GREGG BOSCH:
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
YEARS PLAYED: 25 years (1966-1990)
CAREER WINS/LOSSES: 1,067-218 (.830 winning %)
CAREERE.R.A.: 0.82 per game
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Two Iowa ASA Open State Titles in 1977 and 1979 both with Modern Piping
* Two Minnesota ASA State Titles
* Two South Dakota ASA State Titles
Most Valuable Pitcher Iowa State Tournament in 1977, 1979
* 11 Iowa State Tournaments, with none of those teams finishing lower than 5th place
* 13 ASA Regional Tournaments with two Regional Championship in 1981 and 1987, and his teams finished 2nd or 3rd another five times
* Four ASA National Tournaments with 2nd place finish in 1980 with Midwest Galleries of Cedar Rapids and 3rd place in 19B7 with Collins Radio also from C.R.
* ASA All-American in 1980
* Named to 1981 Sports Festival Team
* Six ISC World Tournaments
* Along with Al Rausch' Denny Linderbaum, did pitching clinics across Iowa for years.
Gregg Bosch was one of the most dominant pitchers that Iowa had during his career here. The left-handed Bosch's career spanned 25 years (1966-1990) and durinq that time he played fora number of teams, the majority of which were in the Cedar Rapids area from 1975-1990. His career record was 1,067-218 with a career ERA of 0.82. He pitched for two Iowa State ASA open Champions (1977 and 1979); two ASA Regional Champions (1981 and 1987); and for two ISC Iowa State Champions. Gregg also won two ASA State Titles while playing for Sioux Falls, SO in 1972 and 1973.
His career began in Steen, Minnesota at the age of 16, and he experienced tremendous success early on. While pitching in the Steen area, he won over 60 games in three separate seasons before the next phase of his career began in Sioux Falls, SD in 1970. There he began building his national reputation, winning South Dakota ASA State Titles two times, and appearing in two ASA Regionals.
That national reputation took him in 1974 to Sunnyvale, California where he played for one of the dominant teams in California, the LaBlanc Barons. His success continued there, and he had three wins that year against Guanella Brothers who were ASA National Champions in1974. He posted a 37-6 record for Sunnyvale, playing the best competition that fast-pitch softball had to offer on a national scale.
Wantinq to return to the Midwest, Gregg joined the Cedar Rapids Welty Way squad in 1975, and promptly became the recognized ace of a staff that also had Al Rausch and Denny Linderbaum. His debut in the Cedar Rapids Major Open was a no-hitter with 14 K's, and one of his first tournament games was another no-hitter with 18 K's against the powerful hitting Keg Bar of Prairie de Chien.
The Welty pitching staff had tremendous success that season. At one point the staff was 56-7 and each pitcher had thrown no-hitters in the Cedar Rapids Major Open. The Aurora, Illinois paper that year called the Welty Way pitching staff "the best young pitching staff in the nation.” And, Gregg (along with still close friends Rausch and Linderbaum) says that team, with Mike Palleson, Steve Andrew, Ed White, Cliff Rice, Max Elliot, Dick Zuccatto, and John Muench to name just a few, was the best team he's ever played with Welty won 9 of the 11 tournaments that year, and one week-end, each of the three young pitchers beat the nationally acclaimed Aurora, Illinois team that had finished 2nd in the 1974 ASA Nationals, and went on to finish 2nd again in 1975.
Unfortunately, injuries decimated the pitching staff for the 1915 Iowa state Tourney, and Welty Way finished a disappointing fifth place in 1915. Gregg's record for the year, however, was a fine 38-3 with an ERA well under 1, and he was well established as one of the premier pitchers in Iowa and the nation.
In 1976 with Welty Way and 1977 with Modern Piping, Gregg continued his dominant pitching, and his great stamina continued to serve his team well. Once while in Sioux Falls, he had pitched 8 straight games in one tournament, and that strength continued in Iowa. While he never threw 8 games in a day here, he often pitched 3 or even 4 games per day in tournaments against top competition in the nation. And, he and Al Rausch were considered the top lefty-righty pitching staff in the Midwest and perhaps even the nation.
