Below are some notable moments in Veto League history. The pictures that accompany the moments are of the actual participants, but not of the actual events because we are not that organized and have no photographic evidence of most of said events.
Summer of 1999- Josh Lawhorn goes 0 for 6 with six strikeouts in one game. The next weekend he explodes for six homeruns in one game. Both of these are still VLB single game records to this day.
Veto League file photo of Josh Lawhorn from the 2005 Veto League Night Game at Richmond Hill Field in Geneseo, IL. This was the second VLB Night game at this location. Josh was in the VLB way back at the beginning in 1998. He was the league's first true power hitter. He last appeared in the 2006 season where he played two games.
June, 01- Comeback for a win. Veto’s team was down by 17 runs, but in mid-inning rally, came back to win in nine innings at the Blackhawks field.
Veto League file photo of a 2004 game played a the Blackhawks Diamond in Moline, IL. Pictured is Jacob VandeMoortel, VandeMo (as he is called), was regularly active in VLB through 2005. He made one appearance in 2006 and returned for a five game stint in 2009.
Summer of 2001- Alex “Jows” Callow becomes the first player in Veto League history to smoke a cigarette while batting. He continued to smoke as he ran the bases. He would be far from the last.
2004 Veto League file photo of Alex Callow. Fortunately, no cigarette in hand. Jows was an occasional participant in the VLB through 2004. He would return for one game in 2011, but has not played since.
5/26/02- Greatest comeback in history, but still fall in loss. Matt Veto’s team was down, 23-1 in the third inning and came fighting back. Lance McCafferty’s team scored 2 runs in the top of the ninth to take a 30-28 lead. Veto’s team could only score 2 in the ninth, making up 20 runs of ground in a 32-30 loss.
2004 file photo of Lance McCafferty. Lance was a prominent figure in the early days of Veto League Baseball. Sadly, he declared his retirement at the end of the 2005 season. Unfortunately, he has kept that word through today. I'm pretty sure he still lives in the area, so maybe we'll convince him to return someday.
5/27/02- Matt Veto finally blasts his first career homerun over the left field wall to extend an 8-3 lead to 10-3. The final in that game was an 11-7 Veto victory.
Matt Veto, the Godfather of Veto League. Matt was far and away the most active member of VLB from 1998-2011. Sadly, Matt moved out of town after the 2011 season. We have missed him since. He still makes the occasional appearance from time to time when he is in town for visits. Matt has the sixth most career VLB games with 278.
5/27/02- Ninth inning heroics by Brett Carlson lifted Boruff’s squad to victory in a five inning exhibition game. Carlson lifted a 3-run walk-off homer over the left field fence in a game that was protested by the opposing team.
6/8/02- Brett Carlson shocks the VLB when he runs.
Brett Carlson was a memorable player. Early in is career he wasn't much of a hitter, but developed himself into a Saukie Field power-hitter as his career moved along. Carlson retired with 36 Hrs, sixth all-time. These were almost exclusively all at Saukie Field and it's very generous short left field fence. Brett played regularly through 2006, when the league moved to Veterans Field in Moline where he found his hitting prowess diminished greatly. He has made the occasional appearance since then, most recently in 2013, when the league made a weekend return to Saukie Field. He did not hit any home runs that weekend. 5/27/02- The ever expanding technology of the VLB brings Busch beer boxes and two towels in the picture as they were used as bases. The slum like qualities of this game prompts the VLB to seriously ponder the purchase of “real” bases.
6/8/02- VLB technology continues to flourish as torn up pieces of carpet are used as bases.
Veto League has had a lot of different types of bases over the years. It started with mostly gloves, then moved on to torn up twelve pack boxes, then later rubber bases. The base pictured in this photo was probably my favorite. This was a sewn pillow of sorts made by, I believe, Matt Veto's mom. These were the league's first "real" bases. Unfortunately, the didn't stand up to the wear and tear of regular use. By the time they were retired, there were holes in them everywhere and padding falling out all over. Today the league is able to use real bases most of the time, but occasionally we still have to bust out the old rubber mat bases. Pictured in this photo are Scott Boruff (98-04) and Colby Moore (03-04).
6/1/02- Scott Ellefritz plays without his shirt on as VLB players put on sunglasses to prevent permanent damage. The three-quarters moon rose early that day.
Scott Ellefritz (99-Present) is Veto League. He has played in every Veto League season except for the first in 98. He is third all-time in games played with 428 (as of the end of the 2016 season). He is a six-time VLB infield Gold Glover, a former MVP, a VLB World Series Champion captain, perennial top of the order hitter, and so much more. Sadly, he has taken a dark turn in life and chosen a path of softball. He retired from active VLB play in 2014. We still see him a couple times a year though.
6/9/02- Brett Carlson hits two homeruns including going back to back with Keil Engstrom as Engstrom hits his first VLB homerun.
Kiel Engstrom; another lost soul to the temptations of evil softball. Kiel (99-13) retired from active play in 2011 to chase that evil temptress softball. Kyle is ranks in the top ten in just about every career statistical category. He is third all-time in home runs with 50.
6/15/02- Engstrom and Roberts go back-to-back at the Blackhawks diamond in a 32-31 loss that set the VLB combined scoring record for the second time in one year.
