Bases on Balls leader Mike Willits does swing away sometimes! Umpire Joe Byrne, catcher Al Narvaez, and on-deck hitter Dave Kratz look on.
Larry Wolfe
In baseball and softball, it truly is “all about the stats.” No other sports are as focused on “the numbers” as are baseball and softball. The game’s individual matchups, such as pitcher versus batter, and the ability to track every action has led to a rich history of analyzing those statistics.
The noted late sportswriter Leonard Koppett wrote, “Statistics are the lifeblood of baseball. In no other sport are so many [stats] available and studied so assiduously by participants and fans alike. Much of the game’s appeal lies in the opportunity the fan gets to back up opinions and arguments with convincing numbers, and it is entirely possible that more American boys mastered long division by dealing with batting averages than in any other way.”
Of course, there are aspects to the game other than statistics. As former MLB player and manager Lou Pinella once said, “Statistics are a lot like bikinis. They show a lot, but not everything.”
But this article is all about the stats. Here’s a summary of the statistics from the 2024-25 Sun Lakes Senior Softball seasons. The numbers cover the Fall 2024, Winter 2025, and Spring 2025 sessions. Each of 13 categories shows the Lakes Division leader, the Sun Division leader, and the all-time leader.
At Bats: Dan Malachuk (308) and Dave Platt (341). Record set by Tom Erpelding (394) in 2017-18.
Singles: Jerry Smith (144) and Dave Platt (182). Dave’s 182 singles were a new record, topping Tom Erpelding’s 177, set in 2017-18.
Doubles: Jay Yoakum (37) and Dave Platt (39). Neither came close to Larry Kaufmann’s 50, set in 2015-16.
Triples: Alex Santucci (9) and Rick Oien (7). Far below Bill Stanick’s record 20, set in 2016-17.
Homeruns: Brian Brockman (6) and George Siegele (46). Bobby Farmer hit 56 in 2020-21.
Four base hits (inside the park homers): Bob Montelione (6) and Kelly Anderson, Rick Ehmon, and Alex Santucci (all with 2). “Rapid Robert” tied Tom Lorgan’s record, first set in 2018-19. Bob has led the league in four base hits for four consecutive years.
Bases on Balls: Mike Willits (40) and Randy Neumann (35). Neumann holds the record with 45 in 2020-21.
Total Times on Base: Jerry Smith (216) and Dave Platt (257). Mike Lebet is the record holder with 278, set in 2020-21.
Sacrifice Flies: Rene Vallieres and Mike Wolfe (10 each) and Randy Neumann (14). Kim Whitney had 18 in 2020-21.
Batting Average: Frank Rouse (.777) and George Siegele (.812). Rene Gonzales set the record, hitting .873 in 2016-17.
Slugging Percentage: Jay Yoakum (1.093) and Don Long (1.594). Gonzales holds the record of 1.634, set in 2019-20.
Many thanks to our chief statistician Jim Entwistle and our primary scorekeepers Cyndy Hilby and Vern and Janet Rodgers. Without them, there’d be no stats.
And remember, a real baseball fan can look at a scorebook and replay the entire game in his/her mind. There’s no other sport like that!
It’s been a tough summer for our softball family. First, Becky Commisto, wife of longtime player and manager Joe Commisto, recently passed away after a long, courageous battle against cancer. We also learned of the passing of two of our alumni: Art Hamer and Owen Bae. Both Art and Owen were members of our Association for many years. Our condolences to the family and friends of all three.