Renowned Goosetown Softball Tournament in limbo in Anaconda

More consequentially, Anaconda businesses could lose tens of thousands of dollars spent by people for whom softball approaches obsession. No out-of-staters opening wallets and purses. No heads in beds.  

That could happen if the renowned Goosetown Softball Tournament bites the dust again this year.

The tournament isn’t dead yet. But it’s on life support on the cusp of its 51^st year.

Bill Hill, who has organized the tournament since the start, said Monday he was about to pull the plug on what he and others have described as a premier event in the softball world.

A day later, the tournament’s fate remained uncertain.

So far, Anaconda-Deer Lodge County hasn’t been willing to budge about allowing camping by tournament participants in Washoe Park — something always allowed in years past. Officials have cited concerns about potential liability and described a longstanding need to review regulations about special use permits.

“We have camped in the park with Goosetown for 50 years,” Hill said. “The camping was never an issue until this year.”

He cancelled the 2025 tournament after a flap over concessions contracts.

Hill has long been a controversial figure in Anaconda, with avid supporters and confirmed detractors. He was director of parks and recreation for 32 years and also coached high school basketball. He is opinionated and stubborn.

Morgan Smith was elected attorney of Anaconda-Deer Lodge County in 2024. She told commissioners for Anaconda-Deer Lodge County during a June 23 meeting that she had been taking a closer look at local government’s special use permits and had not had a chance to review Goosetown’s permit for 2025 because the event was cancelled.

She referenced coverage by the Montana Municipal Interlocal Authority, or MMIA.

“We have zero protection if we permit someone to camp and we don’t have coverage and there is some sort of injury, property damage or anything of that nature,” Smith said.

On Tuesday, she described an obligation to thoroughly review special use permits.

“The county owes it to the taxpayers to ensure that the use of county property by one person doesn’t expose the entire community to financial risk,” she said. “Requiring an event organizer to have sufficient insurance coverage for the specific type of event that they want to host isn’t intended to be a burden to any one person — it’s expected of every person or organization hosting an event and it is, and should be, appropriately tailored to the type of event.”

Smith told commissioners that MMIA said if Hill could obtain the necessary coverage, “then MMIA’s position was that it would be sufficient, subject to commission approval.”

Hill did not attend the June 23 meeting. Commission Chairman Kevin Hart referenced the absence.

“I think that’s also something that’s concerning, is that Mr. Hill is not here,” he said. “That is concerning for me.”

Hill said Monday he had a stye in his left eye last week and did not feel well.

Smith said Hill had numerous opportunities to interact with Anaconda-Deer Lodge County officials, including Joe Ungaretti, director of parks and recreation, about decisions regarding the special use permit, camping restrictions and liability coverage.

“I sent Bill Hill an email mid-April advising him of the county’s expectations regarding his special event permit for Goosetown to be held in July,” she said. “Joe Ungaretti and I met with Bill in person to further discuss any questions on April 28^th. Bill was advised in April that the county was not covered for camping as the county had done away with any county-owned camping facilities with the removal of the camping area at ‘lovers loop’ years back.

“Recognizing Bill Hill’s Goosetown event is unique in who/how many people he wants to have camping, I advised him that he’d need to obtain sufficient coverage related to camping before the commission could even consider permitting camping,” Smith said.

“As of the commission meeting on June 23^rd, which Bill was notified of and did not attend, the commission still did not have proof of sufficient insurance to contemplate camping,” she said. “The commission did have sufficient insurance information regarding the softball tournament itself – with some restrictions.”

Hill said Tuesday he has secured the liability coverage sought by the city-county that would allow for camping in Washoe Park, which he said he and tournament participants favor over camping somewhere like Mitchell Stadium. He said Washoe Park, an exquisite setting for camping, is close to the ballfields.

And given that softball tournaments and beer go together like hot dogs and mustard, Washoe Park is a safer setting because driving is limited, he said.  

Bill Everett, chief executive for Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, said Tuesday he is not aware of any problems in years past tied to camping in Washoe Park during the tournament.

“I’ve never really had any complaints,” he said.

Neither Everett nor Smith has the authority to make a decision about the tournament’s fate. That’s up to county commissioners.

At this point, as the clock ticks down for Hill’s decision, the county commissioners would need to schedule a special meeting to consider allowing camping to proceed. Such a meeting requires 48 hours' notice.

Hill is scheduled to meet with Everett Wednesday morning to talk about the tournament.

Hill said 90-plus teams are poised to participate in slow-pitch softball for men or fast-pitch for women. He said teams from Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana are scheduled to arrive for the tournament, set for the weekend of July 10-12.

Hill estimates that somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 people will be in Anaconda just to participate in the tournament, with hundreds more coming as family or friends.

He said Monday he must soon make a decision about whether to proceed. On Tuesday, he said his phone was blowing up with questions from teams about camping.

“The only way I can have the tournament is if the townspeople can convince three commissioners to let us have the camping,” he said Monday. “I’m not bringing in all these people and have them sleep in their cars.”

Some participants have booked hotel rooms in advance but lodging is scarce, partly because the Montana Folk Festival in Butte is the same weekend.

The influx of people is a very good thing for Anaconda businesses, Hill said.

Jana Roe, an owner of Jordi’s Cantina, agreed.

“It’s huge,” she said. “It can help set you for the winter. There are only so many large events during the summer.”

Roe added, “For our staff, it’s everything,” helping a restaurant server buy school clothes in the fall for her child, helping to pay for car insurance.  

Jordi’s Cantina will have the contract to serve alcohol if the tournament proceeds.

Bill McGladdery is a spokesman for Town Pump, headquartered in Butte.

“The Goosetown Softball Tournament is one of the premier events in Anaconda which brings visitors from across the region and state,” he said. “The loss of these visitors will have an impact on the sale of fuel, snacks, beverages and food items at our two Town Pump locations in Anaconda. Not only will our business be impacted, other Anaconda businesses will also be impacted by the loss of visitors.”

Hill said interest in softball among younger adults has waned.

“The crowd is older than it used to be,” he said. “It used to be really young, but now they’re out on their ATVs and their side-by-sides and they’re floating the Big Hole River every weekend,” he said.

Anaconda’s Goosetown Historic District was a predominantly working class neighborhood, with men employed at the Anaconda smelter or foundry, living in modest homes on narrow lots. There were churches and bars.

Hill grew up in Goosetown, in the vicinity of the Owl Bar. Goosetown origins are a source of pride for many Anaconda natives.

Hill clearly feels a sense of pride, too, about the Goosetown Softball Tournament.

“Every year I did this, I watched my Ps and Qs,” Hill said. “How can we improve what we're doing? How can we make the event safer? How can we make it better for the fans? How can we make it better for the players?”