Rochester MN
Senior Softball

June 17, 2019

Session 1 was filled with rainouts, we ended up with 3 canceled games, all on Wednesdays.  Our planned 9 game session ended up being a 6 game session.  Shorewood won the session, going undefeated at 6-0.  Congratulations to the Shorewood team!  Shorewood beat Black's Auto in the Championship game 18-11.  Both of Black's losses were to the powerhouse Shorewood team.  Session 1 was a 6 team session.     

RMSS provided hot dogs and condiments for the session ending picnic on June 5, following the completion of the position games. RMSS players brought dishes to share.  As always we had plenty of food, fun, fitness and fellowship.   

We are now 2 games into Session 2 (with another Wed rainout last week).  Charlie's Eatery & Pub has replaced Chiropractic First as a team sponsor.   

May 3, 2019

The Session 1 draft was held on Wed, 5/1.  The rosters were sent in an email and the web site is now updated.   We have 6 teams for S1 and hope to go to 8 teams for S2.  The schedules have been posted to the web site.  Our last practice is planned for Friday and our S1 games are scheduled to start on Monday May 6.  

May 31, 2018 

Friday Practice and RMSS Golf News 

September 22, 2017

To:  All RMSS Members

I hate that our 2017 Season is ending. Thank all of you who came out and played more or out of position.  You did it.  To make this work better…  ***WE NEED MORE PLAYERS***  Bring a friend or two.

As you know…Softball is year round.  We will have practice every Monday & Wednesday at about 9am…weather permitting.  Dome season starts in late November.

PLEASE READ THIS.  You may get something from it.

First of all…you have to check out our new website that Mike Ewen has been perfecting all year.  Rochmnss.com   

Mike has added several pages with pictures, golf and dome ball…to mention a bit of the great information Mike puts on there.  GREAT JOB MIKE!!!!  Several people contributed photos…Mike, Dave Anderson, Bob Hake, Peg Selnes. 

We have our season ending Picnic on Wednesday  9/27/17 following the games.  Please bring a dish to pass and a variety of items will be provided.  Brats, burgers, dogs, chips, water and soda.  It is very hard to plan the amount of food to buy for these picnics. IT SURELY DOES NOT HELP WHEN PEOPLE TAKE ALL THE FOOD BEFORE THE OTHERS HAVE A CHANCE.  Please be considerate of others.

Players who want to…may compete in a few competitions before the picnic. Ages and other restrictions considering…Home Runs, Pitch in the bucket, running around the bases, throwing to a target.  Pitch in and split the pot accordingly.

We will be supporting two causes at this picnic.  Channel One and TreeHouse. We will have representatives there to share their missions.  Donations will be accepted for them if you would like. 

There was no need for elections this year.  Just enough stepped up to fill each board position.  The Board will be introduced at the picnic.

As with anytime you try to operate a group like ours…lots of work goes on behind the scenes.  Bob Hewitt putting the chalk lines on the fields, for example.

We need more of you to help us continue.  Stick around after the games for just a few minutes to talk to others of us to see how you can help.

See you soon,  Thanks for reading, Bill VW

8/17/2017

Rochester Minnesota Senior Softball players teamed up with fellow player. And 'green thumb' vegetable gardener Lois Douglas to deliver 1,485 pounds of her farm's fresh produce to Channel One Food shelf!

Thank you Duane for helping unload the full trailer, with Channel One Coordinator Barbara Schramm cheering us on!  

See 2017 Potato Dig under Photos for a glimpse of the activities. . 

After the dig, Lois treated all to a delicious lunch topped off with homemade yummy pumpkin pie!!!

Wow. What a treat!!

Next is our yearend picnic with hopes of batting $1000 for Channel One and Treehouse. Each Channel One $1 provides 4-5 meals giving help and hope for the hungry. 

Fun Fitness Fellowship shown by RMSS softball players. 

Thrivent Financial " Live Generously" helped support the cause via an action team. Thrivent Shirts, Thrivent Bags ( thx Diane),and treats were handed out. 

See you all at Sept 27 season end softball picnic.  

A few quick notes to all of you fine folks.  First of all.  Our Games next Wednesday (July 26th) are being played in Stewartville at the Bear Cave Park.   Managers please remind your players at Monday's games.  Same game times.  Teams that were to play on field 5 will be played  on field 1.  

Secondly.  Thank all who contributed to both the DAV and MS at our last picnic.  Both organizations are great causes, and I am glad you showed your generosity.   The board is in the process of selecting the group(s) that we will support at our last picnic on 9/27.

