Former Plangger’s Furniture infielder Jerry Hinman called Rich Plangger “a class act.”
Ex-Lake Michigan College and Notre Dame softball coach Liz Miller referred to Plangger as “a legend.”
But both agreed that the game of fastpitch softball was better because of the efforts of Plangger, who passed away over the weekend at the age of 90.


For a good portion of his life Rich Plangger <i>was</i> fastpitch softball in southwest Michigan. His two sons, Rick and Scott, have also been outstanding fastpitch softball pitchers. Rich’s Plangger’s Furniture fastpitch team was among the top teams in the state and in some years in the nation. He built his own field so the team had a place to play. And eventually used that field for more than just his team.


“When I started the softball program at Lake Michigan College, we didn’t have a field,” Miller said. “So I drove around until I found a field. I got to the field and wondered whose field it was. Someone directed me to Plangger’s Furniture. Without Rich the Lake Michigan College softball program would have never been started. Rich even came out and got the field ready. Eventually we even hosted two national tournaments on that field.”


Women’s fastpitch leagues were started, using Plangger’s Field.
“He umpired, he did the scorekeeping, he ran the concession stand and paid for everything out of his own pocket,” Miller said. “He never charged us a penny. He did it all for his love of the game of softball. I credit Rich with the development of girls fastpitch softball in Berrien County.”


Hinman, better known as River Valley’s legendary baseball coach, played various infield positions for more 10 years with Plangger’s.


“And it was an honor and a privilege to play for Plangger’s,” Hinman said. “I initially played with Misty Acres of Niles. We beat Plangger’s in the district in 1973 and went on to win what was considered a national championship in Class A. The next year Rich invited me and a couple of others to play for Plangger’s. I started out at shortstop. As I got older I went to second base. As I got still older I moved to third base.”
Back then, Plangger’s played a 75 to 100 game schedule every year against the top competition in the country.


“We always played a home-and-home against Aurora, Ill.,” Hinman said. “And we’d go on road trips for a week or two each year, going either to the west or to the east. I was teaching so a lot of the time I would teach, coach and then run off to play softball. And on weekends, I’d pack up Friday night or Saturday morning and be gone until late Sunday night. Looking back on it, I don’t know how I did it. One year we played a team out of Reading, Pa., and they had a pitcher by the name of Ty Stofflet. Sports Illustrated had just done a story on him. Anybody involved in softball knew Rich Plangger.”


Hinman said softball was also more than a game with Plangger’s Furniture.
“Rich built his own field and would take care of it around the clock,” Hinman said. “When visiting teams would come to his park, we’d always have a cookout. If the team was in a hurry to get back home, we’d have it at the park. Otherwise we’d have it at Rich’s home. It was a social event. Rich probably did more to keep fastpitch alive over the years than anybody else.”


Rich and the late George Luther were competitive pitchers well into their 50s. The two had at least two great pitching duels. Luther won a 19-inning 5-3 decision over Plangger in 1952, but Rich got even with a 16-inning 4-2 victory in 1971. When Plangger’s went on the road, Plangger and Luther usually roomed together.


“Most of the time we’d talk about softball half the night,” Luther said.



Staff writer Jack Walkden: jwalkden@sbtinfo.com 574-235-6231

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Memorial services for Rich Plangger will be at Dey Florin Funeral Parlor from 5PM - 8 PM on Thursday May 30, 2013.