Baltimore Monuments

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1977/05/26/pro-slo-pitch-softball-debuts-sunday/cca52509-c3c2-4116-a1d7-323d2e1b6bc3/|title=Pro Slo-Pitch Softball Debuts Sunday|first=Russell|last=Carter|date=May 26, 1977|via=www.washingtonpost.com}} The American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) was the first such league, launching in an era of experimentation in professional sports leagues.{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vBUeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=o1cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7245,5272863&dq=softball+new-york-clippers&hl=en|title=Ludington Daily News - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}} The APSPL was formed in 1977 by former World Football League executive Bill Byrne who would go on to form the Women's Professional Basketball League.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64705618/valley-news/|title=Clipped From Valley News|date=May 25, 1977|pages=42|via=newspapers.com}} Former New York Yankees star Whitey Ford was the first league commissioner.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64783650/the-courier-journal/|title=Clipped From The Courier-Journal|date=September 3, 1978|pages=8|via=newspapers.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64607292/lansing-state-journal/|title=Clipped From Lansing State Journal|date=July 21, 1977|pages=42|via=newspapers.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/showthread.php?t=288804|title=Softball challenge - OOTP Developments Forums|website=forums.ootpdevelopments.com}}

The Monuments finished the 1977 season in first place of the Eastern Division with a record of 33-20 (.623). They defeated the New York Clippers in the first round of the playoffs 2-0 (15-14, 10-9), advancing to the next round where they defeated the Kentucky Bourbons 2-1 (6-17, 10-4, 15-10). The Monuments then lost 4-0 (18-16, 13-8, 25-16, 28-11) in the first APSPL World Series to the Detroit Caesars{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64809237/the-evening-sun/|title=Clipped From The Evening Sun|date=July 3, 1982|pages=28|via=newspapers.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://detroitcaesars.weebly.com/1977-champions.html|title=1977 Champions|website=Detroit Caesars}} with Mike Nye of Detroit winning the series MVP award.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64701074/the-baltimore-sun/|title=Clipped From The Baltimore Sun|date=September 7, 1977|pages=33|via=newspapers.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65308368/the-baltimore-sun/|title=Clipped From The Baltimore Sun|date=September 12, 1977|pages=27|via=newspapers.com}} Benny Holt (.690, 89 HRs, 187 RBIs) of the Chicago Storm won the triple crown and was named league MVP. Baltimore players John Copenhaver (.599, 36 HRs, 95 RBIs), John Dollar (.522, 62 runs scored), Jay Smith (.562, 81 runs scored) and Lawrence "Boom Boom" Hutcherson (.596, 45 HRs, 129 RBIs) made the 1977 APSPL All-Pro team.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65308330/the-evening-sun/|title=Clipped From The Evening Sun|date=October 19, 1977|pages=50|via=newspapers.com}} Nick Sessoms went 18-9 pitching for Baltimore.

Goals to return for 1978 hit a stumbling block when team owner Jim Ports fired Monuments manager Ray Duncan just as the 1978 season was set to begin when Duncan refused to turn over new player contracts to ownership until players were paid.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64701952/the-baltimore-sun/|title=Clipped From The Baltimore Sun|date=April 7, 1978|pages=42|via=newspapers.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64701283/the-evening-sun/|title=Clipped From The Evening Sun|date=February 14, 1978|pages=26|via=newspapers.com}} When Ports was then unable to secure Rips Field as a playing site for 1978, the APSPL moved on with their season without the Monuments on the schedule and the team disbanded.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65308268/the-baltimore-sun/|title=Clipped From The Baltimore Sun|date=March 9, 1978|pages=30|via=newspapers.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64701237/the-baltimore-sun/|title=Clipped From The Baltimore Sun|date=May 18, 1978|pages=61|via=newspapers.com}} Dollar and Hutcherson would go on to play with the Philadelphia Athletics of the APSPL for 1978.{{Cite web|url=https://funwhileitlasted.net/2013/01/23/1977-baltimore-monuments-softball/|title=1977 Baltimore Monuments • Fun While It Lasted|date=January 23, 2013}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://funwhileitlasted.net/2013/01/23/1977-baltimore-monuments-softball/ Baltimore Monuments on Fun While It Lasted]
• [https://www.angelfire.com/sd/slopitch/pro.html Softball History Data]
• [https://www.softballhistoryusa.com/ Softball History USA]
• [https://detroitcaesars.weebly.com/ Detroit Caesars Online Home]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20190324200635/https://www.teamusa.org/usa-softball/national-softball-hall-of-fame National Softball Hall of Fame]

Category:Softball teams in Maryland

Category:Sports clubs and teams in Baltimore

Category:men's professional softball teams

Category:Defunct softball teams in the United States