As all of you know, we do not have enough players to fill out our teams.  Plain and simple…we need more players.  Please spread the word and bring a friend or two with you to the games to give it a try.  We are discussing ways to recruit more players and manage the players we have now.  Hang in there folks.

We are seeking people to help manage our league.  We always have opportunities to get better as a group.  Your input, but more importantly, your commitment to helping is necessary to improve our league.  Please talk to your manager or a board member if you are interested in helping out in any role.

Finally, the best thing.  We have been asked to go to Soldier’s Field softball field on a Wednesday after our games.   A few people (led by Chuck Sibley) are putting together a story on the history of softball  at Soldier’s Field.  Everyone of us is invited down to play a part in this memory lane trip.  Some of you will be on the field playing.  Others will serve as fans, or umpires,  or teams warming up, whatever they ask.  The date is still not final yet, but we are planning on the 2nd of August.  So please plan on sticking around that day.  We will car pool down to Soldier’s Field.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.  See you next week.

Thank you,  Bill VW

On Wed, 12/21/16, we had our Holiday Dome Party.  We had some extra players for batting practice and the game.  Santa made a late appearance.  Our guests included representatives from Salvation Army, the Thrivent Action team, children, grand-children and significant others.  True to our motto we had Fun, Fitness and Fellowship!  We exceeded our goal of batting 1000 for the Salvation Army by raising $2016.  Thanks to all who contributed. 

It was more than just a friendly game of softball at Rochester Community and Technical College Wednesday morning.

Members of Rochester Minnesota Senior Softball held another "Go to Bat" fundraiser inside Rochester Regional Stadium and Bubble.

Dozens of players, along with the Thrivent Financial Action Team, took part in the game -- with all money raised going to the Salvation Army. And when it was all said and done, they collected $2016, which exceeded their goal twofold.play

February 2, 2017

To All RMSS Members

I know it is the middle of winter.  But softball is year round.  Please read my note.  You may get something from it.

First of all…Happy New Year.  Our outdoor season starts Monday, May 1, 2017.  We have 41 games scheduled. The last game is 9/27/17.

We will start playing outside some time in April.  Weather permitting…every Monday, Wednesday & Friday.  9am – 12pm

Early Registration Dates.  $40.00 IF YOU SIGN UP EARLY

                                           $48.00   AFTER APRIL 19, 2017

                                       PRO-RATED DURING THE SEASON

                      EAGLES CLUB          WEDNESDAY   APRIL 12, 2017    12PM – 4PM

                      HISTORY CENTER    MONDAY          APRIL 17, 2017    10AM – 12PM

                      DAHLC                       TUESDAY         APRIL 18, 2017    530AM-10AM

                      EAGLES CLUB          WEDNESDAY   APRIL 19, 2017      1PM – 4PM

                     AMERICAN LEGION   WEDNESDAY   APRIL 19, 2017      6PM – 10PM

FIRST DRAFT          WEDNESDAY  APRIL 26, 2017   12:30PM - 1:30PM

Other stuff.  We will select the Officer Election Committee  Members on March 8.  Let a board member know if you are interested. 

We will also decide which charities we will support this year and name who is in charge of those fundraisers.

We are doing a league fundraiser at the March Dome Tourney.  Thursday & Friday 6am – 5pm   on March 16 & 17.  We will be selling food stuffs out of the concession stand.  Please contact me to sign up to help.

Another league fundraiser is Monday, March 27.  4pm – 10pm.   Pizza Ranch in Stewartville.  Contact Jim Cook if you would like to help busing tables for tips and a cut of sales.  Have your family and friends come out and eat.

And the last fundraiser is the pool tourney at the Fairgrounds.  We have not got a date yet.  We will need help serving people beverages.

Thanx for reading this.  Board Meetings every 2nd Wednesday of the month at the Eagles Club.  Shorly after the games or practices.

See you soon, Bill VW

Mike Ewen

July 16, 2016

To: All RMSS Members

From: Bill VonWald, League Coordinator

I hope you understand that I do not write these letters for nothing.  Important News…

August 3, 2016   Wednesday Games are at Bear Cave Park Just west of Stewartville.

Going south to Stewartville on Hwy 63…Turn right just after the Legion and Bowling alley.  You will be heading west, about 3 miles out on your left are the fields.

Same times…8:30am Batting Practice and Warm ups.  9:30am  Games played.

Next thing.  Rule clarification.  If you are a base runner, you may back up to avoid a tag.  There were some saying that if you back up, you give up, thus are out.  NOT THE CASE. You may move back, move forward, stand still, anything until you are tagged or forced out at the next base.  I hope I made that clear.

