MEANS STAMPING BASEBALL TEAM

In 1980 the Means Stamping 18-and-under baseball team had a season like no others from Saginaw County had done before. After finishing with a spotless regular season in Saginaw Township Recreation’s Connie Mack Baseball League, the Stampers captured district and regional championships earning them the right to represent the North Central Region at the Connie Mack World Series in Farmington, New Mexico. At the World Series, Means claimed a 6-2 victory from Long Island, New York, in the championship game to become the first and only Saginaw team ever to claim the Connie Mack national championship. The game was a repeat of the championship game in 1978 when Long Island got the upper hand on Means to take the title.Means Stamping posted a 5-1 record in the tourney with its lone setback coming at the hands of Joliet, Illinois, 7-6. Means blanked Puerto Rico, 10-0, on a no-hitter by Jay Phillion – just the second no-hitter in Connie Mack World Series history. The Stampers other victories came against New York, 4-2, while beating Marietta Georgia, twice, 2-1 (in extra innings), and 8-3. Veteran skipper Wendell Nehmer was the team’s manager and coaches were Al Luplow and Tommy Armstrong. Team members included Phillion, Brian Krys, Mark Warner, Mark Luplow, Craig Thygesen, Brett Luplow, Ron Henika, Keith Miller, Dan Hare, David LaPrairie Brian Beeg, Mike Lutz, Brian Abell, Jim Leibinger, Tom Vermeesch, Rob Ervin and Dan Cronkright. Means finished the 1980 season with a 34-1 record – which included a 30-game win streak. The team’s uniform was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York. Nehmer sent uniform No. 7, Henika’s uniform, to Cooperstown as Henika – who batted .500 during the tournament – was a three-year standout for Means and was also a member of the 1978 team. Henika, Miller and Phillion all were named to the Connie Mack World Series All-Star team. Nehmer, the legendary coach, passed away January 28, 2012, at the age of 81