Fast Pitch Fifties

Fast-Pitch A lost chapter in the history of America's favorite pastime is finally recovered and retold in brilliant and play-by-play detail in Pete Gallo's book Fast-Pitch Fifties Readers are warmly invited to revisit New Rochelle during the 1950s and discover the Twilight League and windmill baseball at its height as some 20 teams battled for championship titles and local bragging rights. Fast-Pitch recalls a period when local sports was king and a championship series in towns like New Rochelle would draw crowds that were measured in the tens of thousands. Based on interviews and historical accounts the author brings to life local legends of windmill at its height such as pitcher Rush Riley who threw a softball at major league speeds and was known for his Olympian endurance playing up to ten games per week. While many of the names are less familiar windmill stars who managed national acclaim are also recalled such as Hicksville Long Island native Roy Stevenson an early pioneer of windmill pitch who helped inspire a generation of players in the New York metropolitan area.