Rubbelke’s road trip takes him to the Hall
By Bob Otto / Yucaipa, CA (7/3/03)
For Jim Rubbelke the memory remains crystal clear.
Shiny new Buicks lined up as if in a presidential motorcade. Ball players
eager to grip the wheel and get underway. Eager for Rubbelke to signal the
start of another of his long distance softball road trips.
From St. Paul, Minnesota the motorcade wound its way to the treacherous
ball yards of the Clearwater, Florida Bombers; Aurora, Illinois
Sealmasters, and ASA National Tournaments.
Those memorable road trips ended decades a go, but come August, Rubbelke
and his entourage once again embark on another softball trip. A once in a
life time trip right into the International Softball Congress Hall of Fame
in Kimberly, Wisconsin, where Jim Rubbelke will join the greatest of the
greats in men’s fastpitch softball history.
Rubbelke along with Johnny Appell, Bill Boyer and Mark Smith, comprise the
2003 class of ISC Hall of Famers.
Jim Rubbelke really has two chapters in his 32-year career. In chapter one
(1957-1970), he played the hardnosed third baseman and lead off batter.
His St. Paul clubs included the Clover Softball Club, 7-Up Softball Club
and Whitaker Buick. In 1964 he was lured away by the Raybestos Cardinals
of Stratford, Conn. where he spent the next four years earning ASA All
American honors in 1963.
“He could run like a deer, good bunter, good defense,” said Mike Payton
who played with and for Rubbelke from 1961 to 1975. “He had amazing power
for a little guy. He would bunt and run during the season, but somehow he
hit the long ball in the regionals. There was seldom a regional where he
didn’
t hit a home run.”
In chapter two (19711990), Rubbelke discarded the uniform for the
manager’s cap. And that’s when his career reached new heights. His teams
soon joined the elite class of ball clubs in North America. Under the
banners of Whitaker Buick, Arctic Cat, All American Bar, and Stroh’s
Gatsby, St. Paul fastpitch rose to new heights.
When Rubbelke heads for Kimberly many of his former players and fans will
join him. Admiration runs high for his commitment, leadership and
organizational skills.
Tom Rubbelke, who pitched for his brother from the late 1970s through the
final 1990 season, nominated him for the Hall of Fame. “Jim was the
backbone of fastpitch softball in the St. Paul area for more than 30
years,
” said Tom Rubbelke. “It never would have happened without him.”
Rubbelke worked hard for his teams. He wore all the hats. Scheduling,
organizing, hotel accommodations even the family barbeques, fell on his
willing shoulders. On top of that, he raised over $60,000 yearly to keep
the team a float. His teams played the best. He scheduled games with super
power clubs from Florida to California, and brought top-flight teams to
St.
Paul.
“We had home and aways with Aurora and Decatur,” said Rubbelke. “We got
involved with (Ty) Stofflett and Reading, Pennsylvania. He was getting the
ink around the country then. As soon as we brought him in here we had big
crowds of 3,000.”
“Rube arranged the home and aways,” said Payton. “All of a sudden that put
us on a different level way up there.”
After taking the reins of Whitaker in 1971, Rubbelke never let go. But
arguably, his All American club stood above the rest. Only because it
claimed Minnesota’s one and only ISC World Tournament title in 1976 (along
with several top-ten finishes) in its first-ever appearance at the World
Tournament in Long Beach, California.
But if not for an ASA residency dispute, the ISC may not have appeared in
Rubbelke’s sights.
Darwin Tolzin, a world-class pitcher, job transferred to the twin cities
area. His residency came under scrutiny by the ASA and it ruled him
ineligible for post-season play. Rubbelke proceeded to walk out the ASA
door and into the ISC’s open door. That proved to be monumental - both for
the ISC, Minnesota and the upper Midwest.
After the ASA ruling, Rubbelke turned to his team. Should we fold up the
season, or search for alternatives. “We had a team meeting,”
said Rubbelke. “We said, ‘we’re all going together, or we’re not going at
all.’ Is there another option?’”
Rubbelke made some calls, reached an agreement with Milt Stark of the ISC,
and the team set off to Long Beach for the World Tournament. And pulled a
shocker at least in the eyes of established ISC teams - by winning the
title.
The reaction among many Minnesota fastballers: “What is the ISC?” “There was no ISC around here,” said Rubbelke. “No one had ever heard
of the ISC. We got a one-year bye into that tournament with the idea of
starting an ISC league the following year. That winter we got six teams
and Dutch (Elbers) became our commissioner.”
Soon other teams followed Rubbelke’s lead. The ISC grew rapidly from St.
Paul and Minneapolis in the east, to Mankato and St. James in the
southwest; from Duluth in the north, to Winona in the southeast.
