Modestan not slowing down on softball fields

There's no slowing down Modestan on diamond

By Kelly Jones
kjones@modbee.com

last updated: October 08, 2008 07:52:52 AM

One month removed from his latest softball championship, Charlie Partin is hitting the road in a quest for three more.

Partin, 72, plays in senior softball tournaments all over the country. He has been on 14 championship teams, and counting. Partin and his wife, Carol, longtime Modesto residents, figure they spend about 10 months of the year doing something softball related.

"I still have passion to play the game," Partin said. "We've met so many nice people."

Today, the Partins embark on a three-week tour that will take them to Arizona, Utah and Washington. Charlie Partin, an All-America third baseman, will play for three teams comprised of equally spry grandfathers.

But not all can share the same stories Partin has, and certainly not with the delight and laughter.

Next year, Partin is up for election into the Senior Softball Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. Players collect points for championships and longevity. He has friends who have been inducted, including Modesto's Roger Berryman, Larry Campbell, Dave Coufal and Ron Martella.

Now retired from Foster Farms after 38 years of employment, Partin is looking forward to his turn.

Partin most recently helped the San Francisco Seals defend their Softball Players' Association national title in the 70-plus age group in Dalton, Ga., on Sept. 7. The Seals play in the Major Plus division, the highest category for players over age 50.

Partin doesn't seem to have lost a step since he started playing senior ball about 20 years ago. In 2006, he more than kept up with the Modesto Quicksilver 50-55 championship team. He loves defense, rotates six pairs of cleats and hauls two Miken composite bats everywhere -- weighing 28 and 30 ounces.

In Georgia, Partin's defensive style caught the eye of a fellow player who asked why Partin was so aggressive at the so-called "hot corner."

"Nobody plays at the bag; they always play way behind it," Partin said. "I play up, right close to the bag. You get all the good bounces there. I've started four triple plays. You can't do that from way back there."

Partin takes pride in being a little unconventional, off and on the field. He was diagnosed with a form of leukemia in May 2007 after a routine blood test. Partin said he felt no symptoms of the disease, and medication has helped him regulate his white blood cell count.

Doctors credited his activity to Partin's good health. Partin said he stretches his legs well before workouts, even his Wednesday night batting practice sessions. He hasn't been injured often -- bruises from the ball taking a bad hop here and there, a strained shoulder and surgery on his left knee in 2003 have been his biggest inconveniences.

The oldest player the Partins have heard of was 86 years old. Charlie Partin can't help but smile when he said he figures he has at least 14 more years of play ahead of him.

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