Indiana 10-0 at The Bart; Purdue’s Toetz HR count 8

By STEVE KRAH
http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Home may be ever so humble and where the heart is, but it’s also were the victories lie for some teams early in the 2023 college baseball season.
With a three-game sweep of Morehead State NCAA Division I Indiana is 10-0 so far at Bart Kauffman Field. The Hoosiers are to host Indiana at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 21.
After besting Purdue twice at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium, Evansville 8-1 at home.
A three-game sweep of Toledo at Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ballpark Complex makes Ball State 5-1 at home.
NCAA Division II Indianapolis is 11-2 in games played at Greyhound Park/Bill Bright Field and 0-2 at Grand Park in Westfield. UIndy’s first road game is scheduled for Friday, March 24 at Illinois-Springfield.
NAIA Indiana Wesleyan is 4-0 at Wildcat Field.
Bethel is 2-0 at Dick Patterson Field at Jenkins Stadium and 2-0 in a designated home game at Championship Park in Kokomo.
Indiana Tech is 4-0 at Warrior Field.
Oakland City is 12-1 at Gil Hodges Field in Princeton and 3-5 at League Stadium in Huntingburg.
Huntington is 10-2 at Forest Glen Park.
Taylor is 9-2 at Winterholter Field.
While we’re talking about home, how about home runs? Here is a list of mashers so far in 2023 (three bombs or more through March 19 of games posted):
Paul Toetz (Purdue) 8
Jacob Daftari (Indiana Tech) 7
Satchell Wilson (Huntington) 7
Luke Barnes (IU-Kokomo) 6
T.J. Bass (Taylor) 6
Braedon Blackford (Purdue Fort Wayne) 6
Lucas Goodin (Indiana Wesleyan) 6
Ryan Peltier (Ball State) 6
Kade Vander Molen (Taylor) 6
Xander Willis (Oakland City) 6
Alex Christie (Hanover) 5
Chase Hug (Evansville) 5
Brayden Manning (Taylor) 5
Sam Pesa (Saint Francis) 5
A.J. Reid (Wabash) 5
Eric Roberts (Evansville) 5
Jenner Rodammer (Goshen) 5
Parker Bates (Indiana Tech) 4
Blake Bevis (Ball State) 4
Mason David (Taylor) 4
Tucker Ebest (Southern Indiana ) 4
Kip Fougerousse (Evansville) 4
Langston Ginder (Huntington) 4
Jake Jarvis (Purdue) 4
Ben Kalbaugh (Taylor) 4
Treven Madden (Oakland City) 4
Jordan Malott (Huntington) 4
Christian Mojica (Indiana Tech) 4
Jeff Morton (Indiana Wesleyan) 4
Sam Newkirk (Grace) 4
Luke Picchiotti (Taylor) 4
Matthew Rivera (Ball State) 4
Kyle Schmack (Valparaiso) 4
Mike Sears (Indiana State) 4
Sean Sullivan (Franklin) 4
Joey Urban (Butler) 4
Nick Wiley (Indiana Wesleyan) 4
Brenden Bell (IU South Bend) 3
Jared Bujdos (Indianapolis) 3
Trevor Campbell (IU Southeast) 3
Garrett Causey (Oakland City) 3
Gabe Cortez (IU South Bend) 3
Hunter Dobbins (Ball State) 3
Colton Evans (Vincennes) 3
Kaleb Farnham (IU South Bend) 3
Ben Fricke (IUPU-Columbus) 3
Sam Gladd (Taylor) 3
Danny Glimco (DePauw) 3
Trevor Goodwin (IU Southeast) 3
Grant Hartley (Grace) 3
Ray Hilbrich (Purdue Northwest) 3
Brendan Hord (Evansville) 3
Hunter Jessee (Indiana) 3
John Joyce (Grace) 3
Kaleb Kolpein (Taylor) 3
Josh Ledgard (Marian’s Ancilla) 3
David Miller (Saint Francis) 3
Jeff Pawlik (Grace) 3
Jack Penney (Notre Dame) 3
Sam Pinckert (Oakland City) 3
Adam Pottinger (Indiana State) 3
Carter Putz (Notre Dame) 3
Evan Salmon (Indiana Wesleyan) 3
Brett Sikorski (IU South Bend) 3
Tyler Smitherman (Anderson) 3
Tyler Stahl (Indiana Tech) 3
Aidan Stevens (Manchester) 3
Alex Stout (Bethel) 3
Brice Stultz (Indiana Tech) 3
Devin Taylor (Indiana) 3
Nolan Tucker (Valparaiso) 3
Brady Ware (Indianapolis) 3
Matt Wolff (Huntington) 3
Hanover’s Christie has three circuit clouts in the last three games.
On the pitching side, here are the strikeout leaders:
Tyler Papenbrock (Huntington) 51
Frank Plesac (Bethel) 48
Damien Wallace (Marian) 44
Lucas Letsinger (IU-Kokomo) 43
Seth Spencer (Indianapolis) 42
Drue Young (Indiana Wesleyan) 42
Graham Kollen (Huntington) 39
Luke Sinnard (Indiana) 39
Gehrig Tenhumberg (Oakland City) 38

