30 | OCTOBER 14 • 2021 

A

euchre tournament 
and a Purim carnival 
are important 
chapters in the story of 
Congregation Shir Tikvah’s 
first championship in the 
Inter-Congregational Men’s 
Club Summer Softball League.
Without those chapters, 
there wouldn’t even be a team.
Shir Tikvah won the Rosen 
Division title this summer, 
beating Congregation Beth 
Ahm 9-6 in the division 
playoff championship game 
at Keith Sports Park in West 
Bloomfield after falling behind 
5-0 in the first inning.
Shir Tikvah of Troy joined 

the Inter-Congregational 
league in 2013.
Earlier that year, synagogue 
member Herschel Poger 
had a chance meeting and 
conversation with Chuck 
Freedman at a euchre 
tournament.
“While we were playing 
at the same table, Chuck 
mentioned that he was 
involved with the Inter-
Congregational league,” Poger 
said.
“I remembered the league 
because I had played in it in 
the 1990s for Adat Shalom 
Synagogue. I thought it 
would be great if Shir Tikvah 

had a team, so Chuck and I 
exchanged phone numbers.”
While he was at a Purim 
carnival at Shir Tikvah a 
few weeks later, Poger said, 
he spoke with five or six 
synagogue members who also 
were interested in forming a 
softball team.
An idea became reality.
Six players on the first Shir 
Tikvah softball team got to 
experience the team’s first 
championship eight years later. 
In addition to Poger, they are 
Matthew Bassin, Scott Litt, 
Mark and Jordan Small, and 
Ken Williams.
Pitching and defense are 
Shir Tikvah’s strengths. 
They have been 
through the years.
“We don’t have a 
lot of power. We’re a 
singles and doubles 
team,” Poger said. 
“Pitching and defense 
are never a problem.”
A big reason that 
pitching is a Shir Tikvah forte 
is Williams.
Off the softball diamond, 
Williams, 57, is the dean of 
mathematics and science at 
Oakland Community College, 
a job he’s had for four years 
after he was a math professor 
for 25 years at Marygrove 
College, which ended its 
undergraduate programs in 
2017.
“Ken looks like a college 
professor because he is a 
college professor,” Poger said. 
“He’s a humble guy and would 
never say this, but I think he’s 
the best pitcher in the league, 
in any division.”
Poger is a credible source 
when it comes to Williams’ 

pitching. He’s Shir Tikvah’s 
catcher.
Williams didn’t attend any 
preseason practices before Shir 
Tikvah debuted in the Inter-
Congregational league in 2013 
in a doubleheader.
He played left field for Shir 
Tikvah in its first game, a 
game in which Shir Tikvah lost 
big.
“Our pitchers couldn’t get 
the ball over the plate in that 
game,” Poger said.

‘I CAN PITCH’
Williams talked to Poger 
between games of the dou-
bleheader “and said the most 
important three words 
in our team’s history,” 
Poger said.
“Ken said, ‘I can 
pitch.’”
Besides pitching 
for the Big Rapids 
High School baseball 
team, Williams had 
pitched while playing 
intramural softball at the 
University of Michigan and in 
recreation softball leagues.
Even though he hadn’t 
pitched for a few years, 
Williams quickly regained his 
form.
“I can’t remember how we 
did in the second game of 
that doubleheader, but it was 
competitive,” Williams said.
His softball pitching strategy 
is simple.
“You must throw strikes,” he 
said. “Walks will kill you.”
Mark Small is Shir Tikvah’s 
backup pitcher.
“There isn’t much drop-off 
when Mark pitches,” Poger 
said. “Mark can play any 
position on the infield, so he’s 

SPORTS

Shir Tikvah’s fi
 rst Inter-Congregational 
league title was built on pitching, 
defense.

From Euchre 
to Purim to 
a Softball 
Championship

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Defense is a forte 
of the Congregation 
Shir Tikvah softball 
team. Mark Small 
is a big reason for 
that strength. 

HERSCHEL POGER

KEN WILLIAMS

Ken Williams

