Larry Wolfe High heat in baseball and fast-pitch softball parlance is a term that is used to describe a pitch, usually a fastball, that is high in the strike zone. A high heat fastball tends to be a hard pitch to hit, as it is difficult for most batters to swing around quickly enough to…
Larry Wolfe At last count, there were 121 baseball/softball statistics categories; 72 are considered “standard,” while 49 are considered “advanced.” Additionally, Major League Baseball has created 32 measurements, called “Statcast” numbers. These measure things such as launch angle, exit velocity, catcher framing, and outfielder arm strength. However, our Sun Lakes Softball stats are much simpler.…
Larry Wolfe Manager Dennis Kennedy’s A-1 Golf Carts team won the Lakes Division pennant with a record of 11-5, with Manager Chris Jensen’s Core Consulting squad finishing second with an 8-7 mark. In the highly competitive Sun Division, Manager Ron Carmichael’s Spooner PT team won the pennant with a 9-7 record, finishing just one game…
Larry Wolfe The Spring Sun Division Tournament was held over three days in April, with Manager Mike Gloyd’s Camp Hilby team winning the championship. Here’s a game-by-game recap of the tourney: In the opener, Camp Hilby cruised to a 29-18 win over Manager Joe Commisto’s Redeemed Team. Marty Hobby led the way for the Campers,…
Larry Wolfe In the opening game of the Lakes Division Spring Tournament, Manager Chris Jensen’s Core Consulting team outlasted Manager Tom Erpelding’s Skyview Digital Media squad 24-20. In a well-balanced attack, eight Consultants had three hits each, with Tim Loeffler adding a homerun. Ken Brenden was the leading hitter for the Drones, going 4 for…
Larry Wolfe A native of Olds, a farming community in Central Alberta, Canada, Garnet (pronounced like the birthstone) Hammer attended Olds High School where he was a member of the Spartans hockey team. He also played baseball during Alberta’s short summer season. The Hammer family has farmed in the area since 1900 so, naturally, Garnet…
Larry Wolfe The Lakes Division Winter Softball Tournament took place over three days at the Field of Dreams. In Game 1, the second-seeded A-1 Golf Carts club eked out a 20-19 win over third-seeded Young Home Team Realty. Manager Dennis Kennedy’s Golfers banged out 26 hits in the victory, with John Robinson’s four safeties leading…
Larry Wolfe Our Winter Sessions ended on Feb. 16 and were followed by seeded three-day tournaments in both our Sun and Lakes Divisions. Both the regular seasons and tournaments concluded after this month’s press deadline, so the results will be in next month’s Splash. If you can’t wait to see the results, the winners are…
Larry Wolfe Our Lady Sluggers senior softball team opened their 2023 season on Jan. 4. The Sluggers play in the Valley of the Sun League, along with eight other teams throughout the Southeast Valley. The Sluggers February and March schedule follows: Wednesday, Feb. 1, vs. Valle Del Oro at the Field of Dreams Monday, Feb.…
Larry Wolfe Dave Kratz was born in Warren, Ohio, and spent his younger years in Fort Mitchell, Ky., before his family moved to Tucson when he was 10. He graduated from Cholla High School in Tucson where he played basketball, baseball, and tennis for the Chargers. Basketball was “his game” as a high schooler. He…