Erv Lind - Softball (Coaching)

Born in Chicago, in 1906, Erv Lind made a name for himself in the sports world as a sponsor and coach of one of the state’s great amateur teams: softball’s Erv Lind Florists.

A rec-league baseball player into middle age, Lind moved into sponsorship of a softball team in 1937 and quickly realized the potential for his business and his competitive drive. He found and developed 18 All-Americans, led the team to seven ASA national tournaments finals and two titles during the following 28 years. The 1944 team won the national title under the name Lind and Pomeroy due to the partnership with Seley Pomeroy, while the 1964 team won as the Erv Lind Florists just two months prior to his death from a heart attack.

In his 28 years as manager, Lind is credited with a 1,113-324 record and missed just two national tournaments – both due to financial concerns, from 1943 to ‘64.

The Florists moved to the National Softball Congress from 1951-54 and won the championship tournament in ’54 before returning to the ASA ranks. The team traveled to the Far East for six weeks at the invitation of the State Department in 1959. Oregon Sports Hall of Famers Margaret Dobson, Carolyn Fitzwater, Betty Evans Grayson and Jackie Rice were all longtime standouts on the team.

The team folded after his death.

Portland honored Lind with a resolution of thanks in 1963 and named the stadium at Normandale Park after him in 1965. The Erv Lind Award honors the outstanding defensive player at the ASA national tournament each summer.

Lind was inducted to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.