The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 128
SOFTBALL |THE OBSESSION
Game of Throwns:
Roanoke's Obsession with Softball
STORY AND
PHOTOS BY DAN
SMITH
Above: The view through
the backstop.
96 | JULY/AUGUST 2017
Softball has come a long way, baby, from a fast game for big boys to a slower game
for just about everybody.
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN "SOFTBALL" in the
Roanoke Valley was defined by large crowds, near-100mph fastballs, no-hit doubleheaders and adult male athletes whose names were as well known locally as those
of Virginia Tech football players.
That was 30 or more years ago. Over the years since,
"slow-pitch" has become the coin of the realm and what
was a near-professional sport here has become one mostly for weekend warriors of wildly varying skill levels, for
families, for circles of friends, for fully accepting lifestyles that are as varied as the skill levels.
Charlie Hammersley, recently retired head of the Salem
recreation department, says that even though softball players' numbers are slightly down overall in the Roanoke Valley ("People are playing more golf, I think," he says) there
are still plenty of teams and leagues around. Hammersley
played in the fast-pitch heyday when a few played at a
high level. He sees multitudes enjoying themselves these
days and celebrates the change.
The Salem Recreation Department, long known for
its successful softball tournaments, coordinates the valley's efforts in that respect. John Shaner, who directs the
THEROANOKER.COM
http://www.THEROANOKER.COM
The Roanoker - July/August 2017
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - July/August 2017
The Roanoker July/August 2017 Table of Contents
Worth a Click
From the Editor
Lunch With . . .
Streets of Roanoke
The Gist
Events
Top Doctors 2017
Profiles in Medical Excellence (special section)
The Changing Face of Roanoke Dentistry
Amy Trail: A Journey of Education
Roanoke Valley Education: A March Forward
The Two-Wheeled Shepherd
Vinton: Great Little Town (special section)
The Stunning Mangus Home
The Strange Lure of Softball
Dining: Red Jasmine and Fork in the Alley
The Dish
NEW! Then & Now
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Intro
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Cover1
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Cover2
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 3
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Roanoker July/August 2017 Table of Contents
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 5
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 6
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 7
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Worth a Click
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 9
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - From the Editor
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Lunch With . . .
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Streets of Roanoke
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 13
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Gist
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 15
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Events
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 17
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 18
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Top Doctors 2017
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 20
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 21
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 22
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 23
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The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 34
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 35
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 36
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 37
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Profiles in Medical Excellence (special section)
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 39
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 40
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 41
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 42
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 43
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The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 50
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 51
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 52
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 53
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Changing Face of Roanoke Dentistry
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 55
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 56
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 57
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 58
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 59
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Amy Trail: A Journey of Education
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 61
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 62
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 63
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 64
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 65
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 66
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 67
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 68
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Roanoke Valley Education: A March Forward
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 70
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 71
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 72
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 73
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 74
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Two-Wheeled Shepherd
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 76
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 77
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 78
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 79
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 80
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 81
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 82
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Vinton: Great Little Town (special section)
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 84
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 85
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 86
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 87
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 88
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The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 111
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 112
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 113
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 114
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Stunning Mangus Home
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 116
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 117
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 118
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 119
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 120
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 121
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The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 123
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 124
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 125
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 126
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 127
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Strange Lure of Softball
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 129
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 130
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 131
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 132
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 133
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 134
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Dining: Red Jasmine and Fork in the Alley
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 136
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 137
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 138
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The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 141
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 142
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 143
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 144
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Dish
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - NEW! Then & Now
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Cover3
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Cover4
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