The Pittsburgh Champions were a professional

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

team based in

Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania Lower Burrell is a city in Westmoreland County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located approximately 18 miles northeast of downtown Pittsburgh, it is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 11,761 at the 2010 census. The po ...

that played in the North American Softball League (NASL) in 1980.

Team history

Pittsburgh was represented by the Pittsburgh Hardhats in the first professional league, the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL), beginning with the founding of that league in 1977. After three seasons, Ted Stepien, owner of the Cleveland Stepien's Competitors, left to form a new league, the NASL, with the Fort Wayne Huggie Bears and the

Milwaukee Schlitz The Milwaukee Schlitz were a professional softball team that played in three men's professional softball leagues from 1977 through 1982 at Wilson Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. History Milwaukee began play in the inaugural 1977 American Profess ...

, APSPL champions from 1979. The Hardhats continued in the APSPL in 1980, and NASL teams were formed in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

and Lexington, Kentucky as well to compete with existing APSPL franchises there. Stepien owned many of the NASL teams, including the Champions. The Champions played at LaRussa Field, Sokol Club in Lower Burrell, just outside of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

. The Hardhats owner Jim DiIorio brought a challenge in federal court in an attempt to prevent splitting the young professional sport. The Hardhats also brought a legal challenge against new Champions player and General Manager Roger Snatchko for breach of contract as he had been under contract with the Hardhats previously. That lawsuit was withdrawn because a salary amount was not specified in the Hardhat contract. Tensions with Stepien remained as he tried to lure talent away from the APSPL teams, notably Chuck Lazar, a football player from near-by

Allegheny College he, תגל ערבה ותפרח כחבצלת , mottoeng = "Add to your faith, virtue and to your faith, knowledge" (2 Peter 1:5)"The desert shall rejoice and the blossom as the rose" (Isaiah 35:1) , faculty = 193 ...

who had been in-camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers and had played previously with the Hardhats. Lazar would play briefly for the Champions. The Champions struggled in 1980, finishing in last place of the Eastern Division with a record of 25-39 (.391), 11.5 games behind the division-winning Detroit Auto Kings. The Milwaukee Schlitz won the 1980 NASL World Series 5–2 over Detroit with Ken Parker (.586 BA) of Milwaukee honored as Series MVP. Ron Olesiak (.555, 34 HRs, 124 RBIs) of

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 ...

was the NASL league MVP. Outfielder Roger Snatchko (.478 BA) was the only Champion to make the all-NASL team. Fred Ryan hit 29 home-runs for Pittsburgh, 7th most in the NASL, and Jim Picard, Ed Zalewski, Mark Johnson and Roger Snatchko made the mid-season All-Star team. Across town, the Hardhats had their best season, finishing with a 44-19 (.698) record, trailing only 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 ...

who they upset 3–2 in the playoffs to advance to their first APSPL World Series, where they were swept 3-0 by the Rochester Express. After the season, the leagues officially merged, but only the Milwaukee Schlitz would go to the new United Professional Softball League (UPSL) and the Champions disbanded. The Hardhats moved to the Champions stadium, LaRussa Field in Lower Burrell in 1981, where they continued to play until the UPSL folded after the 1982 season, bringing an end to the professional softball era for men in the United States.

Pittsburgh Champions record

References

External links

Pittsburgh Hardhats on Fun While It Lasted Softball History USA Detroit Caesars Online Home National Softball Hall of Fame
{{Pittsburgh sports

Champions A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...

Softball teams Sports clubs and teams established in 1980 Men's professional softball teams Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1980