutting wood for his father’s business.  Mickey made baseball the number one most important thing in his world and it paid off for him.  He won two batting titles for North Star in 1973 and 1975, with 1975 being the year that stood out more in his mind than any other year. 

Mickey decided to play for Ashley in 1986. In his seven years at Ashley, he saw four league titles, two playoff titles, and played in the play off finals all seven years.  He insists that it was much more fun going after Ashley than it was playing for them.  His last two years were spent playing for Marion Springs so he could play with his son, Mickey, before finishing his baseball playing career.  In his 29 year playing career, Mickey

·         Spent 25 years as a premiere third baseman in the GCBL

·         Won two batting titles

·         Finished in the top ten in hitting for 24 years

·         Struck out five or less times during 19 years of playing

·         Struck out only once during three different years

Mickey was also involved in boxing and car racing in his earlier days, but in the end, baseball was the sport that came first. Mickey organized two teams that played in the GCBL Labor Day Tournament and was instrumental in speaking on behalf of the GCBL in order to get the tournament established at Lumberjack Park.  When asked why he played baseball in the GCBL for 29 years he said, “I loved it so much.  It was my favorite thing in the world. I could not even sleep the night before a game.”

Mickey was the truest example of a little man in the GCBL.  His competitive nature sometimes went overboard, but it was never personal against anyone. It was just about winning.  Mickey Carman was elected to the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2015.

Mike Goodknecht

Born:                       September 10, 1953

Died:                       September 21, 2022   

Elected As:             Player

Team:                      Fulton

Mike started playing little league baseball at the age of six.  During his freshman year of high school he started on the varsity baseball team at second baseball, but halfway through the season, his coach noticed he was much better shortstop where he continued to play that 1968 season until 2005.  Mike also played basketball in high school and continued playing men’s league basketball for many years, although baseball was his favorite sport.

In 1974, Mike tried out for the Fulton men’s league baseball team.  Fulton coach, Ron Murdock, only wanted local players but allowed Mike on the team when he noticed his talent.  Mike played with such a high intensity level and focus that was extremely uncommon among ball players.  He said he always felt he had to prove himself to play ball from such a young age, that the intensity and focus just never went away.  Mike went on to play 30 years for Fulton baseball.  The thought of playing for another team was never an option because he was where he wanted to be.  Although Mike never played on a championship team for Fulton, he came close several times and had no regrets other than wishing he could have earned one for his longtime coach, Ron Murdock.  Not winning a league title puts Mike into an elite category of “By Far the Best Player in the GCBL to Have Never Won a Championship”. 

Mike was a unique batter who could hit with power to all sides of the field and rarely struck out.  His batting average was in the top ten for 23 years hitting .300 or better, except for one season when he batted .299.  He also finished runner up for the batting title four times, and of course-- true to form-- never won it.

Other memories of Mike’s GCBL career include:

·        Two games where Mike went 4-4 and those were the only hits for Fulton

·        Being one of the all time top GCBL shortstops

·        Tri-County pitching great, Dick Lincoln, said Mike was one of the toughest outs he ever faced and he just hated pitching against him

·        Fulton coach, Ron Murdock, commented that Mike was the best player he ever had.  Period.

Mike’s wife, Connie, of 25 years, loved the friendships and the people that they met through baseball.  It was easy for her to come and watch Mike play baseball on Sundays because it was his only day off and that was how he wanted to spend the day. When asked why he played for 30 years in the GCBL, Mike answered, “Baseball was just too much of a part of my life to not continue to play.  The hardest part was when I retired from the sport that meant so much to me.”   Mike Goodknecht was elected into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jack “Rip” White

Born:                       September 22, 1955

Died:                         ---

Elected As:             Player

Team:                      Riverdale

Jack started his baseball career playing baseball on the Riverdale field 50 yards from his house at the age of six.  From a very young age, he joined the neighborhood kids on the ball field and played pickup games with just one bat and one ball.  If the bat broke, they nailed it back together.  If the cover fell off the ball, they wound electrical tape around it to keep it in playing condition.  They played almost every night until it was too dark to see.  At the age of 14, Jack began playing pony league ball at the Lumberjack Park field.  Jack graduated from Alma High School in 1973 and was a two year varsity starter for the Panthers. 

           In 1974, he started playing for the Riverdale men’s baseball team, which he played for his entire GCBL career.  He chose #6 as his jersey number for his hero, Al Kaline.  The Riverdale baseball team had not won much, and since Jack joined the team, was soon on its way to much higher expectations.  By 1977, Riverdale won the GCBL championship and began a tradition that would render it a playoff team for 26 of the next 27 years.  It was the competition with the Ashley ball club became more than just a game to Jack.  They were the team to beat and by far the most fun to play against.  The best game with Ashley was in 1983 when every player in both lineups scored.  Other great memories of Jack’s ball career included:

·        A 5-4 win over Merrill where Jack recorded the last two outs of the game by throwing both runners out at home plate

·        Starting out 0-14 during the 1983 season, then having nine straight hits and finishing the year with 13 homeruns

·        Having more key game winning hits than any other player coached by Ron “Whitey” Loomis

·        Winning five tournament championships and nine league titles

  Jack spent most of his time playing left field throughout his career.  He insisted that the best position to play was pitcher and loved every opportunity he ever had to pitch. He also had a unique approach to hitting and pitching. Every time he came up to bat or stepped on the mound he told himself not to fail, and most of the time he didn’t.   

Jack’s wife Patty, of 25 years, just loved being at the games and watching baseball.  It was always the sport she liked the most and was glad Jack was so involved with playing it.  Jack holds the second longest record of 37 years playing with the GCBL.  When asked why he played for so long, he replied, “I just enjoyed the game and even the Wednesday night practices.  I could not understand why anybody would not want to be there every Sunday. It always made me feel like a child again.”  Jack White was elected into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2015.

