Dot Wilkinson

Dorothy (Dot) Wilkinson (1921-2023)

Dot Wilkinson was a true trailblazer in the sport of women’s fast pitch softball, beginning her playing career for the Phoenix Ramblers in 1933 when she was just 11 years old and continuing through 1965. Wilkinson was a force to be reckoned with behind the plate, spending majority of her career as a catcher – a position that allowed her to capitalize on her natural leadership skills. A standout player for the Ramblers, Wilkinson helped lead the squad to national championship titles in 1940, 1948 and 1949, while earning 19 All-American honors throughout her 30-year career.

A member of the National Softball Hall of Fame (1970), Wilkinson collected a variety of accolades throughout her storied career including being enshrined into the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (1990) as well as being the first woman to be inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame (1975).

Dot Wilkinson excelled at softball as well as bowling. In fact, she’s the only member of the National Softball Hall of Fame who is a member of a Hall of Fame in another sport. Twenty years after being inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame, Wilkinson was inducted into the WIBC Hall of Fame for winning a Triple Crown event, the Women’s International Bowling Congress Queens Tournament in 1962 and the WIBC national singles in 1963.

Wilkinson started out playing second base for the PBSW Ramblers and a few years later was switched to behind the plate by coach Ford Hoffman, who told her, “You’re the catcher, you run the team. You’re in a position to see everything that goes on, you can call every play, you can do the whole bit. That’s the place to be.” Before retiring in 1965, Wilkinson earned 19 All-America awards and had some outstanding years for the Ramblers, including:

• 1952 (.374 batting average)
• 1953 (.363 batting average )
• 1957 (.387 average in national championship)
• 1955 (.450 average in national with no errors on 36 chances)
• 1954 (.455 average and 1.000 fielding percentage on 84 chances in national )

Dot said one of her greatest thrills came in 1940 when the Ramblers won their first of three national titles (1948 and 1949). Another thrill came in 1970 when she received her Hall of Fame plaque. If there was a disappointment, Dot said, it was not winning the national tourney in 1964. Retired from real estate sales in 1985, Wilkinson was born October 9, 1921. In 1999, Wilkinson was eighth and the only woman among the top 10 of The Republic’s Arizona Athletes of the Century.

Ron James Boley (1946-2023):

Boley attended Oregon State University where he competed on the football and baseball teams, including the historic 1967 football squad – also known as the Giant Killers – that finished the year ranked seventh in the nation. Following his graduation from Oregon State, he began his tenure with USA Softball as the volunteer coordinator for the men’s fast pitch, men’s and women’s slow pitch and coed softball leagues. He was appointed the USA Softball of Portland Commissioner in 1982 where he oversaw various national championships and was a member of the Region 9 Adult Classification Committee while also serving as the assistant chairman and chairman of the National Classification Committee. Following his retirement as Commissioner for USA Softball of Portland in 2020, Boley remained involved with the organization as a member of the Board of Directors. In 2013, he was recognized for his leadership and contributions to the sport of softball in Portland with enshrinement in the Region 9 Hall of Fame.

Off the field, Boley began a career with the City of Portland Parks and Recreation Department where he eventually earned a role as the Sports Supervisor. For 30 years, Boley directed the Portland youth and adult football and basketball leagues while also serving as the director for the American Legion, Connie Mack and adult baseball leagues.

Boley was survived by his wife Vickye Boley and his son Erik.

Remembrances for Boley can be made to the Maurice Lucas Foundation or non-kill animal shelters in his name.

Amateur Softball Association committee might decide as early as today to not allow new high-powered bat.

Like another famed offensive machine, the “T-bat” may be heading the way of the T-Rex.

The titanium bat, banned for some fast-pitch and modified fast-pitch tournaments by the Amateur Softball Association last month, could get the same treatment today when the ASA equipment standards committee addresses the bat’s future in slow-pitch.

Merle Butler, the ASA umpire-in-chief, said that the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association has completed an independent study of the bat. Five members of the seven-person committee met Friday in Oklahoma City to discuss the report’s findings. They were scheduled to meet again today and take a vote on the bat’s future in ASA-sanctioned events.

