"I play four times a week for four different teams," said David Yamato of Salt Lake. "It's all about the friendship and the camaraderie. Some guys like to golf with their friends. I like to play softball."

According to Donald Meinel, Hawai'i commissioner of the Amateur Softball Association (ASA), more than 1,500 players were registered this year for adult slow-pitch softball.

"And that's only in the organized leagues and tournaments," Meinel said. "There are probably even more out there."

Most of the leagues and tournaments are for men. Women's leagues are rare in Hawai'i, although co-ed leagues are becoming popular.

"Most of the men's leagues I play are competitive; that's what I like the most," said Yamato, 39. "But I like the co-ed leagues, too, because that's more relaxing; more for fun."

Ben Naki coordinates several leagues and tournaments throughout the year, including the current Family Stones Monday Night League, which draws 18 teams to Central O'ahu Regional Park every Monday from September through January.

"I would say there are at least 100 teams on O'ahu alone," Naki said. "I got 18 teams, and that's for a Monday night league. A lot more come out on the weekends."

His most popular tournament is the Family Stones Alumni Tournament, which is usually held in August and draws more than 60 teams. In that men's tournament, players can play only with graduates of their same high school.

"That's the one everybody talks about," Naki said.

Entry fees for adult leagues are normally between $225 and $450 per team.

"Some teams are fortunate to find sponsors," Naki said. "Otherwise, every guy chips in 20 to 30 bucks. It's not a bad deal."

However, entry fees are not the main expense for serious softball players. Constantly evolving technology has raised the prices for gloves and bats.

Much like golf clubs, softball bats are a big deal for serious players. Top of the line bats can range in price from $200 to $350.

Yamato said he buys a new bat every few months.

"I like to keep up with the latest ones," he said. "It's expensive, but it's still not as expensive as golf. You don't have to pay green fees or anything like that."

Jack Moananu, who has been playing softball in Hawai'i for nearly 30 years, said: "Technology has taken over the game. Back when I first started playing, you could tell which guys were the power hitters and which guys were the singles hitters. Now, they're all power hitters."

Moananu is a player/manager for the 808 Softball team that won a state championship earlier this year.

"I probably spend anywhere from $5,000 to $7,000 a year on softball," he said. "We like to travel to the Mainland for tournaments a couple times a year."

Softball is also a family affair for Moananu. His son, Joseph, is his teammate on the 808 Softball team.

"That makes it more fun," said Joseph, 23. "I've been following my dad to softball games ever since I was a kid."

In order to promote fairness, several leagues in Hawai'i are now classifying players and teams.

According to Stan Mahelona, a player representative for the ASA, the B level is the highest in Hawai'i (A is the top level nationally). Most of the teams in Hawai'i play in C or D level leagues.

"B and C level is pretty serious, that's where you see all your former baseball players," Mahelona said. "D and E is where you see guys who don't play as much, but still want to be out there with their friends."

In essence, there is a league for every type of team.

"The levels are wide-ranging, but the bottom line is that it's a great form of recreation," Mahelona said.

Regardless of the classification, Mahelona said the best part of softball is still the postgame.

"It's about the friendship," he said. "You play your game for one hour, then you relax and hang out with your team after that and talk about anything and everything."

For information on joining or starting a softball league or tournament, call Donald Meinel at 595-8763, or go online to asahawaii.com.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.