Ron Murdock

Born:                       May 28, 1941

Died:

Elected As:             Manager

Team:                        Fulton

Ron never was a baseball player and, instead, participated in boxing in the early 1950’s and drag racing in the 1960’s.  His involvement in baseball began in high school when he was the manager for his varsity baseball team at Fulton High School.  Ron also got involved with the local men’s baseball league under Coach AJ Robinson assisting him with the duties of running the Perrinton squad.  His admiration of Caoch Robinson and interest in organizing sports teams led him on the long coaching and managing journey that endures today.

In 1967 Ron started coaching little league and pony league teams in the Fulton area.  He began his own men’s league team in 1971 following Coach Robinson’s retirement and his team picked up games with whoever was available to play.  Ron entered his team into the Tri-County League in 1972 where they competed through the 1976 season and then switched leagues in 1977 and joined the Gratiot County League coaching through 1988.  A job change to Florida kept him away from the League for two years and in 1990, Ron returned to the area and reunited with his Fulton team where he has been managing ever since.

Ron had a strong belief that all his players would be from the local area and he stubbornly kept to these principles. He wanted local baseball players from the community around Middleton to have the opportunity to play baseball.  He stuck to this philosophy until the late 1990’s when it was no longer possible to run a team this way and Ron began to branch out by recruiting players from other communities and counties who were interested in playing on his team.  Ron still believes in adding local players to the roster, though, and stated, “I would rather never win a single championship with local players than win many with players not from our area.”

In addition to being a manager of Men’s League Baseball for 40 years with 34 of those in the G.C.B.L., Ron has held the league position of Vice President since 2004.  He has taken teams to the annual Labor Day Felch Hardball Tournament in the Upper Peninsula since 2002.   After 40 years of managing men’s baseball, Ron’s crowning moment came in 2004 when his team won the Felch Labor Day Championship.  Other highlights of Ron’s managing career included winning the GCBL season championships in 2006, 2007, and 2008 and the play-off championship in 2007.  What Ron is most proud of is his continued affiliation to the GCBL and his opportunity to coach kids for so many years at so many levels including little league, pony, colt, and American Legion for five decades.  He is currently managing an 18 and under summer team in St. Johns and coaching at Lansing Community College. 

When asked why he managed baseball in the GCBL for so long he said, “It was like a hobby with an interest that just never went away.” Ron was elected to the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2014.

Carl Mapes

Born:                       December 29, 1930

Died:                        July 5, 2010

Elected As:             Player

Team:                      Elwell

As a young boy, Carl played a sidewalk game with other neighborhood kids they called “putting board”.  The object of the game was to see who could throw a baseball over a board on the sidewalk more times than the other kids.  Carl always ended up the winner.  As the eighth child of ten, Carl noticed at a young age that he could throw harder than his older brothers.  Carl played his first baseball game when he was six years old for the Riverdale Little League Team and continued to play ball every year until he was 37 years old.  Carl started playing in the Gratiot County Baseball League as a teenager in 1946 for the Riverdale ball club.  He was very proud of the fact that he never missed playing in a single game from little league through high school including GCBL and American Legion teams in Alma.  As a 1949 graduate of Alma High School, Carl was a four-year started on the baseball team and had no intentions of letting his baseball career stop there. 

In 1950, Carl was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and began a career with Appalachian League on a team from Pulaski, Virginia for $75 a month.  Carl’s first year went well as he chalked up a 15-5 record.  Although he was looking forward to another year with the Cardinals, Carl was drafted into the Army and served in Korea in the 35^th Infantry for two years.  While stationed in Korea, Carl was able to play on a team called Cacti for the 1953 season winning the championship in their league. After his service in Korea, Carl returned to the Cardinals and went to Hazelhurst, Georgia playing in the Georgia State League.  Following a year in the Georgia League, Carl returned to home and took a job with Alma Trailer Company for $500 a month.  In 1954, Carl returned to playing baseball in the GCBL and joined the Elwell ball club.  He continued his GCBL career by playing for a total of six teams until he finished his career with Tom Croton’s Alma ball team in 1966.  Along the way, he won two batting titles, four homerun titles, and played on three championship teams including Elwell, St. Louis, and Sumner.  Despite being a pitcher in professional league baseball, it was ironic that Carl only pitched relief on occasion in all his years with the GCBL. 

Following his ball playing career, Carl began officiating high school baseball in the early 1970’s and also umpired in the GCBL through 1991’s league championship game.  Officiating high school ball with his son, Scott, often resulted in more arguments with him than with the teams’ coaches. Carl’s greatest moments in baseball including playing for the Cardinals and pitching three no-hitters in his career.  His wife of 53 years, Gaila, said, “Baseball was just part of him” when she was asked about his career with baseball.  She enjoyed baseball because she knew how important it was to Carl.  In his later years, Carl loved to watch baseball on TV, either the Tigers or the Cardinals, and argue with the TV throughout the entire game.  His family found this more entertaining than watching the actual program.  Carl was elected into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2014.

Duane Maier

Born:                      December 15, 1947

Died:                         

Elected As:             Player

Team:                      Marion Springs

Duane’s first memory of playing baseball was breaking his arm in little league.  It didn’t keep him down, though, and playing ball was just something he always intended to do.  As a three year starter in high school baseball and football, his football coach told him that he could really excel at the sport to which he replied, “No, it’s baseball for me.” 

Duane graduated from Merrill High School in 1966 and began his long career with the Gratiot County Baseball League.  He had a knack for making baseball fun for his fellow players as well as himself.  Once while playing a game in Sumner, he hit a long foul ball that just happened to hit the school building and break a window.  His teammates laughed, knowing Duane was the only one who could accomplish such a feat.  In the last inning, Duane came up to bat and again proceeded to hit another long foul ball and break out a second window in the Sumner school building in the same day. 

            As a catcher for the Marion Springs baseball team for 20 years, Duane’s defensive moment came in 1974 when he faced the unbeatable Ashley squad with Bob Andrews on base.   Bob had already stolen four bases that day and Duane threw him out stealing in the last inning of a one-run ball game to finally defeat Ashley.  His offensive moment came in the 1979 playoff championship series against Riverdale. In the last inning, teammate Al Pumford was intentionally walked to load the bases in order to bring Duane up to bat.  Duane swung at the first pitch and hit the ball over the left field fence for a game winning grand slam.   Riverdale manager and Hall of Famer, Whitey Loomis, said that was the darkest moment he ever had as manager.  On the other hand, it was Duane’s wife of 48 years, Ruthann’s greatest moment of watching her husband play ball. 