Alec Holcomb (Taylor) 37
Cory Bosecker (Butler) 36
Ryan Brown (Ball State) 35
Evan Fry (Indiana Wesleyan) 35
Nick Smith (Evansville) 35
Evan Etchison (Grace) 32
Trevor O’Donnell (Ball State) 32
Eric Pettipiece (Goshen) 32
Luke Schafer (IU Southeast) 31
Landen Southern (Anderson) 29
Matt Jachec (Indiana State) 28
Gabel Pentecost (Taylor) 28
Andrew Davenport (Calumet of St. Joseph) 27
Tommy Johnson (Oakland City) 27
Jonathan Blackwell (Purdue) 26
Matt Dutkowski (Taylor) 26
Marcus Goodpaster (Hanover) 26
Ben Harris (IU-Kokomo) 26
Josh Hoogewerf (Trine) 26
Donovan Schultz (Evansville) 26
Ben Simmons (Oakland City) 26
Jake Stuteville (Vincennes) 26
Zach Zaborowski (Indiana Tech) 26
Jack Findlay (Notre Dame) 25
Matthew Johnson (Franklin) 25
Blaine McRae (Saint Francis) 25
Jared Spencer (Indiana State) 25

Below are season records, weekly results and links to web pages, schedules and statistics for all of Indiana’s 39 collegiate programs.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through March 19
NCAA D-I
Ball State 13-6 (5-1 MAC)
Indiana 13-7 (0-0 Big Ten)
Evansville 12-7 (0-0 MVC)
Notre Dame 9-8 (2-4 ACC)
Purdue 9-9 (0-0 Big Ten)
Indiana State 8-10 (0-0 MVC)
Valparaiso 7-6 (0-0 MVC)
Southern Indiana 7-13 (0-0 OVC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 4-16 (1-2 Horizon)
Butler 2-15 (0-0 Big East)

Schedule Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

Stat Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 11-4 (0-4 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 4-10 (0-0 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

NCAA D-III
Wabash 11-6 (0-0 NCAC)
Anderson 8-5 (0-0 HCAC)
Manchester 8-3 (0-0 HCAC)
Earlham 8-5 (0-0 HCAC)
Franklin 7-5 (0-0 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 7-5 (0-0 HCAC)
Trine 6-6 (0-0 MIAA)
Hanover 6-7 (0-0 HCAC)
DePauw 4-7 (0-0 NCAC)

Schedule Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

Stat Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

NAIA
Oakland City 19-8 (3-5 RSC)
Taylor 17-9 (10-2 CL)
Huntington 16-7 (10-2 CL)
IU-Kokomo 14-9 (6-2 RSC)
Indiana Wesleyan 12-9-1 (6-2 CL)
Bethel 12-10 (5-5 CL)
Indiana Tech 11-3 (0-0 WHAC)
Marian 11-11 (5-5 CL)
Grace 9-10 (1-7 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 9-16 (1-3 CCAC)
IU Southeast 8-13 (5-4 RSC)
Saint Francis 8-14 (3-8 CL)
IU South Bend 6-14 (2-1 CCAC)
Goshen 6-15 (2-7 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 1-24

Schedule Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Stat Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Junior College
Vincennes 10-11 (0-0 MWAC)
Ivy Tech Northeast 7-9
Marian’s Ancilla 1-17 (0-0 MCCAA)

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Through March 19
NCAA D-I
Tuesday, March 14
Kentucky 12, Indiana 2 (7 inn.)
Notre Dame 6, Saint Joseph’s 3
Southern Indiana 10, Saint Louis 2

