SUN CITY – When the Sun City Softball League opened its 2013 season last month, it did so with an unusual mission â to actually hold its post-season tournaments.
Rainy weather forced the cancellation of the clubâs National and American Division tourneys in the Premier League last September. With faith in the ultimate goodwill of the weatherman, the club has scheduled this yearâs tournaments at the same time â early September.
âLast year, we simply declared the regular season champs in each division as the 2012 champions when rain wiped out our tournament games,â Bob Kennedy, who is starting his fourth year as club president, said. âThat extended the tourneys, and then a lot of players took off for the sun belt on previously arranged schedules, and the teams couldnât field enough players.â
So, after 18 games last year, the Big Hitters were declared the champions of the Premier Leagueâs National Division, and the Fuelers, a recently formed team, rose to the top of the American Division.
This year, the club started competition on May 6 and held its annual opening day ceremonies at Eakin Field on May 18. Attending that day were several representatives of the Sun City Community Association governing board and staff, along with representatives of the nearly two-dozen Huntley-area businesses that sponsor the clubâs activities.
This year, the club will again field teams in four divisions â the American and National in the Premier League, the Thursday morning division, and a new four-team division that will play 12-inch slow pitch softball for the first time this season.
They played 14-inch in the last several seasons.
âWe have about 220 players this year, including four women,â Kennedy said. âMost of the ladies play on the Cutters team. We are receiving a growing amount of interest from ladies who want to play.â
Premier League teams include Coyotes, Monarchs, Big Hitters, Fuelers, Hurricanes, Cutters, Travelers, Agents, Lumberjacks, Adjusters, Mustangs, and Knights. Thursday morning and 12-inch teams include For Eyes, Money Bags, Bucket Listers, Sluggers, Heaters, Grounds Crew, Holey Molars, Mobilizers, and Senior Swingers.
Kennedy also said the league will try something new this year â switching from single elimination post-season tournaments to two-level, double-elimination tournaments, following an 18-game regular season.
âWe have an excellent governing board of guys, many of whom have served since the club was formed,â Kennedy said. âThat has given us a continuity and consistency of leadership that I appreciate.â
Officers for 2013 include Pat McKay, Fred Thomas, Carl Pfalzgraf, Don Keene, John Boyle, and Steve Kutska, in addition to Kennedy.
Finally, Kennedy said no one has yet hit a ball out of Eakin Field.
âThat will probably change this year because of the start of 12-inch competition,â he said. âTwelve-inch softballs will carry farther than 16-inch ones. We have rigged up a special screen to protect our scoreboard if balls hit it.â
He added, however, that several balls have been hit to the warning track, only a few feet short of the fence.
According to the clubâs website, games are played every weekday evening at Eakin Field, usually at 5:30 and 7 p.m. They are also played Thursday mornings starting at 9:30 a.m., and daytime games are also scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays.
