A Defining Moment

[horseshoehustler]

Amen Vicki..................

[Dave]

A double Amen to Vicki's comment about NatStats and our current NatStat Guy, Glenn Jamieson. A little history might fill in some blanks. In 1983, NHPA President Glen Portt appointed me NHPA Statistician with the intent of trying to better determine pitching averages of the top men and women. It was a difficult task because all the data available to me at that time came from tournament results posted in the News Digest published by Ellis Cobb. In 1985 when I was elected NHPA President, one of my first priorities was to investigate the possibility of developing some type of electronic system to accept tournament results that would maintain and establish pitching averages for all those players who were reported. The NHPA put the word out and a couple of proposals were presented by members. The Council ultimately accepted a software program presented by Oliver Smith, a member of the Northern California Charter. Oliver was the NatStat Director for the first few years until his death. Glen Jamieson, also a NorCal member who had become familiar with Oliver's work, took over NatStats and has updated and improved the system to what we have now. As Vicki mentioned, it may not be perfect but it is very good and the best percentage record keeping system the NHPA has ever had.

[Fred]

I totally agree with Vicki about NatStats.  People who have been members of the NHPA less than 20 years don't understand the problems before the advent of a national computerized system to track ringer averages.

It wasn't until around 1965, that Michigan began to keep ringer averages to seed members in tournaments.  Before that it was either up to the tournament committee to seed pitchers, or qualification was used.  Qualifying had its own set of problems.  More than just cheatifying, there were very good pitchers that couldn't qualify well, good pitchers that could qualify very well and pitchers could figure out that if they qualified under their average they would have a very good chance of winning their group.  At first a running average was used but that was replaced with a top three tournament average a few years later, and that remained in place until NatStats come along.  Pitchers kept their top three tournament average for the entire season, which caused problems.  A pitcher that played in 20 tournaments usually had three very good tournaments that were above that pitcher's actual abilities to maintain such an average.  A pitcher could carry a 40% average for an entire season even though he was closer to a 33% average.  On the other hand high average pitchers seemed to like that system because it would guarantee being in a high class at tournaments.  Going into a mid-season slump wouldn't affect them and they could continue playing until they worked themselves out of it.

Also, imagine the work of the statistician during that time period.  There were no computers, or calculators and they had to add the numbers together with adding machines and hand divide for the average.  Since there were no word processors, and everything had to be done on a typewriter, they would have to either erase or white-out an entry to replace an average and calculate a new one.  That was one of the main reason why a top three tournament average was kept to cut down on the statistician's workload.  A running average would also have to be changed weekly, too, and if there were 60 or 70 tournament entries that would require a lot of work.

In 1991, we developed a computerized system to keep ringer averages here in Michigan.  Our main problem was trying to identify pitchers since there were no permanent numbers at the time.  Card numbers would change every year and that would had been a nightmare having to change everyone's number especially if there were 300, or 600 members in a charter.  The system we devised was using a number like 13 (1 for man, 3 for 30-foot) to identify a 30-foot man, 23 for a woman, 14 for a 40-foot man, and other numbers to identify different divisions, guests and out-of-state pitchers.  Then they were assigned a four digit number to alphabetize the printouts.  For example a 40-foot pitcher with the last name of Smith would have the ID number 147500, or Aaron 140010.  The weakness to that system was that everyone was listed under their division and tournament directors didn't like to have to go to different pages to find ringer averages because we had adopted a mixed pitching format in 1989.

When NatStats was in its planning stages there were two problems that had to be overcome.  First was the identification number.  Since we were using a computerized ID system, Dave Loucks called and asked how it worked.  After explaining it he wondered how an ID system like that could be used nationally.  It was complicated and the main problem would be teaching charters how to give out ID numbers.  That's when the permanent card number came into being led by a designated charter number.

The second problem was how to derive a ringer average.  Dave asked charter presidents for their opinion from the options of a running average, a top three average, or a top three average based on the last ten tournaments or 12 month period and send the responses to Barry Chappelle, who was the chair of the rules committee.  I was one of the few who replied and went for the last ten or twelve month period option.  What I liked best about it was that it encouraged participation, and since Michigan is a cold weather state, it would help get pitchers out a month earlier because a poor tournament wouldn't immediately affect their average.

