Rebling inducted into fast pitch hall of fame

When Al Rebling was a teenager growing up on a farm outside of Fairfield, he never dreamed of being the next Nolan Ryan, Catfish Hunter or Tom Seaver. Instead, he wanted to play fast-pitch softball.

?I never really played baseball,? Rebling said. ?Growing up on a farm, it was always kind of the busy time of the year. I didn?t start Little League or anything, and then when I got into high school I didn?t play baseball. In fact, I?ve probably never thrown a baseball more than a dozen times in my whole life. It just feels so foreign to pick up a little, tiny baseball. I just always played softball.?

After graduating from high school, Rebling began playing softball in an eight-team men?s fast pitch league in Fairfield. It was the start of a long and decorated career for Rebling, who was inducted into the Iowa Men?s Fast Pitch Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Clarion Inn in the Amana Colonies on Nov. 19.

?It?s an honor to get into it,? Rebling said of the Hall of Fame. ?I played against and looked up to a lot of the guys who are in it. It?s not something you think about when you?re playing, but once you?re done then it?s nice to get recognized for having a pretty good career.?

Rebling had an outstanding 31-year softball career. His teams won 17 state championships, including 12 in a row from 1997-2008, and he won numerous Most Valuable Pitcher awards at those state tournaments. He also led his teams to the International Softball Congress World Fastball Tournament 14 straight years, finishing as high as fourth place at the world tournament.

Rebling also pitched in several international tournaments as a member of Team USA. Twice he pitched in the Pan Am Games, which is the men?s softball equivalent of the Olympics, helping the Americans to silver medals in Cuba in 1991 and in Argentina in 1995. He was undefeated in international play, even tossing a no-hitter.

?Anytime you play for your country, that?s kind of the top of the chain for what your goals are to ever do,? Rebling said. ?It was a big honor.?

The right-hander had a combination of pitches that made hitters look silly. His fastball could reach the mid-70s, and he mixed that in with a changeup, a drop ball and a devastating rise ball.

?The rise ball was always kind of my best pitch,? Rebling said. ?That was the most effective pitch I had.?

Rebling, 51, retired after leading the Quad City Sox to the world tournament in 2009. But he?s still around the softball diamond a lot. He?s been an assistant coach for the Washington softball team for the past four years.

?Throwing for the high school girls kind of keeps me in shape,? he said. ?I?m probably actually throwing more pitches overall than I ever did, but just not at the same speed as what you would throw in a game.?

Not only does Rebling throw batting practice, but he also passes his wisdom on to the Demons? pitchers.

?When they get into tough situations, I try to help them get through that,? he said. ?When they?re struggling a little bit, I try to keep them positive. I went through all that stuff, so I kind of know what the feeling?s like when you?re getting hit around.?

Rebling has also been passing his knowledge on to his daughter, Allison, who pitches for Washington?s 10-and-under softball team.

?She?s picked up a lot of stuff from me,? Rebling said. ?She?ll be all right if she keeps working at it.?

And if she does, she could be the next Al Rebling.