(Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part story on softball pioneer Arnie Weaver.)

Arnie Weaver was honored by his peers, friends and fans Tuesday night at Miller-Sibley Complex.

His glowing softball accomplishments in the modified-pitch game were well-chronicled, but there is so much more to the story.

During his 47 years as a player, manager and pioneer, Weaver was just as comfortable in a pickup truck dragging the fields as he was on the mound or in the dugout.

However, there was so much which occurred on the field, it is worth remembering the highlights of his brilliant career in Venango County.

For years after his original Clarion County church league team Ashland joined the Franklin modified league, Weaver and his teammates battled the likes of Art's Place, The Office and Witherup's, which later became Weber's Minute Man.

Weaver, who was quick to say, "every team was tough, some were just better than others," singled out the aforementioned teams in addition to Sports Section, which was a spin-off of Ray L. Way, as some of the best area teams he ever faced.

A veteran of many Amateur Softball Association 10-man Modified-pitch National Tournaments, he remembers Penn Beer of Warren, Henry's Playland of New Jersey, Cavanaugh Well Drilling of Oxford, Amato's of Staten Island, N.Y., and both the Jock Shop and Ecko Tool of Jamestown, N.Y., as some of the top squads he and his teams faced.

Asked who the best hitter he faced was, he named Keith Feltenberger, who played for Witherup's and Weber's Minute Man.

"(Feltenberger) hit three home runs in one game off me one time," quipped Weaver. "I've seen a lot of good hitters, though."

A highly sought-after pitcher during his prime, Weaver would travel to Corry to play for Spartywood and to Jamestown, N.Y., to compete for Ecko Tool during the early-to-mid 1990s.

"It was kind of nice, all I had to do was be there," Weaver said. "It was really nice I got to play in both leagues about four years."

Herb Bigley, president of the Venango County Modified League, remembers his playing days when he opposed Weaver.

"I started my playing career in 1971 when I was 18 years old," Bigley said. "My first five or six years playing softball, I was the kind of player who would play five or six positions just to get on the field. Then I would stick around and watch the other games. Arnie's teams always treated me great. There was a fierce rivalry between Art's Place, Ashland and Witherup's. If two of those teams were playing in any combination, I was always there.

"I watched Ashland play very closely," Bigley continued. "They were all farm boys and everyone either loved them or hated them. I didn't love or hate them, I just enjoyed watching them execute. They could steal a ballgame because they did the little things so well. They knew the fundamentals. Art's or Witherup's may have had better rosters, but Ashland would win."

Bigley vividly remembers Weaver as a pitcher.

"He wasn't the hardest thrower, but he was the smartest," he relates. "He knew your strengths and weaknesses. He knew more about you than you did about yourself. He was a fierce competitor."

Dale Klingensmith, whose first glimpses of Weaver and the Ashland teams came as a young fan, used to travel to Warren and beyond to watch his childhood heroes.

Later - when Weaver played for Mellons, which became a national contender - Klingensmith was consistently impressed with his exploits.

"I would be amazed when Bob Amsler was his catcher," Klingensmith said. "Amsler would move his glove around to different spots and Arnie would hit the glove nine out of 10 times. He would always have his teams ready with a huddle right before the game."

Those days are gone.

Now retired from his once 120 games-per-season schedule during which he played on teams with both his sons and grandsons, Weaver has opinions on various softball issues, including the invasion of slow-pitch into an area which was once dominated by the modified-pitch game.

"I wish I knew the answer, because I wish everyone played modified," he said. "Things modified has that slow-pitch doesn't are management, hit-and-run, stolen bases, bunting, fielding strategy. The strategy, team effort and execution is just not there in slow-pitch.

"But, give slow-pitch credit," he added. "Those guys are doing a good job and the interest is there."

Turning his attention to modified, he said, "Equipment has changed the game and definitely not for the better. The balls are more lively due to high technology and bats used to cost about 10 bucks, now they can cost hundreds.

"The shortstop and third baseman are getting whacked," he continued. "Pitching is dangerous. You have to take seven steps toward the plate and it's dangerous to throw outside pitches. It took small ball out of the game. With the new bats, anyone can hit home runs. It used to be maybe one or two players per team could hit one, or none at all."

Klingensmith, who had a keen eye and is considered one of the top softball umpires in western Pennsylvania and beyond, remembered one other aspect of Weaver's on- and off-the-field presence.

"(Arnie) always had the field finely manicured," he said.

Weaver's obsession with taking care of the ballfields brings his greatness full circle.

"I worked on the fields ever since I played," said Weaver, who remains active in field maintenance. "I've worked on all fields. One year, a few years back, I took care of seven of them.

"I use my pickup," he continued. "I've gone through some equipment. I've wore out several I-beams dragging fields. We've junked several of them. Players need a good place to play. The field should be nice so teams match teams, so bad hops don't decide the game. I always made sure my field was as good as it could be."

Weaver never took money for his efforts, saying, "If you're paid to do it, you have to do it."

His motivation?

Weaver said it was simple.

"I know I'm pretty good at dragging a field and making it pretty," he said. "I've spent thousands of hours doing this and I just wanted to thank everyone for all the entertainment and good times."

He continues to give thanks to this day.

In fact, just 11 days ago when thunderstorms washed out the 30th Annual Hop Homan-Chops Cunningham Oil Heritage Memorial Tournament in Oil City, it was Weaver who called Bigley inquiring whether there was anything he could do to help.

It was too late ... and too wet, but leave it to Weaver to try to throw a strike past Mother Nature.