Minnesota loses one of its great fastpitch pitchers
By Dennis Johnson / ISC Commissioner Emeritus
(Stan Noren, one of the all-time great Minnesota ASA Class A pitchers
in men’s fastpitch softball passed away on May 13 from cancer.
Johnson wrote this narrative about Noren’s pitching accomplishments
in his 25-year career for his Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame
induction.)
ST. JAMES, MN – Stan Noren started pitching in 1954 at the age of 14
for Sveadahl. He pitched 11 years for the small village in
southwestern Minnesota and carved out an outstanding record.
Stan was drafted by the St. James VFW team and threw three no-
hitters, including one in the ASA Class A state tournament in 1964.
In 1965 he pitched for Godahl and was drafted again by the VFW for
the ASA state tournament. He lost to eventual state champion, Hasting
Loesch's Bar, which scored 8 unearned runs off Stan.
In 1966, Noren joined full time with the VFW’s pitching staff, and
beat the always tough Vernon Center twice in league playoffs’ finals
by 2-1 scores in each game. These two games drew great crowds as
Noren bested one of Minnesota’s all-time great ASA Class A pitchers
in Wayne Hohenstein - a Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame member. Noren
finished the season with an 18-8 record.
Noren followed his inaugural season with the VFW by having a breakout
year in 1967 with a 32-11 record. “His team only gave him five runs
in nine of his loses,” said Dennis Johnson, former ISC State
Commissioner and leader in St. James men’s fastpitch softball.
“He beat the 1967 (ASA Class A) state champion and overall state
champion three times during the season. In the playoffs to go to the
state tournament, Stan lost to Mt. Lake in which he never allowed a
ball to be hit out of the infield and only one bunt single, and no
earned runs,” Johnson added.
In 1968, Noren had a 27-12 record and beat ASA Class A state champion
Vernon Center once, but lost to them three times when his teammates
failed to score any runs for him in 1-0, and 2-0 games.
Noren returned to the VFW in 1969 and beat state champion Fairmont
Merchants, 2-1, with no earned runs. But in 1970, Noren made the move
to a new team in St. James called the Bandbox. He immediately led a
young team to second place in the ASA Class A state tournament.
Noren finished 4-1 in the tournament with his only loss coming to
state champion Ellendale in the finals by a 3-0 margin.
His tenure with the Bandbox continued for through 1976. And in that
time, he either pitched his team into the state tournament or was
drafted by other teams. A couple highlights include winning three
games for the VFW in 1974, which included a 2-1 loss to eventual
state champion Cloquet, 2-1. The VFW advanced to the ASA Class A
Northern Regional where Noren won three games including a no-hitter.
“I remember Stan as having one of the purest pitching motions I’ve
ever seen,” said Bob Otto who pitched against and with Stan from 1974
– ’76. “In tournaments, he could pitch game after game seemingly
without tiring and only got stronger the more he pitched. Stan was
one of those throwback pitchers who didn’t rely on a second or third
pitcher to help him out.
“Just hand him the ball and let him go. When he got ahead in the
count, he was fierce about making the batter chase either his rise or
drop ball out of the zone. He never, ever gave in to a hitter.”
Noren wrapped up his pitching career in 1979 and was inducted into
the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame on May 7, 2009.
“Stan was one of our (state’s) greatest pitchers,” Johnson said. “He
would beat the teams that (eventually) won the state tournaments at
least two or three times during the year.”
Though Noren retired as an active player, he continued in fastpitch
by starting a girl’s team and coaching his two daughters, Lisa and
Lori. And he also had the joy of seeing his granddaughters continue
the family heritage in fastpitch softball.
On Wednesday, May 13, 2009 Stan Noren passed away peacefully at home
with his family by his side. To read Noren's obituary, visit:
http://www.stjamesnews.com/obituaries/x340408361/Stanley-Noren
