Jeff Goolagong, the first Australian to be inducted into the North American-based International Softball Congress Hall of Fame. Photo: Facebook Softball Australia.
No player can wear the number 23 Chicago Bulls jersey after the club retired that number to recognise Michael Jordan’s contribution to basketball.
It is surely one of the ultimate acknowledgements an athlete could receive to mark their contribution to a sport.
Softball ACT will this week perform a similar act. It will retire the representative numbers of five players in recognition of their contribution.
And what champions these five are.
Jo Lesiputty with whISPers players. WhISPers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Softball Corporation involves members in softball competition with an emphasis on inclusiveness, positivity and enjoyment. Photo: ACT Health Facebook.
Jo Lesiputty was the first Aboriginal woman to represent Australia in softball. It’s also worth noting that Jo has represented Australia in three other sports – rugby league, netball and indoor cricket.
But it is her contribution as a player and as a coach guiding the next generation in the sport of softball for which she is being recognised this week.
Jo’s playing number for the ACT will be retired. This means that no other player representing the Territory in senior women’s softball can wear number 10.
Clare Warwick batting for the Australian softball team in 2020. Photo: Supplied.
Clare Warwick’s playing number is 63. This number will also be retired in recognition of her remarkable career, which included playing at an international level for 19 years after making her debut in 2005.
Clare has played 275 games for Australia. She has represented her country in seven World Championships and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At the World Championships and the Olympics Clare played 58 games, during which she made 153 plays with just three errors.
Clare captained the Australian team from 2022, mentoring young players and helping shape the future of Australian softball.
She said it wouldn’t have been possible without the support she received from the ACT softball community and the Boomerangs Club. She reserved special praise for her family.
“I would not have been able to pursue the fantastic opportunities that Softball Australia provided me to play international ball for so long without the support of my family. Thanks for the unwavering support, early gym mornings, and late dinner preps as a kid after training, the financial support, guidance, and encouragement through it all. I absolutely could not have done any of this without you.”
Jeff Goolagong retired as a legend of the sport in 2016, having played 110 games for Australia.
This year Jeff became the first Australian to be inducted into the North American-based International Softball Congress Hall of Fame. It’s a testament to his performances for the New York Gremlins and the sport on the world stage.
He was a member of the 2009 World Championship winning team and was named in the All-World team six times.
His ACT playing number was 27. It will be retired in recognition of his contribution.
Left-handed pitcher Andrew Kirkpatrick also made his mark in North America playing 10 seasons with the New York Gremlins.
His contribution in the ACT is matched by his contribution to the Australian team.
Andrew wore the Australian colours 137 times before retiring in 2023 as one of the greatest pitchers of all time.
His ACT playing number 23 will be retired.
Michael Tanner was also a member of the 2009 World Championship winning team.
Michael played 76 games for Australia. His influence on the sport was recognised with elevation to the Softball Australia Hall of Fame in 2019.
His playing number 25 will be retired.
Softball ACT Territory Operations Manager Shaun Carroll said all five players had made a difference both as players and inspiring mentors.
“In Canberra we are very privileged to have a great softball program with pathways that have laid the platform for ACT players to play at the highest level with incredible success. Clare, Michael, Jeff, Jo and Andrew have not only been champions as players but they have also contributed significantly to the next generation coming through.”
The retiring of the five playing numbers is a further recognition of the success of softball in Canberra.
Legends in the sport are aplenty in the ACT when the likes of Sally McCreedy, Jo Brown, Adam Folkard, and the Harrows – Bob, Mike and Laing – are thrown into the mix. Add the five names of Warwick, Lesiputty, Kirkpatrick, Goolagong and Tanner and it’s clear that softball in the ACT rests on the shoulders of considerable talent.
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