South Hills Senior
Softball League puts
ability before age.
BY W.B. FRESA
SOFTBALL
uring the warmest months of the year, when daylight
seems to hang in the sky like golden curtains on the
horizon, men who are kids at heart lace up their shoes,
grab a bat and head for the dugout.
The South Hills Senior Softball League (SHSSL),
formed in 1992 by Dick Mummert of Mt. Lebanon,
offers men an opportunity to be active and competitive
playing softball.
“Our league is dedicated to competitive, fair play and good
sportsmanship,” says current commissioner Doug Houston. “We
all play to win, but winning at all costs is not what this league is
about.”
The SHSSL age range is 55 and older, with 66 as the average.
The oldest member, Paul Tomanio, recently turned 87. “He can
still really hit the ball and plays a good defense,” says Houston.
“He’s pretty tough out there.”
Given the fact there are older members in the league, and
some with health issues, SHSSL uses Senior Softball League
rules with a few caveats. There are two bases at first and two
bases at home plate for safety reasons – to keep the fielders
and base runners from running into each other. In addition,
outfielders are required to start each play behind a line in the
outfield, 140 feet from home plate, to give all hitters a chance to
contribute to their team’s effort. The league also allows courtesy
runners for players who have physical limitations.
Setting up the teams is another part of the process. There are
eight teams with 14 players each. They are created through a
draft held in the spring by the managers and commissioner. At
the end of each season, the teams are broken up and all players
returning to the league for the following season go back into the
player pool for the next spring draft.
“It’s the best way for us to stay fair and ensure those returning
may get on a different team each year,” explains Houston. “We
really examine our draft pool and the ability of each of the
players so the capabilities of each team are even and equal.”
Tryouts for SHSSL take place before the draft in March.
The season begins in early April and runs through August or
September depending on how many games are rained out. The
league plays a 28-game schedule — two games a week, Monday
through Friday. “We play with 11 fielders on defense: four
outfielders, five infielders, one pitcher and one catcher. And
everyone bats,” adds Houston.
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UPPER ST. CLAIR
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SPRING 2018
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