Vicki is right when she says NatStats is not a perfect system.  Most pitchers take pride in their average and want to keep it as high as possible.  When they go into slumps and close in on dropping one of their high averages they may stop playing because they want to be in as high of a class as possible at a world or state tournament.  It also gives the opportunity for those who have that one day where everything goes right and pitch way over their average to pitch in ten more tournaments to get that average dropped.  Compared to what it used to be the present NatStats system is the best the NHPA has had, and probably the best the NHPA will ever have.

[Dave]

Thank you Fred for adding more information about the permanent NHPA card and how the current method of determining a NatStat average came about. These were probably the two major stumbling blocks that had to be overcome before we could commit to a electronic record keeping system. The NHPA received valuable input from some charters, Michigan being one but, not all charters were supportive of having pitching averages determined by a National system.  Many charters were using  their own systems and there were probably a half-dozen or more being used around the country. Not only did a National run system mean developing a new permanent membership card and a set method to determine averages, it also meant developing new forms and reporting procedures for the Charters to use. Again, this meant a bit more work for the charters and during the first few years of NatStats, some charters were reluctant and very slow to support and report tournament results. Fortunately, that is pretty much all behind us but the NatStats Guy still reports every year that more than a handful of events go months before a report arrives from the charter if in fact it arrives at all. Our current NatStats system or anything that might one day replace it can only be as current as the information it receives.

[groberts]

A qualifying dilemma occurred at the 1962 World Tournament in Greenville. Floyd Toole of Arkansas and Ralph Lackey of Ohio tied for the 36th spot in the Championship Division with an identical score of 492 points. Upon checking the scoresheet, it was
discovered that they also had the same number of ringers. it was decided that each player would throw an additional 50 shoes
to determine who would be in the Championship. The shoes had to be thrown immediately since it was already late and it
would be necessary to get schedules printed.

Unfortunately, Ralph had already gone to the motel and was asleep. A messenger was sent to awaken Ralph and inform him to
get to the courts to pitch his 50 shoes. Floyd Toole was successful in getting this last spot and finished 16th with an average
of about 78%. Ralph made it to the finals in Class B but finished last in that group.

[tnminority]

How many pitchers usually attempted to qualify, how many classes, etc., in the good old days of "qualifying"?  Great stuff here about the past.

[groberts]

In 1967 Jim Knisley, George Stifel, and I traveled to Fargo, North Dakota for the World Tournament. That year only the top
100 qualifiers would get to pitch. I threw 126 ringers out of 200 shoes in my qualification round. This placed me as the 101st
qualifier! Not a single person dropped out leaving me as a spectator. Thanks to a generous supply of Grain Belt and the presence of several young ladies, I managed to enjoy the tournament.

[Fred]

In 1968, there were about 250 people who attempted to qualify, and about half of them were for the men's division.  Some qualified in the men's plus the senior's, or intermediate's divisions, but they could only pitch in one.  There were three men's classes, A, which had 36, B and C which had 32 each for a total of 100.  It took about 400 points and 110 ringers to make the top 100.  Class A played a 36-man round robin schedule, six games a night, starting on a Thursday, for five nights and five games on the final night, a Tuesday, weather permitting, while B and C were divided into four 8-man groups with the top two in each of those groups advancing to the finals played over a two day period.  The championship classes of the women's, junior boy's, senior's and intermediates were groups of eight, junior girl's had six, while the other classes within those divisions had six and all play was completed in one day, Wednesday.  In 1969, a Class D was added which consisted of 16 pitchers.  Not sure after that when more classes were added, or when a Class B and a Class C come about in the world tournament format.

Here's an interesting quote from Vicki, the defending champion and automatic top seed, taken from the Wednesday, July 31, 1968, edition of the Keene Evening Sentinel: "I like to keep winning so I don't have to qualify," she quipped at courtside.  "I haven't played in any tournaments this year but I've been practicing hard on my home court."

I remember reading in one of her other posts that even though she is in Oregon's hall of fame she never pitched a game in her former home state.  When I began pitching in 1966, I was told juniors could only play in national opens or the state championships, and not regular district tournaments in Michigan.  I would venture to say that the way things in horseshoes presently are we've come a long ways since those days.  Mixed pitching may have its detractors but at least everyone is able to pitch and be competitive.

