During the summer of 1980 I was starting to really hit the ball farther and farther than I had before. I was really taking a lot of batting practice. Just concentrating on turning on the ball. Coach Neale was developing my swing into a pull hitter. I got to the point where the defensive team would shift me but I was still determined to get the hit or home run. The NSPC was in full go and it seemed like softball was at it's finest hour. Jerome Ernest had put together the NSPC (National Slo-Pitch Conference) with the backing of people like Richard Howard, R.T. Nelson and other known softball backers across the country. There was something like 16 or 18 teams in the league that year.

I was lucky enough to get to play in the ASA that was held in Montgomery, Alabama that year. I played in the NSPC Championship that was held in Birmingham's Rickwood Stadium. When I returned home from those two tourneys I got a phone call from the manager of the Detroit team called Softball City. You were allowed to pick up 3 players to play in the USSSa World Series that year, so I said yes I would love to play with that team. They had Herman Rathman and Chic Downing both playing for them. So they picked up Mighty Joe Young, Al White and myself for the USSSA

.

It was quite an honor to play with that team. There was a number of great players on their team already from the Detroit area. Braxton Speller (Hall Of Fame member) Craig Seaman, Rick Pinto, Tony Oddo.

Here I am getting congratulations from my team mates Herman Rathman and Chick Downing. This was after I had hit one of two home runs that were hit that weekend to right field. There were 2 home runs hit to right field in this USSSA Men's Major World Series event. One by Chick Downing and the other by myself. The field was Willow Pass Park. What is so ironic about the whole situation is that this was the last time the USSSA World Series was held one regular softball complex. Willow Pass Park's fences were at 300 feet. Most of the Men's Major World Series are held in baseball stadiums in different cites across the country.

Here is the scoreboard from that tourney along with the All American team.

The Players

Braxton Speller taking a swing