This page is dedicated to Charlie Seymour. Charlie was born in 1931, which puts him in his 90’s and he still plays! He’s been involved with GCSA for a very long time and he is our historian and our photographer (99.9% of the pictures on this web site are a result of Charlie’s talent). Without Charlie’s considerable work over the years, trying to cobble this web site together would have been very difficult, and for that, the GCSA thanks him immensely!
Below is a history of Gold Canyon senior softball from the beginning written in Charlie’s own words……
“Build It and They Will Come”
Just like the people in the movie “Field of Dreams”, people in this Arizona community had their own field of dreams in mind. Several friends got together and came up with an idea. A Softball Team. That was when the Gold Canyon Softball Association, as it is now called, was formed.
Let’s begin with a little history about our park, originally called “The View at Gold Canyon”, the park was owned by a man named Mr. Christ. The park is not that old. Under the management of Mr. Christ, the park went bankrupt. Bob Roberts purchased the property and named it the “Gold Canyon RV Ranch”, later changed to what is now called “Gold Canyon RV and Golf Resort”.
The year was 1990 and there was nothing in this desert locale, to indicate that there was the slightest possibility of a ball field ever coming to fruition. But, like the people in Iowa, they made it happen. All they had to work with as a start, was sand, cactus, and yes, a few rattle snakes.
Before the new field was built, games were played at various fields around the area such as Monte Vista (Baseline & Ellsworth), Jefferson Park (Power & Broadway) and the Latter Days Field (on Ironwood). This involved traveling, so the Home Field concept was the main reason for building our own field.
In 1991, the first team was formed by “Dutch” Krogman from Nebraska and the team was called the “Nuggets”. Gerri Shook served as Secretary/Treasurer. The original team uniforms were yellow shirts and a yellow hat and they were donated by the then Park Managers, Harold and Alice Rickert. The Nuggets finished in 2nd place in the Superstition League.
In 1992, a second team was established by Gordy Rayburn from Michigan and they were named the “Prospectors”. They wore blue shirts and black hats. Both teams were in the same league (Superstition) so an INTENSE rivalry ensued! So intense that they had to be put in separate leagues. 1992 was the year that Don Shook designed the GC logo for the hats that is still used today.
The ball players pitched in a few dollars for “cool“ drinks after the games at the park, and times when some of the players wives would get together and plan a picnic at the field.
Virginia Sterling, whose husband Don played on one of the teams, fell into the role of “Cheerleader” for her husband’s team, the “Prospectors”. The following paragraphs are Virginia’s account of what happened during some of the games
The teams had very loyal fans. The wives never missed a game! I fell into the role of Cheerleader for the Prospectors. As their “rookie” First-Aid Nurse, there was hardly a game played that I wasn’t called on to tend to the cuts and scrapes befalling the limbs of at least one or two players per game. Yes,that was a different time and place. However, time has not diminished the magnificent spirit of unity and friendship which enveloped the ball players of yesterday and continues to do so today. The players of Gold Canyon Softball Teams had many great experiences during those early years, but two in particular will always stand out in the minds of many.
Outfield at its best! The Prospectors were in the lead by one run. The next batter would determine the game. The opposing team was up to bat and it was the final hit of the game. The fans were silent as they heard the unmistakable sound of bat and ball connecting at full force. All eyes were glued to the white ball as it whizzed by the pitcher, over second base and toward center field. It looked like full blown home run. Then all of a sudden, from out of center field, a player was running as fast as his legs could carry him. He looked like a lion going in for the kill. In the next couple of seconds what the eye beheld was unbelievable. The lion leaped into the air as far as his legs could spring him, his entire body stretched to full capacity. With glove in hand, he reached just as far as his arm allowed. The speeding ball slammed fiercely into his glove. He came crashing to the ground with the ball still tightly gripped in his glove. The Lion had caught his prey and victory had been attained. On this day, Nick Hoekstra made Joe DiMaggio look like an amateur.