Wednesday, March 15
Evansville 14, Bellarmine 2
Indiana 6, Morehead State 5 (10 inn.)
Indiana State 7, Illinois 3
Notre Dame 10, Saint Joseph’s 9
Purdue 14, Northern Illinois 5
Southern Illinois 16, Southern Indiana 9

Thursday, March 16
Indiana 23, Morehead State 5

Friday, March 17
Ball State 14, Toledo 2
Evansville 5, Purdue 2
Indiana 5, Morehead State 4
Purdue Fort Wayne 12, Wright State 10
Wright State 6, Purdue Fort Wayne 2
Murray State 15, Southern Indiana 1

Saturday, March 18
Wake Forest 4, Notre Dame 1
Wake Forest 12, Notre Dame 3
Murray State 11, Southern Indiana 4

Sunday, March 19
Ball State 19, Toledo 16 (13 inn.)
Ball State 7, Toledo 4
Northwestern 5, Butler 1
Evansville 6, Purdue 4
Michigan State 8, Indiana State 2
Michigan State 10, Indiana State 7
Notre Dame 3, Wake Forest 1
Wright State 13, Purdue Fort Wayne 4
Murray State 13, Southern 3

NCAA D-II
Tuesday, March 14
Saint Leo 8, Purdue Northwest 3
Eckerd 4, Purdue Northwest 3

Wednesday, March 15
Purdue Northwest 9, Embry-Riddle 8 (7 inn.)
Embry-Riddle 9, Purdue Northwest 1 (7 inn.)

Friday, March 17
Maryville 12, Indianapolis 6
Maryville 5, Indianapolis 3

Sunday, March 19
Maryville 12, Indianapolis 1
Maryville 13, Indianapolis 3

NCAA D-III
Tuesday, March 14
Anderson 15, Stockton 4

Wednesday, March 15
Anderson 10, Ramapo 0
Earlham 11, Mount Saint Vincent 0
Wilmington 14, Franklin 11

Thursday, March 16
Anderson 8, Greenville 5
Earlham 17, Franciscan 9
Franciscan 8, Earlham 0

Saturday, March 18
Hanover 9, Wabash 6

Sunday, March 19
Franklin 7, Trine 6
Hanover 7, Wabash 6
Wabash 5, Hanover 4
Wisconsin-Osh Kosh 4, Rose-Hulman 0
Wisconsin-Osh Kosh 12, Rose-Hulman 0

NAIA
Monday, March 13
Oakland City 14, Baptist Bible 13

Tuesday, March 14
Thomas More 14, IUPU-Columbus 3
Indiana Tech 7, Mid-America Christian 5

Wednesday, March 15
Calumet of St. Joseph 1, Trinity Christian 0
Trinity Christian 5, Calumet of St. Joseph 4
Grace 4, Taylor 1
Taylor 6, Grace 0
Mount Vernon Nazarene 7, Huntington 6
Huntington 9, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2
Indiana Wesleyan 16, IUPU-Columbus 5
IU-South Bend 9, Judson 5 (7 inn.)
Judson 10, IU-South Bend 5
Baptist Bible 13, Oakland City 11

Thursday, March 16
Saint Francis 5, Bethel 4
Saint Francis 10, Bethel 3 (7 inn.)
Indiana Wesleyan 14, Goshen 4 (8 inn.)
Taylor 27, Grace 5
Taylor 13, Grace 0
Huntington 14, Mount Vernon Nazarene 13
Huntington 11, Mount Vernon Nazarene 0
IU-Kokomo 17, Alice Lloyd 5
IU-Kokomo 11, Alice Lloyd 0
Ohio Christian 7, IU Southeast 6
IU Southeast 4, Ohio Christian 2
Marian 8, Spring Arbor 7
Spring Arbor 11, Marian 8

Friday, March 17
IU Southeast 25, Ohio Christian 1

Sunday, March 19
Olivet Nazarene 16, Calumet of St. Joseph 6
Olivet Nazarene 9, Calumet of St. Joseph 5
Miami-Hamilton 5, IUPU-Columbus 4
Miami-Hamilton 19, IUPU-Columbus 4
IU-South Bend 5, Saint Xavier 1
Oakland City 9, Rio Grande 5
Oakland City 7, Rio Grando 1

