Tim Egan 

21 years in Fastpitch (1969-1990)

Born July, 18, 1950 

Bats left, first baseman, #2 in batting order

6-2, 190 lbs

Whitaker Buick and All American Bar

Tim Egan grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. He played football, hockey and baseball in high school. But his real love, his favorite sport was fastpitch softball. Perhaps because he started playing the sport in grade school where, “All the little kids were windmilling,” he said. Or maybe it was brother see, brother do.

As a youngster, he used to peddle his bicycle down to the ball yard a few blocks from home to watch his brother Bill play fastpitch in the South St. Paul League. Soon, a manager in the league asked him if he wanted to play. 1969, and just a high schooler, Egan’s journey into the game would soon sky rocket.

From the South St. Paul League, he moved his way up to the St. Paul Classic League. A tough league of tough teams, loaded with talent. Playing in the Classic League brought him under the watchful eye of Jim Rubbelke.

“Jim saw me play, called me the winter of 1973 and asked me if I would like to play for Whitaker,” said Egan. “I said, ‘you bet.’”

And how could Egan say no to Rubbelke’s offer? Here was a chance to join a powerhouse softball team, take a nice trip down south for a few ball games, along with something a bit more romantic than softball.

“I had just recently gotten married,” said Egan. “This was a chance to go on a honeymoon in Florida and play softball against Clearwater.”

And from that point on, Egan became a fixture in the Whitaker Buick and later, in the All American Bar line up. Even though he was big at 6-foot-2, and 190, he batted second because he hit left-handed, could bunt and hit for power. And he displayed that power in what he says is one of his most memorable times in the sport.

It was 1976. All American Bar had made its way to the ISC World Tournament in Long Beach, California. After losing earlier in the tournament, All American fought its way back to the championship against the undefeated Lakewood, Calif. Jets. “Winning the World Tournament in 1976 would have to be my high light,” said Egan. “We came back through the loser’s bracket to beat Lakewoood twice. We weren’t real flashy, but we hit the ball pretty good.”

And Egan struck the big blow that pushed All American over the top. “We were playing the second game against Lakewood. We had the bases loaded and they brought in a pitcher named (Guy) Sparrow. I hit a triple to empty the bases.

“What I remember most was sliding in to third and when I came up looked Jim (Rubbelke) in the eye. It was like we knew then, ‘We’ve got this won.’”  That big fourth inning blow gave All American an insurmountable 6-0 lead and the ISC championship.

The 1979 ISC World Tournament in Kimberly, Wisconsin is also high on his list. “We lost the first game to Bakersfield, (Calif.) and won eight or nine in a row to finish third or fourth and I made All World,” said Egan. “That ranks right up there too.”

As his former manager, Jim Rubbelke, is about to be inducted into the ISC Hall of Fame, Egan says it is well deserved. That he couldn’t place anyone higher on that pedestal than his former manager. The ISC championship and all the wonderful trips to Kimberly, Seattle, Clearwater, Aurora, Decatur… to play the best ball clubs in the sport, would not have happened without Rubbelke.

Rubbelke was the best, said Egan. Perhaps because he let his team play. Surprises, second-guessing, sudden changes with the pencil at line up time were not part of Rubbelke’s managerial style.

“Never,” said Egan. “We all knew where we stood with Jim. We knew when he made out the line up who was hitting where, and who was pitching.

“There was no stress playing for Jim. We had a ball.”