Pitcher, Outfielder

Bloomer Blackhawks 1968-78; Bloomer Merchants 1980

The path of Mike Meindel’s 12 seasons in league play saw him roar on to the amateur baseball landscape as an iron-armed strikeout machine before developing into an efficient part-time starter.  At the plate, he remained an extra base threat and run producer throughout his career.

In his rookie summer of 1968, Meindel went 3 and 4 while striking out 54 batters in 57 innings to go along with a 3.00 ERA.  These solid but uneventful numbers gave little indication of what was soon to follow.  In 1969, the right-handed Meindel would log a league high 145 innings with a 9 and 6 record, a 3.10 ERA, and the mammoth, still unbroken season record of 180 strikeouts.  In accumulating this staggering total,  Meindel pitched in 18 of the Bloomer Blackhawks’ 19 games that season, notching 9 games of double digit strikeouts with a game high of 19 punch-outs verse the Wheaton Warhawks in an 11-inning, 4-3 Bloomer win.

This began a prodigious four year period in which Mike would lead the league in innings pitched (145 IP in 1969, 87 IP in 1970, 125.1 IP in 1971, and 130 IP in 1972) and strikeouts (180 K’s in 1969, 99 K’s in 1970, 141 K’s in 1971, and 137 K’s in 1972).  During this time frame, Mike would also lead the league in wins with 9 in 1970, winning percentage at .900 in 1972, shutouts with 2 in 1971, and tie for the league lead in wins with 10 in 1971.  A summative look at 1969 to 1972 shows Meindel averaging 121.2 innings pitched, 9 wins, and 139 strikeouts with an accumulative ERA of 3.12.  The righty would then win 10 games in 1972, coinciding with his first sub-3.00 ERA mark of a 2.77.

For the remainder of Meindel’s career, his workload would be diminished but not his effectiveness.  A 4 and 2 mark in 1973 came with a career low 2.28 ERA during 47.1 innings pitched with 68 strikeouts and 2 saves.  In weaving a streak of five consecutive seasons with a sub 3.00 ERA, Meindel capped it off with a 2.91 ERA in 21.1 IP in 1974, a 2.83 ERA during 28.2 innings in 1975, and a 2.79 ERA in 42 innings worked in 1976.

Meindel’s dominance during those years coincided with the Blackhawks lone WBA appearance, as Bloomer made the tourney in 1970.  In 1971, Meindel’s 10 and 4 season and 141 whiffs launched the Bloomer Blackhawks to their lone championship game bout, where they lost a tough 2-0 decision to Tilden despite Mike’s complete game effort in which he allowed 5 hits and K’d 5 Tigers.

As a regular in the Bloomer line-up, Meindel was a consistent threat to reach a gap or hit a long ball, as shown by his career total of 10 triples which is currently tied for 4^th all-time.  Offensively, his best year came in 1971 when he hit on career highs of 3 triples, 3 home runs, and 13 RBI’s.

An All-Star game participant in 1970, 1971, and 1972, Meindel was named All-CRBL as a pitcher in 1972, one of just two years the league gave such an honor before it became a yearly tradition in 1978.

Upon induction, Mike ranks 7^th in ERA, 8^th in strikeouts, 9^th in innings pitched, 13^th in K’s per 9 innings pitched, and tied for 11^th in wins.

Outfielder, Pitcher

Lafayette Indians 1975-88; Bloomer Merchants 1989-91

            An extremely potent hitter, solid fielder, and serviceable pitcher, Jeff Lawler was a dedicated and respected ballplayer whose family name was synonymous with league events and winning baseball throughout the righty’s 17-season CRBL career.

A participant in eight All-Star games (1981, 1983-87, 1989, 1990) he was also a member of five All-CRBL teams (1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984).  The lanky, right-handed swinging Lawler hit over .300 in 12 seasons, with a career high of .455 (30 of 66) in 1984.  In total, Lawler registered five .400 campaigns, as he also hit .449 in 1978 (31 for 69), .415 in 1979 (27 for 65), .437 in 1983 (31 for 71), and .411 in 1987 (23 for 56).