Junior College
Wednesday, March 15
Ivy Tech Northeast 15, Glen Oaks 9

Thursday, March 16
Kellogg 8, Ivy Tech Northeast 7

Sunday, March 19
Morton 17, Marian’s Ancilla 1
Morton 22, Marian’s Ancilla 0

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Rutgers-bound Besser keeps on buzzing the ball past batters

By STEVE KRAH
http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Grant Besser’s habit of dodging bats with his pitches got him noticed during his prep days and it continues at the collegiate level.
At South Adams High School in Berne, Ind., the left-hander and four-time first-team all-Allen County Athletic Conference selection whiffed 451 in 241 innings with a 1.27 earned run average. He also hit .397 with eight home runs and 58 runs batted in.
As a senior, Besser fanned 130 in 54 frame and posted a 0.77 ERA and hit .426 with two homers and 17 RBIs for the Brad Buckingham-coached Starfires. He began working out that winter in Fort Wayne with Pittsburgh Pirates strength trainer Dru Scott.
When not pitching, lefty Besser was the unorthodox choice for South Adams at shortstop his last three seasons.
“I knew it looked silly, but I had been playing shortstop all my life,” says Besser. “I can throw from any arm angle. I had a great time doing it.
“Besides I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do it for long. I knew pitching is what I wanted to do.”
Besser played in the 2019 Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series in Madison. He was honored as the 2019 Northeast Indiana Baseball Association/Dick Crumback Player of the Year.
The 2021 recipient of the award — Carter Mathison (Homestead/Indiana University) is Besser’s teammate this summer with New England Collegiate Baseball League’s Keene (N.H.) Swamp Bats. Mathison was also the 2021 Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Player of the Year.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Besser shined on the mound at Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers.
In 36 appearances (10 starts), he went 6-4 with eight saves and a 2.66 earned run average as the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Buccaneers posted marks of 16-11 in 2020 (COVID-19 shortened), 44-16 in 2021 and 42-15 in 2022. He amassed 125 strikeouts and 42 walks in 94 2/3 innings.
Besser played no summer ball in 2020 and dealt with an injury at the beginning of the 2021. He came back and hurled five innings in the state tournament and did not allow a baserunner.
“I really saw a spike in all of my numbers for the good (in 2022),” says Besser. “I blew every category away from the previous years.”
He was in 20 games in 2022 and went 3-2 with six saves, a 1.28 ERA, 61 K’s and 16 walks in 42 1/3 innings.
Ben Bizier is head coach at Florida SouthWestern State. Derrick Conatser is Bucs pitching coach.
“I like that toughness to he brings to the table,” says Besser of Bizier.
In his exit interview with Bizier Besser was told that 18 Major League Baseball organizations have been following him as they prepare for the 2022 First-Year Player Draft (July 17-19 in Los Angeles).
“He said there’s a really good chance it happens this year,” says Besser, who turns 22 in September. “Out of high school I had zero (college) offers. Coach Buckingham offered me to Florida JUCO’s. I earned a scholarship at FSW in the spring.
“Money has never been the big thing for me. It’s opportunity and getting my foot in the door.”
This is Besser’s second straight summer at Keene and he has had several meaningful chats with Swamp Bats president and general manager Kevin Watterson.
So far, Besser has made four appearances (one start) and is 1-0 with an 0.87 ERA. In 10 1/3 innings, the southpaw has 10 strikeouts and one walk. The NECBL regular season ends July 30.
Throughout his college experience, Besser has been used in multiple pitching roles, including starter, long reliever and a closer.
“It doesn’t matter to me as long as we get a win,” says Besser. “I’m very versatile.”
Besser has excelled with an ability to keep his head when things get tense.
“It’s mental toughness. I preach it,” says Besser. “I can spot when somebody doesn’t have that mental toughness.
“I’m ready for the situation. I’m consistent with all that I do. I work quick and throw strikes. Preparation and a steady mindset is key.”
Throwing from a three-quarter arm slot, Besser uses a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, change-up and curveball.
“My four-seamer has natural run and a high spin rate,” says Besser. “Up in the zone is where I get the most out of it.
“This summer it’s been sitting 89 to 91 mph (it hit 92 at Florida SouthWestern State).”
Besser’s two-seamer moves in to left-handed hitters and away from righties.
His “circle” change-up break to his arm side and is usually clocked around 83 mph.
“My curveball is more of a slurve,” says Besser of the pitch that’s often delivered at around 78 mph. “I mix and match. Sometimes it’s 12-to-6 and sometimes I sweep it. It depends on the situation.”
Grant is the oldest of Mike and Katina Besser’s two sons. Adam Besser, a right-handed pitcher for Ivy Tech Northeast in Fort Wayne, turns 20 in August.
Mike Besser is a salesman for Moser Motor Sales. Katina Besser is chief financial officer at Swiss Village Retirement Community.
The family moved from Geneva and Berne when Grant was in the fifth grade. Beginning at 9U, he played travel ball for the Muncie Longhorns and Indiana Bandits and then Summit City Sluggers founder Mark DeLaGarza reached out to him and he spent two summers with the 17U Sluggers, playing for head coaches Todd Armstrong and Brent Alwine.
“My parents’ sacrifices let me do that,” says Grant. “The Sluggers gave me a lot of knowledge on baseball.”

