1978 APSPL Champions
Ilitch made the team even better for 1978, adding Rick Trudeau, Larry Elkins and Chuck Drewicz from Snyder's, a Detroit amateur softball power team. Cleveland Jaybirds manager Tom Bruening said before their season opener, "we'll be overpowered by Detroit. There is no way you can stop them."
Detroit rolled again in 1978 with another league best record of 49-15 and received a first-round bye in the playoffs. In the APSPL semi-finals the Caesars again faced Cleveland winning 2-0 advancing to face the Minnesota Norsemen in the World Series. The Caesars would repeat as professional softball champions with a dominating 4-0 victory as Detroit's Bert Smith hit 15-16 (.940) with 5 home-runs and 16 RBIs.
Ron Ford of Detroit was edged out in the last game of the season by teammate Mike Nye in batting percentage (.654 to .645) to prevent his taking of triple-crown honors. Manager Gary Vitto offered to sit the two Caesars stars in the last game of the season as they were essentially tied for the battle title, but they elected to play and compete on the field. Ford went 2-5 and Nye 6-6 with two grand slams to take the batting crown. Ford still took home league MVP with 80 home-runs and 201 RBIs. Seven Detroit players were all-league (Ron Ford, Mike Nye, Doug Gerdes, Gary Geister, Mike Gouin, Jack Roudebush and newcomer Chuck Drewicz). Nye, Ford, Geister and Gouin finished top-10 in batting; Ford and Gerdes top-10 in home-runs and only Ford represented the Caesars in RBI leaders.
Former NASL commissioner and pro softball historian Robert Brown would declare the 1978 Detroit Caesars the all-time greatest professional softball team with 6 Caesars (Ford, Nye, Trudeau, Gouin, Smith, Gerdes) and manager Gary Vitto on the all-time team. The 1978 All-Star game actually featured the Caesars playing a team of all-stars chosen from all the other teams. The Caesars swept the double-header.
Detroit rolled again in 1978 with another league best record of 49-15 and received a first-round bye in the playoffs. In the APSPL semi-finals the Caesars again faced Cleveland winning 2-0 advancing to face the Minnesota Norsemen in the World Series. The Caesars would repeat as professional softball champions with a dominating 4-0 victory as Detroit's Bert Smith hit 15-16 (.940) with 5 home-runs and 16 RBIs.
Ron Ford of Detroit was edged out in the last game of the season by teammate Mike Nye in batting percentage (.654 to .645) to prevent his taking of triple-crown honors. Manager Gary Vitto offered to sit the two Caesars stars in the last game of the season as they were essentially tied for the battle title, but they elected to play and compete on the field. Ford went 2-5 and Nye 6-6 with two grand slams to take the batting crown. Ford still took home league MVP with 80 home-runs and 201 RBIs. Seven Detroit players were all-league (Ron Ford, Mike Nye, Doug Gerdes, Gary Geister, Mike Gouin, Jack Roudebush and newcomer Chuck Drewicz). Nye, Ford, Geister and Gouin finished top-10 in batting; Ford and Gerdes top-10 in home-runs and only Ford represented the Caesars in RBI leaders.
Former NASL commissioner and pro softball historian Robert Brown would declare the 1978 Detroit Caesars the all-time greatest professional softball team with 6 Caesars (Ford, Nye, Trudeau, Gouin, Smith, Gerdes) and manager Gary Vitto on the all-time team. The 1978 All-Star game actually featured the Caesars playing a team of all-stars chosen from all the other teams. The Caesars swept the double-header.
1978 APSPL Regular Season Final Standings
Eastern Division
New England Pilgrims (NE) 37-27 .578
Philadelphia Athletics (PHI) 29-35 .453 8.0
Trenton Statesmen (TRE) 28-36 .438 9.0
Rochester Zeniths (ROC) 22-42 .344 15.0
Central Division
Cincinnati Suds (CIN) 40-24 .625
Cleveland Jaybirds (CLE) 32-32 .500 8.0
Kentucky Bourbons (KEN) 30-34 .469 10.0
Pittsburgh Hardhats (PIT) 29-35 .453 11.0
Midwestern Division
