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70 YEARS OF TRADITION & TRIBUTE

Elyria – What started as a bet between two friends during a card game 70 years ago has turned into a yearly tradition for many; and for some, a lot more.

Jack Sito said that the two friends came up with the idea one night and the next morning they were on the field. “It was as simple as one fella saying to the other that hey, I can scrounge up a team and beat your team any day and somehow they woke up the next morning and met here at 1 o’clock and we’ve been playing ever since.”

The fella who made the bet that started all this off was a caddy at the Elyria Country Club whose badge number was “38”, of course his team was named “38 Club”. Bittner DeCarlo Funeral Home sponsored the other fella’s team so that is how they got their name.

Now over the last 70 years the funeral home has changed names and is now owned by the Laubenthal family. Tom Laubenthal said that it was a no brainer that they would not only continue sponsoring the event but help in anyway they could in organizing it as well. The participation Laubenthal said stops at sponsoring and organizing when I asked if we would ever see him out on the field. “No, the only time you will see me running is if the house is on fire or if someone is chasing me.”
Sito said that his father started playing in the Mud Bowl 65 years ago then his older brothers started playing and he stepped on the field for the first time some 25 years ago. “This for our family is certainly a tradition and I love it. I will say though that it is usually not this cold we would usually have nice weather, which is how it became known as the Mud Bowl. Now with it being cold and snowy like this you will see a lot of slipping and sliding so you are guaranteed a lot of laughs for sure.”

Going into today’s game the record is in favor of the “38 Club” being up by one. Sito said that they have had to battle back from a deficit of being down 7 games at one point. “We were down as many as 7 games but we battled and battled and pulled in some ringers here and there and now we are ahead by one.”

Speaking for the Bittner Team was Steve Kaminski, who arrived with an arm full of memories. A scrapbook filled with pictures and other memorabilia drew a crowd around Kaminski as he reflected on the past 70 years. “This is my 59th year playing in the Mud Bowl, it would have been 60 but I was sick one year.” When asked why he keeps coming back he said it is all about the people. “For me it’s about coming out here with the guys and having a good time. I will be honest at this point; it is a little bitter sweet for me because most of my buddies are gone, there are only a few left. I look through this book and it reminds me of the great times we had, but also that my friends are gone. These guys out here today are all my buddies, but I am talking about the guys my own age who have since past.”

Kaminski said that he intends to only play one inning today but said he is ready to go more if needed. “Two years ago there weren’t enough players so I had to play the whole damn game and when I was home, my muscles were sore for four days.”

Returning to play an inning each year is as much of a tribute to his friends that have past, as it is a tradition for Kaminski. “These young guys will kid me and everything but I come out and play an inning and as long as the good Lord gives me health I will keep coming back for that one inning. I’m not saying the bones won’t be creaking out there, but I will be back.”

Who won? In the 7th Inning the game was tied 2 – 2 sending the cold and muddy players into extra innings. It took an additional 5 Innings before the game was decided with Bittner winning 6 – 2.

After 70 years Team Bittner now leads the series 37 to 33.

To see more photos from the ballpark: CLICK HERE