With two years of eligibility remaining, has committed to NCAA Division I Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. He signed with the Scarlet Knights over the winter.
Why Rutgers?
“What really attracting me was coming home to the Big Ten,” says Besser, who was born in Fort Wayne and grew up in Geneva and Berne. “It’s up-and-coming program and pretty hard-nosed.”
With Steve Owens as head coach and Brendan Monaghan guiding pitchers, the Scarlet Knights posted an overall mark of 44-17 and Big Ten record of 17-7 in 2022. Rutgers played Michigan in the conference tournament championship game.
After earning an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management at Florida SouthWestern State, Besser is considering a Labor and Relations major at Rutgers.

Grant Besser (Florida SouthWestern State College Photo)

Grant Besser (Florida SouthWestern State College Photo)

Grant Besser (Florida SouthWestern State College Photo)

Head coach Ben Bizier (left) and Grant Besser (Florida SouthWestern State College Photo)

City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, Fla.

City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, Fla.

Grant Besser (Keene Swamp Bats Photo)

Daniel brings 1980 baseball season back with lively “Phinally!”

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

J. Daniel was just shy of 13 when the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series for the first time in 1980.

Even though he was in southwestern Ohio, he followed the Phils from “Mike Schmidt to Ramon Aviles.”

Growing up when he did, Daniel appreciates baseball and pop culture in the 1980’s.

He is a big fan of Dan Epstein — author of Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging ‘70s — and his style.

So much so that the Brownsburg, Ind., resident decided to write a book about baseball and more in the decade he knows so well.

“I’m a total stat geek,” says Daniel, who recalls devouring the box scores in the Cincinnati Enquirer during his youth. “Everything’s interesting to me.”

With so much material, it became books — plural.

Phinally!: The Phillies, the Royals and the 1980 Baseball Season That Almost Wasn’t (McFarland & Company) was published in 2019.

It was 1980 that gave us ….

The primetime TV drama “Dallas” and the cliffhanger summer question of “Who Shot J.R.?”

Movie-goers saw comedy in the “The Blue Brothers” and “Airplane!” and horror in “The Shining” and “Friday The 13th.”

In one scene from “The Shining,” Shelley Duvall wields a Carl Yastrzemski model Louisville Slugger.

Basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was cast as the co-pilot in “Airplane!” If not for filming during the baseball season, it might have been Pete Rose.

A former weatherman — David Letterman — also read for a part but did not land one.

Roberto Duran topped “Sugar Ray” Leonard in a 15-round bout in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium.

Free agent Nolan Ryan became the first baseball player to sign for $1 million a season, signing with the Houston Astros.

Marvin Miller, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, was about to make his clients a lot of money.

The average minimum salary at the time was $20,000.

In the spring of ’80, they went on a mini-strike that wiped out 92 spring training games.

Elias Sports Bureau introduces Game-Winning RBI as a statistic in the spring. The first one credited in a game went to the Cincinnati Reds’ George Foster in the first inning of a 9-0 Opening Day romp against Phil Niekro and the Atlanta Braves.

Atlanta would get off to a 1-9 start and owner Ted Turner (who launched CNN in 1980) benched Gary Matthews and sent Bob Horner to the minors.

It was also on Opening Day, that “Kiteman” hang-glided his way onto the field at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium.

