IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR SOFTBALL IN CENTRAL PARK ON SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2007. AFTER TWO WEATHER-RELATED POSTPONEMENTS FOR a) COLD AND b) RAINS OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS, SPRING SPRUNG WITH FAIR SKIES AND TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 70′S. THE LONG LIGHT OF THE SETTING SUN TURNED THE GREEN FIELDS GREENER AND LEFT A GOLDEN GLOW ON THE DIAMONDS OF THE RENOVATED HECKSCHER FIELDS. AH, EARTH DAY. CAN’T WAIT FOR WIND & FIRE DAY.
BUT I DIGRESS ALREADY. CONTINUING ON:
APPROPRIATELY, BUT SADLY, THE RENOVATIONS INCLUDED NEW HEAVY-GAUGE FENCING TO KEEP THE ANIMALS IN THEIR CAGES DURING PLAY. BUT THE NEW BLEACHERS ARE ROOMY GIVING PLENTY OF SPACE TO SPLAY OUT.
FOR MY PART, I WENT 2 FOR 3 WITH A 2 RBI DOUBLE, A SINGLE AND A RUN SCORED. I WOULD HAVE GONE 3 FOR 3 IF KATHLEEN HAD OBEYED MY CALLS TO DROP MY POP-UP TO FIRST BASE. (OR MAYBE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SCORED AN ERROR, INSTEAD OF A HIT.)
SPEAKING OF ERRORS, I WAS ERRORLESS IN THE FIELD THANKS TO THE BATTERS WHO KNEW ENOUGH NOT TO HIT ANYTHING IN MY DIRECTION.
ANYWAY, I CELEBRATED WITH 2 HOTDOGS, 2 BREWS AND A STOGIE.
GREAT GOBS OF A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ME. I ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THE YOUTH MOVEMENT–JAKE & ZACK–COURTESY OF CHARTER MEMBERS KITTY AND ANDREW MARTIN (WHO MET AND MARRIED AT THESE VERY GAMES DURING THE PREVIOUS MILLENIUM!!).
WE HAD PAINTERS AND PAPPARAZZI (COACH TERRY, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, CREATOR OF ALL THINGS CATS&DOGS). WE HAD YOUNG & OLD, MEN & WOMEN, BOYS & GIRLS, JOCKS & JOKERS. WE HAD NEWCOMERS (MR. ED) AND OLDTIMERS (YO! ARTIE.) WE HAD REGULARS (KITTY, MIMI, KARIN, KATHLEEN, DEBBIE, WENDY, & THE “GIRL WITH THE GOLDEN GLOVE”) AND IRREGULARS (ADAM,JAMES, what’s the story RICHIE?, JEREMY, TROY, TERRY, TIMMY, ANDREW AND, OF COURSE, ME) WE EVEN HAD A PRODIGAL DAUGHTER RETURN (HELLOOOO AINSLEY) AND MISSING-IN-ACTION (where have you gone JOEL DIMAGGIO?, a Nation turns its lonely eyes to you, DAVE). WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ROBERTO’S SMILING FACE AT OUR GAMES AGAIN. AND WE MISS WILL , STILL, AND EVEN LUIS.
I HAVE ALL-POINTS-BULLETINS OUT FOR LONG LOST FUGITIVES FROM JUST US (the KATZ’s, CLAUDIA, ROSE, OSCAR, NELL, SIMON, PETER (and his peter), STEVE (and his schnall), TIM (not Tom) COLLINS, DAMON, KATHY, MARK (T for the) TILLINGER, DESI, DUSTY, RODNEY, CHRISTOS & SUSAN, FELICITY, LAURIE, JAN, AGATA, WALTER, CHARLENE, YADY, BEN, PAUL, GINA, JORDAN, LOURDES, ZOOBIN AND, drum roll, please, LORETTA (get back to where you once belonged)!!!!!!!!!!!
IN SHORT, WE HAD FUN. AND SO DID I.
–The Kid from Cleveland
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