Next thing.  We need new people to step up and fill roles on the board.  We need more of you to get involved helping the league operate.  At this time…we need 2 new board members, but more will be needed soon.  Please see myself or your team manager.

Next.  The board agreed to send out the agenda for the meetings.  This was to have happened already, but we had an oversight. Sorry.  The past few agendas are now  posted with the meeting place and time on our web site.  See the new Board Meeting Agendas page replacing the Tournament page. 

Next.  You may have seen that pictures are being taken.  If you do not want you picture on our web site…just say so. 

The next board meeting is 8/10/16 at the Eagles Club.  Agenda will be out beforehand.  After the meeting, we will have the draft for the 4th session.

Next picnic…8/17/16.

That is all for now.  Thanx for taking the time to read this.  Remember 8/3 in Stewartville.

Thanx, Bill VW

RMSS golf update:  Duane Petersen, Matt Halleck and Gary Oldenburg won the June 22 outing and Mike Ewen, Bill Von Wald and Barry Oakland won the July 12 outing.  Next outing at Piper Hills (Plainview) on July 26.  Arrive about 9am for a 9:30 tee off. 

6/16/16 News:

o Another golf outing is planned for Tuesday 6/21 starting at 9:30 AM at the Piper Hills Course in Plainview. This will be our third event of the year with more planned about biweekly. Arrive by 9:00 AM to practice and be drafted by a team leader. We have had 10 and 9 at the last two events. Nine holes and then lunch in Elgin.  Winners of the 2nd event were the team of Duane Petersen, Tom Kowalewski and Ben Borgen with score of 35(-1) in a best shot format.  July golf outings are planned for 7/12 and 7/26.  More details will follow.

o RMSS will participate in the 6/24 RochesterFest Parade with a float, 25 walkers handing out candy and other items w/o throwing them, several players on the float, etc. Bruce Borgschatz will pull the float with his new Ford pickup - Thanks! We will be decorating the float starting about 1:30 PM at Bill Miller's house. Sign up to walk or ride via Jim Cook. Participants will arrive at Soldiers Field at 5:15 PM to get organized.

o Plan to attend our 7/6/2016 RMSS picnic as we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of RMSS along with all former and current sponsors, former and current players, et al. FUN will be had by all!

o Here's a great article on Jackson Douglas (Lois' grandson) who will be pitching for the Rochester Honkers tomorrow (Friday) starting at 7:05 PM at Mayo Field. Many of us have gotten to know Jackson over his awesome baseball career and practicing in the RCTC Dome this past Winter with his friend Ryan Goll (200' long toss with two super arms). This will be a great opportunity to see Jackson's skills and sit with the Douglas family to cheer on the Honkers!

www.postbulletin.com/sports/localsports/lcollege-baseball-douglas-getting-his-mound-groove-back-with-honkers/article_6531a772-1b59-5943-9c6f-c2dead302af4.html

Ben Borgen

5/19/16 update:

We need people who are interested in becoming managers for future sessions, this season and next year and also board members for next season.  Please contact Bill Von Wald for details.

Personal bats – Contact Dick Gosse 507-282-1693 for Dudleys or Ben Borgen 507-288-4768 for Mikans.  Both Dick and Ben can save you significant money over retail prices. 

Parade info from Media Coordinator Jim Cook

RMSS participation in the Rochesterfest Parade on June 24th.

RMSS has been “accepted” into the parade. We have been given some rules already - more details are supposed to come after June 1st.

For now, we – RMSSer, need to do some planning and get some parade participant commitments for approximately 25-30 RMSSers to participate in the parade (starts at 6:15 PM, need to be “in sequential position” by 5: 15 PM).

Some ”rules” already known are:

1. Only 25 “walkers” (around the float) are allowed. Some other number of participants can be on the float.
2. No throwing of “stuff” (eg super soft balls with RMSS stamped on them, pieces of candy, etc.)l We can hand things out.
3. Parade route: Starts at 6th St SW, approximately in front of the Soldiers’ Field memorial. Heads west to 7th Ave SW (corner of Edison School (District Administration building. At the Edison building, turn south several blocks, then diagonally northeast back to approximately where the parade started. Looks to be less than 3 miles.

Please read the following and, if you can participate in the roles listed below, please let one of the following “Parade Committee” members know ASAP (Ben Borgen, Jim Cook, Tom Schreiber, Rocky O’Dell). Also this email offers a proposed “float environment” while moving along the parade route. Feel free to make additional suggestions that you could carry out!!