Bats using a titanium-based alloy enable the ball to jump off faster and travel farther. But critics say the ball leaves the bat so quickly that the risk of injury to infielders and pitchers is increased because their reaction time is cut.

Easton sports manufactures titanium bats in Burlingame, and Jim Darby, senior vice president of promotions, has heard the criticism.

“Their concerns are ours, too,” he said. “We want the game to be safe. We’re in this world of lawyers, too. “I’ve heard of no injury peculiar to the bat. I just hope people will keep an open mind and say, ‘OK, the bat has been out on the market for a year; let’s give it a fair evaluation.’ ”

But Darby and others involved in the titanium-bat industry admit that the bat’s future doesn’t look promising.

“Even though it’s approved now, it’s going to be very difficult to keep the bat on the market,” said Darby. Chris Chaney, manager of the San Diego-based Professionals Choice/TPS club that played at the recent Super National slow-pitch qualifier in Bakersfield, said the titanium bat is changing softball, and not necessarily for the better.

“It’s really changing the dynamics of the game,” said Chaney, whose team is sponsored by Tournament Player Series, a subsidiary of Hillerich & Bradsby Co., which makes Louisville Sluggers. “The average power hitter becomes a home run hitter. And what are you going to do? You can’t move the fences back because the fences are already established.”

Clearing the 300-foot fences at Sports park was no problem for Chaney’s club, which in one half-inning sent 33 batters to the plate, hit 21 home runs and scored 29 runs in a 71-52 victory over D&D Thoroughbred of Seattle, Wash. The half-inning lasted 64 minutes.

“I like home runs, but I also think there’s a place for the singles and spray hitters in softball,” said Chaney, whose team would eventually finish third.

Titanium bats have already been banned by the U.S. Slo-Pitch Association and National Softball Association. ASA also initially outlawed the bat but lifted the ban until conclusive testing could be done.

Last January, the American Softball Association Commissioners’ Council voted to eliminate “summer employment exceptions” to residency requirements for the 1980 season.

Henceforth, a player’s residence must be established by March 1.

The move was aimed at removing special privileges for teachers and students, who were excluded in the past from having to abide by the March 1 residency rule.

Both teachers and students formerly were allowed three separate areas where they could choose to play:

• The area where their school was located;
• Their place of summer employment;
• Their permanent residence.

Once a teacher or student determined in which of these areas he cared to play, he was not allowed to play in any other area.

In 1975, the two-time slow pitch national champion, Howard’s Furniture of North Carolina, lost the services of their All American second baseman, H.T. Waller.

The ASA’s reasoning was that Waller was a school teacher and permanent resident of northwest Florida, and although he had summer employment in North Carolina, he was not eligible to play.

Howard’s failed to win its third consecutive national championship that season and many believe that the absence of Waller had a lot to do with that.

In 1976, Waller became eligible to play for Howard’s by claiming a full-time residence in North Carolina, even though he still taught school in Florida. That’s when the question arose: “What is a full-time resident?”

Interpretations include a person owning property in an area, having a voter’s registration card, or spending at least part of their time in a given area.

Richard Howard felt that it would be impossible to prove Waller was not a full-time resident of North Carolina, especially with him spending the entire summer there. He was right.

It was the feeling that teachers and students should have to abide by the same restrictions as others that led to the new rules.

To some, this seems somewhat unfair since most school years do not end until June. It Wouldn’t be surprising if the controversy ends up in the courts, which seems ridiculous for an amateur sport.

One answer to the problem would be to abolish any restrictions on residency in the Open Division, while retaining restrictions in the other divisions.

Industrial and church leagues already have strict guidelines concerning team membership. As long as he is not openly being paid by a sponsor, it seems unfair to restrict a player from playing where he desires. And if the sponsor or player can afford travel expenses, why prohibit them?

Many successful sponsors find loopholes in the residency rule to allow their players to live in one area and play in another, and the ASA is not in a financial position to have a full-time security force.

Amateur softball is supposed to be played for fun and recreation, and the rules makers should remember this when making decisions on residency.

From The Miami News, November 8, 1979.