Orlando Rebels – 1969 Souvenir Program

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.

Team members included: Pat Walker, Sissie Zollinger, Stephany Tenney, Toni Swartout, Robbie Robinson, Ernie Rinks, Jeannie Pellagatto, Jean Daves, Cathy Gibbons, Dearlene May, Patty Myers, Snookie Multer, Nancy Kinard, Marge Ricker and Jennie Dyer. VIEW individual pages under below under Attachments.

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

The program also includes advertisements for local business including: Skyline Restaurants at McCoy Jetport and Herndon Airport, Finnies Inc. Boby Shop, Central Florida Pharmacy, John Francisco and Pete Radcliffe, Southern Gold Citrus Products, Lola’s Beauty Salon, Mrs. Ernest Rinks, Carter Wheel Alignment, Dick Carter, Dick Bergholtz, The Do-Nut Dinette, Moore Fence Company, Behr Shoe Center, Inland Materials, Inc., Esther J. Corwin Realtor, Benny’s Texaco Service, Denmark Sporting Goods, Craven’s Dresses and Sportswear, Colonialtown, Christiansen Motors, Hilton Inn on West Colonial Drive, John P. Ivory Storage Company, McNamara Pontiac, Hagood Brothers Boats and Motors, Moses Liggett-Rexall Pharmacies,