Prologue
When I moved back to Cincinnati several years ago, I saw that Richard (“Richie”) wrote articles about the JCC men’s softball league in the American Israelite. I had a fabulous story that I wanted to give him to write, but unfortunately I waited too long and Richie passed away. I had known Richie for over 50 years, starting in 1975 when he was an advisor for Sammy’s at UC and when I joined the JCC men’s softball fastpitch league (“the men’s league”) where I played through 1981.
Although I moved to Dallas, Texas in 1981, we always stayed in touch — there may have been several years in between, but eventually we would catch up. He called me to help out with clients he had signed in the Dallas area for the Cowboys or Mavericks, helping with sponsorships, insurance advisors or just taking someone out to dinner to make them comfortable with the area. If I needed tickets to a ballgame, he never hesitated to get his client to leave tickets at the will call window.
In some way, I wanted to thank him for his long-term friendship and kindness, so I thought I would honor him and his wife Diane by writing that astonishing JCC men’s softball league story for the ages…one that happened at my expense. This is the legend of Kenny (“Ken”) Peller.
A Legend is Born
When I was a junior in high school, I pitched for the first time in the JCC high school league fastpitch softball league for 10th through 12th graders. I threw pretty hard, but had significant trouble consistently throwing strikes. At the beginning of the next season, my senior year, Kenny Wolfson offered the best pitching advice — just pretend I was bowling. Miraculously, my speed and control came together and our team went undefeated. Once the season was over, I was a mid-season call up to the men’s softball league and immediately faced an extraordinary number of excellent hitters. I struggled through, but learned by watching the great pitchers of that era — Steve Finkelstein, Howard Schwartz (his era will never end), Jerry Lerer and Richie Katz. They were all very smart pitchers; no matter hard they threw, they had developed excellent off-speed pitches. While I did throw a changeup, I realized that it was only modestly effective and needed improvement.
The following season I pitched in both the Sunday morning and the Wednesday/Thursday leagues and Milt Thurman captained both teams. Early in the season, within a period of four days, I witnessed the most prolific hitting performance in my lifetime — a feat never equaled in the major leagues, minor leagues or ANY JCC or Temple leagues across the country.
On that Sunday morning game, Ken Peller came up to the plate on his first at bat with the bases loaded. Milt Thurman got my attention and he whispered “changeup.” I thought he may have known about Ken’s hitting tendencies, but obviously there was no way in hell he did. I threw the changeup and Ken belted the pitch over the center field fence for a grand slam. An educational moment this was not.
A couple of innings later, Ken arrived at the plate with the bases loaded again, and Milt AGAIN called for a changeup; I thought Ken would not believe he would see that pitch again. Nope —Grand slam number two went over the center field fence again. Milt mercifully pulled me from the game which was more than slightly out of hand. Replacing me on the mound was none other than the “ol” lefty Milt Thurman.
Believe it or not, Ken’s third time up was with the bases loaded again but he now faced a different pitcher and a lefty. Now here is the conundrum — Milt’s fastball and off-speed pitch were one and the same. First pitch and no home run to center field; Ken just showed off hit a frozen rope over the left field fence — George Foster-like. One game, three at bats, three grand slams. By any measure, this was a historical feat, but within four days Ken decided to go full legend.
On Wednesday night just three days later happened to be pitching against Ken’s team, and his first time up (the story gets old) the bases are loaded again. Let’s make this quick…it gets old. Milt calls for another changeup, I listen and grand slam center field. FOUR STRAIGHT GRAND SLAMS AND A LEGEND WAS BORN!
Epilogue
First of all, I LOVED playing for Milt Thurman — I played on several other teams for him, but never let him call a pitch for me every again. He also chose Ron Rose quite often; Ron was a fabulous and wise catcher, and he made me a much better pitcher. I had several great memories and stories from the five years I played in the JCC men’s softball league from 1976 through 1980. Those were the last years I participated in a fast pitch league, and it was far more fun than slow pitch. I was blessed to play amongst such fabulous ballplayers and characters.
Now — let’s compare Ken’s fabulous week with Shohei Ohtani’s supposedly greatest single hitting game in MLB history — three home runs, two doubles, a single and 10 RBIs, just missing the cycle. In four straight at bats Ken Peller flipped the middle finger to three components of the cycle with four grand slams and 16 RBIs! In my opinion, for one week, Ken Peller was the best of all.
I am proud to have my own profound achievement as a pitcher that very few people in the world can ever lay claim to, except for probably the pitchers I mentioned above. How many pitchers have EVER struck out Jerry Springer?!
Thank you, Richie Katz, for being a part of my life — you wear the highest crown of all — that of a great person.
Barry Tenenholtz
Cincinnati, Ohio