1. Thanks to Deb Warnke and Tom Schreiber, we have a float reserved from Kasson’s J&J FLOATS – Kreidemacher. We need person[s]/vehicle[s] to  drive out to get the float, hitch it up, get back to our Rochester parade “slot”, pull the float and then bring the float back to Kasson, no later than noon on June 25th.

2. The RMSSers responsible for “decorating the float” need to be available approximately 1:30 PM on June 24th. As of today the float appears to be already “basically decorated’” with colored papers. I SUGGEST the following to add our own RMSS touches  – obviously indicating senior softball players

a. Put one of our pitching screens on the float. Have an RMSSer wearing at least his/her then team jersey, “pitching” a ball (?? Nerf ball, wiffle ball, ??) over the net. A second RMSSer catching the ball on the other side of the screen. One RMSSer posing as a non-swinging batter.

Determine if one of the float “players” is leaning on a crutch or wearing knee braces!

b. Try to come up with some way to indicate to those watching the parade, that we do perform some community service activities.  Our parade committee members will come up with a “short script” that RMSS participants can “recite” to any “media folks” that may interview us along the route. The script would include words on “fun, fellowship, service activities/organization we have already worked with.

[As part of the parade application form, we did include a “set of words” to be announced as our group passes some “parade announcers stand.” Jim Cook will bring a copy to our parade committee members next week to see if we can do some further “netting out.”

c. Assume we have 3 RMMSS banners. Ben Borgen to provided details on our two banners with our “current RMSS logo.” Bill Miller to have our older “Softball is a Passion” banner. TO be decided which banners are “on the float” and which are carried by RMSSers walking alongside the parade route -  front/back and sides of the floats/float tow vehicle.

3. Identify (get commitment from) the approximately 25-30 RMSSers, wearing their team jerseys and either standing on the float or walking. The walkers would be handing out (no throwing) “RMSS logoed soft balls and ?? candy.” Matt Halleck is currently in charge of ordering, obtaining our balls and candy to parade walkers.

4. Determine whether we want, and in consideration of the already float/tow vehicle length, want   additional “vintage vehicles” in our group.

Agenda for the upcoming June 1, 2016 Board Meeting:

ROCHESTER MINNESOTA SENIOR SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION

                                                    BOARD MEETING AGENDA

                                                  WEDNESDAY   JUNE 01, 2016

                                                     11:30 AM   EAGLES CLUB

CALL TO ORDER

ROLL CALL      OFFICERS, MEMBERS, & GUESTS

SECRETARY’S  REPORT     Deb W.

TREASURER’S  REPORT     Randy K.

WEB SITE REPORT        Mike E.

ACTIVITY CALENDER REVIEW   Bill VW

       UPCOMING DATES & TASKS

               Park & Rec. Discuss last game date.

                7/6 Picnic

                Upcoming Elections

MEDIA PLAN      Matt H. & Jim C.

              July 6th 10th Anniversary Picnic

OLD  BUSINESS

     1.  Face Mask Check out system update

     2.  Player Management Committee report

     3.  August 3rd playing fields

NEW BUSINESS

     1.   Publication of Meeting Agenda

     2.   Publication of Meeting Minutes

     3.   Charity Activities

ANNOUNCEMENTS

         A.  Cards

         B.  Medical updates

ADJOURNMENT

Sat, 4/23:

WOW - we had an awesome day at the D&R Pool Tournament yesterday. Our workers included Bill Miller, Bruce Gibson, Mike Ewen, Rocky O'Dell, Gary Thomas, Gary Oldenburg, and Ben Borgen.

Second record - our tips reached $863 from Thursday - Saturday of this year compared to the old record of $650 in 2015!!!! FANTASTIC! I will be depositing this money and then writing a check to RMSS at our May 4th RMSS Board Meeting. The money will go into our general fund and can be used for picnics, charities, celebrations, etc.

Thanks to our dedicated and perseverant RMSS workers who worked exceptionally hard all three days but especially yesterday - very minimal breaks! What a team!

The cost to play the 2016 season will be $48.00 ($40.00 if paid before or on April 6, 2016).  You can "sign up" for playing both Monday and Wednesday or only one of these days. 2016 early bird sign up sessions will be:

• 3/16 Wed 8:15-10:30am at the RCTC Dome
• 3/30 Wed Noon-3pm at the DAHLC (Don Abrams Healthy Living Center)
• 4/6 Wed Noon-4pm at the Historical Society

• 4/8, Fri Noon-4pm at the Eagles
• 4/20, Wed Noon-4pm at the Eagles