In 1977, Greggled Modern Piping to the state championship at the ASA Open Tournament in Des Moines, gaining a measure of satisfaction of beating the Des Moines Bombers who had beaten Welty Way for the title in 1974. Those who saw him pitch against the Bombers inthat tournament saw a completely dominant pitcher, with great ball movement and command of his pitches. His performance in that tournament brought him the Most Valuable Pitcher Award, the first of four MVP's in Iowa state Tournament action.
Modern went on to finish 3rd at the ASA Regionals in 1977, and that began a five-year period in which Modern Piping and Gregg had great success a~ both the ASA state and Regionals. In 1979, Modern again won the state title and Greqq was again named Most Valuable Pitcher for his outstanding performance. His team went on to finish 2nd at the Regionals.
1980, however, proved to be one of the best years of Gregg's career. Modern Piping qualified for the ASA Regionals, but the team was eliminated by Midwest Galleries, also from Cedar Rapids. Midwest picked Gregg up out of the Regionals to join them at the ASA Nationals, and that a performance he had!
He went 5-2 at the Nationals losing only to National Champion Seattle Pay n' Pak twice. Both games went to extra innings, and Midwest was beaten 1-0 and 2-1. Fans who watched him pitch in that tournament said they had never seen a better performance at the national level. And for that effort, Bosch was named to the First Team ASA All- American team.
In 1981, Modern finished 2nd at the state tourney, but came out of the loser's bracket at the Regionals to beat Clear Lake for the Regional crown. On the final day ofthat tourney, Gregg pitched Modern to three consecutive wins, including one over defending champion Midwest Galleries, and another over Clear Lake Buttertop to get his team to the championship game. Al Rausch then pitched the final game of that tourney, and Modern Piping was Regional Champion. Modern went on to finish 9th at the ASA Nationals in 1981, with Gregg winning two games there.
1982 proved to be a year ofchange for Bosch and Modern Piping. Rausch moved to Clear Lake, and Gregg had to assume an even greater burden for his team. As usual, he responded to the challenge, and had great years. In 1982, Gregg had an overall record of 42-8 and led Modern into the ABA Regionals where they finished 2nd behind St. Louis. But, Gregg had another fine tournament, winning 3 games.
In 1983, Modern Piping chose to bypass the ASA Tournaments and played in the ISC World Tournament where they finished in the top 15. Gregg had another outstanding year, going 39-7 for Modern and then was picked up by Collins Radio for the ASA State Tournament in Sioux City. There, once again he put on an ironman performance, pitching every game and losing only in the championship game to his old friend Rausch and Buttertop. He was named to the All-Tournament Team for this outstanding performance. The Collins team went on to finish 2nd in the Regiona1s with Gregg winning 3 games in Topeka, KS. His final total record for 1983 was 47-10, and an ERA of .7.
In 1984, Modern Piping and Buttertop merged to form a powerhouse team, the Iowans, and that team had one of the most successful seasons in Iowa softball history. The Iowans won their first 33 games, with Gre99 go1ng 11-0 during that time. They won their first 6 tournaments, and going into the ASA Regionals as defending champs (as Buttertop in 1983), the Iowans had a record of 82-11, with Gregg at 31-4. Unfortunately, the team finished 2nd at the Regionals, losing 2-1 and 1-0 to a very talented St. Louis team. Gregg again had a fine tourney, winning 3 games and being named to the All-Tournament team.
After the 1984 season ended, the formidable Iowan team folded and both Modern and Buttertop ended their sponsorships. Gregg remained in Cedar Rapids and his team hosted the Regional Tournament in 1985. The team, known as the GRL Iowans, had an up-and-down season, but played well in the Regionals. As usual, Gregg had a fine tournament, winning three games (which put his season record at30-11 as the GRL Iowans finished 3rd.