[Fred]

Recently a friend of mine was rummaging through Chief Okemos Sportmans Club's clubhouse attic of which the Dimondale Horseshoe Club was once a part.  He found a few boxes of tournament results, picture slides, NHPA "News Digest" and many newspaper articles.  Two such articles of particular interest come from the 1971 World Tournament published in the Middlesex Chronicler.  The first article was written by George Govlick, Sports Editor, and the second article was written by Joe Sullivan.

'Deadeye' aims for crown in junior 'shoe pitching

Middlesex -- Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Eureka, Calif., hopes to become the youngest boy ever to win a junior championship in a World Horseshoe Pitching tournament.

Bob Pence, secretary-treasurer of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association of America, who has been in the game for a half a century, says that no boy under 12 has ever won the coveted crown.

Walter is just 11 and won't be 12 until Oct. 6, and by tonight -- if the junior finals are not postponed by more rain -- may be the youngest to ever win the world title.

The setting is Mountain View Park's 24 clay courts, where Walter yesterday posted a qualifying score of 132 out of a possible 150 pitching 42 ringers in 50 attempts.

Only two of his shoes, tossed from 30 feet, failed to finish within six inches of the stake, which is the scoring distance.

It was a bit of a disappointment for Walter, since he had hoped to erase world junior qualifying records of 46 ringers and 141 points.  He had broken these marks in practice sessions, once bagging 48 ringers and 146 points.

His chief opponent could come from defending champion Bill Holland of Indianapolis, who nipped young Williams last year with 79.7 ringer percentage to Williams' 78.7 mark.  Holland is 16 years old.

Williams is called "Deadeye" by horseshoe people for obvious reasons.  He's only been pitching regulation shoes for about 18 months, and already is the Western States and California junior boys champ, and also won the prestigious Redwood Empire Open junior title.

Walter became interested in horseshoes through his father.  In fact, the Williams household of mom, Esther (former California women's champ) and four boys and three girls is a horseshoe pitching family, with young Walter by far the best.

He is a student of the game and says: "I read up a lot on horseshoe pitching and watch films.  We have films on Don Titcomb of San Jose, and I study his style a lot."

Titcomb was the 1960 world men's champ and is a personal friend of the Williams family, and even though he is a lefty, righty Walter has able to adopt what he considers the best of Titcomb's style to his own.

Walter says that he practices about two hours a day with his 1 1/4 shoe turn throw.

"Sure I get nervous sometimes," he says, "but I pitch better when I'm nervous and under pressure.  I may be better than a lot of the other kids because I throw my shoes a little slower.

"I think I relax a little bit more than most of them and let my shoes just go naturally."

Walter Ray knocks 'em dead

Middlesex -- Walter Ray Williams knocked 'em dead.

The 11-year old from Eureka, Calif., received the biggest ovation of the tournament from the fans, after he shattered all records, in winning the Junior Boy's title at the 1971 World Horseshoe Pitching Tournament at Mountain View Park last night.

Walter Ray's total tournament percentage was 86.3, which exceeded Mark Seibold's 83.9 in 1970.  He also broke the single game record by tossing 31 ringers in 32 throws for 96.8 to break Seibold's 91.7.  In his other top games he had 30 of 36 and 40 of 44.  For the entire round-robin he connected for 302 ringers in 350 shoes.

To win the title, Walter defeated defending champion Bill Holland of Indianapolis, 51-30, while connecting for 83 ringers in 94 attempts.  It was the only round-robin loss for Holland, as he threw 80.9 percent in the tourney.

Holland also added some spice to the scene as he was adorned in red, white, blue and starred bell bottoms with matching red, white and blue shoes.  It was an unusual bit of showmanship in horseshoes.

After winning, young Williams was all smiles as the spectators applauded.  "Deadeye," as he is called by fellow pitchers, was extremely shy and content after his victory.  He was quite pleased with his performance, since he wanted to set the records.

He has six more years to terrorize the junior division.  When asked what's left for him, Walter Ray replied, "Just the men's championship."