Current Issue

LOOKING OVER the stories we have for this month I am struck by the rich history and tradition of baseball and softball in the Kalamazoo Area. From Charlie "Paw Paw" Maxwell and Ron Jackson in the 50s and 60s to future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter today, the area has produced many outstanding players, hosted several outstanding events and fielded numerous outstanding teams.
    In the professional arena we have both historical and present day stories to tell. Few may remember but Kalamazoo has been the home of professional baseball since the 1950s. You might know that Kalamazoo businessman John Fetzer owned the Detroit Tigers from 1956 to 1983,but did you know that we were the home to the Kalamazoo Lassies before that. The Lassies played in the All-American Girls Professional League from 1950 to 1954 and we talk to two former players in this issue. Currently, Kalamazoo is home to the Kings who play in the Frontier League. Look for our interview with their new manager. This area has sent many players on to the big leagues and we talk to a few of them this month including Leon Roberts who was proclaimed by Jack Moss in our February issue as the best high school athlete he ever covered.
    In 1947Western Michigan University hosted the College World Series between Yale (fielding a player by the name of George H. W. Bush) and the University of California. In this issue we talk to WMU, KVCC and Kalamazoo College about how the tradition of excellence continues on their ball diamonds today.
    And then there is the tradition of the Big League Softball World Series at Vandenberg Park in Milwood that Kalamazoo has hosted since 1980.The champions in 2009 were our own local Division 2 team featuring young ladies from the Greater Kalamazoo area. In this issue we talk to high school teams some, newly formed and some poised for championships.
    Hope you agree, this issue is a home run.
See you next month.

Steve Reenders
Publisher