Written by Bob Otto on June 25th, 2010

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Mike Trotter of the Southern Oregon Bandits, shows his form while pitching for CR Adidas in the 2004 ASA Class A National Tournament.
Photo By BOB OTTO – botto3 (at) verizon.net

EAGLE POINT, OR – Mike Trotter doesn’t know how he will feel in his final game, throwing his final pitch, and stepping off the pitching rubber for the final time. But he does know the time has come to say goodbye.

At the end of the season, Trotter will leave fastpitch softball after a 63-year career that began in 1947. And above all else there’s one thing he’d like to be remembered for.

“I would like to be remembered for my passion for the sport,” said the 71-year-old, right-handeder. “It’s what has kept me going.”

Trotter has toyed with retirement for the past 15 years, but he always pushed it aside. But he knew this year would be his last. The aches and pains have become just too much.

“After a tournament, my ankle and my legs hurt from Monday until the next weekend,” Trotter said. “And my reflexes are slower. With the hot bats and hot balls, the ball comes back faster than it goes in.”

Memories? Trotter has more than a few. There’s the time as a fifth grader when he watched wide-eyed as Eddie Feigner (King and His Court fame) conducted a pitching clinic for young, aspiring pitchers.

“That was what got me interested,” Trotter said.

THE GREAT ONES REMEMBERED

And he recalls the great pitchers he battled – Dick Christenson, Roy Burlison, and Dan Woodman, just to name a few. “Woodman was a great competitor and had a good inside rise ball that curved into right handed batters,” Trotter said.

Mike Trotter has pitched approximately 1,700 games in his career.

And he cherishes pitching for the Lake Oswego (Oregon) team (1975-’76) that went head-to-head against Pay & Pack of Seattle. In 1975, Trotter had a 25-2 record, followed by 27-4 the next season.

“The Lake Oswego team was the best I’ve ever played on,” he said. “We dominated the Portland area and had big games against Pay & Pack.”

And he treasures having played in nearly 1,700 games; having played in ASA, ISC, and NAFA national tournaments, finishing as high as second.

TOUGH OUTS AND AGELESS IN SEATTLE

He also recalls pitching against George Decker of Roseburg (Oregon). “He was a long ball hitter that I could never get out,” he said. And the late Steve Newell of Pay & Pack: “He was a left handed slapper who could put the ball anywhere. He hit doubles that never left the infield.”

And there’s last August, when Trotter incredibly defied his age by pitching like a 25-year-old. He won four games to lead his Southern Oregon Bandits to the championship of the 49th annual Seattle Invitational, earning Most Valuable Pitcher honors.

But his success didn’t come over night.

In his early fastpitch career, Trotter played both the infield and outfield. And he played some semi-pro baseball. Then at 19, he became a full time fastpitch pitcher after hurting his arm throwing overhand in baseball.

He turned to Leroy Nelson and Gene Burke for help. They became his mentors. Burke taught him the windup and how to ‘walk the mound.’

“It was striding forward rather than the hopping and the twisting leap of today,” Trotter said.

TROTTER AND THE YOUNGSTERS

Many of his former teammates have long left the game for golf courses, hammocks, and cruise ship vacations. Now he often finds himself on the same team with their grandkids. And on the Bandits, he’s no doubt the elder statesman.

“They’re young and 25, and then there’s me,” Trotter said with a chuckle.

Every Bandit could espouse a testimonial about Trotter and his impact on the young team, now in its third season. His fastpitch savvy has time and again come to the aid of the Grants Pass ball club.

“If things get out of control, Mike knows how to manage high pressure situations and get us back into our style of play,” said Dan Mecum, Trotter’s catcher for the past five years. “My greatest moment of my career is catching Mike. It’s the easiest gig in town. I put my glove out and Mike hits it every time…He pinpoints everyone of his pitches.”

Dan Mecum, catcher, Southern Oregon Bandits

And said Mecum, Trotter has been a mentor to the Bandits three young pitchers: Marcus Durbin, 30, Josh McGowan, 25, and Brady Howe, 27.

“Mike realizes that the game will die off if there aren’t any pitchers,” Mecum said. “We had these three great athletes, who wanted to learn how to pitch. And Mike took them under his wing.”

Durbin has been one of the benefactors of Trotter’s years of experience. Although, Durbin has established himself as a pitcher in his own right, having Trotter on the bench giving advice when needed has been a boon to the Bandits’ pitching staff.

“Mike is very encouraging when he sees me getting frustrated,” Durbin said. “The one thing Mike has said is that you need one pitch – a go to pitch that you can throw for a strike.”

At 9 a.m. on Friday morning, Trotter packed up his softball gear and headed for Mt. Vernon, Washington for a tournament. It’s a 12-hour drive. A drive that would leave many ball players groaning and grumbling.

But not Trotter. After all he’s just following his passion.

(The Bandits won the Mt. Vernon tournament, and Trotter came on in relief in the championship game to seal the win, Durbin said.)