As the years pass and the seasons come and go, there are many softball players that begin playing as well as walk away. The softball world is a very appealing, borderline addicting outlet for players. Many players are synonymous to the local softball scene and it very often leads to other positions in softball such as Directors, Sponsors, or possibly coaches. Before you know it 20-30 + years have passed and they are still involved in some level of the softball community. These people are the history of softball, they know all the players, teams, and sponsors like their own family. They have a presence in the community and the knowledge they project is second to none. This weeks Who's who in NJ is on NJ USSSA Hall of Fame member Dave McKelvey. Dave has earned the respect of the softball world for his hard work and dedication as a player, director, and especially friend. Dave is one of those guys that you can sit and have an hour conversation with on just about any subject but if you want to talk softball he is the man to go to. Even though Dave retired from running softball tournaments a number of years back the effort he put into his position has left an impact. The Lakewood Softball league and the Fall Classic (originally Halloween Classic) have some of the largest participating teams in the state and they were both started by Dave. So lets learn about the man who has been around the softball fields for almost 40 years.

Dave McKelvey was born and raised in Lakewood NJ and graduated from Lakewood High School in 1966. Dave was a member of the football, basketball, and baseball teams and was awarded a football scholarship to Rutgers University. After suffering an injury transferred to Rider College with a baseball scholarship. After completing a successful tenure as a Rider baseball player Dave was drafted by the Chicago Cubs. Dave played a year of minor league ball before beginning his teaching profession at Lakewood High School. To say Dave does anything for a short period of time is an understatement. Dave taught at Lakewood for 33 years before retiring, Dave will also be married for 41 years in April.  After many years of playing and directing softball tournaments Dave was inducted to the USSSA NJ Hall of Fame as a director. Being honored as a member of any Hall of Fame is an outstanding accomplishment and couldn't have happened to a better man. I recently picked Dave's brain about many things about the days of softball when he played and the level of softball today. Dave also discussed the many talented players he competed with and against, how softball tournaments were run, the Lakewood softball league, and many other interesting topics. 

We all know that you were a very successful Director but how long did you play competitive (Tournament) softball for?

DM- I competed on many different teams competitively for 33 years.

What teams did you play for for during those 33 years?

DM- Some of the tournament teams that I have played for over the years were Lane Drugs/Goodyear Tire, The Shack, Freehold Masters (over 40), NJ Cardinals (over 50), and Red Door (over 55).

What were the main levels of competition during those years? 

DM- For the most part there was no classifications of teams (except for Masters and Seniors). You got your team together and went to a tournament. The tournament director would just bracket teams and you played who they said. If the teams were classified by todays standards they would have been in the A through C level. 

Who were some of the top NJ players during your competitive days? 

DM- Some of NJ's top players would have included Ernie Hicks, Bill Pollock, Champ Tyler, Frank Trenkle, Joe Kraft, Bob Pietrycz, Pete Smith, Tommy White, and a player who I feel was the most "clutch" under pressure Greg Walling.

In your opinion, how has the game changed over the years for the better or worse?

DM- Todays game has improved positively by the quality of the equipment, much better fields, and definitely more tournaments. The negative change is the amount of cheating (bats) going on, minimal team loyalty, and players worrying too much on just winning. I also feel the National and State directors need to do something about team and player classifications. There needs to be some association unity on where teams and players can play and at what level. Too many players/teams are playing below the classification they are. 

How do you feel the players of today would fare back when you played with the bats and balls so different those days?

DM- I may be biased but give the players of my time (70's-80's) the legal equipment of today and I feel todays player wouldn't be able to compete with us. 

Do you feel todays players are more athletically sound? If so, why?

DM-I feel the players today take the off season more seriously. Many players work on their skills during the winter and play in many indoor tournaments as well.

How were the world Tournaments set up during your playing days? Did teams go to multiple Associations or mainly just one?

DM-The set up didn't have as many different classifications and ASA was the primary association. USSSA later emerged Nationally and in NJ. 

What were some of the big tournaments that you participated in NJ during that era? Nationally?

DM-Some of the bigger tournaments were the Budweiser in Somerville, probably the biggest at that time. Around the shore area was the Eatontown tournament.  Nationally I was able to participate in 10 World tournaments with the Freehold Masters and never finished lower than 9th. I was fortunate enough to make All-World team in 1999 for Red Door.

What did you enjoy most about playing competitively for so many years?

DM-I have had the pleasure to make an unbelievable amount of friendships that still last today. The friendships include old teammates as well as opponents throughout the year. 

How long were you the director of the Lakewood Softball League prior to Bruce Stallworth taking over?

DM-Prior to Bruce I ran the Lakewood Softball League for 38 years. 

Did you ever hold any other director positions in the state? 

DM-I held two positions in the state, the Asst. State Director for both ASA and USSSA, under Shelly Haber.

The Lakewood League has been successful for so many years, what are some of the difference between todays league and years past? 

DM-When I first began running the Lakewood league we played our games on the single field across from Lakewood High School. The games were single games at either 630, 800, or 930, later on the games became Double headers at 630 and 830 as the league expanded. Now with Pine Park, scheduling and expansion is much easier.

With the softball world so easily accessible via internet, how do you feel it impacts softball these days?

DM- The internet makes it much easier for people to find leagues in their area to play. Tournament directors no longer need to spend a lot of money sending fliers or making phone calls to teams.

It seems as if the softball world is losing upper level teams for various reasons, why do you feel this is so?

DM-The sponsorship for the upper level teams is not  like it use to be. All the best players are on 4-6 teams because of the money from the sponsors. When I played we never had a major sponsor and we raised the money ourselves or put up our own cash.

Its always a pleasure to see Dave McKelvey out at some local tournaments, will you be attending any tournaments this upcoming season?

DM-I will definitely make it out to some of the local tournaments run by Bruce (USSSA) and Andy (NSA) this season.


SlowpitchNJ.com would like to thank Dave McKelvey for taking the time out of his busy retired life to share some personal background with us. Dave is an icon in this area when it comes to softball and has always been a true gentlemen. We wish Dave the best in his continued retirement and look forward to seeing him out at the fields this upcoming season.