Obituary: Kevin Herlihy

* Kevin Herlihy, New Zealand softball representative. Died aged 58.

From 1966 Kevin Herlihy led the charge that ultimately took New Zealand softball to the international pinnacle in 1984. That was the year the New Zealand team won the world championships at Michigan with Herlihy as captain.

Kevin Francis Herlihy, born in Wellington, went to Marist School in Newtown and then to St Patrick's College in the capital. Joseph Romanos, writing in the Listener in 1989, said Herlihy started playing softball in Standard 3.

He thought the queues of boys waiting to play cricket were too long, so he tried softball instead. He liked the game, although he was later opening bowler for the St Pat's 1st XI.

But softball became his first love. He was in the Wellington team within a month of leaving school at 17. In 1966 he was in the national side selected to go to Mexico City and his career blossomed.

As a pitcher he became the bane of many class batters on the world scene and was reckoned the world's best right-handed exponent of the art. He was able to produce a dropping pitch with great accuracy, consistently wrecking opposing teams' chances with strikeouts.

And he once held a record for the number of strikeouts (82) in a world series, in the Philippines in 1972.

Herlihy, who became one of softball's few household names in New Zealand, was Softballer of the Year three times.

After the 1984 triumph he represented his country five more times before taking on a professional softball life in the United States. He played in two American national championships.

His softball playing career ended in 1988. He was later involved in coaching. In 1990 he became a founding member of the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.

A dark point in his life arrived in 1996 when he was sentenced to two years in prison for defrauding insurance clients of $145,000 to fund a gambling habit.

Former Black Sox coach Mike Walsh said that what made Herlihy a great pitcher was his work ethic.

Herlihy died in Waikato Hospital after suffering two heart attacks within a fortnight. He died on Wednesday night after undergoing cardiac surgery.

He is survived by his wife, Sandra, and children Chris and Michelle.