By Ed Piper, Jr.
Gary Sinkeldam had some remarkable statistics. Sinkeldam, the official scorekeeper and statistician for La Jolla's CIF-winning softball team, compiled the following numbers in the Division 4 playoffs prior to the Vikings' title win at UCSD Sat., May 27.
His daughter, Josie Sinkeldam, the junior shortstop, was hitting a whopping .625 from the leadoff spot. Hailey Ramos, the team's catcher, a sophomore, was popping the ball at a .533 clip.
Meanwhile, Linda Brown, the Vikings' graduating power-hitting third baseman, clubbed the ball at .529 through the playoffs. Finally, Kyra Ferenczy, pitcher/third-slot hitter, was hitting an even .500.
No wonder Coach Andrea Denham's team came alive during the playoffs. Their hitting was phenomenal. The bats woke up, as coaches like to say.
That takes care of one of the major facets of softball. The other, a pitcher, has been very solid with Ferenczy, a sophomore in her second year of pitching practically all of La Jolla's innings.
That's one area in which softball is so different from baseball: In baseball, a coach has to find multiple arms and juggle them in starter and reliever roles. The human arm was not designed to take the beating of an overhand throw multiple days in a row.
With the underhanded softball motion, a star pitcher can pitch nearly every inning, and both games of a doubleheader, if necessary, without rest.
Imagine that "Iron Joe" McGinnity, in the old days of major league baseball, did just that. Unthinkable now.
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