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CHINESE PEOPLE

EAT HERE

The Boys Of
Not-Yet Summer

Mark Weiss of Beth Ahm hits the ball during a cold opening day for the
InterCongregational Men’s Club Summer Softball League.

Steve Stein | Contributing Writer

O

pening day for the
InterCongregational Men’s
Club Summer Softball League
wasn’t very summer-like.
Temperatures struggled to get into
the 50s and rain fell May 1 as the league
began its 21st season with a record 17
teams, one more than last year.
Each team will play 16 weekly
Sunday regular-season games at
Community Sports Park and Drake
Sports Park, both in West Bloomfield.
Playoffs will begin Aug. 7 and continue
for two more weeks.
“Right now, our plan is for every
team to make the playoffs,” said Chuck
Freedman, who runs the league with
Michael Betman and Steve Achtman.
The league will take a break on
Memorial Day weekend, but its
annual benefit softball game for West
Bloomfield Relay for Life will be held
May 29. Players can participate for a
minimum $5 donation.
Postseason playoffs once again will
feature a brunch for players and their
families and the presentation of the Jeff
Fox Sportsmanship Award, named in
honor of a Temple Shir Shalom player
who died in 2011.
Each team nominates a player for the
award and the winner is chosen in a
drawing.
Freedman estimates teams have an
average of 17 or 18 players apiece. Using
the lower figure, that means nearly 300
men from Reform, Conservative and
Orthodox congregations across the area
will play in the league this season.
Players must be at least age 18. There
are players at the other end of the age
spectrum, like 76-year-old pitcher Bob
Tarnow from Shir Shalom.
“We’re seeing more younger play-
ers each year, and fathers playing with
sons,” Freedman said. “That’s great
because we’re becoming a generational
league. And some of the younger rabbis
in the area are getting involved.”
Besides Shir Shalom, teams represent
Adat Shalom Synagogue; Bais Chabad
Torah Center; B’nai Israel Synagogue;
Congregations Beth Ahm, B’nai Moshe,
Shaarey Zedek, Shir Tikvah and Young
Israel of Southfield; and Temples Beth

El, Kol Ami and Israel.
Freedman has watched the league’s
roster grow from eight to 17 teams
since he first played in 2007.
In an era where many recreational
sports leagues are struggling to sur-
vive, Freedman was asked, why is the
InterCongregational softball league
growing?
“For one, we’re less competitive than
most men’s softball leagues,” Freedman
said. “Don’t get me wrong, our guys are
competitive, but we have players with a
wide variety of skill levels. We’re more
about camaraderie and having fun. Lots
of family members come out to watch
games, especially if the weather is nice.”
Shir Shalom is the defending league
champion. That sentence has been
written many times. Shir Shalom has
won 11 championships in the league’s
20-year history.
Last year’s success was Shir Shalom’s
first championship since 2012, when its
stretch of four titles in a row came to an
end. Temple Israel No. 1 won in 2013
and Temple Israel No. 2 won in 2014.
Shir Shalom went 13-1 during the
regular season last year, earning the No.
1 seed in the playoffs, then won four
straight postseason games. Information
is updated on the league’s website,
mensclubsoftball.org.

GREENBERG ON THE TEE
There’s still time to participate and
become a sponsor in the 26th annual
Hank Greenberg Memorial Golf
Invitational on June 13 at Franklin Hills
Country Club.
Former baseball star Shawn Green
will receive the Hank Greenberg
Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ex-Detroit News baseball writer Tom
Gage will be presented the Dick Schaap
Award for Media Excellence. Dr.
Michael Lutz, president of the Michigan
Institute of Urology Men’s Health
Foundation, will receive the Barry
Bremen Memorial Inspiration Award.
Contact David Blatt at (248) 592-
9323 or dlbatt@michiganjewishsports.
org for information, or go to
www.michiganjewishsports.org.

*

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