Marley Lloyd managed Mankato from 1976 1990. Without Rubbelke’s foray
into this foreign tournament, the ISC might never have spawned in
Minnesota, he said. “ No question, there never would have been an ISC in
Minnesota at that time,” he said. “Jim’s the reason the ISC started here
and in Wisconsin, Iowa, Sioux Falls and Fargo.
“We didn’t think it (ISC) amounted to much until we went, but found out it
was harder (than ASA) because it had the foreign pitchers.” Once the door
opened Mankato made 14 consecutive World Tournament appearances until
Happy Chef disbanded in 1990 (Then later reorganized.)
Lloyd credits Rubbelke for raising the bar, dangling the carrot a little
higher for his Mankato clubs. “ He made us play up to his level,” said
Lloyd. “That took us from the minor leagues to the major leagues of
softball.”
Rising up to meet the St. Paul juggernaut created intense, and sometimes
bitter battles between the two clubs. And Rubbelke was the one to zero in
on, said Lloyd. “You had to know what you were doing or he would tear you
up,” said Lloyd. “He was a fierce competitor always looking for the edge.”
And often unconventional. “When you thought he would bunt, he hit away.
When you thought he would hit away, he would bunt,” said Lloyd. “ You had
to be at the top of your game when you played him.”
That St. Paul - Mankato rivalry produced epic battles that Lloyd remembers
fondly today.
Lloyd recalls the time and place where Mankato finally toppled Rubbelke.
And reached the “major leagues.”
“It was in the regionals in 1974 in Grand Forks and they beat us (Mankato
Circle Inn) 2-1 in the first game,” said Lloyd. “ We came back and beat
them 1-0 and 4-3. It was the first time they didn’t go to the (ASA)
nationals. That pushed us up to their level. I’m not sure they liked that,
” said Lloyd with a chuckle.
Even with stiff threats from in-state rivals, Rubbelke-led teams remained
top dog. The one blocking the road to a national tournament. During those
great years, Al DeWall anchored the pitching staff.
“Scandia, Mankato, Austin were good competition,” said DeWall. “They were
good teams, but we always won. We had a little more pride in keeping our
tradition going. We had a bunch of good players that just liked to play.”
Amongst a slew of players from the 50s to the final 1990 season, a few
stood above the rest.
For Rubbelke, pitchers DeWall and Dutch Elbers were tough to beat. “Al had
the good drop, pretty good raise,” said Rubbelke. “Dutch had that good
change up, great control. When we had the two of them going, we could
compete nationally from 1962 and on.”
In the Whitaker Buick years (1962 1973) John Sheehan caught. “John was a
teacher. He took pride in calling a game,” said DeWall. “He was one of the
top three or four catchers in the country.”
Other greats included Jack Chlebeck, Bob Whaley, Mike Payton, Eddie
Mathias,
Doc O’Connor, Gerry Duffey, Don Terwedo, Dan and Jerry O’Connor, Herb
Brooks, Jerry Schaber and Terry Muck. Joining DeWall and Elbers, were
pitchers Bob Trapp Jr. and Randy Walker, said Tom Rubbelke.
“Dan O’Connor, no doubt he was the best. He was great,” said DeWall. “He
wanted to win.”
After Arctic Cat sponsored the team 1974 1975, All American Bar and Earl
Montpetit took over in 1976. That spurred an incredible 10-year run that
also produced great names in the annals of Minnesota fastpitch.
“Around the field we had a bunch of great athletes,” said Tom Rubbelke. “T
im Egan at first; Jim McDonald at second; Danny O’Connor at third and
Jerry O’Connor at shortstop. In the outfield we had Dennis Denning in
center; Greg Alford in left, and Randy Henry in right. We used Gerry
Duffey as DH and Steve Schmid caught with Jerry Sobaski backing (him) up.”
That line up claimed the 1976 ISC title, with DeWall and Jerry O’Connor
selected as the Most Valuable Pitcher and Most Valuable Player. DeWall
finished with a 5-1 record, while O’Connor clipped the world’s best
pitching for a .444 batting average and seven RBI.
But the ISC championship, the individual awards, the accolades wouldn’t
have been possible without Rubbelke’s leadership.
“We came ready to play for Jim,” said Jerry O’Connor. “We were dedicated
to him, reluctant to let him down. He put Minnesota on the softball map.”
Rubbelke’s softball trips were always a family affair, said O’Connor.
“When Jim took over the team, families went along,” said O’Connor. “He
took care of the arrangements, the scheduling, the hotels, the cook outs.
He made sure we were all happy. That’s the reason I stayed so long.”
So when Rubbelke heads out for Kimberly and into the Hall of Fame, don’t
be surprised to see his Minnesota entourage close behind. Following their
leader on his once in a lifetime trip.
Robert Otto
Mailto:bobotto@gte.net