Duane’s finished up his final years in the league playing first base off and on until the 1994 season while playing along side his son, Al.  Duane insisted that Al had more talent for baseball than he did.  Due to failing knees, Duane reluctantly gave up the game of baseball following the 1994 season, but stated that if he could still run, he’d still be playing the game today.  Baseball was truly a labor of love for Duane, when many of his weekends were filled with mowing the Marion Springs field and many Sunday mornings were spent bailing water from previous night’s rainfalls.  No one ever recalled hearing Duane complain about the work.

 He left a legacy of 30 years with the same Marion Springs baseball team and won tournament championships in 1979 and 1981.  When asked about those seasons, Duane replied, “I really didn’t care about being on a championship team as long as I could play baseball every Sunday.”  His love of the game, and fun-loving personality left a positive mark in Gratiot County Baseball League for the many people whose lives he touched.  Duane was elected into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2014.

Robert “Bobby” Andrews

Born:                      March 12, 1943

Died:                         

Elected As:             Player

Team:                      Ashley

Bobby was a four-year stand-out on his Fulton High School baseball team.  After graduating from Fulton in 1961, he received a call from Ashley coach, Louie Sipkovsky, asking if he would like to try out for the Ashley squad.  Back in 1961, tryouts were common in the GCBL.  Bobby was worried that he wouldn’t make the team, but he did and started on a 21 year journey with Ashley that included 24 championship teams, second only to teammate Chuck Welch.

From 1961-1965, Bobby’s Ashley team won nine championships and dominated the league.  In 1966, Bobby was drafted in the army and stationed in Vietnam joining the 1^st Cavalry Infantry as a crew chief on a helicopter gunner ship reconnaissance team.  While in Vietnam, Bobby served 300 combat hours, saving three men on one occasion and two men during a helicopter rescue on a second occasion.  His crew was shot down four different times and he was hit twice – once in the arm and once in the leg. The fourth time his helicopter was shot, it crashed resulting in over 20 broken bones in his body including his back.  Bobby spent a full year in the hospital recovering from this incident.  One day while in the hospital, he received a package in the mail which was full of homemade cookies sent to him from Louie Sipkovsky’s Ashley baseball team.  This certainly encouraged him to get better and return home to play ball.  After leaving the army, Bobby received the Vietnam Medal, 10 Air Medals, 2 Purple Hearts, and the Silver Star indicating his status as a war hero.

In 1968, Bobby returned to the Ashley baseball team believing, without a doubt, that the reason he survived the war was because of what he got from baseball and what he learned “could not be measured.”  During the same year, Bobby became Coach Sipkovsky’s son-in-law when he married Louie and June’s daughter, Paula, and began a marriage that continues to this day.  He continued to play ball until the late 1970’s and then moved to Colorado and then Texas from 1977-1984.  Upon his return to Michigan, Bobby continued to play baseball until 1990 totaling 25 years in the G.C.B.L.  Of Louie Sipkovsky’s 43 years of coaching baseball, he felt Bobby was the best pitcher he ever had.

            The best memories for Bobby included his final time as starting pitcher at age of 45 years old in 1988 and the complete game, no hitter that he threw that day.  He also recalled a softball game when he played for a team called the Wounded Warriors made up of servicemen who had been injured while in combat.  When asked why he played in the GCBL for so long Bobby answered, “I could not wait until Sunday.  It was life to me!” 

A war hero, a baseball hero, and a hero to those who knew him.  Robert was elected into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2012.

Dick Munderloh

Born:                             March 18, 1938

Died:                              October 22, 1993

Elected As:                   Player

Team:                            Sumner

  Dick Munderloh graduated from Alma High School in 1956.  He was widely considered a good all-around player in high school where he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball in which he was a  four-year starter and team captain his junior and senior years.  After high school, Dick went on to play college baseball for Alma College.   After one year of studies, college ended up being too expensive so Dick entered into the workforce at Total Petroleum in Alma.  Dick’s Gratiot County Baseball experience began while growing up in Elwell and going with his family every Sunday to watch the great Elwell teams of the early 1950’s.  His Gratiot County Baseball League playing career started in 1954 when Dick joined the Alma team.  The following season, he was recruited by Laney Barton’s Sumner ball club.  He played for Sumner through the 1961 season and then decided to travel to Detroit and tryout as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers.  Dick’s strong throwing arm impressed the Tigers and they asked him to return and tryout again as a pitcher.  However, a potential Major League career was interrupted when the military called him to action with the Army’s Special Forces.  Dick’s Army career lasted from 1961-1964 and during this time he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan and tried out for and made the Army Ranger’s Baseball Team.  He earned the starting catcher position on the All-Star Team as the Army Rangers played on the European Tour and competed against Major League Baseball Teams.  The highlight of Dick’s All-Star experience was facing off against the Detroit Tigers in 1961 and their starting pitcher, Jim Bunting, in Okinawa.  After completing his military service with the Army in 1964, Dick was reunited with Laney Barton’s Sumner ball team.  In 1966, Sumner ended a seven-year run by taking the GCBL Tournament Championship away from the reining Ashley club. Dick continued to play as a part of the Gratiot County Baseball League until after the 1977 season, when he had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.  Dick continued his love for ball by playing fast-pitch softball during the week with many of his Sumner teammates all the way until the 1980’s.  When he couldn’t continue to play fast-pitch softball any longer, Dick moved onto slow-pitch ball.  He continued to play softball until his multiple sclerosis made it too difficult in 1989.  In the 17 years that Dick played in the Gratiot County Baseball League he was widely considered to be the best catcher in the history of the Gratiot County Baseball League.  Stories have often been told that after the ball games, Dick would sit and talk to the kids, pick up a baseball, and throw it over the centerfield fence in the air, all while sitting right square on home plate.  His legendary throwing arm will be a stand-out for all time in the history of the Gratiot County Baseball League. 

