THERE’s a reason that the Sunraysia Baseball League has such a rich history, it’s because there are so many dedicated individuals that love the game.
One of those is Craig Storer.
The 52-year-old played his 500th league game last weekend, as well as his 300th for the Hawks, and celebrated the occasion with a 17-6 win over Eagles Blue.
As a pitcher, Storer started his career for the Renegades in 1993/94 where he played 200 games before they folded. He joined the Hawks in 2002 and has remained there since.
Despite suffering multiple injuries over his playing time, the near 30-year veteran has simply loved the game too much to give it up.
In his last season with the Renegades, Storer suffered an elbow injury in a boating accident.
It took three surgeries to correct the damage and although he regained function, he was never able to generate the same speed with the ball.
“That was a bit annoying but I couldn’t do much about it,” he said.
“I lost all my heat, after that I started to rely on curveballs, droppies and changeups.
“I can still throw a ball alright, though.”
Another notable injury for Storer was when he received some friendly fire at second base from his pitcher while playing for the Hawks.
“I was making a tag at second base from short stop, got pushed off the ball and it hit me in the head and I can’t remember anything after that,” he said.
The result of the incident was a fractured eye socket, cheekbone, a busted jaw and a $10,000 trip to the dentist.
While he was happy to acknowledge his own milestone, the resilient Storer also wanted to give mention to the array of longterm SBL servants.
“I’m not the only 500 gamer,” he said. “We’ve got Clinton Williams, Benny Arnold, Timmy Bell, Brett Higginbotham and Nick Carroll … those guys are all still going pretty strong,” Storer said.
“It probably takes us a bit longer to recover, though.”
Although a bit of a cliche for long term clubman, many would understand the feeling that Storer gets before each game and why it never wears off.
“I still get butterflies before I play. Waking up on a Sunday is a highlight for me,” he said.
“I still feel like I’m young, a young fella trapped in a 52 year-old’s body.”