6/15/02- Brett Carlson shocks the VLB when he runs... for a triple! Hell froze over. Jacob VandeMoortel followed up with a triple providing the VLB with the first occurrence of back-to-back triples. Frozen Hell froze over.
6/15/02- McCafferty rallied his troops to come back to win after being down 11 going into the bottom of the eighth. An Ashley Engstrom walk off homer provided the final blow.
6/15/02- Casey Thomas becomes second VLB member to smoke while batting. Isn’t that sad... there are two now.
6/22/02- Bases are finally purchased for use in the VLB. They are rubber and cheap... but they're not beer boxes or torn pieces of carpet.
6/22/02- MVP of game six of the VLB Series, Scott Ellefritz helps Veto to 28-18 win going 8 for 10 on the day.
6/22/02- Night game ideas are drawn up for the first time.
6/23/02- Scott Boruff's grand slam and three run homers helps Veto's squad to a VLB Series win over Lance McCafferty.
6/29/02- Worst game ever. Best crowd ever. 20 VLB members find themselves playing at diamond #4 at the Coal Valley complex. All fields that the VLB usually plays on were taken and this was the last resort. There was a fence in play in left and also a pole. Fielders were place behind and in front of the fence. The fiasco was cancelled after four innings with McCafferty up 5-3 on Veto.
6/30/02- Homeruns were the key to Veto's 23-17 win over McCafferty. Veto hit his second career homerun, a three run blast to left, and Brad Jackson had two homeruns including Veto League Baseball's first inside-the-park homerun. Brad Hines also hit a grand slam for McCafferty.
7/7/02- Brad Jackson chases the single game HR mark set by Josh Lawhorn, but comes up two short with four long bombs in a 22-20 Veto win over McCafferty. Jackson hit two homeruns in the first inning and went back to back with Ashley Engstrom twice in the game.
7/13/02- First primitive box score kept.
7/14/02- VLB box score improved.
7/14/02- Single team run record set by Noah Roberts squad as they put up 43 runs to Jon Escajeda's 13. 43 runs is still a single game team record today.
7/14/02- Ashley Engstrom sets VLB single game RBI record with an astounding 18 RBI. He was 8 for 10 with 5 homeruns. This single game RBI record still stands today.
7/14/02- Eddie Elbert Cupp becomes first married man to play in the VLB.
7/20/02- A by request notable, Mitch Heckencamp wanted listed that this was the most "savage" game in Veto League history. It was 100 degrees, there were 10, then nine players, we played only seven innings, and argued over three or more calls.
7/20/02- Matt Veto plays the outfield while wearing headphones for one inning and with a portable radio for the rest listening to a very important Cubs game. They lost to the Astros 3-2 and his friend wasn't even on the radio as first thought.
6/15/02- Brett Carlson shocks the VLB when he runs... for a triple! Hell froze over. Jacob VandeMoortel followed up with a triple providing the VLB with the first occurrence of back-to-back triples. Frozen Hell froze over.
6/15/02- McCafferty rallied his troops to come back to win after being down 11 going into the bottom of the eighth. An Ashley Engstrom walk off homer provided the final blow.
6/15/02- Casey Thomas becomes second VLB member to smoke while batting. Isn’t that sad... there are two now.
6/22/02- Bases are finally purchased for use in the VLB. They are rubber and cheap... but they're not beer boxes or torn pieces of carpet.
6/22/02- MVP of game six of the VLB Series, Scott Ellefritz helps Veto to 28-18 win going 8 for 10 on the day.
6/22/02- Night game ideas are drawn up for the first time.
6/23/02- Scott Boruff's grand slam and three run homers helps Veto's squad to a VLB Series win over Lance McCafferty.
6/29/02- Worst game ever. Best crowd ever. 20 VLB members find themselves playing at diamond #4 at the Coal Valley complex. All fields that the VLB usually plays on were taken and this was the last resort. There was a fence in play in left and also a pole. Fielders were place behind and in front of the fence. The fiasco was cancelled after four innings with McCafferty up 5-3 on Veto.
6/30/02- Homeruns were the key to Veto's 23-17 win over McCafferty. Veto hit his second career homerun, a three run blast to left, and Brad Jackson had two homeruns including Veto League Baseball's first inside-the-park homerun. Brad Hines also hit a grand slam for McCafferty.
7/7/02- Brad Jackson chases the single game HR mark set by Josh Lawhorn, but comes up two short with four long bombs in a 22-20 Veto win over McCafferty. Jackson hit two homeruns in the first inning and went back to back with Ashley Engstrom twice in the game.
7/13/02- First primitive box score kept.
7/14/02- VLB box score improved.
7/14/02- Single team run record set by Noah Roberts squad as they put up 43 runs to Jon Escajeda's 13. 43 runs is still a single game team record today.
7/14/02- Ashley Engstrom sets VLB single game RBI record with an astounding 18 RBI. He was 8 for 10 with 5 homeruns. This single game RBI record still stands today.
7/14/02- Eddie Elbert Cupp becomes first married man to play in the VLB.
7/20/02- A by request notable, Mitch Heckencamp wanted listed that this was the most "savage" game in Veto League history. It was 100 degrees, there were 10, then nine players, we played only seven innings, and argued over three or more calls.
7/20/02- Matt Veto plays the outfield while wearing headphones for one inning and with a portable radio for the rest listening to a very important Cubs game. They lost to the Astros 3-2 and his friend wasn't even on the radio as first thought.
