The Milwaukee Schlitz were a professional softball team that played in three
men's professional softball leagues
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, several men's professional slow-pitch softball leagues were formed in the United States to build on the growth and talent in the booming men's amateur game during this period. The American Professional Slo-Pi ...
from 1977 through 1982 at Wilson Stadium in
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, Wisconsin.
History
Milwaukee began play in the inaugural 1977
American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) season as the Milwaukee Copper Hearth.
The Copper Hearth was initially an amateur softball club that, in 1969, had won the
Amateur Softball Association
An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, self-taught, user-generated, DIY, and hobbyist.
History
His ...
national championship. Milwaukee joined the fledgling APSPL, formed by former
World Football League
The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 and most of its second in 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest t ...
executive
Bill Byrne, who would go on to launch the
Women's Professional Basketball League
The Women's Professional Basketball League (abbreviated WBL) was a professional women's basketball league in the United States. The league played three seasons from the fall of 1978 to the spring of 1981. The league was the first professional w ...
.
Former
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
player
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (October 21, 1928 – October 8, 2020), nicknamed "the Chairman of the Board", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played his entire 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...
was brought on to serve as league commissioner. The club took its name from its first sponsor, a blue-collar tavern in Milwaukee, the Copper Hearth, owned by John Korinek Sr.
Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company
The Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company was an American brewery based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and once the largest producer of beer in the United States. Its namesake beer, Schlitz (), was known as "The beer that made Milwaukee famous" and was adve ...
took over sponsorship in 1978 and the team would play through their final professional season as the Milwaukee Schlitz.
The APSPL era
Milwaukee was led by local softball standout Phil Higgins, along with Doug Czaplewski, Jim Dillard and Ken Parker in 1977. The Copper Hearth finished with the third-best record in the league at 38-17 (.696), three games behind league-leading
Detroit Caesars
The Detroit Caesars were a professional softball team played in the American Professional Slo-Pitch Softball League (APSPL) from 1977 to 1979.
History
Prior to formalized professional play, Detroit was a hotbed for softball, with some of the top ...
, but were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the
Cleveland Jaybirds
The Cleveland Jaybirds (1977–78), later named the Cleveland Stepien's Competitors (1979–80) and finally the Cleveland Competitors (1982), were a professional softball team that played in three professional softball leagues between 1978 and 198 ...
2-1. Benny Holt of the
Chicago Storm was the league MVP with Detroit winning the 1977 APSPL World Series. Making the All-APSPL team from Milwaukee were Tom Gorski (.500 BA, 22 HRs, 75 RBIs, 17-8 Pitching), Doug Czaplewski (.603 BA, 92 runs scored), Jim Dillard (.544, 34 HRs, 117 RBIs), Phil Higgins (.611, 41 HRs, 131 RBIs) and Ken Parker (.545, 37 HRs, 109 RBIs).
![Copper Hearth 1977](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Copper_Hearth_1977.jpg)
In 1978, Parker and Higgins once again led the team, now the Milwaukee Schlitz, and the team produced a 38-28 (.583) record, finishing in third place in the highly competitive Midwestern Division, but missing the APSPL playoffs with their division finish, and despite having a better record than 3 playoff teams, including the two teams from the Eastern Division (
New England Pilgrims and
Philadelphia A's
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oakl ...
). The Detroit Caesars repeated as APSPL champions in 1978 with Ron Ford of Detroit winning the league MVP award. Phil Higgins (.569, 49 HRs, 137 RBIs) and Ken Parker (.634, 37 HRs, 121 RBIs) made the all -star team with Dave Holtz (.528, 16 HRs) and Paul Wenzel (.521, 12 HRs, 73 RBIs) contributing well.
Focused on taking the next step, the Schlitz were led in 1979 by APSPL all-stars Phil Higgins (.531, 18 HRs, 89 RBIs) and Dennis Graser (.486, 22 HRs, 87 RBIs), as well as league and eventual APSPL World Series MVP Rick Weiterman (.557, 9 HRs, 69 RBIs, 37-18 Pitching). Milwaukee finished with a 40-23 (.635) record, winning the Midwestern Division. Milwaukee beat Cleveland 3-0 in the first round of the APSPL playoffs and then beat the two-time APSPL champion Detroit Caesars 3-0 in the semi-finals, advancing to play the
Kentucky Bourbons
The Kentucky Bourbons were a professional softball team that played in two men's professional softball leagues between 1977 and 1982 at Bishop David Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. The Bourbons, Cincinnati Suds and Pittsburgh Hardhats were the ...
in the World Series. The series were broadcast nationwide as the first televised event on the new start-up sports network
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
. Milwaukee beat Kentucky 5-3 to win the APSPL championship.
1980 NASL Champions
Instability in other markets and internal political fighting saw three teams (Fort Wayne, Cleveland and Milwaukee) leave the APSPL to form the
North American Softball League (NASL), under the leadership of Cleveland owner (and eventual owner of the
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
)
Ted Stepien
Theodore J. Stepien (June 9, 1925 – September 10, 2007) was an American businessman who owned the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1980 to 1983. Born in Pittsburgh in 1925, he became wealthy as the founder ...
