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After the season, the NASL and the APSPL officially merged, but only the
Milwaukee Schlitz would go to the new United Professional Softball League (UPSL) and the Stallions disbanded. The UPSL folded after the 1982 season, bringing an end to the professional softball era for men in the United States.
80:
of the APSPL brought a challenge in federal court in an attempt to prevent splitting the young professional sport. Donnie Rardin, a former
Bourbon who was now changing teams for the 4th time in the 4 years of professional softball, was brought on by Stepien and would play for and serve as General
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was the NASL league MVP. Donnie Rardin (.548, 20 doubles, 14 triples) was the lone
Stallion to make the all-NASL squad for 1980. Former Bourbons Rardin, Phil Schroer, and Phil Gowdy represented Lexington at the mid-season all-star game in
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in the first professional league, the
American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL), beginning with the founding of that league in 1977. But 1980 was a year of division in professional softball as the
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The
Stallions had an unremarkable run in 1980, finishing the season with a 30-32 (.486) record, good for 3rd place in the NASL Western Division, 18 games the
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Manager for
Lexington, former Bourbon Dave Bair managed the team, and ex-Bourbons Phil Schroer and Phil Gowdy joined them on the Stallions.
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and
Milwaukee broke away from the APSPL to form a new league (North American Softball League) in 1980, under the leadership of Cleveland owner
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64:. The Bourbons continued in the reduced numbers of the APSPL. Stepien placed NASL teams in several APSPL markets, including
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547:"Softball History USA – This site is dedicated to collecting the history of the great sport of softball"
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with Ken Parker (.586 BA) of
Milwaukee honored as Series MVP. Ron Olesiak (.555, 34 HRs, 124 RBIs) of
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in 1970, Bendal Bagby, and Thom
Deskins, who had played minor league baseball in the
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88:. Milwaukee would go on to win the 1980 NASL World Series 5–2 over the
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327:. January 10, 1980. p. 37 – via newspapers.com.
72:, also placing a team, the Lexington Stallions, in nearby
429:. August 2, 1980. p. 20 – via newspapers.com.
251:. March 24, 1980. p. 35 – via newspapers.com.
237:. April 24, 1980. p. 11 – via newspapers.com.
515:"Thomas Deskins Minor Leagues Statistics & History"
503:. June 23, 1980. p. 13 – via newspapers.com.
355:. June 23, 1980. p. 19 – via newspapers.com.
341:. June 20, 1980. p. 15 – via newspapers.com.
313:. June 19, 1980. p. 61 – via newspapers.com.
285:. March 8, 1980. p. 37 – via newspapers.com.
268:. March 8, 1980. p. 33 – via newspapers.com.
535:. May 18, 1980. p. 28 – via newspapers.com.
489:. July 3, 1980. p. 22 – via newspapers.com.
475:. July 3, 1980. p. 17 – via newspapers.com.
461:. June 4, 1980. p. 13 – via newspapers.com.
369:. July 3, 1979. p. 29 – via newspapers.com.
205:. May 11, 1980. p. 35 – via newspapers.com.
191:. May 22, 1980. p. 20 – via newspapers.com.
415:. July 7, 1980. p. 9 – via newspapers.com.
383:. July 3, 1979. p. 8 – via newspapers.com.
299:. May 8, 1980. p. 4 – via newspapers.com.
631:Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1980
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621:Sports clubs and teams established in 1980
217:"Kentucky Bourbons – Softball History USA"
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311:"Clipped From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"
235:"Clipped From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"
249:"Clipped From Democrat and Chronicle"
33:North American Softball League (NASL)
27:team who played at Southland Park in
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533:"Clipped From The Lexington Herald"
501:"Clipped From The Lexington Herald"
427:"Clipped From The Lexington Herald"
297:"Clipped From The Pittsburgh Press"
381:"Clipped From The Courier-Journal"
367:"Clipped From The Courier-Journal"
353:"Clipped From The Courier-Journal"
325:"Clipped From The Courier-Journal"
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626:Men's professional softball teams
283:"Clipped From Detroit Free Press"
266:"Clipped From Detroit Free Press"
43:Kentucky was represented by the
487:"Clipped From Lexington Leader"
473:"Clipped From Lexington Leader"
459:"Clipped From Lexington Leader"
413:"Clipped From Lexington Leader"
339:"Clipped From Lexington Leader"
203:"Clipped From Lexington Leader"
189:"Clipped From Lexington Leader"
54:Cleveland Stepien's Competitors
601:National Softball Hall of Fame
596:Detroit Auto Kings Online Home
94:Chicago Nationwide Advertising
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441:"NASL – Softball History USA"
395:"1980 – Softball History USA"
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551:www.softballhistoryusa.com
445:www.softballhistoryusa.com
399:www.softballhistoryusa.com
221:www.softballhistoryusa.com
117:Lexington Stallions record
16:Professional softball team
35:during the 1980 season.
58:Fort Wayne Huggie Bears
519:Baseball-Reference.com
586:Softball History Data
591:Softball History USA
23:were a professional
78:Pittsburgh Hardhats
74:Lexington, Kentucky
29:Lexington, Kentucky
21:Lexington Stallions
90:Detroit Auto Kings
565:"Detroit Caesars"
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45:Kentucky Bourbons
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107:Chicago Cubs
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39:Team history
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62:Ted Stepien
610:Categories
172:References
159:Midwestern
70:Pittsburgh
66:Cincinnati
49:Louisville
139:Playoffs
136:Division
25:softball
142:League
31:in the
133:Finish
127:Record
56:, the
165:NASL
153:..486
150:30-32
147:1980
124:Year
68:and
19:The
156:3rd
130:Pct
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