32 | APRIL 29 • 2021
SPORTS
A
year ago, nobody
knew if there
would be an Inter-
Congregational Men’s Club
Summer Softball League season.
The COVID-19 pandemic
had shut down activities across
the country. The 25th anniver-
sary season of one of the Metro
Detroit Jewish community’s
jewels was in jeopardy.
But the West Bloomfield
Parks and Recreation
Department reopened its dia-
monds in June, opening the
door for a league season.
The league took advantage of
the opportunity.
Games in the weekly league
began June 21, nearly two
months later than usual, and
continued right on through to
the playoffs in August. Rained-
out games were not made
up because of the condensed
schedule.
Fifteen teams competed, just
two fewer than the “normal”
2019 league season.
Fast forward to 2021. The
pandemic hasn’t gone away, but
neither has the league.
Opening day for the league’s
26th season was Sunday, April
25. Fifteen teams are playing in
the league once again. They’ll
compete each Sunday once
again on two diamonds at
Drake Sports Park and three
diamonds at Keith Sports Park
in West Bloomfield.
Each team will play 20 reg-
ular-season games (weather
permitting) and qualify for the
double-elimination playoffs,
scheduled to begin Aug. 8 and
conclude Aug. 15.
The prestigious Jeff Fox
Sportsmanship and Michael
Yendick “Pure Heart” awards
will be presented once again at
the end of the season.
No games are scheduled for
the Memorial Day and July 4
weekends, but league organizer
Steve Achtman is hoping a char-
ity game can be played on either
or both weekends.
“Hopefully, someone will step
up to the plate and put some-
thing together,
” he said.
An average of about 13 to 14
players are on each league team,
so there are about 200 players.
As for the league rules this
season, “the special COVID
rules we put in place last season
have been eliminated,
” Achtman
said. “Most of the guys didn’t
like them.
”
But social distancing and
masks are recommended. Also
recommended is for the catch-
er to stand farther behind the
batter than usual, and for the
umpire to call balls and strikes
from the side of the batter and
catcher.
Three league teams opted
not to play last season, but
Temple Shir Shalom added a
third team.
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
has returned this season, but
Shir Shalom No. 1 has dropped
out.
“Looking at the rosters, a
handful of guys who didn’t play
last year are back this year,”
Achtman said. “I hope that
means they feel comfortable
about playing.”
GRATEFUL FOR LAST YEAR
The importance of having a
league season last year isn’t
lost on Achtman. Many rec-
reational sports programs are
struggling to get back up and
running this year after being
shut down last year.
“If our league had skipped
a year, things could have fallen
apart,
” Achtman said. “It was
great to be able to play last year,
to have a sense of normalcy. I
know I was going stir crazy last
year at this time. Life still isn’t
the same now, so once again
having a league season is so
important.
”
Achtman and Michael
Betman have been running the
league as a tag team for several
years. They have a new partner
this year in Mitch Klein.
League teams once again are
divided into three divisions. Each
division has its own playoffs.
In the Greenberg Division
this season are defending divi-
sion champion Temple Israel
No. 6, along with Temple Israel
No. 2, No. 4, No. 5 and 2020
Koufax Division champion Shir
Shalom No. 2.
In the Koufax Division are
2020 Rosen Division champion
Adat Shalom Synagogue No.
1, along with Shaarey Zedek,
Temple Beth El and Temple
Israel No. 1 and No. 3.
In the Rosen Division are
Adat Shalom No. 2, Shir Shalom
No. 3, Bais Chabad Torah
Center, Congregation Beth Ahm
and Congregation Shir Tikvah.
Shir Shalom No. 2 and Adat
Shalom No. 1 each moved up a
division and two teams moved
down a division based on last
year’s results.
Players and fans can find
league results and other fea-
tures on the league’s website,
mensclubsoftball.org.
15 teams step up to the plate for 26th season of
the Inter-Congregational Men’s Club League.
Playing Softball
During a Pandemic
STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Temple Israel No. 6 team celebrates its Inter-Congregational
Men’s Club Summer Softball League Greenberg Division
championship last season.
CAROLYN KLINGER