2021 75+ National

Sacramento Solons 7, San Antonio Broncos 6 (13 innings)

‘Allan Overcomes Back Surgery, Throws Complete Game Victory’

The Sacramento Solons eked out a one-run victory over the San Antonio Broncos Saturday in the ‘inaugural’ 75+ Division of the MSBL World Series. This was especially poignant to co-manager Lanny Ropke, who played and managed the very first MSBL championship team in MSBL’s inaugural World Series in 1988.

Lanny, and co-manager Irv Scott, who effectively and adroitly handled the day-to-day on-field decisions, started putting this team together last February and practiced every week up to the start of this year’s World Series.  The team worked all week in the round-robin as a finely tuned team.

“Irv did a superb job of building lineups and setting the defense, knowing just when to make the right changes and substitutions,” said co-manager Ropke.

The real hero story goes to pitcher Jim Allan. He was told that ‘you will never play baseball again’ last January by his doctor after a back operation.  That’s exactly the wrong thing to say to Jimmy.  He worked 10 months to prove his doctor wrong, and prove him wrong he did!  Jim went the entire 13 innings, in pain after the seventh. We offered to sit him down, and his comment was “no way, this is my game and I am finishing it”, and he did! The team chose him as the only real choice of MVP.

In the big game, it was all tied up after nine innings. Finally, in the 13th inning, Norm Losk led off with a double over the right fielder’s head. Dave Sutherland executed a perfect bunt to move him to third, then Hiro Tarumi hit a walk-off single to score Norm with the winning run.  It was a close, tight-knit 3-1/2 hour game, always in doubt. It could have gone either way. The Broncos are a tough team and a fine bunch of gentlemen.

Other contributors to the championship run were Denny Brown, (3×6, RBI, R)

Lanny Ropke, (3×5, 2R) Ron Williams, (5×5, 2-Doubles, RBI, R) Irv Scott (2×3, RBI) Jim Lortz, (2×5, R) Harry Hart, 3×4, R) and Norm Losk, (2×4, double, sac bunt) and the winning run!