Larry Wolfe To list all the accomplishments and accolades earned by Coach John Whitman would fill an entire book, not just this column, so here’s a very abridged version: Member of the Antioch (CA) High Legends Hall of Fame as Baseball/basketball coach; Three-time Eastbay Baseball Coach of the Year; Lesher Publications Baseball and Basketball Coach…
Larry Wolfe Manager Ken Brenden led his Brenden Financial Planning team to a 10-6 record to win the Winter League Sun Division pennant. The Planners had three top ten hitters: Mark McKinnon, Larry Kaufmann and Tom Lorgan and a solid line-up from top to bottom. The Terry and Susan Young Realty team, managed by Mike…
Larry Wolfe Normally, describing someone as “selfish” would be negative, but with Reyes Gonzales, “S-E-L-F-ish” is all positive. “S” stands for Softball player extraordinaire, “E” is for Educator, “L” is for Likeable and, “F” is for Family man. Those are his main focuses and attributes. Reyes, an “almost native” Arizonan, moved from Watsonville, California, to…
Larry Wolfe Rookie Manager Randy Rothenbuehler got his Sun Lakes Softball managerial career off to a great start by leading his Wolfe & Associates team to a 13-5 record and the Lakes Division Winter League Senior Softball title. The Farmers Insurance squad, sponsored by the Frank Margiotta Agency and managed by Gary Hillabolt, also finished…
Larry Wolfe The Real Estate Rustlers, managed and sponsored by Jim Leckner, captured the Fall League Softball Championship. The Rustlers’ 13-5 won-lost record edged out Gary Hillabolt’s Farmers Insurance squad by one game. The Rustlers’ John Whitman led all hitters with an unheard of .923 average! Reyes Gonzalez (.831), Tom Kasunic (.814), Mark McKinnon (.794)…
Larry Wolfe It’s a good thing we don’t put names on our uniform backs ‘cause Randy Rothenbuehler’s wouldn’t fit! He has the “honor” of having the longest unhyphenated surname of anyone to ever play Sun Lakes softball! A native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Randy graduated from Lincoln High, then went directly into the workforce.…
Larry Wolfe Unlike Bad, Bad Leroy Brown who was from the south side of Chicago, Harry “Hoot” Gibson is a proud north sider from Libertyville. That explains his affinity for everything about the Chicago Cubs, but it doesn’t explain his nickname. Known as “Hoot” since he was four years old, his nickname apparently was derived…
Larry Wolfe Beginning on opening day for our winter league on January 3, we’ll have two divisions. Given the growth in our league to eight teams and, given the wide range of ages of our members (from mid-50s to low-80s), we’ll have two four-team divisions, the Sun Division and the Lakes Division. Thanks to the…
-Larry Wolfe If there ever was someone who met the definition of a softball enthusiast, it’s Gene Granquist. Who else umpires over 500 games per year and plays another 60 plus in our senior league? Gene currently umpires slow pitch games in Casa Grande, Chandler and Maricopa city leagues and also umps fast pitch games…
Larry Wolfe “Almost” a native Arizonan, Kim Whitney has lived in the Phoenix area nearly his entire life. He was born in Wichita, Kansas, but his family moved to Arizona when he was two. He remembers that their home near 20th and Bethany Home Road was considered to be out in the country and was…