Player of the Week: Jason Langton
August 24, 10:45 am by jpfinlay
For the three seasons preceding 2009, Jason Langton’s production for the Destroyers was solid, though far from spectacular. This year, Roll Call’s newest Player of the Week leads the Destroyers in most offensive categories, notably home runs and RBIs, while batting over .800.
“I really wasn’t ever a power hitter,” Langton said. Considering the steroid epidemic throughout baseball, the jump in his skills can be seen as suspicious; though for Langton, the issue was health. “I was playing with a torn labrum and a separated bicep,” he said. “After having that fixed, and a year and a half of rehab, I am crushing the ball this season.”
The results are positive for the Destroyers, who enter the last two weeks of the regular season ranked 18th in the House Softball League with a record of 13-6. The Destroyers possess one of the most potent offenses in the league, averaging more than 20 runs per game. The Destroyers even scored more than 30 runs in a game against the Washington Outsiders, with a 39-20 win.
Langton came to D.C. from Florida, where he grew up in Jacksonville and attended Florida Atlantic University. A rugby player in college, Langton moved to the District to work in engineering at Alion Science and Technology. Beyond softball, Langton enjoys surfing, fishing and hunting, though he says his natural athleticism allows him to play just about any sport fairly well.
On the Destroyers, Langton goes by the moniker “Cakes.” The root of the nickname remains a mystery, though Langton’s value to the team does not.
“Above all, Cakes is the heart and soul of the Destroyers,” teammate Stephen Lindsey said. “He is the one that has kept the team together for a number of years.”
The team is also growing. Dawn Langton, Jason’s wife, is due to have baby in December. She also played for the Destroyers and, according to Jason, was a star third basewoman before the pregnancy shortened her season.
Next year, there will be three Langtons suiting up for the Destroyers. Considering this year’s results, that could be bad news for the rest of the league.
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