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

