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Softballer Lewis still going strong at 54
FAIRFIELD — After 36 years, softball player Danny Lewis still has a passion for the game.
Lewis, now 54, starting playing slowpitch softball at 18 and has been playing since.
“I played baseball a couple of years in high school, and then I got together with a couple of friends after (and started playing softball),” Lewis said. “Then it just took off from there. When I was younger, I was playing five nights a week and then played tournaments on weekends. When I was younger, I could play all day, but I can’t (play that much) anymore.”
Lewis plays the slowpitch game and never has played fastpitch.
“Never fastpitch,” Lewis said. “I used to watch it and that’s how I got into the (local slowpitch leagues).”
He has played in leagues in Fairfield, Vacaville and Suisun City over the years, but one has been his favorite.
“To be honest, Suisun was the best because there was more competition,” Lewis said. “They always put tournaments on during the weekends. Fairfield didn’t do that as much. I’m not knocking Fairfield, they just didn’t do it that much.”
Lewis’ days of playing over the years has taking him around the country, playing tournaments in multiple states.
“I’ve been to Alabama to play in the 40-and-over tournament. I’ve played in Georgia, Arizona, Las Vegas. Now I go to Reno every year and play in the 50-and-over tournament. (Those tournaments) are a lot better because you get teams from all over the country.”
Of course Lewis, who plays both the outfield and the infield and considers himself a singles hitter with a little bit of power, has formed bonds with many players on the teams he’s played on in the past four decades.
“There’s quite a bit,” Lewis said. “There was Mark Dietrich, the former assistant principal at Armijo High. We played together back in the day. There’s Jose Vera, I played with him on the Pac Cal Reality team for 10 years and there’s Stan Olbert, I played with him for many years in Suisun.”
Even with all the games he’s played, the right-handed Lewis isn’t much of a stat junkie.
“Back when I started, we really didn’t (keep our stats),” Lewis said. “In senior ball, my wife keeps a book for the bigger tournaments. But we just play for the fun and the competition.”
Fun for 36 years.
Reach Brian Arnold at 427-6969 or barnold@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/barnolddr.
Brian Arnold
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