. The APSPL continued with just 6 teams (down from 12 in each of the previous 3 seasons). Milwaukee dominated the new NASL with a league best 44-12 (.786) record with all-NASL performances from Dennis Graser (.480, 30 HRs, 98 RBIs), Phil Higgins .485, 16 HRs, 95 RBIs, 33 doubles), Rick Weiterman (45-13 pitching), and Jim Dilliard (22 doubles). The Schlitz would take on
Chicago Nationwide Advertising
Chicago Nationwide Advertising were a professional softball team that played in the North American Softball League (NASL) during the 1980 season. They played their home games at The team played at Lou Boudreau Field in Harvey, Illinois.
League h ...
in the first round, beating Chicago 9-13, 10-7, 17-12, 16-12, 10-17, 22-17; (4-2). Milwaukee defeated the
Detroit Auto Kings
The Detroit Auto Kings were a professional softball team that played in the North American Softball League (NASL) in the 1980 season at Memorial Field in East Detroit, Michigan.
League history
Detroit was represented by the Detroit Caesars, wh ...
5–2 (19–11, 10–12, 12–16, 22–13, 13–4, 12–3, 11–9) to win the only NASL World Series. Ken Parker of Milwaukee would take the World Series MVP trophy while Ron Olesiak of Chicago was the league MVP.
The UPSL era
The NASL and the APSPL merged after the 1980 season to form a new league, the
United Professional Softball League (UPSL). Milwaukee had an initial set-back in 1981 as perennial all-star Phil Higgins elected to play amateur baseball to start the season but would return to the team in August, just before the playoffs. Still, the Schlitz finished with a 37-21 (.638) record in 1981, 6 games behind the
Cincinnati Suds
The Cincinnati Suds were a professional softball team that played in two men's professional softball leagues at various stadiums in the Cincinnati, Ohio region from 1977 through 1982. The Suds, Pittsburgh Hardhats (softball), Pittsburgh Hardhats, ...
in the Western Division. The Schlitz would get swept by the eventual league champion Kentucky Bourbons in the first-round 5-4, 13-4, 11-10; (3-0). Bill Gatti of Kentucky won the league MVP award. Dennis Graser (.500 BA, 26 HRs, 76 RBIs) was the only Schlitz to make the all-league team in 1981. Dick Laba batted .485 and Rick Weiterman had a 36-21 pitching record in support.
![Phil Higgins, Milwaukee](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Phil_Higgins%2C_Milwaukee.jpg)
The Schlitz finished with a 32-32 (.500) record in 1982, their worst record in their 6 seasons of professional softball. But Milwaukee advanced to the playoffs, beating the
Cincinnati Suds
The Cincinnati Suds were a professional softball team that played in two men's professional softball leagues at various stadiums in the Cincinnati, Ohio region from 1977 through 1982. The Suds, Pittsburgh Hardhats (softball), Pittsburgh Hardhats, ...
in the first round 11-4, 11-8, 13-4; (3-0) and then upset the Kentucky Bourbons, going to a 5th and deciding game with Milwaukee winning 23-22, for a 3-2 (10-7, 4-7, 9-21, 14-10, 23-22) victory in the semi-finals. Milwaukee went on to defeat
Detroit Softball City
Detroit Softball City was a professional softball team that played during the 1982 season in the United Professional Softball League (UPSPL). Detroit Softball City played at and was named for a large recreational softball complex on the grounds of ...
9-8, 8-3, 7-10, 13-11, 12-7, 39-6; (5-1), with Dick Laba of the Schlitz honored as the MVP. Schlitz players Rick Weiterman (.514 BA), Dennis Graser (43 HRs, 122 RBIs), Phil Higgins (.572, 40 HRs, 125 RBIs, 24 doubles) and Derek Gallagher (.560 BA) made the all-league team with Dana Andry of the
Cleveland Competitors
The Cleveland Jaybirds (1977–78), later named the Cleveland Stepien's Competitors (1979–80) and finally the Cleveland Competitors (1982), were a professional softball team that played in three professional softball leagues between 1978 and 198 ...
winning the league MVP in the final season of professional softball in the United States. The Schlitz lost their sponsor when the
Stroh Brewing Company
The Stroh Brewery Company was a beer brewery in Detroit, Michigan. In addition to its own Stroh's brand, the company produced or bought the rights to several other brands including Goebel, Schaefer, Schlitz, Augsburger, Erlanger, Old Style, L ...
purchased Schlitz in 1982 and elected not to continue the team after the season. The UPSL also folded after the 1982 season, bringing the era of men's professional softball to an end.
Milwaukee first-baseman Dennis Graser is a member of the
American Softball Association
USA Softball (formerly the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and ASA/USA Softball) is the governing body for the United States national softball team. It is a member of the sport's international governing body, the World Baseball Softball Confe ...
Hall of Fame, inducted in 2000. Schlitz pitcher Rick Weiterman was similarly honored and is in the
United States Slowpitch Softball Association (USSSA) Hall of Fame.
Milwaukee year-by-year record
References
{{reflist
External links
Milwaukee Copper Hearth on FunWhileItLasted.net ESPN First Broadcast - Journal Sentinel Softball History USA Detroit Caesars Online Home National Softball Hall of Fame
Softball teams
Sports clubs established in 1977
Men's professional softball teams
Sports in Milwaukee
Sports teams in Wisconsin