John (Sigfrid) (Sig) Lawson’s career in fast pitch softball covered the period 1933-1957. During that time, the lanky Lawson (6-foot-3) established himself not only as a pitcher but as an excellent hitter who could hit with power. Lawson compiled a 11-1 pitching record in ASA championship play (1934, 1938, 1939, 1941 and 1942) and had an overall record of 20-3 counting National Softball Congress (later the ISC) competition. He was named to the NSC All-Star team in 1954. Lawson compiled a 2-1 record in his first ASA national championship (1934) playing for National Bank of Commerce, OK. The team advanced to the third round before being eliminated. Lawson joined the Deep Rock Oilers of Tulsa, OK in 1938 and led them to the third round of the championship before being eliminated. Lawson showed his power at-bat when he hit a homer that cleared a fence 240 feet away from home plate with the ball landing on the top of a three-story building. Distance between the fence and the building was estimated at 50 feet with the ball traveling an additional 35 feet before dropping on the middle of the building. Deep Rock won the national title in 1942 and Lawson played a major role in the team’s success by winning four games and allowing only two earned runs in 36 innings. After opening with a 6-0 win, Deep Rock won its next game, 1-0, in 15 innings with Lawson hurling a four-hitter with 16 strikeouts in beating Phalanx Fraternity of Phoenix, AZ. Deep Rock won its next two games beating St. Joseph, MO (2-0) and the defending Bendix Brakes, 3-2, before losing to Briggs Beautyware of Detroit, MI to fall into the loser’s bracket. Al Linde hurled a no-hitter against Bendix Brakes, which scored its two runs on errors in the third inning. Deep Rock came back with three runs in the fourth inning and Lawson’s double brought across the plate the winning run. Lawson next beat the renowned Fort Wayne, IN Zollner Pistons on a four-hitter to advance Deep Rock to the championship game against Briggs. Linde was scheduled to pitch the championship game, but had a change of heart with Lawson taking the mound for the Oilers and responding with a nifty one-hitter and 12 strikeouts for the national title. It was the first national title for the Oilers, who had never advanced beyond the quarter-finals in four previous trips to the national championship. After hurling Deep Rock to the title, Lawson served three and one-half years in the military from 1943-1946 until resuming his softball career in 1947 and continuing to play until 1957. In 1975, at 62, he came out of retirement and pitched the Kerr McGee Oilers to the Tulsa City title. In 2002, Lawson passed away on February 24 at 88 in a nursing home in Jenks, OK. He was born September 9, 1913. Lawson is the only Oklahoman in the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame.