Infield drama! The bases were loaded. Score tied, and Don Sterling comes to bat. He hits a line drive to the right of the first baseman. The ball hits the tip of the first baseman’s glove and dribbles off into right field. The first baseman runs after it and the second baseman runs to first to cover the bag. With head down, Don is running like hell (he was only 53 at the time) to first base. Then the second baseman deliberately blocks the base as he steps on top of the bag while watching Don running toward him. With less than three feet to go, Don yells “get out of the way” but this guy had no intention of moving off the bag. Don plows into him and they both fall to the ground. The Ump calls Don “safe”. The fans go wild! While getting back up, the second baseman suddenly throws down his mitt in anger and grabs Don by the shirt….not a good thing! A scuffle begins and two ballplayers run over to defuse the situation. All at once, a small figure of a woman is seen quickly running over the field to first base. Fearlessly she begins giving the second baseman hell for not moving off the bag. Dumbfounded, the second baseman stares at the little woman in disbelief and speechless! With her finger pointing at his nose, she makes it very clear to him of his act of unsportsmanlike conduct. Still angry but defeated he returns to his second base position to finish the game. The little woman turns to Don, satisfied her husband is alright, and returned to the bleachers. The Prospectors won! And, by the way, the second baseman was never seen again.
Thank you Virginia, for your insight into the beginnings of Gold Canyon Softball.>
It was soon became apparent that the need for monetary assistance was quickly becoming an issue. Thus the bi-monthly “Pancake breakfast” was born, headed by Don and Gerri Shook. The funds raised went to the purchase of bats, balls, uniforms etc. The first Pancake Breakfasts at Gold Canyon were served “cafeteria style” and run by the park.
Later, the softball teams decided to take over the operation of the breakfasts, they changed it to the “sit-down” format still in use today. Eight people to a table with the meal served at the table. Use of the kitchen was free and Don and Gerri Shook purchased all food, serving trays, cups, tableware, etc. These items were purchased at local food stores (Basha’s, Fry’s, Safeway). They had three seatings, 8:00, 8:30 and 9:00 am. This format lasted for many years. When too much overlap started occurring, the present format of 8:00 am till 9:00 am was adopted to eliminate the problem>
Gerri Shook and some of the other wives sold the tickets. Don Shook organized the kitchen for food preparation and table set-up. All of the players were assigned “jobs” as well as some of the wives who volunteered. Using the same format, the Pancake Breakfasts are still the Associations primary fun raiser.
Anyone watching today’s breakfasts are amazed at how well organized they have become. Players have jobs and they show up in time to do their thing. Like a well oiled machine, and since the workers show up at different times to work, this keeps them from getting in each others way. Workers can be seen wearing their Blue Activities Shirts. this makes it easier to see who is doing what. The menu consists of all you can eat pancakes, two sausages, and orange juice and coffee. Bring your own table service. Costs have varied due to rising prices, but it’s still a very reasonable meal.
Another fund raiser is our 50/50 drawing. Tickets are sold at the door and the drawing is held after the last seating. Players also made money by setting up and taking down tables used at the Arts and Crafts event held once a month by the Activities Department on Saturdays
Because the park was growing, 1993 brought about the establishment of a third team called the Miners. Their colors were Green shirts with Yellow lettering and Black hats. The Nuggets ended up in Second Place in the Superstition League that year.
In 1995 the Prospectors took second place in the Superstition League. In 1996, the new “Prospectors” team was formed using the best players from the three existing teams. The team uniform was a White striped shirt with Gold Canyon on the front, Black shorts, Black and White striped socks, and Black hats with the GC logo. Led by players such as Gordy Rayburn, Nick Hoekstra, Fred Lowe, Bill Moran, Marv Filas, Jim Barette, Rich Kass, Dutch Krogman, Don Shook, Tom Olendorf, Coach Clark Wurm, Cloyd Steves and Larry Putbrese, the Prospectors team went undefeated during the 1995-1996 season. Gerri Shook was the team Manager and Cindi Putbrese was the Score Keeper.
Don and Gerri Shook received a plaque in appreciation for 6 years (1991-1996) of leadership and service and they retired as coordinators of the Pancake Breakfasts.
Also, 1996 brought about the advent of having official by-laws that are still used by today’s Association, to govern the park teams we now have. President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer were elected. The rosters that year for the three teams consisted of the following: Prospectors – Jim Barrette, Marv Filas, Nick Hoekstra, Rich Kass, Dutch Krugman, Fred Loux, Bill Moran, Tom Olendorf, Larry Putbrese, Gordon Rayburn, Don Shook, Cloyd Steves, Clark Wurm, and Bill Evans was the umpire. Nuggets – Jim Bembnister, Bob Crosby, Glen Ebert, Curly Ellis, Don Houseman, Norm Kottke, Vince Leger, Wayne Mann, Floyd Massey, Jim Serrine, Marion Leslie, and Manager Tom O’Hara. Miners – Bill Allard, Julius Christianson, Frank Clark, Lloyd Bingham, Lew Stouffer, Ralph Kaphengest, Ed Myers, Abe Rikkli, Bob Watson, George Underwood, Del Holm Ed Grassi, and Manager Jack Mitchell.