Dick Munderloh was inducted to the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2013.

Larry Hamp

Born:                       February 14, 1939

Died:                          ---

Elected As:             Player

Team:                      Sumner

            Larry Hamp grew up living next door to the Alma College baseball coach, Charlie Skinner, and his love for baseball began at an early age.  He was a three-sport athlete at Alma High School and a member of the graduating class of 1957. While in high school, he played basketball, football, and was a four-year starter on the baseball team. Even though he was Alma’s number one hitter and starting catcher, he was known to pitch on occasion.  A highlight from his high school baseball days was striking out Jim Northrup to end the game and Northrup retreating to the dugout where he proceeded to sit and shed some tears.  Larry joined the GCBL in 1954 and played for Aunt Jane’s Pickles out of Breckenridge.  Upon graduation from high school, in 1957, Larry joined the Army and tried out for the Fort Bliss Post team called the 1^st Guided Missile Battalion and played baseball with them for three years.  This team advanced to the State Championship in Texas and faced the 6^th Artillery Team of which Norm Cash was a member.  Larry was the lead-off hitter for his Army team all three years that he played with them.  When he returned home from the Army in 1960 Larry joined Laney Barton’s Sumner Team.  He played for Sumner through the 1966 season.  While with Sumner, he was a premiere shortstop and continued to hold the number one batting line-up position every year.  In 1966, Larry played a big role in the Sumner championship season that ended a seven year dominance by the Ashley team.  In 1967, Larry won his second straight GCBL title playing for New Moon Homes in Alma.  Alma defeated Ashley to win the title.  In addition to baseball, Larry spent his weekdays and Saturdays playing fast pitch softball for many years.  When Larry’s playing career ended he had been runner up:  seven times to Ashley, four times for homerun title, three times for the batting title, and four times as a state-runner up in fast-pitch softball.  According to Larry, “it was like kissing your sister”.  For Larry’s wife of 50 years, Becky, it was a family affair from the start as she grew up watching her brother, Dick Munderloh, play ball for many years with Larry.

The highlights of Larry’s baseball career were:

            ~ Hitting a homerun at the age of 15 off the great GCBL Hall of Famer Harold Robinson, Sr.

            ~ Hitting a homerun off Bob Andrews at Ashley that went over the famous tree in centerfield.

            ~ Being the lead-off hitter on every team he ever played for.

When asked why he played ball for 18 years, Larry responded, “I just couldn’t understand why anyone would not want to continue to play.” 

Larry Hamp was inducted into the Gratiot County Baseball League Hall of Fame in 2013.

Bob “Punk” Mann

Born:                       June 6, 1941

Died:                          ---

Elected As:             Player

Team:                      Sumner

            Bob “Punk” Mann graduated from Alma High School in 1960 where he played football, basketball, and baseball.  He was a four year starter on the baseball team.  His first hit as a varsity ball player was a game-winning single his freshman year.  Bob was known as “Punk” from his early days after being given the nickname by his mother.  He played Little League Baseball under the coaching of Dick Munderloh for two years.  After that, he played American Legion baseball for two years under the coaching of GCBL Hall of Famer, Tom Croton.  Punk joined the Gratiot county Baseball league in 1959 playing for the Breckenridge squad.  He joined up with the Alma team from 1960-1961.  In 1960, Punk was runner-up for the GCBL batting title. In 1962, he joined with the Sumner ball club.  In 1966, Punk won the batting title and Sumner won its first and only Gratiot County Baseball tournament championship title after losing to Ashley five straight times in the finals.  Sumner also won the season championship that same year.  The 1966 championship for Sumner stopped a seven year championship run for Ashley.  Punk played for Sumner through the 1975 season.  In 1976, Punk went to North Star and played with them until 1978.  In addition to his 20 years in the GCBL, Punk played fast-pitch and slow-pitch softball, finally playing his final game at the age of 52.  His wife, Judy of 50 years this June, enjoyed attending the Sunday afternoon baseball games and loved the friendships they had with so many others.  However, after a long day the ball park, Judy looked forward to returning home instead of staying on for the extended post-game celebrations.

            Punk’s most memorable baseball moments included:

            ~ Being presented the 1966 batting title at the 1966 GCBL Banquet.

            ~Hitting a three-run homer in the 1966 championship game against Ashley to tie the score.  This homerun was hit off Bob Andrews, whom he considered the best pitcher he had ever faced in the GCBL.

            ~ Playing with Larry Hamp and Dick Munderloh, whom he felt were the best players he ever played with.

            When asked why he was part of baseball for so long, Punk answered, “It was the friends…just the friends you made.” 

Bob “Punk” Mann was inducted into the Gratiot County Baseball League Hall of Fame in 2013.

Larry Thurston

Born:                        May 2, 1938

Died:                         June 2, 2016

Elected As:              Player

Team:                        Marion Springs

Larry Thurston was a stand-out pitcher for St. Charles High School, which he graduated from in 1957.  His high school successes resulted in a scholarship offer to play baseball for Chicago Technological Institute, but the work force called him instead and he turned down the baseball offer. In 1957, shortly after graduating from high school, Larry joined the Marion Springs ball club.  Then in 1958, he was encouraged to try out for the Detroit Tigers.  The Tiger coaches noticed his strong throwing arm and asked him to return for a second try-out, but Larry decided to focus on more stable employment and his career endeavors lead him to work for Pabst Blue Ribbon where he drove beer truck for 36 years.  In 1960, Larry married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn, who enjoyed watching the Sunday afternoon baseball games and spending time with other ball families from Marion Springs.  While playing in the Gratiot County Baseball League for the Marion Springs club, Larry’s most memorable moments included:

~ Playing against the former Detroit Tiger, Jim Northrup, from the St. Louis ball club

~ Having a perfect game going against Breckenridge in the last inning with two outs and dropping a pop-up hit back to him

~ Beating Ashley 2-1, striking out Don Bohil three times out of a total 20 strike-outs for the day and taking the batting title away from Don and giving it to his own team mate.

