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WATKINS PLAYS IN HIS 500TH GAME AT 2004 SCMAF T.O.C.
January 22, 2005
LAKESIDE
PARK,
SIMI
VALLEY – As En Fuego Softball Club faced Gashouse for the
second game in a row in the championship round of the 2004 SCMAF
T.O.C a historic moment in team history took place, pitcher and
manager Craig Watkins took the field for the 500th time.
He is the first En Fuego player to play in 500 games and it
shows his longevity and dedication to the team.
Watkins
held Gashouse to only five runs in the first game to force a final
championship game in the double elimination tournament allowing him
to reach this career milestone.
He finished the tournament with a pitching record of 5 wins
against only 1 loss, recording two of the wins in late November in
Palm Springs before rain postponed the second day of the tournament.
Watkins also batted .529 for the tournament with 9 runs
scored and a team high 5 walks.
Long
time outfielder Dan Jacobs, who was playing in his first tournament
since February 2003, couldn’t believe Watkins accomplishment
saying, “Wow, most players don’t play 500 games in a career let
alone with just one team!”
Not
only has Watkins played the most games in En Fuego history, but he
has also been the pitcher and manager in more games than any other
player in team history. Over
the years one of his biggest goals for the team was to win the SCMAF
T.O.C. held each November in Palm Springs.
Finally after six trips to Palm Springs, En Fuego won the
2003 SCMAF T.O.C. for the first time. But how fitting was it for his 500th game to be
the game in which En Fuego clinched back-to-back championships in
the tournament.
As
the team was celebrating with dinner and drinks at Chili’s
Restaurant in Simi Valley, he turned to third baseman Jason England
and said, “Mission Accomplished!”
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Watkins bats .529 and has a 5-1 pitching record as En Fuego wins
the 2004 SCMAF
"Tournament of Champions".
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