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Horvath Wins Triple Crown, Second
Straight Batting Title
Straight Batting Title
South Bend, IN 10/17/09
There was a time earlier this season
when veteran Joe Horvath contemplated
retiring.
"I just wasn't sure if I had any love for
the game anymore," the 39-year-old
outfielder said. "With the state of the
game, the way our team was struggling
early on and here I was not even able
to contribute, I thought about quitting."
Horvath started the season on the
disabled list, suffering a freak injury
from - well, nothing.
"I woke up one morning in early February and I could barely move," he said. "My lower
back had stiffened up so bad that it hurt to drive."
With the back injury, Horvath missed the dome tournament in Jackson in February and the
severity of the injury would keep him from the opening outdoor tournament, the WSL Bash
for Cash in Cincinnati, Ohio in March. With Street Kids missing their starting outfielder, they
moved some players around to try to fill the void. They ended up finishing fifth at the WSL,
but with Horvath in the lineup, you never know what might have happened.
"If Joe is healthy, I think we could have gave Lazer Show or any other team a run for their
money in that tournament, maybe even win it," said Lanny Fisher, the former SKS Most
Valuable Player. "The way we were playing as a team that weekend was amazing, and we
just needed that extra something in the lineup that Joe can bring."
After the back injury finally healed, Joe had another set back with a bruised heel, another
injury that apparently stemmed from nothing.
"When my foot started to hurt is when I thought about quitting," he said. "I called TJ on the
phone and asked him what he thought about it. He wasn't happy. He encourage me to stick
it out, which I did."
It was not just the injuries that were hurting Horvath, however. His offensive numbers were
far below what he expects of himself, and what others expect to see from the guy that has
become one of the most feared hitters in the area. After a 6-for-12 performance and a 1-2
showing at an NIT in Warsaw in late April, he just wasn't sure he had the love anymore for
the game he has spent nearly 20 years playing.
"I always said if you don't enjoy it, why play," the former SKS home run king said. "The
way our team was playing - bickering with each other, not giving 100% all the time - and me
feeling like I was letting them down, I just would rather focus on something else and let the
game go on."
Horvath returned to the lineup in Merrillville for an NSA event in May and
bounced back with a .643 average, far below his numbers, but he felt he was
at least hitting the ball well. But it was in Kokomo, Indiana on May 30th that
Horvath felt like he may be back to his old self. He came into the weekend
batting .633, his lowest average of his career this late in the year, but he would
return to the outfield and finished the day with a .833 average, including a team
high five home runs and 11 rbi's.
"We lost to AMD in that tournament, finishing third, but I always look for the
good in tournament losses and when Joe told me he thinks his swing is back,
I was happy to hear that," manager TJ Jorgensen said.
Horvath was finally injury free, playing great defense at the Flag Day tourney
in Three Oaks and batted .833 at a WSL tournament win in Delphos, Ohio on
June 20th. But a huge setback for Horvath and SKS would happen in July at
the 41st Annual Kiracofe event in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
There was a time earlier this season
when veteran Joe Horvath contemplated
retiring.
"I just wasn't sure if I had any love for
the game anymore," the 39-year-old
outfielder said. "With the state of the
game, the way our team was struggling
early on and here I was not even able
to contribute, I thought about quitting."
Horvath started the season on the
disabled list, suffering a freak injury
from - well, nothing.
"I woke up one morning in early February and I could barely move," he said. "My lower
back had stiffened up so bad that it hurt to drive."
With the back injury, Horvath missed the dome tournament in Jackson in February and the
severity of the injury would keep him from the opening outdoor tournament, the WSL Bash
for Cash in Cincinnati, Ohio in March. With Street Kids missing their starting outfielder, they
moved some players around to try to fill the void. They ended up finishing fifth at the WSL,
but with Horvath in the lineup, you never know what might have happened.
"If Joe is healthy, I think we could have gave Lazer Show or any other team a run for their
money in that tournament, maybe even win it," said Lanny Fisher, the former SKS Most
Valuable Player. "The way we were playing as a team that weekend was amazing, and we
just needed that extra something in the lineup that Joe can bring."
After the back injury finally healed, Joe had another set back with a bruised heel, another
injury that apparently stemmed from nothing.
"When my foot started to hurt is when I thought about quitting," he said. "I called TJ on the
phone and asked him what he thought about it. He wasn't happy. He encourage me to stick
it out, which I did."
It was not just the injuries that were hurting Horvath, however. His offensive numbers were
far below what he expects of himself, and what others expect to see from the guy that has
become one of the most feared hitters in the area. After a 6-for-12 performance and a 1-2
showing at an NIT in Warsaw in late April, he just wasn't sure he had the love anymore for
the game he has spent nearly 20 years playing.
"I always said if you don't enjoy it, why play," the former SKS home run king said. "The
way our team was playing - bickering with each other, not giving 100% all the time - and me
feeling like I was letting them down, I just would rather focus on something else and let the
game go on."
Horvath returned to the lineup in Merrillville for an NSA event in May and
bounced back with a .643 average, far below his numbers, but he felt he was
at least hitting the ball well. But it was in Kokomo, Indiana on May 30th that
Horvath felt like he may be back to his old self. He came into the weekend
batting .633, his lowest average of his career this late in the year, but he would
return to the outfield and finished the day with a .833 average, including a team
high five home runs and 11 rbi's.