In his 20 years in the Gratiot County Baseball League, Larry’s accomplishments included winning four pitching titles, winning three team championships, and winning over 125 games as a pitcher without having any arm troubles at all.  His pitching feats defied how good he really was with records that may never be matched again such as a staggering seven no-hitters – two which were on opening days against Bannister in 1959 and against Riverdale in 1962 and striking out 20 or more opponents per game six different times. Larry’s talents were especially noted in 1960 when he beat Ashley 2-1 and struck out 20 batters resulting in Ashley’s only loss of the season.  Also in 1961, when he threw a two-hit shutout with one walk beating Marion Springs Conservation Club 6-0 and striking out an  unbelievable 27 batters in nine innings.  It is with almost absolute certainty that Larry Thurston’s 27 strikeouts in one nine inning game is a league record that will stand for all time.  GCBL Hall of Famers Louie Spikovsky, Archie Wenzel, and Vern Carman said Larry was one of the hardest throwers they had even seen in their time in the League.  They all said he threw as close to 100 miles per hour as anyone they had ever seen.  When asked why he played so long in the league until he was 37 years old, Larry answered, “It was just what I wanted to do.” Larry Thurston was inducted to the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2012.

Chuck Welch

Born:                        August 23, 1946

Died:                          ---

Elected As:              Player

Team:                       Ashley

            Chuck Welch began his baseball career at Elsie High School and was a member of the graduating class of 1964.  While in school, he earned eight varsity letters – two in football, two in track, and four in baseball – and proved himself as a two-time All-State performer in baseball.  Following graduation, Chuck began playing ball in the Gratiot County Baseball League and joined the Bannister club in 1964 and then Marion Springs in 1965.  Chuck was drafted into the military in 1966 and continued his baseball career by playing with the Army’s baseball team through 1967 showcasing his talents in Germany and twice in Vietnam.  After his service with the Army, Chuck re- joined the G.C.B.L. and began a successful stint with Ashley playing from 1968-1990 and was a member of 22 of Ashley’s championship teams.  Along the way, he won 11 homerun titles, reaching a career high in 1981 with 16 homeruns in the season.  To this day, Chuck is the only G.C.B.L. player to have over 100 documented career homeruns with a total of 111.   He also recorded six seasons with 10 or more homeruns.   In 1983, he received the league batting title by belting out a .484 average.  Things changed for Chuck in 1991, when he decided to take over as a player-coach for the Ashley ball team and led the team to win its final tournament championship.  Chuck continued coaching for Ashley through the 1996 season taking the Ashley team to tournament finals two more times.  All good things must come to an end, and Chuck finished his playing career in 1999 with the Riverdale Lumberjacks winning two more championships with that team.  His total of 25 championships is the most of any single player in G.C.B.L. history.  In all, Chuck played for a total of 33 years and coached for seven in the Gratiot County Baseball League.

            Some of Chuck’s most memorable moments in the Gratiot County Baseball League included:

            ~ A 12^th inning walk-off homerun to defeat Alma’s Larry Hooper in the 1971 tournament championship game

            ~ “The Bat” which was the same 35 inch, 35 ounce bat he faithfully used without fail  from 1978-1999

            ~ How teams would bond together throughout a season for positive results on the field.

            When asked why he played in the league until he was 53 years old, Chuck answered, “There was nothing else that I would rather do.”  Chuck Welch was inducted into the Gratiot County Baseball League Hall of Fame in 2012.

Pete Ludwick

Born:                       October 1, 1933

Died:                        June 28, 2022

Elected As:             Manager

Team:                      Ionia

            Pete Ludwick began his baseball career at Pewamo High School.  Following graduation in 1951, Pete joined the Pewamo Men’s League Team playing in the Southern Division of the Gratiot County League through the 1957 season.  In 1958, Pewamo joined the Tri-County League until 1989.  Pete joined the Ionia ball club in 1977 and continued to coach it through 2003.  In 1989, the Ionia team joined up with the Gratiot County Baseball League, and showed strong domination of the league for the next 14 years winning 19 championships, nine season titles, and 10 tournament titles – six of which were consecutive from 1992-1997.   Pete’s string of six tournament championships is topped only by Ashley’s seven in a row from 1959-1965.  Ionia only missed the finals twice in Pete’s 14 years.  In addition to local baseball, Pete took teams to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to compete in the Felch Hardball Tournament from 1983-2003 winning that Labor Day Tournament six different times.  In all, Pete was involved with men’s baseball for 52 years from 1951-2003.  Twenty-one of those years were devoted to the G.C.B.L. Along the way, Pete had the opportunity to coach two major leaguers in his career highlighting Mark Dewey, who went on to play professional baseball for the San Francisco Giants for two years; and Greg Cadaret, who made a World Series appearance with the Oakland A’s and also played for the Detroit Tigers.  Pete also coached Dave Joppie, who is currently coaching AA ball for the Boston Red Socks and has coached for 17 years in the minor leagues.  In 2001, the Ionia ball team remained undefeated for the season, an accomplishment previously held only by Ashley, and continues on in G.C.B.L history today.  Aside from men’s league, Pete also took his love for baseball to the high school level and has been a high school official for an amazing 60 years, officiating four baseball state finals along the way.  His talents for understanding sports didn’t stop with just baseball as he also officiated high school football and basketball throughout those years.

            Pete’s most memorable baseball moments included:

            ~ Yearly rivalries with Lowell in the early years and Riverdale in the later years as they were always an event

            ~ Wonderful highlights of having his son, Kurt, and two grandsons on teams he coached

            ~ Being very proud of his many years of affiliation with men’s league baseball.

