{{short description|Professional softball team}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} The '''Fort Wayne Scouts''' were a professional [[softball]] team that played in the [[men's professional softball leagues|American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL)]] in the 1979 season at the Tah-Cum-Wah Recreation Center in [[Fort Wayne, Indiana]].<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.softballhistoryusa.com/category/other/aspsl/|title=ASPSL – Softball History USA|website=www.softballhistoryusa.com}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://funwhileitlasted.net/2014/05/23/1979-fort-wayne-scouts-softball/|title=1979 Fort Wayne Scouts • Fun While It Lasted|date=May 23, 2014}}</ref>

==League history== During the late 1970s and early 1980s, several men's professional slow-pitch [[softball]] leagues were formed in the United States to build on the growth and talent in the booming men's amateur game during this period.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1977/07/29/slow-pitch-pros-fast-becoming-favorites/2dff2748-c53f-4fd6-9a20-b08f18cd2a5c/|title=Slow-Pitch Pros Fast Becoming Favorites|first=John|last=Feinstein|date=July 29, 1977|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1977/05/26/pro-slo-pitch-softball-debuts-sunday/cca52509-c3c2-4116-a1d7-323d2e1b6bc3/|title=Pro Slo-Pitch Softball Debuts Sunday|first=Russell|last=Carter|date=May 26, 1977|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref> The American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) was the first such league, launching in an era of experimentation in professional sports leagues. The APSPL was formed in 1977 by former [[World Football League]] front-office executive [[Bill Byrne (sports entrepreneur)|Bill Byrne]], who would go on to found the [[Women's Professional Basketball League]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64705618/valley-news/|title=Softball lures big names, .715 batting averages|newspaper=Valley News |date=May 25, 1977|pages=42|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64767329/the-journal-times/|title=Softball takes on a professional look | last = Eickhorst | first = Mark|newspaper=The Journal Times |date=April 3, 1977|pages=47|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Former New York Yankees star [[Whitey Ford]] was the first APSPL commissioner.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64607292/lansing-state-journal/|title=Slo-pitch czar named | agency = AP |newspaper=Lansing State Journal |date=July 21, 1977|pages=42|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64783650/the-courier-journal/|title=Ford's lack of a better idea has softball teams seething | first = Joel | last = Bierig | newspaper=The Courier-Journal |date=September 3, 1978|pages=8|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> The Scouts were named for the [[International Scout]] SUV, which was manufactured in Fort Wayne by their sponsor [[International Harvester]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64600536/vidette-messenger-of-porter-county/|title=Fort Wayne pro softball team forming|newspaper=Vidette-Messenger of Porter County |date=January 30, 1979|pages=11|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> The team was partially owned and managed by former [[Major League Baseball]] player [[Jim Rivera]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.angelfire.com/sd/slopitch/pro.html|title=Professional Slow Pitch Softball History|website=[[Angelfire]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64599743/democrat-and-chronicle/|title=Catching Z's |newspaper=Democrat and Chronicle |date=May 5, 1979|pages=7|via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

==Fort Wayne Scouts== Fort Wayne would put forward one of the worst records in the 6-year run of professional softball, finishing the 1979 season with a 8-56 (.172) record, 32.5 games behind the [[Milwaukee Schlitz]]. Milwaukee would take the APSPL title in 1979 over the [[Kentucky Bourbons]], with Schlitz player Rick Weiterman winning both the series and league MVP awards. This series was the first sporting event to air on the new sports network [[ESPN]].<ref name="idch">{{cite book|title=International Directory of Company Histories | volume = 56|date=2004|publisher=St. James Press|url=https://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/espn-inc-history/|accessdate=March 27, 2018|language=en|chapter=History of ESPN, Inc.}}</ref> No Scouts made the all-APSPL squad although Tommy Spahn, who had previously played for the [[Chicago Storm (professional softball team)|Chicago Storm]], and Cardell Collins, made the mid-season all-star game, played in [[Louisville, Kentucky]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65510078/the-courier-journal/|title=Scorecard: Softball: APSPL All-Star games|newspaper=The Courier-Journal |date=July 23, 1979|page =26|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Former Chicago player Mike Krolicki also suited up for Fort Wayne and Lou Banks (16 HRs) of the Scouts contributed on the year.<ref name="auto1"/> Dave Evilsizer and Dave France helped to lead the over-matched Scouts, trading off catching and pitching duties.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64905225/the-courier-journal/|title= Schroer hurls another shutout, but Bourbons split with Scouts | first = Jim | last = Terhune | newspaper=The Courier-Journal |date=June 3, 1979|page =47|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64905157/detroit-free-press/|title=Caesars sweep Scouts|newspaper=Detroit Free Press |date=July 5, 1979|page =75|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64906019/democrat-and-chronicle/|title=1,226 watch Zeniths win two games|newspaper=Democrat and Chronicle |date=June 17, 1979|page =54|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64811842/democrat-and-chronicle/|title=Decillis' first victory caps Zeniths' sweep | first = John | last = Kolomic|newspaper=Democrat and Chronicle |date=June 18, 1979|page =29|via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

