The 2025 Door County League Hall of Fame class (Left to right) Jody Viste, Jeff Sperber, Jesse Miller, Bill Becker, Ryan Tanck, Willie Schartner, Robbie Schartner, Chris Colombo, Dave Jilot and Travis Leroy. Submitted.
To the men who play it and the many people who follow it, the Door County League isn’t just about baseball.
It is about celebrating a county’s rich tradition. About young men coming of age, learning life values from their elders. And doing it all with a healthy dose of fun.
They were all on display when the league inducted 10 new members into its Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 3, at the Lodge at Leatham Smith, which pulled off the rare feat of preparing a remarkable home-cooked meal for 230 guests.
“To be recognized for something I really loved doing, it doesn’t get much better than this,’’ said Willie Schartner, who played for 31 years – 5 at West Jacksonport, 17 at Institute and 9 on Washington Island. “When I first joined the Door County League, I never really imagined how much a part of life it would become. What started as a game turned into a second family. Sunday baseball became a tradition: One I looked forward to every week, no matter the weather, the standings, the days and tough years at Institute – or how sore I was Monday morning.’’
The Hall of Famers of 2025 are Bill Becker, Chris Colombo, Dave Jilot, Travis Leroy, Jesse Miller, Robbie Schartner, Willie Schartner, Jeff Sperber, Ryan Tanck and Jody Viste.
They are the first class to be inducted since 2018. But thanks to the warm reception given to this year’s event, league officials hope to return to naming a Hall of Fame class every two or three years.
That is a tribute to this year’s Hall of Fame committee, which included Jason Annis-Wild, Jay and Brenda Kita, Len and Stephanie Atkins, Dave Neinas, and league president John Sawyer.
“While a Hall of Fame is never a perfect science, whether it is on a field, behind the scenes, or as an ambassador to baseball and Door County, we think this year’s group are deserving of much,’’ Annis-Wild said. “We encourage everyone to spread the word that the Hall of Fame is back, and we’ll be looking again for nominations when we do this hopefully again in two years.’’
While this year’s class accomplished great things between the lines, the Hall of Fame banquet celebrated much more than that.
“You’ve heard a lot today about baseball stats. I don’t have any,’’ said elder statesman Bill Becker, who began his career in 1957 but made his greatest contribution by fundraising and doing so many other things that made baseball possible, especially in Baileys Harbor, for future generations.
“A lot of pitchers that have been inducted tonight, and the key word there is pitcher, not thrower,’’ said current Egg Harbor veteran Eric DeJardine, who introduced his friend, Jilot. “Guys that have the intangibles, guys that know what to throw, when to throw, where to throw, how to throw it. You can’t teach that stuff. These guys have those intangibles.’’
And of course, there were plenty of amusing moments. Robbie Schartner and his presenter, cousin Jack Schartner, were a virtual Comedy Central performance.
Jilot told a great story about getting pitching advice from West Jacksonport teammate Ryan Tanck. “I’ll never forget as a 17-year-old kid going through the lineup with James Larson as the catcher, but Ryan Tanck was in my ear saying, ‘Hey, Lenny’s a jam, Jim Jorgenson’s a jam, this guy’s a jam.’ I was like, `Jesus Christ, if I could throw it on the inside black every time, I wouldn’t be here!’’’
“The memories off the field,’’ Robbie Schartner said, “are the most important memories I cherish.’’
Herb Gould’s deep-dive biography, Lambeau: The Epic Life of Earl Louis “Curly’’ Lambeau, The Man Who Invented the Green Bay Packers, will be published this summer.