With this productivity came several league-leading marks, the first of which came in 1978 when Jeff’s 31 hits tied for the league high while leading hitters outright with 8 doubles.  In 1979, he trumped the CRBL in two-baggers again, this time with 7.  Fast forward to 1983, his effort of .437 yielded league leading totals of 31 hits, 8 homeruns, and 20 runs scored while driving in a career high 22 runs.  For a follow up in 1984, Lawler’s totals of 30 hits and 66 at-bats set the pace for CRBL hitters.

Of course, Lawler’s accomplishments at the dish became one of the main ingredients in the Indians’ recipe for winning play.  Playing primarily out of family run Lawler’s Field, the Tribe from Lafayette won a league championship in 1976, four Southern titles (1976, 1978, 1985, 1988), qualified for 10 WBA tournaments (1976-78, 1980-83, 1985, 1987-88), and battled to two Final 8’s (1977 and 1978).

Once the Indians departed from league play after 1988, Jeff concluded his career with the  Bloomer Merchants.  In Bloomer, Lawler capped off a run of 10 straight .300+ seasons by hitting .333 in 1989 (14 for 42) and .358 in 1990 (19 for 53).

Throughout his time in the CRBL, Lawler doubled as a spot pitcher who exceeded 30 innings in a season 7 times and 40 innings twice, with a high of 49 in 1986.  In the 1984 season that saw him hit a career high .455, he also went a personal best 4 and 2 from the mound in 39 innings pitched.

Upon induction, his all-time rankings include being tied for 12^th in doubles, tied for 16^th in RBI’s, alone at 14^th in batting average, 15^th for hits, total bases at 17^th, and slugging percentage at 14^th. (Biographical information amended, 2018)

Pitcher, Outfielder

Tilden Tigers 1969-80,82

During his 13-year career, Tom Dachel was without question the winningest and most dominant pitcher of his time.  A closer look at his career shows that he may have been the most dominant pitcher in CRBL history.

With the right-handed Dachel as their ace, the Tilden Tigers were able to win eight North Division championships, seven CRBL championships, qualify for the WBA in all but one (1969) of Dachel’s seasons, and make the Final 8 five times.  In 10 championship game appearances, Dachel sported a record 6 and 3 with 1 shutout, 67 strikeouts, 66.2 innings pitched, and an ERA of 2.70.  No pitcher in league history has more wins, strikeouts, or innings pitched in championship game play.

Led the league in wins seven times and tied for that lead another year, winning 8 or more games eight times, with a high of 13 in 1972.  Won the pitching triple crown in 1977 (9 wins, 94 K’s, 2.67 ERA) and again in 1980 (9 wins, 72 strikeouts, 1.34 ERA).  Led the league in ERA a total of three times (1975,1977,1980), crafting seven seasons of sub-3.00 ERA twirling, along with three seasons below the 2.00 ERA mark (1.35 in 1975, 1.85 in 1978, and 1.34 in 1980).

Had two seasons of over 100 strikeouts (109 in 1972 and 107 in 1974), leading the league in that category four times (1974,1977,1979,1980).  Led the league or tied for the lead in shutouts seven times, doing so six years in a row (1973-1978).  His career high of 4 shutouts in 1974 is tied for the single season league mark.

Exceeded 100 innings three times, with a peak of 125.1 in 1972.  Led the league in innings thrown five times (1974,1975, 1977, 1979,1980).

Dachel’s sterling pitching is that much more remarkable when one considers that a large percentage of it was accomplished facing metal wielding hitters within the offensively conducive confines of Tilden’s home park.

Tom had his highlights as a hitter.  Led the league in doubles with 7 in 1972 and 6 in 1982.  Also led the league in at-bats with 71 in in 1982.  Hit over .300 twice, doing so at .351 in 1972 (20 for 57) and .310 in 1982 (22 for 71).

With All-CRBL becoming an annual award in 1978, he was recognized as such in 1978 and 1980.  Appeared in two All-Star games (1972 and 1973).  Retired in 1982 as the all-time leader in ERA, wins, and shutouts.  Still has all-time rankings of 2^nd in wins, 3^rd in winning percentage, 3^rd in innings pitched, 6^th in strikeouts, and 2^nd in shutouts.