==Fort Wayne Huggie Bears==

The [[men's professional softball leagues|North American Softball League (NASL)]] split from the APSPL after the 1979 season, as three teams came to the NASL from the APSPL &ndash; Fort Wayne, the [[Cleveland Jaybirds|Cleveland Stepien's Competitors]], owned by [[Ted Stepien]], who served as NASL President, along with the APSPL champion [[Milwaukee Schlitz]]. Six of the eight NASL teams (all except Fort Wayne and Milwaukee) were owned by Stepien.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-10-02-sp-45743-story.html|title=With This Team, He'd Better Have a Sense of Humor|date=October 2, 1994|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Former MLB player [[Mudcat Grant]] served as a PR official for the league.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thisgreatgame.com/mudcat-grant/|title=They Were There: The TGG Interview with Mudcat Grant}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65289366/lexington-leader/ | title= From cash to enthusiasm, new softball league has it all | first = Mike | last = Fields | newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader | date=16 May 1980 | page= B1 (16) }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65289431/lexington-leader/|title= Rardin seeks softball success | first = Mike | last = Fields |newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader |date=May 16, 1980|page = B5 (20) |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> The NASL would last just one season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/07/15/archives/connecticut-weekly-new-haven-pros-ride-slowpitch-boom.html|title=New Haven Pros Ride Slow‐Pitch Boom (Published 1979)|first=John|last=Cavanaugh|newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 15, 1979}}</ref> The Fort Wayne Huggie Bears were formed by Rivera and also played at the Tah-Cum-Wah Complex in Fort Wayne. The team was named after a lollipop manufactured by a local candy company.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64600705/tipton-county-tribune/|title= Huggie Bears sells suckers |newspaper=Tipton County Tribune |date=August 20, 1980|page =6|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64599789/the-indianapolis-news/|title=You Can Do It: Slo-Pitch Softball |newspaper=The Indianapolis News |date=September 20, 1980|page =35|via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

The Huggie Bears fared only slightly better than the Scouts, finishing the year 11-49 (.183), 36 games behind Milwaukee in the NASL Eastern Division.<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64904832/chicago-tribune/|title= New pro softball team sweeps home opener | first = Linda | last = Kay |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=May 25, 1980|page =60|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> No Huggie Bears made the all-pro team but Lou Banks and Cardell Collins represented Fort Wayne at the mid-season All-Star game played in [[Willoughby, Ohio]]. The team did feature former [[San Francisco Giant]] [[Bruce Miller (baseball)|Bruce Miller]], a Fort Wayne native.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64600742/the-indianapolis-star/|title='Huggies' Cuddle Into Last Place | first = Tom | last = Keating |newspaper=The Indianapolis Star |date=August 19, 1980|page =21|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/millebr01.shtml|title=Bruce Miller Stats|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64961034/the-lexington-herald/|title= Stallions Swap 6-3 Victories With Huggies |newspaper=The Lexington Herald |date=June 23, 1980|page =13|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64960992/lexington-leader/|title=Stallions write incredible screenplay | first = John | last = Clay |newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader |date=July 7, 1980|page =9|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Dave France pitched again for Fort Wayne in 1980, Cardell Collins and Lou Banks provided power, and Eddie Echols and Clint Werley added depth for the Huggie Bears.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64904786/the-lexington-herald/|title=Stallions Split With Fort Wayne|newspaper=The Lexington Herald |date=June 22, 1980|page = C5 (37) |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64905495/lexington-leader/|title=Stallions write incredible screenplay | first = John | last = Clay |newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader |date=July 7, 1980|page =9|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> The NASL disbanded at the end of the season, bringing the disastrous run of professional softball in Fort Wayne to a close.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64600283/the-courier-journal/|title=Rudderless? | first = Joel | last = Bierig |newspaper=The Courier-Journal |date=June 2, 1979|page =25|via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

==Fort Wayne year-by-year record==

{| class="wikitable" |- style="background: #F2F2F2;" ! Year !! Team name !! Record !! Pct !! Finish !! Division !! Playoffs !! League |- align=center | 1979 || Scouts || 8-56 || .172 || 4th || Midwestern || - || APSPL |- align=center | 1980 || Huggie Bears || 11-49 || .183 || 4th|| Western || - || NASL |- align=center

|}

==References== {{reflist}}

== External links == *[https://funwhileitlasted.net/2014/05/23/1979-fort-wayne-scouts-softball/ Fort Wayne Scouts on Fun While It Lasted] *[https://www.angelfire.com/sd/slopitch/pro.html Softball History Data] *[https://www.softballhistoryusa.com/ Softball History USA] *[https://detroitcaesars.weebly.com/ Detroit Caesars Online Home] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20190324200635/https://www.teamusa.org/usa-softball/national-softball-hall-of-fame National Softball Hall of Fame]

[[Category:Softball teams in Indiana]] [[Category:Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1979]] [[Category:Men's professional softball teams]] [[Category:Sports clubs and teams in Fort Wayne, Indiana]] [[Category:1979 disestablishments in Indiana]]