When it comes to senior fastball in the area Terry Peppler might just be the poster boy.
While most men his age have opted for the bleacher seats to feed their passion for the game, Peppler who turns 59 in August, remains active as a member of the Rhein Rockets.
Peppler today likes to refer to himself as team coach, or maybe manager, but in doubleheader action on the Rocket’s home field Sunday he was in the designated hitter spot in the line-up.
And, make no mistake he’s still a dangerous hitter, doubling in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one against the Balcarres Broncs, and scoring on a game-tieing home run by Evan Neibrandt, leaving the contest a 4-4 draw.
Then in the second game against the Rosebud Junior Royals (Wadena) Peppler went deep himself as the Rockets won 16-5.
For the record in between the Rocket games the Broncs defeated the Rosebuds14-4 in a game in Rhein.
But, back to the seemingly ageless Peppler, while he was relegated to DH duty Sunday, he admitted to Yorkton This Week he still toes the rubber on occasion to pitch – three times to-date this summer in the Richardson’s Pioneer Men’s Fastball League.
For Peppler it’s sort of old hat to windmill a softball across a home plate.
“I’d say I started when I was 15,” he said, doing the math and coming up with 44-years as a pitcher.
So why, when most would have retired from what is still a competitive level of fastball?
“It’s not just my own interest, it’s keeping things going in the community,” he said, adding he plays when the Rockets need him having said at age 40 that was the way it would be. “I’ll only play when needed.”
Of course being able to throw a riser with consistency helps, noted Peppler.
“It’s hard to groom new pitchers,” he said, so he keeps throwing which he hopes has a ripple effect of “keeping things in the community going.”
But, lining a field with chalk, or offering a young player some sage advice, pitching is another. How does Peppler do it?
“Some days you have it, and some days you don’t, its game-to-game,” he admitted, adding again “I just come out to coach and sometimes I do throw a little.”
Either way, for Peppler fastball is less about the score, and more about other aspects of sport.
“We’re here for fun. It’s always been about the social part of the game,” he said.
It helps too son Brett Peppler is a Rocket, and not surprisingly he pitches when called upon.
On the sidelines while the Rockets field Peppler leaves the dugout and plays pitch and catch with future Rocket, lobbing soft tosses to four-year-old grandson Callhan Smalley, his year-old brother Kashton watching nearby.
“The next generation of Rockets,” said Peppler as he inviting the press over for a photo.
But, when it came to a career highlight winning topped the list without Peppler having to think about it too long. Four times he has been on a provincial championship team with Rhein, a fifth time winning with Warman.
Whether another title will come though doesn’t matter, Peppler said he just wants to contribute to the Rockets.
“Eventually there will be a time,” he admitted when asked how long he intends to play, but its likely Peppler will wear a Rocket uniform as long as the team heads to the diamond “as a coach.”
