Well softball fans and friends, here it is, Thursday, July 13, the deadline for Saddlebag Notes submissions. The softballers have been AWOL since Friday, June 30, which was the end of the Spring season. Well… maybe just hunkering down in the air conditioning. (yours truly fer shure!). The hardcore junkies have been down at the field gruntin’ and sweatin’ in the 100 degree plus heat over the last couple of weeks, keeping in shape for the upcoming Summer season starting Monday, July 17. Our Summer season is going to run until Friday, September 22. Whew! Gonna be hotter n’ Hades, friends. Load up on the hydration fluids! And…. don’t forget our LABOR DAY TOURNAMENT on Monday, September 4!!!!
Meanwhile, you all won’t be reading these golden words till around Thursday, July 27, or Friday, July 28, and the summer league will be two weeks under way. Get on down to the field to check out the action or surf us online at saddlebrookeseniorsoftball.com for the latest standings and stats. You can also read and reread (for those of you who can’t get enough of SaddleBrooke Softball news) by surfing the SaddleBrooke Progress (softball) and the Saddlebag Notes on the net.
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Spring League Action
Well, the last deadline date for the Notes was Wednesday, June 14, and there were two weeks of Spring league action left. On Mondays in Recreational, (single A—the don’t get too wound up league, let’s just have some fun), Wildfire Wing Company “hot sauced” Window Wizards for the league championship, coming in with a 5 to 2 record to the Window Washers 5 to 2. On Tuesdays, in Community (AAA), Absolutely Art took home the trophy (well …. bragging rights anyway) with a solid 7 to 2 record to Ambient Air Heating and Cooling’s 4 to 6 and AARP Information Center’s 3 to 6.
In Tuesday’s Competitive league (AAAA), Desert Life Pharmacy had the right prescription ending up at 6 to 2 (your humble author with a 6 to 2 record on the mound) to Coyote Golf Cars 2 to 6. Then on Wednesdays, in the Sidewinder league (AA), Golf Cars of Arizona and Hardin Brothers Automotive battled to the end for a tie for the league championship (and second place as well) at 4 to 4, each. In Wednesday Community, X-Pert Automotive wrenched Your CBD Store into submission with a 7 to 1 record to the CBDer’s 1 to 7. On Thursdays in Coyote (geezer (65+ unless desperate for bodies) league), Bubb’s Grub held on at 5 to 3 to out-mayhem Brittni Guttman Allstate Insurance with the other end at 3 to 5.
Then on Fridays, in the Community league, Barron Electric shocked their league partners all season long finishing with an 8 to 2 record. Big Bear Garage Doors ended up in second at 5 to 6 and Arizona Indoor Air finished at 3 to 8. I guess “fairness” in reporting dictates that yours truly, having taken credit for the 6 to 2 record on Tuesday, also own up to the 3 to 7 mound record in this league for AZ Air (with John Vaaler taking one loss). Oh well! Some days you’re the dog, some days you’re the fire hydrant. Over to Competitive—Catalina Family Dental drilled Canine & Company all season long finishing at 7 to 1 to the Canine’s 1 to 7.
The loyal readers of this column (well, those with not much else to do) will have noted that personal stats are generally not highlighted. But at the end of the Spring season, and with the plenty of space I have been allowed with the Notes, here are the batting average and home run leaders from this past season.
In Monday Recreational (at least 20 ABs), no surprise to those players, Mark Pollock really hammered it with a .971 average and EIGHT HOMERS! Yikes. Maybe time to step up, Mark. Monday Community (25 ABs) had Len Gann take the batting crown at .833 and Dan Reed, Tom Gallo, and Morlin Hastings each leg out six homers (well, those guys can still move). On Tuesdays in Community (25 ABs), Tom Gallo came through again, this time with a .875 average and four homers. Nice season, Tom.
In Competitive, Bob Chiarello led the league in hitting at .750 with Nick Longo hammering out three homers (yours truly on the mound most likely). In Wednesday Community, (20 ABs minimum), Sam Alkhoury took the batting championship at .810 and Morlin Hastings, the home run crown with six. In Sidewinder (at least 20 ABs), Jay Crenshaw had it all to himself with a .815 average and six taters.
Then, on Thursdays, in Coyote (25 ABs min.), John Merlin worked his magic with the batting wand all season with a .875 average and Jim MacDonald and Tim Malone both came in with three homers. Finally, on Fridays, in Community, Harold Weinenger put the hurt on Mr. Softball for a .892 average with three home runs. CW Woehr tied him in the tater category, also with three. And last, in Competitive, Brand Eigen and Barry Emmons tied for the league average crown with .800 averages and Richie Figueroa had the tater crown with four.
Well that’s it for now, softball fans. The summer season will be in full swing by the time the Notes hits the streets. Monday through Friday (mornings) you can check out softball action down at the field on the south perimeter of SaddleBrooke near the Desert View Recreation and Theater facility. Come on down! AND DON’T FORGET! Our LABOR DAY TOURNAMENT will be held on Monday, September 4. Come enjoy some softball “dramedy”, brauts, burgers, beverages, tunes and more. Hasta la vista, baby!
