OSCAR HOPE Lansing, MI
Oscar started 25 years ago pitching my first tournament at Dimondale, MI on the 10th day of July 1965. He won the lowest class and was hooked. Moved to class "D" played at the State Championships and won state class "D" in 1965. Moved up and in 1966 won State class "B". Moved up to class" A" . Won class "A" in 1969 but that year the championship group was made up of the top 16 and if you lost your 1st game you were put in class "A" and if you won you were in the Championship. He lost his first game, but won all the rest, that's how I won a class "A" State Championship.In later years He won class C-1 in 1983, Class D-1 in 1986 and Class D-1 in 1987. "At one time I checked the % sheet and I was l30th down from the top. I moved up little by little to where I felt I was 2nd from the top - Roy Smith I never got past." One year at the State Championships he finished higher than Roy did, but Roy Smith was the top and best pitcher he ever pitched in the state of Michigan. He went to Parks and Recreation in 1965 and got them to fix up the horseshoe courts at Potters Park. 9 courts were put in new with clay. We held tournaments and started a club in 1966. We held our 1st city championship. Parks & Recreation - put up one trophy - He won the 1st one and every year after that to 1980 - that year he had surgery but came back in 1981 to win league championship. The winters were getting long. He went to Parks and Recreation to see if we could do some pitching at one of their centers on some portable courts he had made and used at Fisher Body. He pitched his noon hour every day on them. We got in at Miller Road Center and pitched during the winter for several years. We had a good league. We set up courts at the Lansing Mall several times. It was a good way to let the people see our sport. 
He set up portables at many places. The Lansing Center held a healthfest for 4 days. They had their pitching there and had a lot of people looking at the sport. He set up portables at his church outings and run a tournament for our members. The last two years (1989-90) they have run a horseshoe tournament on the 4th of July at the Riverfront Park in Lansing, MI.We had 15 courts at Moores Park and a good league each Thursday from May to September. He has been to 6 World Tournaments: 1. Glenwood Park, Erie, PA 1969 Class "B" 2. Mountain View Park, Middlesex, NJ 1971 Class "c" 3. Ainsworth, Neb. 1986 Class "G" 4. Hobbs Ice Arena - Eau Claire, WI 198-7 - Won 2nd Class "R" 5. Spearfish, SD 1989 Class" "L" 6. Stone Mountain Park, Atlanta, GA 1990 Class "c" 30' He went to U.S. National Senior Sports Organization in St. Louis, MO in 1989. He held the office of President of the Lansing Capital City horseshoe club. He was Secretary of the league for many years. He set up many tournaments as tournament director and done promotions at many place. He was made a Life-Time member of the Greater Lansing Area Horseshoe club in 1999. |