LACEY, WA – Perhaps the greatest epitaph one can hope to acquire in a lifetime is “he gave something back.”

That pretty much summarizes Pat Bucknell’s long tenure with men’s fastpitch. For over 50 years Bucknell has given back to the sport he professes that he just can’t seem to pull himself away from.

He’s been a player and a manager competing in all the men’s fastpitch national tournaments: the International Softball Congress, the Amateur Softball Association, and the National Softball Association.

And of course NAFA – the North American Fastpitch Association that he founded 20 years a go in March. With Bucknell leading the way, NAFA opened up a whole new world of fastpitch for the male side of the sport...