Keith Pitsch

Class of 2024

Outfielder – Jim Falls Sturgeons 1967-2016
Player/Manager – Jim Falls Sturgeons 1980-84, 99-2001
League Officer – 1997 through Induction                         

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As a player, manager, and league officer, Keith Pitsch’s impact and legacy in the CRBL will forever be felt and appreciated.  Through his lasting dedication to the league, his ever-present sharp wit, as well as his fierce loyalty to the Jim Falls Sturgeons, Keith is truly one of the most recognizable, likable, and memorable people the CRBL will ever have.

  During a playing career that lasted an astounding 50 (!!!) seasons, Pitsch established himself as an incredibly consistent and reliable player for the Big Fish of Jim Falls.  Keith’s remarkable longevity shaped an unparallel playing existence, one in which he hit over .300 in 12 seasons, with a high of .370 in 1985.  His one CRBL home run was memorable, as it came in the form of a grand slam against the Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks on June 19th, 1988, in a Sturgeons’14-8 victory vs. the Lumberjacks at Cardinal Field. 

His commitment to the Sturgeons was further evident in that he had two separate stints as Jim Falls’ manager: 1980 to 1984 and again from 1999 to 2001.  In total, Pitsch managed 144 games for the Sturgeons over those eight seasons, leading his Jim Falls brethren to a WBA appearance in 1983.  

To the great benefit of the CRBL, Keith has fulfilled the role of Vice-President of the league from 2002 through his induction, handling the difficult and thankless task of creating the yearly game schedule, doing so with patience, care, and empathy.

Pitsch’s universally famous sense of humor was aptly illustrated in an interview regarding his lengthy playing career, published in the Chippewa-Herald on August 10th, 1996.  When asked about his current playing abilities, Keith stated, “I’d say I lost a step, but I’d be underestimating myself.  I think I’ve lost at least eight or nine.”  

A participant in six CRBL All-Star games (1972, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1992, 1998), Pitsch was named Honorable Mention CRBL in 1992 as an outfielder and in 2008 as a player/coach.  In 2014, he became the first person in CRBL history to cross the 500 games played milestone, and in 2016 he secured his spot as the first player to ever play 50 seasons in the CRBL.

Upon induction, the Legendary Sturgeon’s all time rankings can be found in seasons played (1st), games played (2nd), at-bats (tied for 5th), singles (8th), walks (9th), hits (13th), runs scored (14th), triples (tied for 16th), total bases (26th), doubles (tied for 27th), RBIs (27th), and stolen bases (tied for 47th).   

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Managerial Record:              G         W          L           Pct.       Div Titles       League CS           CSGApp

      144       40        104         .278              0                       0                          0       

 

(WBA)             App     G   W L Pct. Final 8’s        WBA CS

                                            1              1          0        1          .000             0                    0