Softball
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RI ASA Mens's Fast Pitch/Slow Pitch
State Champions 1935 Crown Manufacturing (RI champ)
1936 Hitching Post 1937 Hitching Post 1938 Newport Oil 1939 Fairlawn Mules 1940 Lindy's Trojans 1941 Lindy's Trojans 1942 Cranston Universals *1943 United Wire & Supply *1944 Monowatt Electric *1945 Monowatt Electric *1946 Monowatt Electric 1947 Monowatt Electric 1948 Monowatt Electric 1949 Speeds Sales 1950 Monowatt 1951 Garelicks 1952 Imperial Knife 1953 Ace Hardware 1954 Ace Hardware (A) East Providence FOP #1 (B) 1955 Mancini Hardware (A) Superior Fuels (B) 1956 Mancini Hardware (A) St. Regis Paper (B) 1957 Coventry Creamery (A) St. Regis Paper (B) 1958 Ace Hardware (A) St. Regis Paper (B) 1959 Local 57 Engineers (Major) General Insulated Wire (A) Providence Merchants (B) Greenville Fire Co. (Slow Pitch) 1960 Penn TV (Major) 1 Club of Woonsocket (B) The First & Last Chance Cafe (Slow-Pitch) 1961 Ace Hardware (Major) Vermette's of Woonsocket (B) Antonelli's Restaurant (Slow Pitch) 1962 Ace Hardware (Major) Russo's Lounge (Open - Slow Pitch) WPRO-TV (Industrial - Slow Pitch) 1963 Come Along Inn (Major) Quinn Packing (Open - Slow Pitch) R.I.D.P.W (Industrial - Slow Pitch) 1964 Crompton PNA (Major) Quinn Packing (Open - Slow Pitch) Providence Post Office (Industrial - Slow Pitch) 1965 Reich TV (Major) Penn TV (Open - Slow Pitch) Providence Post Office (Industrial - Slow Pitch) 1966 Crompton PNA (Major) Penn TV (Open - Slow Pitch) Providence Post Office (Industrial - Slow Pitch) 1967 Hillside Cafe (Major) Father and Sons Cafe (Open - Slow Pitch) Bowerman's (Industrial - Slow Pitch) 1968 Hillside Cafe (Major) Taylor Construction (Open - Slow Pitch) State Employees (Industrial - Slow Pitch) 1969 Hillside Cafe (Major) Taylor Construction (Open - Slow Pitch) Hay-Lou (Class A - Slow Pitch) City Workers of Providence (Industrial - Slow Pitch) 1970 Gansett 57 Brewers (Major) Taylor Construction (Open - Slow Pitch) Cusano's Cafe (Class A - Slow Pitch) City Workers of Providence (Industrial - Slow Pitch) 1971 Archer's (Major) Taylor Brothers (Class AA - Slow Pitch) Hal's Garage (Class A - Softball) Kenney Manufacturing (Industrial - Slow Pitch) Major = Fast Pitch *ASA Regional Champions |
Softball started to gain popularity in Rhode Island in the 1930s (with a strong number of teams in Pawtucket in 1935). Both fast pitch men's and woman's leagues were formed and in 1936 the first RI ASA state tournament was played. In 1938 the Newport Oilers defeated the St. Laurence CYO 15-1 before 10,000 fans at Coat's Field in Pawtucket and won the right to represent Rhode Island in the fifth annual national softball tournament in Chicago. By 1940 more than 10,000 men and woman took part in softball in Rhode Island. The formation of the Independent Amateur Softball League and the Rhode Island Amateur Softball League with virtually every large manufacturing and business concern sponsoring clubs helped drive the explosion of softball in the state. In the Blackstone Valley, where girls softball got its start, many woman's teams were started. Lindy's Trojans of Cranston won back-to-back state championships in 1940 and 1941. In both seasons they traveled to Detroit for the National Championship tournament accompanied by the state woman's titlists; 1940 Pawtucket Tuberettes and 1941 Darlington Milkmaids. The Hitching Post Mules of Pawtucket were the first Rhode Island team to go to the national championships (1936-37). Chet Kane's Monowatt Electric team won five consecutive RI ASA state championships (1944-1948) and three Northeast Regional crowns (1944-1946). Slow pitch achieved formal recognition in 1953 when it was added to the program of the Amateur Softball Association and within a decade had surpassed fast pitch in popularity. Slow-pitch started growing in Rhode Island in 1955.
RI ASA Woman's State Champions
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