In 1987, Rausch rejoined Gregg and once again they formed a powerful pitching staff, this time for Collins Radio. From mid-July on that year, Collins was almost unbeatable. Both Gregg and Al had outstanding state tournaments, with Gregg winning two games and losing only 1-0 in the championship game to Teleconnect despite throwing a 2-hitter. Collins then went on to win the Regional Tournament, with Greqg winning 2 games, and qualified for the ASA Nationals in Springfield, MO. Gregg won one game in that National tourney as Rausch went on a hot streak and Collins eventually finished third behind Seattle and Penn Corps.
Collins Radio dropped its sponsorship in 1988 and both Gregg and Al went to Mankato's Happy Chef. Bosch had a fine season with Mankato that year, finishing with a 22-4 record, and winning both the ASA and ISC State Titles. Happy Chef went on to finish in the top 20 in both the ASA and ISC National Tournaments.
But, Greqq, despite his successful season with Mankato, was tired of all of the travel, and decided to retire at the aqe of 38. He sat out the 1989 season, but in 1990, Greqq, along with his new business partner Al Rausch, created a new Cedar Rapids team named Bosch-Rausch Financial Group. Gregg then came out of retirement to join Al and Denny Linderbaum to form the new team's pitching staff.
The Rausch-Bosch team had its ups-and-downs as did its three pitchers in 1990. Once termed the "best young pitching staff in the country", Bosch, Linderbaum, and Rausch were now 41, 39 and 37 years old respectively. Nonetheless, the team had some great tournaments including the one at Eau Claire where Gregg once again showed his tremendous stamina. In that tourney, he won 4 successive games on Sunday including a 1-0 game against a powerful Waterloo, IA team. Bosch-Rausch finished 4th in that tourney, and Gregg was named to the All-Tournament team once again.
Bosch-Rausch was one of the favorites going into the ASA State Tournament in 1990. However, they were upset in the 2nd round and finished only 4th. Nevertheless, Bosch-Rausch qualified forthe Regionals, and there Gregg showed that he still could compete at the Regional level by winning one game and saving another as his team finished 3rd behind Sringfield and Topeka.
After the 1990 season ended, Gregg announced his retirement for good, and left a legacy for Iowa softball that puts him in the upper echelon ofpitchers in this state's softball history. Gregg's final season season ended with a 16-4 record, giving him a total of1,067 wins and 218 losses, a .830 winning percentage over his career.
His career spanned 25 years, and during that time he pitched in 11 Iowa ASA State Open Tourneys, winning two state titles and two more in South Dakota. He appeared in 13 ASA Regional Tournaments and his teams won two Regional titles and finished either 2nd or 3rd another five times. He appeared in four ASA National Tournaments, and six ISC World Tournaments. He also was selected as one of the pitchers to play in the prestigious 1981 National Sports Festival.
Beyond playing fast-pitch softball, Gregg was and still is very active in working with young pitchers. He along with Al Rausch, Mary Rausch, Denny Linderbaum, formed the All-Iowa Pitching Clinic (AIPC), and this group held numerous clinics at high schools and colleges for many years. He put together a presentation for AIPC on "The Why of the Pitching Motion" that many coaches still say today is the best explanation of the softball pitching motion they've ever heard. The AIPC staff, along with Manager Jim Caviness and catcher Larry Anderson, literally worked with thousands of young pitchers and catchers during that time, and helped develop some outstanding players who are still competing today. Although AIPC no longer puts on clinics, Greggcontinues to work with young pitchers from allover the Cedar Rapids area.
Gregg Bosch was one of the best pitchers Iowa softball has ever seen. He was a nationally recognized pitcher, and well respected by nationally ranked teams across the country. His reputation was one of tremendous stamina and doing whatever needed to be done to win. His competitiveness was unrivaled by anyone, and yet Gregg was one of the most popular players in the game among his rivals as well as his teammates. His career exemplifies everything that the Iowa Softball Hall of Fame looks for in its inductees.