WNTN SOFTBALL 2001

Season Recap

Another trip to the finals of the Needham Community Softball League highlighted a season blanketed by retirement, injury and lack of committment. The lowlights..... Shortstop Mike Hluska retired. His replacement Greg Kassabian tore a calf muscle. Catcher Keith Garland reinjured his back. Leftfielder Pete Smith attended many fewer games than the team counted on him for. Leadoff hitter Mike Donley, .500 hitter George Langdon and secondbaseman (and arguably the teams best hitter) Jeff Jackson took family vacations during the playoffs. So given these losses, it's remarkable that the remaining players took on the extra load and carried the WNTN softball team to its fourth championship series. They are the Buffalo Bills of softball.

The highlights include newcomer Mike Abbott, an infielder with a rocket arm, who led the team in RBI's. Jeff Miller pitched admirably almost every night, Darren Roy returned from a year off and contributed a lot as did Ted Argentieri, who roamed left center field like he was in his twenties again. Mike McLean reversed a history of late season batting woes by staying consistently over .500 all summer and leading the team in hits with 43.

The team's .422 batting average might have been the lowest ever. By the championship series the club was so decimated by loss of players that six starters had averages below that .422 mark.

2001 Schedule/Results
Regular Season: 10-4 (5-6 Postseason)