[Alsfastball] Stars of the ISC - August, 2004 - Doug Gillis

[Al Doran]

Stars of the ISC - August, 2004 - Doug Gillis


       (A Tribute to Past, Present, and Emerging Stars of the I.S.C.)



DOUG GILLIS - - - BORN TO PITCH, AND TO TRAIN PITCHERS



Is any wonder that Doug Gillis can do amazingly accurate imitations of the 
style and motion of such masters of the art of pitching a softball as Owen 
“Fog” Walford, Kevin Herlihy, and Michael White?

And that Doug Gillis, our August 2004 “Star of the ISC”, has been doing 
those imitations for about a quarter of a century?

You see, a young Doug Gillis literally “grew up” with one or the other of 
that trio of ISC All-World Tournament  Kiwi hurlers as a part of his family 
during the seasons they starred for Art Gillis’ Saginaw Bolters powerhouses 
of the late 70’s and early 80’s.  The senior Gillis was a pioneer in the 
move to importing pitchers from New Zealand to hurl for top American teams.

And Art Gillis was quick to set his young son Doug on a path to a career as 
one of the nation’s top pitchers!

“My first memories of the sport - - and among my first memories of my life 
- - come from going with my dad and watching him play fastball in Petosky, 
Michigan”, says Gillis, now 39, a bachelor, and the ace of the Midland 
Explorers.

“He started me pitching in the back yard when I was maybe seven or eight 
years old” - - - to which his father Art responds, “He loved to throw from 
the very beginning.  He loved to hear the ball smack into the glove.”

The senior Gillis continues, “When Doug started to learn serious pitching, 
I had to threaten to drop my catcher’s mitt and go in the house to get him 
to learn to ‘work the hitters’ - - he was so eager to just hear that crack 
of the ball hitting leather.”

And that backyard training ground took a beating in the process.

A couple of years ago Doug bought his dad a new garage door, a move which 
brought this line from his father: “He sure should have; he put hundreds of 
dings in that old door” during our many hours using it as a backstop.”

Young Gillis recalls first hurling in serious competition in the annual 
multi-sport event between the cities of Saginaw, Michigan, and Kitchener, 
Ont. The “Can-Amera Games”were a launching pad for the early steps in his 
pitching career which included pitching at age 15 for Valley Athletic in 
the Saginaw City League; and for Reese Co-op at 16 and 17.

These early assignments, and the success he experienced, led young Gillis 
to Orlando, Florida, and the Miller High Life team.  He spent two seasons 
(’83 and ’84) in Orlando, leading his team to the ISC World Tournament in 
Allentown, Pa., the latter year with an upset win over the Clearwater 
Bombers.  This triumph led to Gillis finding himself on the mound facing 
Decatur ADM, the reigning juggernaut of the sport, in first round 
action.  This author had the pleasure of watching that game sitting with 
the senior Gillis as his son took the mound in what was to be a coming of 
age game.  Art Gillis recalls his son choosing to issue intentional walks 
on a couple of occasions to such hitters as Brian Rothrock and Ted Hicks 
much to the consternation of his own manager.  But of course Doug knew much 
more about that Decatur batting order than his upstart Floridian teammates 
did.  Gillis also succeeded in frustrating the Decatur hitters, battling 
them in a 1 – 0 game until the final inning when they broke through against him

This game and Gillis’promise as a major hurler led to his hitting the “big 
time” beginning in ’85 with Ashland (Ohio) Faultless; then on to the 
Midland Explorers in ’86; then to Seattle Pay ‘n Pak in ’87; back to 
Ashland for the ’88 season; then returning to Midland for ’89 and 
’90.  Another stopover in Ashland followed in ’91 before he headed to 
Illinois to pitch for the Bloomington Beer Nuts in ’92 and ’93; the 
Bloomington Hearts in ’94; and Decatur from ’95 – ’97.

He came back to Michigan to anchor the Midland staff in 1998, made the ISC 
All-World Tournament team that season, and has remained on the mound for 
the Explorers ever since ’98.

In addition to his exploits in ISC competition, Gillis has had great 
success in ASA national tournaments currently ranking fifth in lifetime 
victories in that event (trailing only Peter Meredith; Ty Stofflet, David 
Scott, and Johnny Spring - - - pretty good company, eh?)

Gillis’ contributions to the Explorers can be measured in the comments of 
his teammate Kyle Beane who describes him as “a true student of the game 
who continually helps other players with his observations”.  Beane 
continues, “Doug Gillis is a great teammate who adds much more than just a 
world-class presence on the mound.”

And that “much more” has seen Gillis become the continent’s leader in the 
development of young pitchers (most of whom, unfortunately from the 
standpoint of the men’s game, are female).  Beginning in 1987, his ability 
to teach the art of pitching underhand found him getting more and more 
involved in clinics, lessons, camps, and other activities which serve to 
introduce young athletes to the game and particularly to the skills 
required to toe the rubber.

These activities have been so successful that in early August of 2004 Doug 
Gillis will be breaking ground for a $1.2 million indoor softball training 
facility (to be known as the “Gillis Softball Academy”) in Wixom, Michigan, 
a northwestern suburb of Detroit.  The 22,000 square foot facility will 
have a full-time staff of four persons, and will serve approximately 300 
students each week.

For the past six years, Gillis has conducted camps at the Pontiac 
Silverdome which feature 64 teams with 1900 kids in a half clinic/half 
tournament setting.

Though most of his students are female, he does have occasional male 
pitching candidates seek out his guidance each year.  Kyle Beane puts it 
this way, “While his business focuses on instructing girls on how to pitch, 
he is more than happy to spend time with guys who are trying to improve 
their game - - - and this makes him an invaluable resource to our sport.”

Ken Hackmeister, ISC Executive Director, puts it this way:  “Doug’s role as 
our Pitching Instructor is to provide technical assistance to other 
instructors around the US and Canada who may not be completely familiar 
with teaching male pitchers.”

And provide that assistance he does!

Gillis has an official ISC capacity as a “Specialist” in the position of 
ISC Pitching Instructor.

On his way to the 2004 ISC World Tournament, Gillis will stop in Eau 
Claire, Wisconsin to serve as one of the instructors at a male pitching 
clinic at that location.  Together with his Midland teammate Beane, Gillis 
will conduct a pitching clinic August 17 at the site of the World 
Tournament in Fargo.

Hackmeister’s praises of Gillis role and contributions continue:  “As a 
great service to our efforts to develop more male pitchers, Doug has 
graciously allowed us to give three of his instructional videos to any 
clinician or clinic organizer who requests them”  He points out that on his 
own, and with ISC Pitching Clinic Administrator, Kyle Beane, Gillis has 
staged numerous free clinics to Michigan boys during the past two years.

Doug’s dad Art may have the final word on the subject:  “When it comes to 
fastpitch, he is still like a kid, still eager to throw anywhere, anytime” 
as the senior Gillis cites Doug’s recent 120 mile trek just to pitch two 
innings in an all-star game.

Born to the game; nurtured by a fastball icon; exposed at an early age to 
some of the finest pitchers in the world as mentors and role models - - 
-  that’s DOUG GILLIS - - our August, 2004 “Star of the ISC”

August 5, 2004

By:  Gordon Wise - - - ISC Information Officer
<mailto:sgwise at woh.rr.com>sgwise at woh.rr.com
http://www.iscfastpitch.com



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