Dave Pemberton
Clarkston News Sports Writer
They can hit. They can catch. They can throw. They can do all the things necessary to win a softball game. The only thing unique about these players is their age.
In the senior softball league at Clintonwood Park the youngest player is 55, and players compete well into their 70s.
One of them is Ray DeFiore of Clarkston, who at 79 still has some pop in his bat. Last season, DeFiore’s tournament team won the Senior Softball World Series in the 75 and older division. It was DeFiore’s third trip to the World Series and his second championship.
DeFiore loves the competition and said his team has a shot at winning the World Series again, but his favorite part of the sport is the people.
‘I like the comraderie and the fellowship,? DeFiore said. ‘It’s fun meeting a bunch of guys who love to play ball.?
Tom Lyman, 73, of Clarkston also enjoys spending time with the other players and likes the exercise.
‘You get to know different people and it gets you out and involved,? Lyman said. ‘It’s always a lot of fun when we come out here.?
The league at Clintonwood is run by John Thomas, 82, who helped organize the first league back in 1981. Thomas played until he was 78 and he had to have an operation on his back. Thomas enjoys organizing the league and said the sport continues to grow.
‘It’s one of the fastest growing sports for seniors in the nation,? Thomas said. ‘When I started back in the early 80s there was only one organization in all of America. Now there are nine different organizations and all of them have an end of the year tournament to determine the championship of that organization.?
The league at Clintonwood Park continues to grow. The league now features six teams, with 16 players each. Players come from all over Michigan and includes players from Waterford, West Bloomfield. Troy Rochester, Oxford, Lake Orion, Oak Park, Flint and around 15 from Clarkston.
One of the newer players is Gary Irish, 56, of Clarkston, who joined the league last season. Irish played church softball for a number of years and decided to join after he ran into some of the guys in the league practicing at Clintonwood one day.
‘I just happened to see them practicing,? Irish said. ‘They invited me in.