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Street Kids Pick Up Emotional Tourney Win

Team wins first annual Al Fisher Memorial in Buchanan

By TJ Jorgensen

Buchanan, MI-

Last April, the softball world lost a Hall of Fame coach, a good friend, husband and father. This weekend, over 150 softball players, fans and family members came together to pay tribute to the man who touched so many lives before leaving this world and moving on. This weekend, we paid tribute to Al Fisher.

The Street Kids Softball team, proudly sponsored by Zolman Tire, Bender and Son Construction and Tanel 360, took part in the event with hopes of not just winning the tournament – because that just didn’t seem like the most important thing – but to be there for their pitcher, Al’s oldest son, Lanny.

Lanny worked hard preparing this event, gathering teams that all had some kind of connection to his father, whether they played for him, played against him, or someone like me, who just had the privilege of starting their softball career in Buchanan and had Al there to help them get started. The tournament itself took second stage to what the meaning of the day was for, a time to reflect on Al’s love for the game of softball and to dedicate a new memorial, complete with a custom bronze plaque bearing Al’s face, in his honor.

But even though it was an emotional day for Lanny, his family and many players who knew him, it was still a tournament that the Street Kids team felt destined to win. With Al watching from above, a snickers bar in his hand, he watched the Street Kids softball team, led by his proud son, win the tournament in his honor. It was the first tournament win of the year for SKS, but an even more bittersweet win for five member of the team on Saturday who knew Al Fisher for many years.

“This was a very special day and I’m so glad some of my dad’s favorite players could be here and help us win this one for him,” said an emotional Lanny Fisher. “I just wish he could be here to see how many people loved him.”

Former Al Fisher players Donny Ostrander, who flew in from Arkansas to play this weekend, along with Steve Croff, Brian Lange and Scott Goodwin all played with the SKS team and all played a big role in the tournament win. Lange is a regular on the SKS team, and Goodwin also plays with the SKS festival tournament team. This season, Lange decided to wear number 6 on the SKS team in honor of Al, who always wore the number. In between innings throughout the tournament, Lange and Fisher made sure they remembered the man who took care of them for so many years. They met on the mound and each bent over and carved a number 6 in the dirt in Al’s honor.

The tournament itself was exciting, featuring 13 teams with an upper and lower division. I cant tell you who won the lower division, but I am sure they played hard and hopefully in the midst of their celebration they remembered what this tournament was about. As for the upper division, there were three teams that could have won this tourney with the talent on the field. Buchanan Pallet, South County/Budweiser and of course our team, Street Kids Softball.

South County had a very talented team, with many of my former teammates that I played with for so many years, and coached by one of Al’s long time friends, Ted Krejecki. South County would beat SKS in the opening round robin game on a walk off home run by part time SKS player Dan Garey, winning 24-23. South County would finish 2-1 in the pool play and receive a bye in the first round of the single-elimination -tournament. Buchanan Pallet also went 2-1, but lost to SKS 24-7. SKS would beat Hood Plumbing 17-7 to also go 2-1, but because of the run differential rule, SKS received the other bye in the first round.

After South County beat Buchanan Pallet and SKS defeated Hood Plumbing again (23-10 final score) in the semi-finals, which would set up a championship game of South County and Street Kids Softball. It only seemed right that these two teams play again for the championship, and we really felt we had destiny on our side and looked forward to the rematch.

The game went back and forth with a several lead changes before the Kids would come out with a 12-run sixth inning, taking a 28-19 lead into the top of the seventh. After giving up a three run home run to Brad Flowers, Lanny got Eugene Riley and Joe Zapata to line out sharply to Brian Lange. Just before facing Dan Garey with two outs in the seventh and a six run lead, I yelled at Lanny from my position at first base “Lanny! Let’s get this out for your dad!”

Lanny threw an inside pitch to Garey, and it was just enough to jam him and cause him to fly out to Shane Varga in left and secure the heartfelt win for Street Kids.

“That was two very exciting games against Street Kids,” said Dan Garey afterwards. “Even though we lost, it was a great final game.”

For the day, there were many players who played a big role in the tournament victory, including Ostrander who went 17-for-20 with six home runs and 18 rbi’s. He lived up to the hype as one of the best players in the country, playing flawless defense in centerfield. Hank Minix, last years SKS Most Valuable Player, went 14-for-18 with six home runs and drove in 15 runs. He also walked four times. Steve Croff went 15-for-19 with five home runs and 14 rbi’s, while filling in at second base as the team was short on regular position players. And of course, Lanny Fisher was once again stellar as he went 14-for-20 with five home runs and nine rbi’s and three doubles.

The team was without several players, but most notably was another former player of Al’s and current SKS player, Joe Horvath, who broke his finger during a tournament in Iowa last weekend. Horvath was at the tournament and remained there for the dedication of the monument. Later after the tournament, I spoke to Joe.

“Its too bad I was hurt because I was looking forward to this tournament more than most, given the situation with Al,” said Horvath Saturday night. “When Lanny was speaking about the memorial and how much his dad loved us players, I saw Lanny get a little choked up and that almost made me cry. I’m glad to know that we won.”

The dedication of the memorial, which I was lucky enough to be asked to help create the plaque, took place at 1pm in the afternoon as every ball player gathered around the memorial as Lanny spoke to the crowd.

“My dad loved softball,” he began. “He loved his players, he loved this park and he loved this town. I decided to put this together for players who knew my dad and wanted to do something to constantly remind us of who he was and what he did for the game of softball. I called TJ Jorgensen, a teammate of mine, and he helped design and construct this plaque, and my brother in law John Raines, who helped with the rock and attaching the plaque to it.

“I’m glad all of you could be here today, and I hope you remember how much he loved everyone who came to play in Buchanan.”

Lanny went on to thank many people, including his family who came for the event. Donna Fisher, Lanny’s mother and Al’s widow, remained at the ball park all day until the final game concluded at 10:30pm. She even cooked a big lunch for our team and other family members who came to see the dedication.

In closing, Saturday’s tournament win was not just a big win for us as a team, but for individuals. In a sport where you play as a team and win and lose as a team, a lot of this was for individual players. It was great to see Lanny and Brian Lange hug each other on the field after the win. To some it was just another festival tournament win, nothing special. To others, it was more than winning a world championship. It was winning one for the man who showed us how to play the game right. It was won for the man who changed many of our lives. It was won for the father of Buchanan softball… it was won for Al Fisher.