Beginning in 1993 the players in the Association decided to have a Summer Reunion. Players and their wives would gather at a location in the home town of whomever wanted to host the event. Over the years, the reunions have been held in various states and in Canada. Anyone who has attended a reunion will attest to the fact that a good time was had by all. Reunion activities includeD golf, softball, shopping, horse racing, rafting, dinners on floating restaurants and of course, many hours of drinking and talking with friends.
A breakdown of the sites of past reunions shows the extent of the areas that have been covered:
| Year | Location | Hosts |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin | Bob & Betty Crosby |
| 1994 | Lincoln, Nebraska | Abe & Ruth Rikli |
| 1995 | St. Paul, Minnesota | Larry & Cindi Putbrese |
| 1996 | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | Mike & Shirley Corey – Ron & Yvette Evans |
| 1997 | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Norm & Leona Kottke |
| 1998 | Hutchinson, Minnesota | Jim & Kathy Serrine |
| 1999 | Ottumwa, Iowa | Bill & Ardys Evans |
| 2000 | Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin | Carl & Barb Greeneway – Jim & Alice Barette |
| 2001 | Mason City, Iowa | Norm & Linda Schmidt – Wayne & Barb Opheim |
| 2002 | Walloon Lake, Michigan | Dave & Ginny Billings |
| 2003 | Woodbury, Minnesota | Gary & Evelyn Esping |
| 2004 | Plainfield, Illinois | Diane Peterson |
| 2005 | Shell Knob, Missouri | Gene & Darlene Huffman |
| 2006 | Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin | Bob & Betty Crosby – Pat & Jim Bembnister – Rich & Geri Kass |
| 2007 | Houghton Lake, Michigan | Terry & Linda Eddy – Ted & Maureen Kline |
| 2008 | Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada | Nick & Rinnie Hoekstra – Leroy & Barb Freiborg |
| 2009 | Battlement Mesa, Colorado | Paul & Elaine Bussone |
| 2010 | Alliston, Ontario, Canada | Harry & Rona Rempel – Charlie & Marianne Seymour |
| 2011 | Watertown, South Dakota | Clarence & Sandy Olson |
| 2012 | Ithaca, New York | Roger Johnson & Pat Parkin – Kathy Martyanik |
| 2013 | Frankenmuth, Michigan | Gene & Karen Meyers |
| 2014 | No reunion | |
| 2015 | “The Michigan Reunion” | Bill & Vikki Lang – Don & Mary McGovern |
| 2016 | “The Michigan Reunion” | |
| 2017 | Wolverine Lake, Michigan | Bill & Vikki Lang – Don & Mary McGovern – Tom & Char Moersch |
Many players came and went after the first teams were established. No significant changes were made until the turn of the century. With the influx of new people into Gold Canyon, the players formed four teams in 1999. Ages 55 and above the “Prospectors”, 65 and above, the “Nuggets”, 70 and above, the “Silvers”, and the “Miners”. The “Miners” team was made up of players of all ages. To fill out the rosters, players from out of the park were allowed to play on the teams. A list of all players, or all that I could locate, are as follows: Hal Enz, Bob Irwin, Stan Rausch, Don Rowe, Bob Womack, Don Wagner, Jim Waters and Gil Oulette. Womack and Enz are still active with teams in Mesa. The teams played in several different leagues. The Nuggets, Prospectors, and the Silvers played in the Apache Junction League. Their games were played at Prospector Park in Apache Junction. The Miners played in the Superstition League. Their games were played at various fields in Mesa.
As the teams evolved, the first female player entered the scene. Diane Peterson played second base for the Miners. She later became the Manager of the Miners. She was replaced by Dave Billings after two weeks because a conflict developed. In 2016, four female players, Janette Drews, Diane Hardman, Sue Jacobson and Laura Kuhns were on the rosters. A women’s team, called the Gold Diggers, was started and they competed at Prospector Park. Marlyn Duclos, Diane Peterson and Mary Farrell were the only in park players on the team.
