FROM CANTERBURY SOFTBALL . . . Richardson family returns to baseball in United States

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33153, 17 February 1973, Page 4

FROM CANTERBURY SOFTBALL . . . Richardson family returns to baseball in United States

A few familiar faces 'vfll be missing from the senior men’s A grade softball competition today because of the return to the United States of the Deep Freeze coach, Mr A. P. Richardson, and his family.

Whenever Deep Freeze played a game most members of the family were involved in some capacity. Mr Richardson coached, his wife was the scorer, their eldest son. Scott, was a leading player, and 13-year-old Douglas was the bat boy. If there had been a role for the others—two daughters — they would have surely joined in too. Coaching the Deep Freeze side has not been an easy task for Mr Richardson. Being a service club, it posed a number of problems. The summer season is a busy one for the men at the United States Naval Antarctic support base at Harewood and at times Deep Freeze has only jest managed to field a full team There are constant changes due to work obligations Mr Richardson was a leading chief at the base and on many occasions appeared in the coach’s box in military uniform following a frantic dash to the ball park from duties at Harewood.

During his two seasons as the Deep Freeze coach, •Mr Richardson had to make the transition from coaching little league baseball in America to softball in New Zealand. Apart from the obvious differences in the -'Ports, Mr Richardson found the rules quite similar

He first took an active interest in baseball in 1965. while stationed at Corpus Christi. Texas. There he coached a number of little league children's sides. Mr Richardson has been transferred to the Naval weapons centre at China I.ake, in California, where he hopes to continue his association with little league, even though it will mean having to "fight with all the mothers" once again. In appreciation of his work with the Deep Freeze team over the last two seasons, he was presented with a softball inscribed with the Deep Freeze team members' signatures The task of coaching and managing Deep Freeze will, for the remainder of the season, be shared by the captain, D. Krauss, and a regular player, R. McNeil. Scott also received a presentation from the Deep Freeze side. Not only did it mark his association with club softball, but it was also to honour his success in the sport at national During the New Zealand .boolboys’ tournament in Wellington last month, Scott topped the batting averages with a high .478. At the end of the tournament he was given a bat and this was later mounted

by the Deep Freeze club and presented before his final appearance for the side last Saturday.

The 17-year-old schoolboy enjoyed considerable success during his two seasons in the province. He represented Canterbury at schoolboys’ tournaments twice, was a member of the colts team last season and was chosen for the Canterbury Beatty Cup side at the last national contest in Dunedin.

The family stayed in New Zealand an extra week because Scott was an obvious choice for the under-21 Canterbury colts squad to travel to the national tournament in Hastings. However. an administrative hitch

prevented the local side from competing. His ambition is to become a baseball professional in America, but he realises entry into the big league will not be easy. While in New Zealand he was not forced into the underhand style of softball pitching because his parents believed it may have had an adverse effect on the overhand style

he wiH use in his baseball career. His sporting achievements in New Zealand were not

confined to softball. Although he had never seen a game of hockey until he came to New Zealand, Scott was selected for the Papanui High School first hockey XI last winter. Another Richardson who was prominent on the

sporting scene at Papanui High School, was 15-year-old Joyce. Before coming to New Zealand she was selected for the United States junior swimming Olympics, but was unable to attend because of her father’s overseas posting. At Papanui she was the girls’ swimming champion and in the inter-school sports finished third behind the Olympic representatives. Jaynie Parkhouse and Susan Hunter. Mrs Richardson has a long family association with baseball. An uncle, Lusty Grove, was a member 'of the famous Boston Redsocks team and is included in America’s baseball hall of fame.

Mrs Richardson, who was a regular scorer in little league competition, said she still enjoyed softball even though it was a little slower than baseball. Although baseball was still firmly entrenched as the top summer sport in America, there had been a great increase in the numbers playing softball. The Richardsons will also

be taking a small part of New Zealand back to America. Mr Richardson bought an old Model A truck in the South Island, completely rebuilt it, obtained a warrant of fitness for the vehicle and hopes to be able to enter it in vintage rallies when the family returns home. The photograph below shows Scott Richardson (right) being presented with his trophy by the Deep Freeze captain, D. Krauss, last Saturday. Members of the team and Mr Richardson (centre background) look on.