A Trip Down Memory Lane

LADY_KNIGHTS · Aug 1, 2017

With tryout season approaching, and all the new teams/organizations that seem to be popping up...it got me thinking about teams/organizations that no longer exist. So I wanted to take a trip down memory lane and talk about them. I will start...here are a few organizations/teams that no longer exist...

1. GFOD Thunder and the late Tim Gallagher.
2. Grove City Crush
3. Jac & Dos
4. Coke N2 Ice
5. Lil Slammers
6. Bad Apples

EKocur1 · Aug 2, 2017

Nice idea. Let me go back 15-20 years:

Patriots. Pittsburgh
Alley Cats. Pittsburgh area
Maddogs. Alliance
Bandits
And I'm forgetting a big organization out of Stow/Kent that always had nice tournaments and teams

FastBat · Aug 2, 2017

Ohio Naturals!
I think the guy that ran that org was Vic Davis.

That was the Ohio Bandits who practiced in Akron on Krumroy (Sp?) Rd in Springfield/Akron area.

Buckeye Babes- I don't know where they practiced or anything about them. I knew of a few girls who played for them.

daboss · Aug 2, 2017

Springfield Thunder. Springfield, Ohio

JoeA1010 · Aug 2, 2017

The Maddogs are still around.

Columbus area...
Central Ohio Lady Rebels, who were always very good.
Lancaster Phoenix
Hilliard Cats (I don't think they still exist, but not sure)

Otherwise...
Holly Hills
Cincy Elite
Cincy ?? (team wore maybe red and gold and traveled south a lot. Organization was around from roughly 2003-2010 or so).

There are many more, I just can't think of them.

HITTER23 · Aug 2, 2017

JoeA1010 said:
The Maddogs are still around.

Columbus area...
Central Ohio Lady Rebels, who were always very good.
Lancaster Phoenix
Hilliard Cats (I don't think they still exist, but not sure)

Otherwise...
Holly Hills
Cincy Elite
Cincy ?? (team wore maybe red and gold and traveled south a lot. Organization was around from roughly 2003-2010 or so).

There are many more, I just can't think of them.

Maybe the Cincy Tribe ??

EKocur1 · Aug 2, 2017

Yes , the Naturals!

And I remember making a number of trips to Alliance to scrimmage the Maddogs in an honest to God barn

Also remember Raging Thunder in Youngstown area, I believe. They had played in a quanset hut in the winter

backstop09 · Aug 2, 2017

LADY_KNIGHTS said:
With tryout season approaching, and all the new teams/organizations that seem to be popping up...it got me thinking about teams/organizations that no longer exist. So I wanted to take a trip down memory lane and talk about them. I will start...here are a few organizations/teams that no longer exist...

1. GFOD Thunder and the late Tim Gallagher.
2. Grove City Crush
3. Jac & Dos
4. Coke N2 Ice
5. Lil Slammers
6. Bad Apples

Yep - hard to forget #1!

CARDS · Aug 2, 2017

JoeA1010 said:
The Maddogs are still around.

Columbus area...
Central Ohio Lady Rebels, who were always very good.
Lancaster Phoenix
Hilliard Cats (I don't think they still exist, but not sure)

Otherwise...
Holly Hills
Cincy Elite
Cincy ?? (team wore maybe red and gold and traveled south a lot. Organization was around from roughly 2003-2010 or so). (Cincy STORM)
There are many more, I just can't think of them.

A lot of teams were merged with other organizations, some also splintered off into a separate organization.
The Tribe had some talent
KY Cobras
Vipers out of Dayton and Cincinnati
Diamond Dusters out of northern Dayton area

JoeA1010 · Aug 2, 2017

HITTER23 said:
Maybe the Cincy Tribe ??

Was it the Cincy Storm. Run by a guy named Cliff. Forget his last name.

Fairman · Aug 2, 2017

I do remember taking a trip out to scrimmage the Mad Dogs in their barn. It was tiny and dark and very barn like. They had a pitcher that didn't throw much past 52 but had three different changeups. She just tied us in knots. We had prepared for fire-ballers in practice (because after all these were the Mad Dogs) and never hit the ball period. Our timing was so screwed up that we could have stayed home for the second game too.

badmonkeys · Aug 2, 2017

I was thinking of the very same thing just yesterday. My oldest first tried out for a tournament team in the fall of '08. She is done and I have another just completed 10U. A lot has changed. I imagine more so for those that have been at it longer.

I know a few don't exist, a few may as well but not seen in some time, don't mean to bury anyone still around...

Central Park Crushers (Eastlake)
Jefferson/Ohio Jaguars (Jefferson/Ashtabula Co)
Sunraze Fastpitch (Lake Co/ Geauga Co)
NEC Stingers (Leroy / Madison)
Ohio Top Guns (Ashtabula)
Tri County / Ohio Hurricanes (although I see they may have a team or two left?)
Parma Wildcats / Wildcat Pride
Grand River Styx
Wickliffe Fastpitch
Northern Ohio Softball
North Coast Spirit (Lorain)
MC Madness (Medina)
Lake Erie Waves (Lorain / Erie?)
Wildcats Fastpitch (Lagrange)
HRS Heat (Mentor)
Captains Fastpitch (Became Mid American? I don't see tryouts listed for next season?)
I thought the Diamond Chix were dead at one point...
Sliman's Nitros (Lorain?)
Mayfield Magic
Nordonia Knights
Firebirds Fastpitch
Chain Reaction
Kinzua Crush
Breakers
Grizzly Fastpitch? I see an 18U team on the boards but nothing else?

Scrolling through emails of old schedules and see lots of other random names.

Sometimes you come across a ghost too. Oldest played a Valley Force team in '09. Hadn't stumbled on them in all the years since and then another daughter played a Valley Force team this summer. So I hate to assume.

Byers · Aug 2, 2017

iiy Angels
iiy Hummers
Maddogs now has a new facility.

EKocur1 · Aug 2, 2017

Glad Maddogs are still around. Enjoyed going there I think founder was named Hileman. Is he still around? Back in those days, many of kids went on to play in college

Can't speak for Ohio but travel teams have just exploded in numbers since the late 90's in western PA Good and bad thing, I guess. Overall level of play is better --especially hitting

Byers · Aug 2, 2017

Bill Hileman still owns it. He and Kelli Metzger give pitching, hitting and catching lessons. My girls have taken lessons there since they were 7-8. The oldest is starting college this year and the youngest next year. Both with scholarships they received, for the most part, because of their willingness to work hard and the instruction they got from Bill and Kelli.

Captain_Thunder · Aug 2, 2017

JoeA1010 said:
Was it the Cincy Storm. Run by a guy named Cliff. Forget his last name.

Cliff Killian, most recently helping Ohio Thunder

manitoudan · Aug 2, 2017

Scioto Co Wild Thangs .

Run26 · Aug 2, 2017

manitoudan said:
Scioto Co Wild Thangs .

I knew that one was coming!

badmonkeys · Aug 2, 2017

Another one I always saw around but not much anymore... with ESO / Elyria?, seems I only see one tryout post, thought they had multiple age groups for some time.

FastBat · Aug 2, 2017

In the early to mid-90's, I don't remember having fall tryouts for travel softball teams, but maybe I just don't remember? Did they have fall tryouts? I never played in a fall travel ball tournament, but I did play in a local fall league.

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