Detroit Caesars (DET) 49-15 .766
Minnesota Norsemen (MIN) 40-24 .625 9.0
Milwaukee Schlitz (MIL) 38-28 .583 13.0
Chicago Storm (CHI) 11-53 .172 38.0
1978 APSPL All-Star Game
Detroit beat APSPL All-Stars 14-9, 8-3 (Exhibition Series)
All-Star Game MVP - Denny Brown, Pittsburgh
APSPL Playoffs 1st round
Cleveland beat Philadelphia 10-16, 8-4, 26-22; (2-1)
Cincinnati beat New England 9-6, 4-9, 27-17; (2-1)
Detroit and Minnesota (both received a 1st Round Bye)
APSPL Semi-finals
Detroit beat Cleveland 27-22, 30-24; (2-0)
Minnesota beat Cincinnati 28-15, 6-2; (2-0)
Playoff MVP - Jim Bizzell, Cleveland
APSPL World Series
Detroit beat Minnesota 22-16, 50-12, 24-16, 26-12; (4-0)
World Series MVP - Bert Smith, Detroit (15-16; .940, 5 HRs, 16 RBIs)
Eastern Division
New England Pilgrims (NE) 37-27 .578
Philadelphia Athletics (PHI) 29-35 .453 8.0
Trenton Statesmen (TRE) 28-36 .438 9.0
Rochester Zeniths (ROC) 22-42 .344 15.0
Central Division
Cincinnati Suds (CIN) 40-24 .625
Cleveland Jaybirds (CLE) 32-32 .500 8.0
Kentucky Bourbons (KEN) 30-34 .469 10.0
Pittsburgh Hardhats (PIT) 29-35 .453 11.0
Midwestern Division
Detroit Caesars (DET) 49-15 .766
Minnesota Norsemen (MIN) 40-24 .625 9.0
Milwaukee Schlitz (MIL) 38-28 .583 13.0
Chicago Storm (CHI) 11-53 .172 38.0
1978 APSPL All-Star Game
Detroit beat APSPL All-Stars 14-9, 8-3 (Exhibition Series)
All-Star Game MVP - Denny Brown, Pittsburgh
APSPL Playoffs 1st round
Cleveland beat Philadelphia 10-16, 8-4, 26-22; (2-1)
Cincinnati beat New England 9-6, 4-9, 27-17; (2-1)
Detroit and Minnesota (both received a 1st Round Bye)
APSPL Semi-finals
Detroit beat Cleveland 27-22, 30-24; (2-0)
Minnesota beat Cincinnati 28-15, 6-2; (2-0)
Playoff MVP - Jim Bizzell, Cleveland
APSPL World Series
Detroit beat Minnesota 22-16, 50-12, 24-16, 26-12; (4-0)
World Series MVP - Bert Smith, Detroit (15-16; .940, 5 HRs, 16 RBIs)
1978 APSPL League Leaders
Batting Average |
Home Runs |
RBIs |
.654 - Mike Nye, DET |
80 - Ron Ford, DET |
201 - Ron Ford, DET |
.645 - Ron Ford, DET |
70 - Dale Palm, MIN |
166 - Dale Palm, MIN |
.634 - Gene Parrish, MIN |
65 - John Locke, MIN |
141 - Fred Miller, KEN |
.634 - Ken Parker, MIL |
59 - Bob McMahon, MIN |
141 - Joe Russell, MIN |
.614 - Dale Palm, MIN |
57 - Fred Miller, KEN |
138 - Mike Applin, CIN |
.601 - Mike Gouin, DET |
54 - Bill Gatti, KEN |
137 - Phil Higgins, MIL |
.600 - Denny Brown, PIT |
53 - Joe Russell, MIN |
136 - John Locke, MIN |
.596 - Gary Geister, DET |
53 - Doug Gerdes, DET |
132 - Bill Gatti, KEN |
.594 - Joe Russell, MIN |
50 - Benny Holt, CHI |
130 - Benny Holt, CHI |
.594 - Don Ragozzine, NE |
49 - Phil Higgins, MIL |
129 - Jim Dillard, MIL |
129 - John Spadaccino, TRE |
1978 APSPL All Pro Team
P- Chuck Drewicz, Detroit, John Locke, Minnesota
C- Jim Bizzell, Cleveland, Bob McMahon, Minnesota, Benny Holt, Chicago
IF- Gary Bello, New England, Don Rardin, Cincinnati, Rick Page, Rochester, Joe Russell, Minnesota, Denny Brown, Pittsburgh, Jack Roudebush, Detroit, Gary Geister, Detroit, Doug Gerdes, Detroit, Don Ragozzine, New England
OF- Ron Ford, Detroit (MVP), Fred Miller, Kentucky, Mike Foley, Trenton, Mike O'Brien, Cincinnati,
Mike Nye, Detroit, Dale Palm, Minnesota, Bill Gatti, Kentucky, Ken Parker, Milwaukee, Mike Gouin, Detroit, Gene Parrish, Minnesota, Phil Higgins, Milwaukee, Johnny Dollar, Philadeplhia
P- Chuck Drewicz, Detroit, John Locke, Minnesota
C- Jim Bizzell, Cleveland, Bob McMahon, Minnesota, Benny Holt, Chicago
IF- Gary Bello, New England, Don Rardin, Cincinnati, Rick Page, Rochester, Joe Russell, Minnesota, Denny Brown, Pittsburgh, Jack Roudebush, Detroit, Gary Geister, Detroit, Doug Gerdes, Detroit, Don Ragozzine, New England
OF- Ron Ford, Detroit (MVP), Fred Miller, Kentucky, Mike Foley, Trenton, Mike O'Brien, Cincinnati,
Mike Nye, Detroit, Dale Palm, Minnesota, Bill Gatti, Kentucky, Ken Parker, Milwaukee, Mike Gouin, Detroit, Gene Parrish, Minnesota, Phil Higgins, Milwaukee, Johnny Dollar, Philadeplhia