By Frank Rizzo
ABRAHAMSVILLE, PA — August 31, 2001 – Ron Canfield’s credentials as a pure modified softball pitcher are unassailable.
For 34 years, the 53-year-old wine and liquor salesman from Abrahamsville, Pa., has been active in the area’s softball scene — and plans to continue at least until he’s 60.
Last December 10, it all could have come to an end.
Canfield was splitting logs when his sleeve became caught and the wedge slammed into his lower arm with 28 tons of pressure.
“There’s less and less I remember about it,” Canfield said. “They say that when there’s so much pain your brain kind of suppresses it afterward.”
He had ripped muscles and tendons and had broken bones in six places.
Canfield’s main concern was losing blood and also the possibility of losing his hand. Help arrived and after a two-hour stopover at Wayne Memorial Hospital he was driven to Danville, Pa., and a hospital specializing in such complicated surgery The operation took seven hours..
Canfield was on disability until March.
He now has a titanium plate in his arm and joked that “I’ll get chips in there and soon I’ll be a bionic man, throwing 200 miles an hour.”
Did he miss throwing? Naturally. He satisfied his softball cravings by coaching his team, Ron’s Ringers. The Ringers won a couple of tournaments this summer but have not had the success of previous years.
Proceeds from two upcoming softball tournaments will help Canfield defray the costs of his operation and recovery.
The Rod’s Taxidermy/Bob Cimino memorial Softball tournament will be held this Saturday and Sunday, September 1-2, at Pingel Field in Tyler Hill, Pa.
The field, located on Route 191, will also host the Ron Canfield Benefit Co-Ed Softball Tournament on Saturday and Sunday, September 8-9.
Canfield, who for part of the day wears a device to keep his tendons extended, hopes to pitch at one or both of these tournaments.
Among Canfield’s most notable teams were Peck’s Markets and Heinle’s. He was the Most Valuable Pitcher at the Sullivan County Democrat Softball tournament in 1988, when he led Heinle’s to the championship.
“I’ll definitely be throwing next year,” Canfield promised.