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Detroit Caesars
The Detroit Caesars were a professional softball team played in the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) from 1977 to 1979.
Prior to formalized professional play, Detroit was a hotbed for softball, with some of the top players in the country playing in competitive local leagues and for national softball championships. A major sponsor of softball in the Detroit area was Little Caesar's Pizza, whose team had won the 1970 Amateur Softball Association national title with future Caesars Mike Gouin, Tex Collins, and Tony Mazza. Little Caesar's was founded and owned by Mike Ilitch, a former Detroit Tigers farmhand and later the owner of the MLB team, one of several professional sports teams he was eventually to own. The Caesars were his first independent step into professional sports ownership. Ilitch has previously been part-owner of the Detroit Wheels, a football team that played in the World Football League for the 1974 season, and a member of a 33-person ownership group that included Motown singer Marvin Gaye.
The APSPL was formed by former World Football League executive Bill Byrne, who would go on to form the Women's Professional Basketball League. Former New York Yankees player Whitey Ford was brought on to serve as league commissioner. The Caesars would play at Memorial Field in East Detroit, a small suburb of Detroit, and with promotions tied in with the pizza chain, Ilitch signed former Detroit Tiger stars, Jim Northrup, Mickey Stanley, Jim Price and Norm Cash to play part-time and promotional roles to boost attendance. Amateur all-world softball players Mike Nye, Ron Ford, Bert Smith, Mike Gouin and Tex Collins were signed to play for the Caesars. Showing his financial commitment to winning, Ilitch even signed Ford and Nye to personal service contracts with Little Caesar's, employing them through the company, and did the same for Cash and Northrup. In 1977, Ford and Nye would make $25,000 a year with the Caesars as a result; Northtrup and Cash $30,000. The Major League Baseball minimum salary in 1977 was $19,000.
The team was led by manager Gary Vitto, and the Caesars would win two World Series titles before disbanding after the 1979 season. Vitto would go on to serve as General Manager of the Detroit Drive of the Arena Football League and then served in the front office of the Detroit Tigers until his death in 2001.
Five members of the Detroit Caesars are in the American Softball Association Hall of Fame - Mike Gouin, Carl "Tex" Collins, Mike Nye, Ron Ford and Bert Smith. In addition, former Caesars Cal Carmen, Gary Vitto and Chuck Drewicz are members of the United States Slowpitch Softball Association (USSSA) Hall of Fame.
In 1977, Detroit dominated the league with a league-best record of 42–14, two games ahead of the Kentucky Bourbons' 40–16 mark. The opening series against the Chicago Storm got attention in the league as the Caesars hit 49 home-runs in winning 3 of a 4-game series in Chicago (28-21, 25–27, 31–18, 46-24). Chicago owner Lou Knudston said of the Caesars, "they've got a bunch of guys who stand 6'4" and weigh about 280, and they walk up there and whack it out of sight." He proposed modifying stadiums and deadening balls after that first weekend. In the post-season, Detroit and Kentucky received first-round playoff byes and the Caesars beat the Cleveland Jaybirds 2–1 (4–7, 22–5, 8–6) in a tight series as Jaybird pitcher took advantage of the larger Trechter Stadium in Cincinnati to negate the power-game of Detroit in the opener. Gary Geister hit a pair of 3-run homers to lead a blowout in the second game, and then delivered a 2-run home-run in the 4th inning of the 3rd and deciding game to take the series.
Detroit advanced to the first professional softball World Series against the Baltimore Monuments and hosted the series with the league-best record. The Caesars would dominate the series and win 4–0 (18–16, 13–8, 25–16, 28–11) with Mike Nye (.600, 2 HRs) taking the MVP trophy.
Six Caesars made the all-league team - Mike Gouin (.561 BA, 35 HRs, 124 RBIs), Ron Ford (.607, 85 HRs, 184 RBIs, 150 runs scored), Mike Nye (.659, 36 HRs, 104 RBIs), Bert Smith (.512, 53 HRs, 122 RBIs), Tony Mazza (23-6 pitching record) and Doug Gerdes (.599, 60 HRs, 124 RBIs). Caesars Jim Mitchell (.603, 37 HRs, 77 RBIs), Al Gibson (.527, 26 HRs, 60 RBIs) and Tex Collins (.569, 61 HRs, 119 RBIs) had excellent seasons in support. Only a triple-crown performance by league MVP Chicago Storm catcher Benny Holt (.690, 89 HRs, 187 RBIs) could overshadow the individual performances by various Caesars.