Women have always been a big part of the teams. The “Bleacher Belle’s” as they’re called, can be seen at all the games. Their support is always welcome. They can be heard yelling for their loved ones, sometime at a disadvantage to the player. At one of the games, a voice called out “come on Honey get a hit”. Needless to say, that name stuck with him till the day he finally quit playing.
The new teams adopted their own unique uniform. Blue hats with the yellow GC logo, white shirts with Gold Canyon in blue script across the chest, and blue pants with white and yellow stripes down the legs. Our teams were, and still are, the best dressed teams in any league! This uniform was used till 2014.
Jim Bembnister and Charlie Seymour were instrumental in the design and purchase of the now famous blue team jacket. They worked with Laurie at Embroidery Magic to get the ball rolling. The league subsidized part of the cost for the jackets the men wear but this practice is no longer in effect. The wives have always paid for there own coats. You will see the wives of the players sporting their own jackets. It’s really great to see our fan base all decked out in the blue coats!
2014 saw the latest change to the uniforms. It was decided that the old white shirt/blue pants style had to go! Charlie Seymour and Paul Bussone researched the market to see what was available and what would best suit our needs. A design was established and voted on at the players meeting. That left us with the task of finding a supplier and getting a cost estimate. With the help of the Park Managers, Pat and Cheri Suddarth (they supplied us with a substantial amount of money) we were ready to go forward with the new uniform. The new shirts were blue with white and yellow trim, long gray pants and our white and yellow socks. Hats remained the same (Blue with the yellow GC). /p>
In 2016, with the aid of the Park, we were able to provide players with short gray pants to wear as an option while playing. The new uniforms let us keep keep up the high standard as the best dressed team in any of the leagues in the Mesa, Apache Junction area or anywhere.
During the 2015 season, Greg Johnson coined the motto for the Association. “You don’t quit playing because you get old…..you get old because you quit playing!”. Use it or lose it. Playing is not for everybody, but playing is better than just sitting around. As long as you are healthy enough to stand the rigors of competition our softball teams are very good way to spend time.
Not everything is fun and games with the ball leagues. A serious incident happened several years ago. Guy Libbrecht was playing left field during a game. He chased down a ball in the outfield and showed no problem. He came to bat at the bottom of the inning. Guy got a hit and when rounding first he stopped turned and said to Harry Rempel, ”catch me I’m falling”. Harry laid him down and Lonie Richardson started CPR. Terry Eddy took over and was soon aided by a Registered Nurse (a Canadian and Guy is from Canada) who was in the crowd. Quite a coincidence. Lonie directed paramedics to the scene where they took over. The EMT’S transported Guy to the hospital. Guy had a pacemaker and a defibrillator placed in his chest and was discharged from the hospital.
Players, wives and significant others will get together on Fridays for a non-sanctioned golf outing. These outings encourage camaraderie around the league. You need a thick skin to play in these games though, just like when you’re on the ball field. Good natured kidding is just part of what we’re all about.
The end of the ball season brings about additional activities. We start off with an inter-squads ball game. Sides are chosen and a round robin style of play is in effect. Scores are kept and the winner is just the winner. No prize. After the ball games, we assemble at The Pit, an area behind the club house, for a pizza party.
The “Pit”, as it’s called, is where some of the players and anyone else brave enough to show up, gather on Tuesdays at 4:00 in the afternoon to rehash the days games and to drink a beverage or two of your choice. Finger food is provided by anyone who chooses to either cook something or bring chips, nuts, or whatever else they want to bring. This adds to the camaraderie within the association and generally lasts about two hours.
Another activity that we always look forward to is the Golf Outing. This Outing has been held at a course in Queen Creek, Arizona. It is open to all members of the Association. Note: The Association is open to all players, ex-players, wives, significants others, and anyone who pays their dues.
The last thing on the agenda each year is our banquet. This is a catered event and it is attended by any of the above- mentioned guests.
From the beginning, the teams have won many championships. The trophies in the case, in the club house, are a testimonial to that fact. Championships don’t always come easy though. Two that come to mind since I have been associated with the teams are listed below.
You can always find the new players that join the association by the fact that most of them will be limping due to pulled muscles. We hear this every year, “I haven’t played in the past 20 years, but I’ll be all right”. Wrong. The brain says yes but the body says NO. They find out that it’s not that easy. This is not “picnic ball”. Generally, by the time we start playing in January, all the aches and pains will be behind them.