            When asked why he was part of baseball for more than half a century, Pete answered, “I loved the togetherness of the team and seeing the guys and their families every summer.”  Pete Ludwick was inducted into the Gratiot County Baseball League Hall of Fame in 2012

Walter “Smokey” Stover

Born: November 5, 1923

Died: March 11, 1998

Elected As: Player

As a high school pitcher at Breckenridge in 1941, Smokey Stover struck out 20 batters in a 7-inning game and was immediately picked up by the local amateur club as a pitcher in the Gratiot County Baseball League. Joining the Army in 1942, he served in four major war campaigns and was awarded the Bronze Star for saving multiple soldiers after they had been wounded in action – all under deadly and heavy gunfire – and all saved by him alone.  After he was discharged in 1945, he immediately began playing again in the GCBL with Breckenridge where his commanding pitching exploits caught the attention of a Major League Baseball scout from the Cardinal affiliation.  In 1947, Walt signed a contract to pitch for their Class B Decatur, Illinois club in the Three Eye Loop.  After spending a year in Hamilton, Ontario in 1948, he returned to Decatur before opting out of his contract to “start making ends meet” as a chemical operator in Midland, Michigan.   Returning to the GCBL, Smokey single handedly kept the Breckenridge team afloat for the next four seasons before they ultimately folded; which in turn forced him to join the St. Louis club once again: this time of the GCBL. With Hall-Of-Fame players Earl and Jack Derry already leading a dominating St. Louis team, Smokey focused his attention to hitting. In 1952, he accumulated 11 RBIs in a single game – a feat that has only been matched once since.  St. Louis would go on to win the GCBL in two of the three years Smokey was there (1953 and 1954) and finished as runner-up in 1952 to Hall-Of-Famer Harold Roberson’s Elwell team.  Smokey returned to Breckenridge and starred with that team before retiring from the GCBL after 25 seasons. One lasting impression for many was when he was thrown out at second base after hitting what appeared to be an easy homerun – an act that forced him to immediately throw his shoes away as clearly “they were at fault”.  He continued to coach both softball and baseball near his home in Midland County for many years after leaving the GCBL and could often be found umpiring games throughout the 70’s and 80’s at celebrated Porter Little League.  That is, when he wasn’t working the two-hundred acres of farm land he owned or performing shift work at Dow Chemical. Walt “Smokey” Stover was inducted to the GCBL Hall-Of-Fame in 2011. 

Earl Derry

Born: October of 1924

Died: November 2008

Elected As: Player

The first dynasty in the Gratiot County Baseball League occurred from 1948 through 1957 when St. Louis played in every championship for ten seasons – winning three.  One player that stood at the foremost of those teams was Earl Derry, left-handed pitcher, first baseman and World War II veteran.  After playing for Shepherd of the Northern League from 1940-1941, Earl was offered an opportunity to play collegiately at Western Michigan University but opted to serve his country in World War II instead.  Returning from his tour in 1947, Earl joined brother and fellow GCBL Hall-Of-Famer Jack in St. Louis and became a key cog in what remains one of the most storied organizations in amateur baseball as four players from these teams played roles on Major League clubs.  Pitching against the Bannister nine during this dynasty, Earl struck out 23 batters in a nine-inning game.  This feat is second only all-time for strikeouts in a GCBL game behind Larry Thurston’s 27 strikeout performance versus Marion Springs Conservation Club– of which occurred in a ten-inning game.  While his brother Jack gained notice by the professional scouts for his pitching prowess, Earl didn’t disappoint with the bat either.  In 1954, a year in which St. Louis would claim their third GCBL championship, he won the batting title with a .511 average.  In 1961, Earl retired from the league after fifteen seasons of contribution – a relatively short tenure for players of the time.  However, seldom have any players from the GCBL participated in so many championships.  Dynasties since Earl Derry’s time have come and gone, but his efforts will now remain timeless on the St. Louis squads that will forever be known as the GCBL’s first dynasty.  Earl Derry was inducted to the GCBL Hall-Of-Fame in 2011.

Jack Derry

Born: May 14, 1926

Died:  June 20, 2011

Elected As: Player

Jack Derry graduated from St. Louis high school and instantly made an impact on the local Gratiot County Baseball League team as a hard throwing pitcher. Playing from 1948 through 1961 with St. Louis, Jack was the leader of the GCBL’s first dynasty as his clubs played in ten straight championships.  At a time when fellow GCBL Hall-Of-Famer Harold Roberson was regularly winning pitching titles, Derry intervened and won three of his own. After attending Central Michigan University on a full-scholarship for one year, Jack joined the military and served three and a half years during and after World War II.  Prior to joining the GCBL after the war, he played baseball in the Philadelphia A’s organization and earned a one year salary of $468.00, equivalent to $4600.00 in 2011. Deciding he couldn’t make a living at that wage, he returned to the Gratiot County Baseball League and began his Hall-Of-Fame career while living and working in the Shepherd area. During his tenure with St. Louis, he was part of a team that won four regular season titles and three GCBL championships under Head Coach Werl Derry.  His most telling legacy was left during the 1949 season when he pitched and won four straight complete game shutouts.  One of those gems culminated in a no-hit, 1-0 win against – whom else – Harold Roberson and his Elwell team.  The 1949 season ended with St. Louis winning their first of currently six championships.  Joining forces first with his brother Earl and later with Walt “Smokey” Stover, both GCBL Hall-Of-Famers, Jack continued to shine both as a pitcher and a hitter until his retirement from baseball in 1961. Jack Derry was elected to the GCBL Hall-Of-Fame in 2011.

Howard Gager

Born:  April 4, 1942

Died:   September 9, 2016

Elected As: Executive

Howard Gager began his playing career in the Gratiot County Baseball League with the Riverdale Lumberjacks in 1961.  It wasn’t his playing prowess he was known for however, joining the Ithaca club in 1962 where he continued to play through 1970.  Rather, it was his role as organizer and promoter of the GCBL that most knew him by.  In 1971 he oversaw the construction of a baseball field behind Fowlers Farm Market outside of Ithaca that went on to simultaneously host two teams a season through 1972.  He then played for St. Louis in 1973 and 1974 before being hand-picked by GCBL Hall-Of-Fame Executive Tom Croton to take over as the League President.  As only the second President the league had seen since its inception, Gager continued to grow the league by adding additional teams throughout his time as the head executive which ended in 1983.  Never housing less than eight teams, the GCBL grew to as many as 16 teams under Gager and was forced to turn teams away every season through 1977 due to sheer numbers. Not exempt from this denial was long time and current GCBL member Fulton as even they were denied entry at one point due to the popularity of the league that Gager oversaw.  Two of his lasting legacies exist to this day.  With the advent of aluminum bats, Gager allowed league play to consist of both wood and non-wood bats.  He also insisted that GCBL participants enforce the adoption of a rule that required batters to wear helmets while batting.  Prior to the 1983 season, this was optional. He was also a high school official for both baseball and softball for over 20 years and served as an umpire in the GCBL for 15 seasons.  In all, his service to the GCBL spanned 23 years and always included the same approach – gentleness, kindness and understanding.  Howard Gager was elected to the GCBL Hall-Of-Fame in 2011.