Ken Landreaux of the Minnesota Twins enjoyed a 31-game hit streak — the longest in the American League since Dom DiMaggio’s 34 in 1949. A few seasons’s prior to Landreaux’s feat, Aqua Velva gave $1,000 per game to the hitter with the streak. But that changed in 1980. Things were worked out for Landreaux to give the money to charity.

San Diego Padres shortstop Ozzie Smith wasn’t looking for charity, but extra income. He took out a newspaper ad. He had many offers, including one from Joan Kroc, wife of Padres owner Ray Kroc, to assist her gardner. He eventually got supplemental pay from a company on Los Angeles.

There were many bench-clearing brawls and knockdown pitches in 1980.

Fergie Jenkins of the Texas Rangers joined Cy Young, Jim Bunning and Gaylord Perry as pitchers with 100 wins in both leagues.

Freddie Patek of the California Angels hit five home runs on the season and 41 for his career, but he popped three in one game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Left-hander Jerry Reuss did not begin the season in the starting rotation for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but tossed a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants.

On his way to a 25-7 record and the AL Cy Young Award, Baltimore Orioles right-hander Steve Stone started the All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium and worked three inning in just 24 pitches.

The game also featured the debut of the massive Diamond Vision video boards.

Cincinnati’s Johnny Bench passed Yogi Berra for the all-time lead in home runs by a catcher.

Houston fireballer J.R. Richard suffered a stroke.

The Chicago Cubs fired manager Preston Gomez and replaced him with Joey Amalfitano.

“Super Joe” Charbonneau became an icon for the Cleveland Indians.

A white-hot George Brett was hitting .401 on Aug. 17 and finished with a .390 average. The Kansas City Royals third baseman’s back side was likely warm during the end of the season and the postseason. He finally had to have surgery for hemorrhoids prior to Game 3 of the World Series.

Maverick owners Charlie Finley (Oakland Athletics) and Bill Veeck (Chicago White Sox) announced the sale of their teams.

The White Sox did the unusual when they used the left-handed Mike Squires as a catcher.

Montreal Expos right-hander Bill Gullickson set a rookie-record with 18 strikeouts against the Cubs.

Oakland’s Rick Langford tossed 28 complete games, including a modern-record 23 straight. The Athletics staff completed 94 starts.

Three of the four division races were not settled until the season’s final week. Kansas City rapped the AL West up early. The Philadelphia Phillies edged out Montreal in the NL East. Houston topped the Dodgers in the NL West. The Yankees bested Baltimore in the AL East.

Games 2-5 in the National League Championship Series went extra innings before the Phillies prevailed over the Astros.

New Jersey’s Army staff sergeant Craig Burns took a three-day pass and flew from Germany to see his Phils play the Royals in the first game of the World Series. With Schmidt and Tug McGraw among the heroes, Philly won its first title.

Daniel is shopping his next volume about the 1982 season. The working title is Suds Series: The Brewers, the Cardinals and the year the ’80s became the ‘80s. He is grateful to author and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis journalism professor Chris Lamb for his help and encouragement.

That era is also kept alive on social media by Daniel with his website (80sbaseball.com), Facebook (Facebook.com/80sbaseball) and Twitter (@80sbaseball) pages.

Daniel, a graduate of Talawanda High School in Oxford, Ohio, and Ohio University, is now employed in communication for IUPUI parking services. More than 20 years of his working life was spent in sports television, including four years as the producer/director of “Rays Magazine” on Fox Sports Florida.

J. and wife Sue were engaged at Clearwater’s Jack Russell Memorial Stadium, a place where he spent two seasons at official scorer for the Clearwater Phillies. The couple has two seasons — Brady (19) and Michael (16). Brady played travel baseball with the Indiana Outlaws and Indiana Hurricanes. Michael played at Brownsburg Little League.

Daniel is an assistant coach this summer for the 17U Indiana Expos with Kevin Barnhart (father of Cincinnati catcher Tucker Barnhart) as head coach and Tim Hampton as another assistant.

J. Daniel, a Brownsburg, Ind., resident, has written Phinally!: The Phillies, the Royals and the 1980 Baseball Season That Almost Wasn’t and has other books planned about the 1980s.

Phinally!: The Phillies, the Royals and the 1980 Baseball Season That Almost Wasn’t by J. Daniel chronicles not only what happened on the diamond pop culture. The author resides in Brownsburg, Ind. (McFarland & Sons Image)