Detroit Caesars
The Detroit Caesars were a professional softball team played in the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) from 1977 to 1979.
Prior to formalized professional play, Detroit was a hotbed for softball, with some of the top players in the country playing in competitive local leagues and for national softball championships. A major sponsor of softball in the Detroit area was Little Caesar's Pizza, whose team had won the 1970 Amateur Softball Association national title with future Caesars Mike Gouin, Tex Collins, and Tony Mazza. Little Caesar's was founded and owned by Mike Ilitch, a former Detroit Tigers farmhand and later the owner of the MLB team, one of several professional sports teams he was eventually to own. The Caesars were his first independent step into professional sports ownership. Ilitch has previously been part-owner of the Detroit Wheels, a football team that played in the World Football League for the 1974 season, and a member of a 33-person ownership group that included Motown singer Marvin Gaye.
The APSPL was formed by former World Football League executive Bill Byrne, who would go on to form the Women's Professional Basketball League. Former New York Yankees player Whitey Ford was brought on to serve as league commissioner. The Caesars would play at Memorial Field in East Detroit, a small suburb of Detroit, and with promotions tied in with the pizza chain, Ilitch signed former Detroit Tiger stars, Jim Northrup, Mickey Stanley, Jim Price and Norm Cash to play part-time and promotional roles to boost attendance. Amateur all-world softball players Mike Nye, Ron Ford, Bert Smith, Mike Gouin and Tex Collins were signed to play for the Caesars. Showing his financial commitment to winning, Ilitch even signed Ford and Nye to personal service contracts with Little Caesar's, employing them through the company, and did the same for Cash and Northrup. In 1977, Ford and Nye would make $25,000 a year with the Caesars as a result; Northtrup and Cash $30,000. The Major League Baseball minimum salary in 1977 was $19,000.
The team was led by manager Gary Vitto, and the Caesars would win two World Series titles before disbanding after the 1979 season. Vitto would go on to serve as General Manager of the Detroit Drive of the Arena Football League and then served in the front office of the Detroit Tigers until his death in 2001.
Five members of the Detroit Caesars are in the American Softball Association Hall of Fame - Mike Gouin, Carl "Tex" Collins, Mike Nye, Ron Ford and Bert Smith. In addition, former Caesars Cal Carmen, Gary Vitto and Chuck Drewicz are members of the United States Slowpitch Softball Association (USSSA) Hall of Fame.
In 1977, Detroit dominated the league with a league-best record of 42–14, two games ahead of the Kentucky Bourbons' 40–16 mark. The opening series against the Chicago Storm got attention in the league as the Caesars hit 49 home-runs in winning 3 of a 4-game series in Chicago (28-21, 25–27, 31–18, 46-24). Chicago owner Lou Knudston said of the Caesars, "they've got a bunch of guys who stand 6'4" and weigh about 280, and they walk up there and whack it out of sight." He proposed modifying stadiums and deadening balls after that first weekend. In the post-season, Detroit and Kentucky received first-round playoff byes and the Caesars beat the Cleveland Jaybirds 2–1 (4–7, 22–5, 8–6) in a tight series as Jaybird pitcher took advantage of the larger Trechter Stadium in Cincinnati to negate the power-game of Detroit in the opener. Gary Geister hit a pair of 3-run homers to lead a blowout in the second game, and then delivered a 2-run home-run in the 4th inning of the 3rd and deciding game to take the series.
Detroit advanced to the first professional softball World Series against the Baltimore Monuments and hosted the series with the league-best record. The Caesars would dominate the series and win 4–0 (18–16, 13–8, 25–16, 28–11) with Mike Nye (.600, 2 HRs) taking the MVP trophy.
Six Caesars made the all-league team - Mike Gouin (.561 BA, 35 HRs, 124 RBIs), Ron Ford (.607, 85 HRs, 184 RBIs, 150 runs scored), Mike Nye (.659, 36 HRs, 104 RBIs), Bert Smith (.512, 53 HRs, 122 RBIs), Tony Mazza (23-6 pitching record) and Doug Gerdes (.599, 60 HRs, 124 RBIs). Caesars Jim Mitchell (.603, 37 HRs, 77 RBIs), Al Gibson (.527, 26 HRs, 60 RBIs) and Tex Collins (.569, 61 HRs, 119 RBIs) had excellent seasons in support. Only a triple-crown performance by league MVP Chicago Storm catcher Benny Holt (.690, 89 HRs, 187 RBIs) could overshadow the individual performances by various Caesars.