Ron “Whitey” Loomis

Born: April 12, 1944

Died:  ---

Elected As: Coach

It’s been said, “Friendships are forgotten when the game begins,” and Ron “Whitey” Loomis echoes that sentiment.  A fierce competitor as a player and coach during the game always yielded to a true ambassador of the GCBL afterward. Loomis started his baseball odyssey as a player for his father’s Crawford team out of the North League at the early age of twelve. He would go on to put another 49 years into baseball as a coach, general manager, league president and GCBL board member.  From 1956-1976, Loomis played on various teams such as North Star, Tony’s Bar and the By Way Inn before taking over and managing the Riverdale Lumberjacks.  For 18 of the next 21 years, he skippered the Lumberjacks to a 287-149 record and three league titles (1977, 1978 and 1989).  His clubs played in a staggering eleven championship games, qualified for the playoffs fifteen times and led the league in wins during the regular season six times.  Beginning in 1991, Whitey wore ‘two hats’ as he took on the responsibility of becoming the GCBL President, a post he resided over for fourteen seasons.  Those years saw the league greatly enhanced as it found inclusion into the Felch U.P. Hardball Tournament (1990) as well as starting the GCBL Labor Day classic (2004). He also standardized a set of rules and bi-laws for the league and launched the startup of the leagues own website.  Loomis remained close to the Riverdale squad as the General Manager of the club from 1997-2005; a role that saw the Lumberjacks capture three more regular season titles as well as two GCBL championships (1998, 2002).  Through his efforts with historic Lumberjack Park, the playing field and surrounding amenities were greatly enhanced and from 1969-2005 you could guarantee that Whitey would be hosting his county-wide famous hog roast at the park. Though he remains a board member as of the 2010 season, Loomis returned to his field general role with a Mt. Pleasant squad in 2009 and captured the GCBL Labor Day Classic title with many of his former players on the roster. Friendships may be forgotten when the game begins, but the impact Ron “Whitey” Loomis had on the Gratiot County Baseball League will not be.  Ron "Whitey" Loomis was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2010.

Harold Roberson

Born: September 24, 1918

Died: May 7, 1999

Elected As: Player

There are unforgettable memories, glimpses, and moments that stand out in the baseball mind. Over time, the games and seasons slowly combine into one.  But there are certain images and moments – split second, breathtaking moments – that find their way into our everlasting mindfulness.  The echo of a fastball exploding into a catcher's mitt is one of those moments that live on to this day.  And not just any fastball but one thrown by Harold Roberson.  Harold Roberson played baseball through the 1958 season and is often considered the most talented player in the history of the Gratiot County Baseball League.  Playing out of Elwell, Roberson collected seven pitching titles, the most of any other pitcher in league history.  His fastball alone was estimated to reach speeds of 94 MPH and his overall presence on the field more intimidating still.  During his 17 seasons in the GCBL, his teams collected seven regular season titles and four championships. Teaming up with fellow Hall of Famer Gordon Grant, Elwell won the GCBL in 1948, 1950, 1951 and 1952 – all with Roberson on the hill.  He was selected as a member of the very first GCBL All-Star team in 1949 as a pitcher and also served in the United States Navy for three years during World War II. His tour of duty aside, it’s hard to imagine how many more pitching titles Roberson may have collected. One of Harold’s proudest moments in baseball came in 1965 as his son Harold Jr. was drafted in the sixth round by the New York Mets – four rounds ahead of future MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.  Yes, baseball is a conglomerate of memories, three of which that will now belong to the ages:  A small-town ball field. A sunny Sunday afternoon. And the unmistakable echo of a Harold Roberson fastball.  Harold Roberson was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2010.

Gordon Grant

Born: December 27, 1918

Died: December 24, 2008

Elected As: Player

Gordon Grant is one of the most recognizable names in the history of the Gratiot County Baseball League, first making his mark as a player, then leading his team as a coach, and finally promoting the league amongst his community.  Hailing from Elwell, Grant first made his mark on the GCBL after having tried out with the St. Louis Cardinals of the Major Leagues.  A prolific outfielder, he carried his Elwell club to regular season titles seven times including GCBL championships in 1948, ’50, ’51 and ’52.  Having served in the South Pacific for three years during World War II, he returned home and was selected to the first ever league All-Star team in 1949.  As his playing days began to dwindle, Gordon began coaching his hometown club and had as a member of his team fellow Hall of Famer Laney Barton.  As if his playing and coaching days weren’t enough, he began umpiring in the league after retiring as a player and coach in 1958.  But perhaps his greatest impact on the league was his outreach to his community.  Gordon was known to treat the town to a picnic after home games in which all would be invited.  He organized and hosted team reunions throughout the seventies and eighties in which numerous former players would attend. Over the course of his thirty years of involvement in the league, he was a Hall of Fame player, a champion coach, and an overall shining ambassador for the town of Elwell, its citizens and those amongst the participants of the Gratiot County Baseball League that had the honor of coming into contact with him.  Gordon Grant was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2010.