"We lost to AMD in that tournament, finishing third, but I always look for the
good in tournament losses and when Joe told me he thinks his swing is back,
I was happy to hear that," manager TJ Jorgensen said.
Horvath was finally injury free, playing great defense at the Flag Day tourney
in Three Oaks and batted .833 at a WSL tournament win in Delphos, Ohio on
June 20th. But a huge setback for Horvath and SKS would happen in July at
the 41st Annual Kiracofe event in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
| Outfielder Joe Horvath battled back from a slow start and injuries to win his second straight batting title in 2009. |
Attempting to dive for a ball to right field during a game on Saturday afternoon, Horvath fell awkwardly on his shoulder and broke a bone
under his collar bone. At first it was thought that he would return within two weeks, but the injury would keep Horvath out of the SKS
lineup for seven weeks. He would return to the lineup on August 29th at the NSA "B" Regional Championship.
In that event, Horvath came out strong, showing no signs of any lingering pain from the broken bone, but while pulling into third base
following a triple in the third game of the day, Horvath grimaced in pain. A pulled quad muscle was the result of that grimace and that would
put Horvath back on the shelf, making him miss some league action. Luckily, he would not miss much more, and the muscle would heal in
time for the ASA National Championship in Columbus, Ohio on September 6th.
"Its been a weird year," he laughed. "But despite my horrible numbers at Supers (Super NSA "B" World Series) I think I finished pretty
strong."
Horvath won the batting title in 2008, with a .765 average in 370 plate appearances (he did not play NSA tournaments with SKS in 2008).
With the minimum number of plate appearances at 352 at seasons end (three fifths of the overall leader), he had just enough to edge Lanny
Fisher .765 to .763. This season, his .714 batting average was enough to hold off Fisher again, who finished at .709, despite missing the
final three weeks of the season. Horvath hit 103 home runs in 2009 to easily lead the team (second highest was Mark Hershberger with
79) and his 359 rbi's was 85 more than the second highest finisher, giving Horvath the first SKS triple crown since Hank Minix in 2006.
Minix won the MVP award that year, and if that is any kind of sign for 2009, Horvath could be holding his first SKS overall MVP next
month in Michigan City.
"For the attention this organization gets, and the level at which we play, to be named MVP is quite an honor," he said. "But its merely an
individual award and any guy on this team would trade that award for world title. With the way this team finished the 2009 season, finishing
as the number one team in NSA B in the country, it makes me really excited for what we can do in 2010."
Horvath will be honored at the Street Kids/Suburban banquet on November 21st in Michigan City, Indiana.
Batting Averages for 2009
(with minimum number of at bats)
1. Joe Horvath, .714
2. Lanny Fisher, .709
3. TJ Jorgensen, .706
4. Mark Hershberger, .680
5. Chris Firebaugh, .674
6. Scott Martin, .669
7. Tony Hardiman, .644
8. Jason Jeffery, .637
9. Nick Bishop, .625
10. Dan Garey, .586
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
under his collar bone. At first it was thought that he would return within two weeks, but the injury would keep Horvath out of the SKS
lineup for seven weeks. He would return to the lineup on August 29th at the NSA "B" Regional Championship.
In that event, Horvath came out strong, showing no signs of any lingering pain from the broken bone, but while pulling into third base
following a triple in the third game of the day, Horvath grimaced in pain. A pulled quad muscle was the result of that grimace and that would
put Horvath back on the shelf, making him miss some league action. Luckily, he would not miss much more, and the muscle would heal in
time for the ASA National Championship in Columbus, Ohio on September 6th.
"Its been a weird year," he laughed. "But despite my horrible numbers at Supers (Super NSA "B" World Series) I think I finished pretty
strong."
Horvath won the batting title in 2008, with a .765 average in 370 plate appearances (he did not play NSA tournaments with SKS in 2008).
With the minimum number of plate appearances at 352 at seasons end (three fifths of the overall leader), he had just enough to edge Lanny
Fisher .765 to .763. This season, his .714 batting average was enough to hold off Fisher again, who finished at .709, despite missing the
final three weeks of the season. Horvath hit 103 home runs in 2009 to easily lead the team (second highest was Mark Hershberger with
79) and his 359 rbi's was 85 more than the second highest finisher, giving Horvath the first SKS triple crown since Hank Minix in 2006.
Minix won the MVP award that year, and if that is any kind of sign for 2009, Horvath could be holding his first SKS overall MVP next
month in Michigan City.
"For the attention this organization gets, and the level at which we play, to be named MVP is quite an honor," he said. "But its merely an
individual award and any guy on this team would trade that award for world title. With the way this team finished the 2009 season, finishing
as the number one team in NSA B in the country, it makes me really excited for what we can do in 2010."
Horvath will be honored at the Street Kids/Suburban banquet on November 21st in Michigan City, Indiana.
Batting Averages for 2009
(with minimum number of at bats)
1. Joe Horvath, .714
2. Lanny Fisher, .709
3. TJ Jorgensen, .706
4. Mark Hershberger, .680
5. Chris Firebaugh, .674
6. Scott Martin, .669
7. Tony Hardiman, .644
8. Jason Jeffery, .637
9. Nick Bishop, .625
10. Dan Garey, .586
_________________________________________________________________________________________________