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The Fastpitch Bulletin, Volume 21, Number 3 April 21, 2021 --Doug Schmitz and Gale Grahn Varsity Victory Totals have been added to the Fastpitch Chronicle Coaches Honor Roll

04/21/2021, 7:45pm CDT
By Bob Tomlinson

There are 645 wins between them and 58 years of Leading young women to success-- Hall of Fame Numbers

Doug Schmitz coached for 30 Years and Gale Grahn starts year 28

Hello Fastpitch Enthusiasts,

There is a season that is half spring, yet half winter" is a quote I gleaned a few years ago from a trout fishing book of stories. Today that author's description fit perfectly. Here in my part of the state the weather alternated quickly from cold in the low 40s but sunny to -- suddenly it snowed. Then just as suddenly the snow dissipated and the sun shone brightly. That happended repeatedly all day. Half spring and half winter explained all 42 of the softball seasons I spent coaching here in Poynette. I remember a game back in the early 80s in Pardeeville. The softballs in those days were white with white seams (the way I believe they should still look like -  being the dinosaur that I am). In about the fourth inning it was snowing so hard it was tough to see our rightfielder through the squall. When a ball was hit to rightcenter it picked up snow as if to start a snowman. We kept playing right through it. Afterall this is Wisconsin and we Wisconsinites enjoy fastpitch so much that we can persevere through a sudden snow squall. As a matter-of-fact, we enjoy playing so much that our fans across the state have been known to bring their skidsteer machines to the field and clear off the playing surfaces to get games in. Why, on a day two years ago our third sackers' father was the snow removal God and did it two days in a row but we didn't miss a beat. 

Over the past 10-12 years we hosted a Northwoods Jamboree here in Poynette where teams from northcentral Wisconsin traveled here just to get on some dirt and grass and played games on their first day out of the gymnasiums of the northland. Places like Spencer, Gilman, Stratford, Stanley-Boyd, Marathon, Stevens Point, Shawano, SPASH, Merrill Marshfield and more came to central Columbia County to play ball. One "half spring, half winter day we had games going on at three fields at the high school, one of two fields at the park in Poynette and a game on the main field four miles south in Arlington. None of those games featured Poynette. We simply offered our fields up to them and get this -- nobody paid a penny to use any of those fields. I prepped them all adn applied the chalk lines. That is what fastptich lover does. They promote, they publicize, they just give back and back and back and the real fastpitch folks never lose their interest in the game. 

Here is hoping soon, any day now, that the days will be all spring and no winter for all of you.

On to more current news and views.

There is a new head softball coach in Bruce, Wisconsin. Doug Schmitz who coached softball there for 30 years has given up that part of his job at the high school. He amassed an overall record of 324-157 for a winning percentage of 67%. That 's at least 481 total times that Doug filled out a lineup card. At least because he probably filled out a few for games that got rained out before they started or after they started prior to the suspended game rule went into effect. Through at least the 90s a game halted by weather or darkness before 4 and half or 5 innings was played meant starting all over. 

Doug has replaced himself (he is the Bruce AD) with Chassity Johnson who is a former assistant coach at Northland College and former head coach at Ashland High School. She will be assisted by Joelyn Frisch who played at Wisconsin Rapids Assumption where she was the catcher during a couple state championships. 

On an interesting side note Doug told me that a former Bruce softball standout has two daughters playing at Verona one of whom is a pitcher, the other a catcher.  The pitcher is Hiliary Blomberg. " I guess being recruited by Mississippi State. Might be a name to watch for over the next few years," Doug added. 

I have also added Coach Gale Grahn of Plymouth to the 300 wins list. He has accumulated a 28-season record of 351-186, with 7 Regional titles, 2 Sectional titles/State Final Four appearances, and a DII State Runner-up finish in 2006.

Gale has done a great job of promoting the Plymouth program througout the years. He continually contributes news and information to me. 

Congratulations to both of these amazing leaders of young women. Their proof is in their game results and the successes of their players after graduation takes them elsewhere.

My daughter, Kari and I are teamming up to take the Fastpitch Chronicle to some places it has never been before. We are planning on some advancements in offerings for all fastpitch softball enthusiasts. Before the week is over we will have produced our first podcast on Anchor. The title of the podcasts is apt to be something like: The Fastpitch Chronice Presents The Coaches Coach where I answer questions, talk about techniques we taught that others may not, talk about great fastpitch stories of games won and games lost, mention teams and players in the state to be aware of and do interviews with other coaches, players and fans. There will also be topics centered around mens' fastpitch. 

Beyond that you can expect to see a Fastpitch Chronicle YouTube channel. some virtual coaching sessions, virtual chat sessions, perhaps some Facebook live chats on our Fastpitch Chronicle Facebook page.

If you have not checked out the new Facebook page take a quick look. It will be mostly for calling attention to other parts of the new focus for The Fastpitch Chronicle. Check the Fastpitch Chronicle Facebook page or follow me on twitter at @bobfaspich1 or on instagram for announcements. 

Here is a huge thank to all the people who have sent messages of many kinds, called me and even sent cards after learning that I no longer am the head coach at Poynette after 41 consecutive years. Those messages and more mean a great deal coming from so many people from high school softball fans to the men and women who play the game at the world class level. The game of fastpitch took me to a lot of places as a player and the Fastpitch Chronicle newspaper took me to many more where I met thousands of great fastpitch enthusiasts.  I traveled from coast to coast and into Canada covering the greatest players in the game at the time (1988-2004).I was there in both mens' and women's divisions. The newspaper at its peak contained either 32 or 36 Braodsheet pages with 126 coiumn inches per page and no paid advertising. It was kept alive by subscriptions. Thousands of people world-wide wouild read the monthly issues. In 2019 I covered the ISC World Tournament at Circle Tap and in Denmark, WI with a "rag" entitled "Around the Circle" which had dual meaning of course 1) the pitcher's circle and 2) The Circle Tap bar which is right on the first base sideline fence. That was a huge undertaking but a blast getting to see longtime fastpitch fans and former players and meet the latest and greatest fastpitch players in the world.

It's the bottom of the seventh and the game for the night just ended!

Check the Coaches Honor Roll to see if you or your highly successful coach at your school is listed where he/she oughta be. The way to get on the list is simply contact me with the pertinent information (faspich1@gmail.com). I will update the lists immediately. The lists on the wissports.net site are the Fastpitch Chronicle lists -- they are one-in-the-same.

Have a great tomorrow and an even greater Friday. And

Until tomorrow -- 
Keep it Rising!
Bob

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