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A .427 batting average, 8 home runs and 24 RBI aren't enough; championship sought
By Michael Beaven
Special to the Beacon Journal
Published on Wednesday, Jul 29, 2009
Crystl Bustos entered this season with a simple goal of winning another softball championship.
Bustos is accustomed to winning. Her resume is filled with titles and honors that she has earned.
That is why it is no surprise that Bustos leads the Racers and National Pro Fastpitch in the triple-crown hitting categories with a .427 batting average, eight home runs and 24 RBI.
''I think her work ethic is by far someone who really studies the game,'' Racers President and General Manager Joey Arrietta said. ''She works really hard at her craft. She is known for being a hitter.''
Bustos, 5-foot-8, played a key role in helping the second-place Racers (18-12) to a 3-2 series victory over the first-place Chicago Bandits (22-7) this past weekend at Firestone Stadium. The Bandits won the 2008 NPF regular season and tournament titles.
''I came back and my expectation is pretty much like you look at Kobe [Bryant] and LeBron [James], you want to win the title,'' Bustos said. ''I came to Akron with no other option than winning that ring. . . . I came in second once at the Olympics, and I don't plan on going out that way here.''
Bustos has had success within league play for the Racers and for the Orlando Wahoos (now the Racers), and in international play for the United States.
''She's the best hitter in the world for a reason,'' Racers manager Barb Sherwood said of Bustos after she hit two home runs in a win over the Bandits on Sunday. ''She has been tabbed that and she is that. I truly believe that if anyone watches her hit
on a daily basis they will see she is a true professional.''
Bustos led the Racers to the 2005 NPF title and received the 2005 NPF Offensive Player of the Year honor. Before that, she led the Wahoos to the 1998 Women's Professional Softball League title and was named the league's Most Valuable Player.
''We have had an opportunity to be around Crystl,'' said Jessica Toocheck, a second-year shortstop for the Racers and a graduate of Medina High and Kent State. ''The knowledge and experience she brings to us is unbelievable. If the coaches aren't around, Bustos will jump in and take charge. She is like the greatest hitter in the game. I think it's awesome she has come back to Akron. It shows her loyalty to the NPF, Joey Arrietta and the city of Akron. She is an icon.''
Bustos helped the Americans win gold medals in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and was named the 2008 USA Softball Player of the Year after the Americans won the silver medal in the 2008 Olympics. She was also on USA teams that won two World Cup titles and three Pan American gold medals.
Bustos joined USA teammates Tairia Flowers, Lovieanne Jung, Laura Berg and Kelly Krestschman in leaving their cleats on the field in Beijing, China, after the 2008 Olympics to signify their retirements from international competition.
Arrietta also praises Bustos, who will turn 32 on Sept. 8, for her leadership.
''She has an enormous influence on what happens on and off the field,'' Arrietta said. ''Her leadership ability and her experience are keys. Half of our team is first-year pro players. She takes players aside and talks to them about where their heads and games are at. She is someone we have been missing since 2005.''
The Racers conclude the home portion of the regular season with a five-game series that runs from tonight through Sunday against the USSSA Pride, a team based in Kissimmee, Fla. Akron then plays five games at Chicago from Aug. 5-9 to close out the regular season.
Akron will host the 2009 NPF Championship Series at Firestone Stadium Aug. 20-23, with the top four teams in the standings qualifying.
Charitable endeavor
The Racers' 7-6 come-from-behind win Sunday night over the Bandits was exciting, but Arrietta was also thrilled at the 3,491 fans that attended the game. That was the largest crowd to watch the Racers play another National Pro Fastpitch opponent in the 11-year history of the team in Akron.
Arrietta said the large crowd helped the Racers raise $1,375.65 in their ''Bucks for Breast Cancer'' promotion that they conduct between the fourth and fifth inning of each game. The money — they have raised $6,681 in 15 home dates this season — goes toward the breast cancer program at Akron General Medical Center. The Racers raised more than $20,000 last year with a variety of activities.
Crystl Bustos entered this season with a simple goal of winning another softball championship.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Canton, OH
Posted 10:13 AM, 07/29/2009
ConGrats, Crystl. . Keep Up The Good Work. . .
The, US
Posted 11:29 AM, 07/29/2009
Cute. Sports for girls. Keep girls busy. Very nice.
