Can you talk about coaching the San Jose Sunbirds (of the International Professional Women’s Softball Association)?
I coached the Sunbirds in ‘77 and ‘78. It had already started. I jumped in. It was really made up of a former amateur team called the Santa Clara Laurels that went pro. I think it was a great idea. It was just ahead of its time. People invested a lot of money that it would take off. It had a decent following, but a small niche. I had played a lot of softball, fastpitch and slowpitch, over the years. That sort of made me qualified. We’d travel and we’d be gone for two weeks. You’d fly to LA, connect to Buffalo, N.Y., or Connecticut. A lot of people remember it because they put Astroturf in Muni Stadium (an Astroturf infield to accomodate the smaller diamond for softball, while the outfield and foul areas remained grass). I enjoy women’s fastpitch softball. There’s something about that game, its right there. it’s a short game. I like the bunting game. Really, pitchers dominate moreso than in baseball. It’s a fun challenge. And the girls and women I had the pleasure of coaching, were so e
