SATURDAY V
SEPTEMBER 24TH
Champs: Jo Finn, Rebecca Lincoln, Julie Zorn, Karen Gordon and Ellen Michaels.
Steve Stein
Special to the Jewish News
W
inning is great, but the
bonds you share with team-
mates are more important.
That's the philosophy of the five
Jewish women who were on the team
that won the regular-season champion-
ship this summer in Southfield Parks
and Recreation's women's slowpitch
softball league.
Three of the women have been on
the team for several years. Two are new-
comers, but they've fit right it.
"This team is a tight group of won-
derful people," said third baseman
Karen Gordon, 45, of Farmington Hills.
"We've shared much more than just
softball over the years. Births, deaths,
marriage, divorce — you name it:'
It's been a painful summer for
Gordon, who partially ruptured her
Achilles tendon while playing in the
B'nai B'rith men's softball league and
tore it completely last month during a
dive off the diving board at the Jewish
Community Center in West Bloomfield.
She hobbled around with her right
foot in a boot while she served as
Detroit Maccabi delegation head at the
JCC Maccabi Games in Philadelphia
and had surgery Aug. 23 after she
returned home.
Despite that injury and many others
through the years, Gordon says she has
no intention of hanging up her softball
glove.
"I've been playing more than 35
years:' she said. "I feel I'm still good,
and I can compete with girls and guys
half my age. Plus, softball is fun, and I
love to win."
First baseman Julie Zorn, 44, and
second baseman Jo Finn, 42, both of
West Bloomfield, are the other Jewish
veterans.
Zorn said she loves playing softball,
but the best times with the team are
when everyone is joking around.
"If you make a boneheaded play,
you'll hear about for a long time she
said. "It's fun to spend time together
with this team on and off the field.
How can it not be fun with players who
have nicknames like Sneaky, Jojo, Flash,
OG (Old Girl), Stoop, Easy E, KathyKo,
Jewels, D-town and Trouble?"
Flash is Gordon, admittedly the slow-
est runner on the team. Zorn's nick-
name is Jewels.
Finn has been playing in the league
since she was 18. She said she's never
had a better time than now.
"I've always loved playing softball,
but more than that, I love playing
with this group of girls:' she said. "I've
known some since high school, and
others I've met over the years. I look
forward to spending every Thursday
evening over the summer with this
group, and I look forward all winter
long to softball season."
Pitcher Ellen Michaels, 47, of West
Bloomfield and outfielder Rebecca
Lincoln, 32, of Franklin are the new-
comers to the Jewish "fab five." They've
each been on the team for two years.
"I've loved playing softball ever
since I was old enough to swing a bat','
Michaels said.
Lincoln said she enjoys playing "with
such a great group of women."
The team is sponsored by Capitol
Mortgage Funding in Southfield and
the 24 Seconds Bar and Grill in Berkley.
Hall Of Fame Honorees
Journalist Mitch Albom, former base-
ball stars Irving "Pro" Boim, Bruce Seid
and Rick Seid, and ex-football standout
Hank Wineman will be inducted Nov.
7 into the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall
of Fame.
The annual dinner and induction
ceremony will return to Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, after being
held at the JCC in West Bloomfield the
past few years.
Lawyer Richard Bernstein will
receive the Alvin Foon Humanitarian
Award, and Jewish War Veterans Joseph
L. Bale Post 474 will be recognized.
For tickets, sponsorship and program
ad information or to donate items for
the silent auction, contact Michigan
Jewish Sports Foundation Executive
Director David Blatt at (248) 592-9323
or dblatt@michiganjewishsports.org .
More information will be published
in this column over the next few weeks.
Don't Forget David
David Sable played golf for Detroit
at the JCC Maccabi Games held last
month in Springfield, Mass. His name
was not included among Detroit's ath-
letes in last week's column. 7
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