The Orlando Rebels Ladies Softball Team was found in 1954. This 1969 program features photos of the team members, their bios and advertisements from local businesses that have faded with time. Peruse all the images and documents under Attachments at the bottom of this post.
The Orlando Rebels were organized by Marge Ricker in 1954 and have been under her management ever since. In their early years, the Rebels played a limited schedule against mostly local competition. Gradually the team expanded its field of operation to reach its present scope. Today the Rebels play a regular season schedule of close to eighty games against teams from all over the nation.
Over the years the Rebels have won 489 regular season games while losing 193 – an average of 7 wins for every 10 games played while competing against many of the nation’s top teams.
They have won the Southern Regional Championship 7 times (as host team for the 1964 and 1966 National Tournaments, the Rebels did not compete in the Regional Tournaments those years) and competed in 0 National Tournaments where they have compiled an 18-18 record while finishing in the top five in the 20-team field three times.
In 1965 the Rebels joined the Eastern Major League. In four season of play in the Eastern Major League, they finished second behind the National Champion Raybestos Brakettes of Stratford, Connecticut three times and last season captured the Eastern Major League title.
This season the Rebels will compete in the newly organized Atlantic Coast Women’s League along with the perennial National Champions Raybestos Brakettes, Glennettes of Perkasie, Pennsylvania, Johnnys of Baltimore, and Schaeferettes of North Plainfield, New Jersey.
For the past three years the Rebels have competed in the famed Houston Invitational Tournament where they have lost but one game over the 3 year period as they captured back to back titles in 1966-1967 and reached the finals in 1968. During this 3 year period they have had but 3 runs scored against them in Houston Invitational play. Their performance is unequaled in the 18 year history of the Houston Invitational Tournament.
In addition to their regular season, the Rebels meet the Half Century Men’s Club every other Sunday afternoon during the winter and early spring. These games, played in St. Petersburg, are witnessed by thousands of fans . . . many of those fans are winter visitors representing nearly every state in the United States, plus several foreign countries.
During the 1968-69 winter season the Rebels had an unprecedented undefeated record — a feat never before accomplished by any girls’ team against the Half Century Club.
The Rebels are a close knit group with great team spirit. Every member of the team devotes many hours to practice and games. Their dedication to the game and to the team is reflected in the team’s record and performance. While the Rebels are justifiably proud of the number of individual honors that they have been accorded its members, it is in their strength as a TEAM that they take THEIR GREATEST PRIDE.
VIEW the individual pages under IMAGES.
Sad note…Pat Walker passed away this morning, December 8, 2020. She was always a hero…on and off the field and was loved by many. She will be missed.
Ann Gawthrop, Niece
Orlando Rebels 1969 Souvenir Program Cover
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Skyline Restaurants - McCoy Jetport and Herndon Airport
Advertisements for the Skyline Restaurants located at the McCoy Jet Port (later became an international airport) and the Herndon Municipal Airport or...
Finnies Inc. Body Shop 1969
Finnies advertisement from the Orlando Rebels 1969 souvenir program. Finnie's Inc. Body Shop, 808 W. Central, Orlando, Florida Complete paint departm...
Orlando Rebels 1969 Program - Advertisements 1
Advertisements from the Orlando Rebels 1969 Souvenir Program. Central Florida Pharmacy - John Francisco and Pete Radcliffe, Registered Pharmacists. So...
Orlando Rebels 1969 Program - Advertisements 2
Advertisements featured in the Orlando Rebels 1969 Souvenir Program. Moore Fence Company in Casselberry, Florida. Behr Shoe Center at 41 West Church S...
Orlando Rebels 1969 Program - Advertisements 3
Advertisements featured in the 1969 Orlando Rebels Souvenir Program. Esther J. Corwin Realtor at 22 Lake Beauty Drive. Benny's Texaco Service at 301 S....
Orlando Rebels 1969 Program - Advertisements 4
Advertisements featured in the 1969 Orlando Rebels Souvenir Program. Craven's dresses and Sportswear in Colonialtown - Orlando. "Our Sportswear will g...
Christiansen Motors
Christiansen Motors - New and Used Cars, Forest City. Lyle Christiansen.
Hilton Inn
Advertisement published in the 1969 Orlando Rebels Souvenir Program. Hilton Inn - 3200 West Colonial Drive with "A Tropical Shangri-la".
Orlando Rebels 1969 Program - Advertisements 5
Advertisements featured in the 1969 Orlando Rebels Souvenir Program. JFI - John F. Ivory - Moving Engineers, John F. Ivory Storage Company, 1328...
Orlando Rebels - Sissie Zollinger
Sissie Zollinger Upon her graduation from Memphis State in 1967, Sissie decided that Central Florida area would be a good place to begin...
Orlando Rebels - Mary Jane Torrez
Mary Jane Torrez One of the most popular and respected players among the Rebels is veteran first sacker Mary Jane Torrez, now in...
Orlando Rebels - Stephany Tenney
Stephany Tenney Stephany joined the Rebels in the 1968 season and is well-known for her fine plays and inexhaustible energy. Defensively she is...
Orlando Rebels - Toni Swartout
TONI SWARTOUT Toni broke into the Rebel line up as a 15 year old rookie in 1960 and has been a regular ever...
Orlando Rebels - Robbie Robinson
ROBBIE ROBINSON Robbie started playing softball at the age of 12 in a Jacksonville recreation league. She played with Jacksonville teams until 1962...
Orlando Rebels - Robbie Robinson
ROBBIE ROBINSON Robbie started playing softball at the age of 12 in a Jacksonville recreation league. She played with Jacksonville teams until 1962...
Orlando Rebels - Pat Walker
PAT WALKER A lifetime average of .312, holder of the team record for most stolen bases in a season, eight times All State,...
Orlando Rebels - Ernie Rinks
ERNIE RINKS At the conclusion of the 1967 season, Ernie retired after five seasons with the Rebels. One season of inactivity was enough...
Orlando Rebels - Jeannie Pellagatto
JEANNIE PELLAGATTO Consistent dependability has marked Jeannie's play since she joined the Rebel team in 1968. Finishing that season with a respectabl...
Orlando Rebels - Jean Daves
JEAN DAVES For many seasons Jean display outstanding ability while pitching for various teams in the Southeast ... mostly in Atlanta ... but...
Orlando Rebels - Cathy Gibbons
CATHY GIBBONS Although in her fourth season of play with the Rebels, seventeen year old Cathy is still the "baby" of the team....
Orlando Rebels - Darlene May and Patty Myers
DARLENE MAY - Darlene May should be know to fans of softball, although California was her playing ground before she joined the...
Orlando Rebels - Snookie Mulder and Nancy Kinard
SNOOKIE MULDER - After playing slow pitch for two years in Leesburg, a versatile athlete, Snookie Mulder, has joined the Rebels. Snookie...
Orlando Rebels - Marge Ricker and Jennie Dyer
MARGE RICKER - Small wonder that when it comes to softball in general and the Rebels in particular that Rebel manager Marge...
Orlando Rebels 1969 program complete with photos and bios of the players.
Sad note…Pat Walker passed away this morning, December 8, 2020. She was always a hero…on and off the field and was loved by many. She will be missed.
Ann Gawthrop
Niece
We are so sorry to hear of Pat’s passing. She was truly an amazing woman. Please create a tribute to her at our sister site EpochLegacies.org where you can upload additional photos and memories. Peace be with you.