Bill LaPaugh

Born: December 26, 1915

Died: December 16, 1949

Elected As: Executive

Bill LaPaugh will always be thought of as an educator of men, an innovator throughout Gratiot County and an everlasting founder of the Gratiot County Baseball League as we know it today.  Having served three years in World War II, LaPaugh returned to the area and began a teaching career at Alma College.  As a member of both the Alma and Riverdale squads throughout his playing days, LaPaugh began organizing the GCBL and in 1946 founded the league and its eight members.  By the following year, the league had grown to 16 teams and two divisions.  Showing off his hitting prowess that he honed while playing collegiately at Alma College, LaPaugh won both the 1946 and 1947 batting titles. As if running the GCBL and playing simultaneously wasn’t enough, he also ran a fast pitch softball league and commissioned a men’s basketball league in Gratiot County – all at the same time. As a prep athlete, Bill participated in track, wrestling, baseball, football and basketball as well as fast and slow pitch softball.  After his high school career ended, he stayed close to the Gratiot County athletic scene by officiating baseball, football and basketball at local schools. After his untimely death, the annual Bill LaPaugh Memorial Award was given in his memory, starting in 1950, to the championship team each year in the GCBL.  At a time when small town Americana ruled, Bill LaPaugh brought something new and exciting to the Gratiot community. Each and every year, his influence and ingenuity is felt as the GCBL continues to flourish.    Bill LaPaugh was inducted in the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2010.

Laney Barton

Born: July 22, 1926

Died: June 21, 2007

Elected As: Player

Laney Barton's legacy will always be that of a true gamesman.  He began his GCBL career with the Sumner squad in 1946 until 1950 for coach Forest Davis.  In 1951 he played for Elwell under Coach Gordon Grant where he played in three GCBL championships before returning to Sumner and starting his own squad in 1955.  Primarily used as a pitcher, Barton had his final start on the mound in 1973 - at age 47.  Not content with the playing conditions afforded the club in Sumner, he built his own field and ultimately played in two championships, winning one in 1966.  Remnants of the Sumner field still remain, though it has seen its better days.  Some of the materials used in its construction were later relocated to Lumberjack Park in Riverdale and to some extent, can still be found there to this day.  Laney continued to maintain a presence in the GCBL after his playing days with Sumner by managing the North Star club through the 1977 campaign.  All in all, he spent a total of 32 years in the league and was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2009.

Vern Carman

Born: August 16, 1928

Died: December 31, 1986

Elected As: Player

Vern Carman was known as a feisty competitor. So much so he was attributed as once saying, "I'd throw at my own mom but I wouldn't hit her and I'd help her get up.  But I'm here to win."  And win he did.  Carman started in the league in 1943 and played alongside his father before going on  to play with teams out of Marion Springs, St. Charles and Sumner.  It was as a player with Manager Louie Sipkovsky's Ashley teams, however, that he made his mark.  He won 11 championships with Ashley including a string of seven in a row.  That streak was only broken up by Laney Barton's Sumner squad in 1966.  In 1972, he began managing a team out of North Star and continued to do so until 1977.  During that time, he won his last championship winning the regular season title in 1977.  Overall, he had eight sons play in the GCBL and was involved with the league for 38 years.  As a player, he won two batting titles.  Vern Carman was inducted into the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2009.

Tom Croton

Born: January 19, 1914

Died: September 16, 1997

Elected As: Executive

The wise king doesn't flatter; rather, he says what he thinks.  Tom Croton did exactly that in leading the GCBL as president of the league from 1949-1974.  He began his involvement with 1934 as a player with Elm Hall before playing for St. Louis two years later.  He began coaching the Elwell squad and won four league titles with them.  After GCBL founder Bill LaPaugh passed away in 1949, Croton stepped in and became the league president - a post he held until 1974.  During his tenure the GCBL experienced tremendous growth with as many as 16 teams during certain seasons and never less than 12 in any year of his leadership.  On top of this feat, many times all teams were located geographically within Gratiot County.  Croton is credited with overseeing the GCBL split in 1948 to form what is currently known as the existing league as well as setting the framework for the organization as we know it today.  He continued to coach the Alma Merchants through 1975, a team made up of 18 and 19 year olds, never concerning himself with his teams success as much as with the league's success.  His 41 years of service proves his commitment to the league and the surrounding communities despite personal gain.  He was elected to the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2009.

Louie Sipkovsky

Born: June 1, 1922

Died: September 23, 1999

Elected As: Manager

Widely considered the 'Father of the League' Louie Sipkovsky will always be known for winning championships - 41 overall.  Starting in 1937 as a player with Ashley, he would go on to build the most dominating teams in the history of the league.  In 1948, Sipkovsky became coach of the Ashley squad but didn't win his first GCBL title until 1959 -- and then won 17 more before retiring in 1990.  His teams qualified for the post-season 42 times and won 23 regular season titles.  His 18 GCBL championships are twice as many as any other team in the league.  As a second baseman and two-hole hitter, he won a batting title in 1952 before retiring as a player in 1965.  From 1959-1975, seventeen seasons, Ashley won 13 titles including strings of seven in a row and four in a row.  In 1981, he succeeded to the league president role which he held for 10 seasons before leaving the league altogether in 1990, one year before Ashley won it's 19th and last, GCBL title.  The Louie Sipkovsky Award is given annually to the top coach in the GCBL as voted on by the executive board.  He was elected to the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2009.

Archie Wenzel

Born: September 14, 1934

Died: April 18, 2018

Elected As: Manager

Beginning in the GCBL in 1949, Archie Wenzel blazed a trail for current league members to follow.  Using his analytical baseball skills, creativity and personality, Archie remained in the league for 38 seasons with two teams.  His philosophy included, "... players playing at a superior level when coaches coach at a superior level."  In 1951 he left for military duty returning for the 1955 season.  In an effort to expand the league, he built a field in Saginaw County and termed it, 'Wenzel Park'.  When not playing or managing the team at Wenzel Park, he made his home in Marion Springs where he won a GCBL title in 1981.  In true appreciation for what the GCBL had to offer, his involvement became a family affair that spread to his brothers as well as his sons.  At one time, he played in the league with 8 other brothers and had one son (Brian) win a batting title and one (Vic) manage the St. Louis squad. He remained steeped in the GCBL long after his playing and managing days were over by becoming a widely known and often used umpire. Archie was elected to the GCBL Hall of Fame in 2009.