Roger Weise, 85, has 25 shirts from the different teams he pitched for in his 50-year career of fast-pitch softball.
The game has become a women’s competitive sport, but it started in the 1930s with men’s leagues in communities everywhere, much like Little League.
“There were teams in Shiner, Mission Valley, Cuero, Meyersville, Weesatche and Port Lavaca,” Weise recalls.
He played for 25 years with the Yoakum team.
“You play with someone for 30 years and they’re like family,” he said, describing all the weddings he and Arleen, his wife of 64 years, have attended.
“We went to their weddings years ago,” Arleen said, “and now we’re going to their children’s and grandchildren’s weddings.”
Weise, along with his Yoakum teammate C L Moore and sponsor Joe Machalec, will be inducted into the Fast-Pitch Legends Hall of Honor on November 16.
Though the men’s fast-pitch teams are mostly a thing of the past, the FastPitch Legends of Greater Houston continue to honor the standout participants. The organization acknowledges “players, umpires, sponsors, commissioners, media and teams who have greatly contributed to the history of FastPitch Softball great from the 1930s and 1940s up to and including today.”
As girl’s teams developed, Roger helped the early Cuero players such as the Babe Ruth team. He also helped the Cuero High School softball team get started.
In the upcoming Down Home South Texas Winter magazine, we will share more about the local fast-pitch legends and their passion for the game.
