It was a bumpy ride for Dave Oatley to reach the milestone of 1,000 soft-ball hits. After hitting his 999th, with almost a month of the 2021 winter Division 2 softball season remaining, he thought he would have ample time to get one last hit before retiring at the end of the season.
Unluckily, the Village of Mallory Square resident went four games without a hit. In the second last week of the season, Oatley finally reached the feat he had been pursuing and was rewarded a spot in the division’s Hall of Fame.
Now 78 years old, he has been playing in Division 2 since 2007. Oatley, recently, decided to hang up his boots after the season due to ongoing health problems. He said it was a little “nerve-wracking” waiting to get that landmark hit. Division 2 regular season ended in April, and Oatley will conclude his playing career with 1,001 hits as postseason stats do not get added to the tally.
“The people in this league were so behind me to get that 1,000th hit,” Oatley said. “It warmed my heart to know that people cared that much.”
Four others, Clair Auchey, Ken Atkinson, John Leone and Terry Yanny, were also drafted into The Villages Division 2 Softball Hall of Fame at Saddlebrook Softball Complex.
Including them, so far a total of 36 have accomplished this feat of at least 1,000 hits.
Yanny, of the Village Palo Alto, was particularly thankful as it was his third time to be inducted into the D2 Hall of Fame, this time for reaching 1,000 games played. He is one of the only eight players to reach at least 1,500 hits.
“Being able to reach 1,000 games is a big achievement to me,” Yanny said. “I’ve been here many years. I’ve been fortunate enough to keep playing.”
He now has his eyes on 2,000 hits before he retires and is only 72 away for his career.
Another player who inked his name in the books of hall of fame for 1,000 career games was Auchey, of the Village Santo Domingo. Auchey, another multiple-time-inductee, has played 1,025 games. Auchey said the second time is also a big honor. He plans to continue for another two or three years.
The other two members of this class of the Division 2 Hall of Fame were being honored for reaching the 1,000-hit milestone.
Leone, of the Village of Tall Trees, has played in Division 1 and Division 2 for 18 years. He attained 1,021 hits among both divisions and is obliged to get into the hall of fame.
“I love it,” Leone said. “It took me 18 years to get there, but I’m happy.”
Atkinson, a resident of the Village of Chatham, had 1,044 hits. Atkinson has been playing in Division 2 since 2007 and said it’s “wonderful” to have his companions appreciate his achievements.
Division 2’s Hall of Fame program started in February 2018. The men were given a commemorative badge by league commissioner Don Brozick in the ceremony which was held after the 9 a.m. games finished.
“It’s really a great pleasure for me to do something like this for a great bunch of guys here that have played the game and really enjoyed playing the game and all of the accomplishments they have had,” said Brozick, of the Village of Pine Hills.
– Attributed Source, The Villages Daily Sun
