I was gonna write something about softball 'cause at one time it was a big part of my life. But it has now been so far removed, like about 15 years, well, the enthusiasm had kinda waned. But as I think about it here on a Sunday night in late September, I recall all these incidents that had nothing to do with the game, but the fun we had because of it. Perhaps spurred on by talking with Joe D today during that Raider loss, and getting on a Bob's Big Beef track, Duff what was the name of that place and what was the song we always sang to the owner? I would have to say Duff is the keeper of softball lore. If he don't remember, than it is lost in the passage of time only to be remembered by some obscure soul who witnessed CONTE'S in its' glory days. And mind you, there were some! So if we get talking about the old coffin and the Gooch syndrome and the Horses Ass trophy and fence drills and the worm in Voss's parking lot and yutes and....thats a lotta ands.. and ya know, we go back further than Conte's to McCarthy's and probably 1975 where I would think my story begins and hey...might as well type up a storm
We used to always play at James St. park. Any and all games and we were known to make up a few. But somehow, Duff and Red started playing for McCarthy's. Musta been with Gene Clines and his uncle, Zeke. I think Lawrence played also. I guess they needed a few extras so one day I tagged along to a field off of York St. to practice with these guys and after a cloud of dust and a ton of blood and skin loss, seeing my uniform at the time was just a pair of shorts and no shoes, and playing on the equivalent of cement, well it was not a pretty sight. A coupla scabs or rasberries?!!? never killed anybody. Anyway I started playing with these guys in the Muny League on Sunday nights. I think I still have a jersey, number 3 'cause I played shortstop and liked Bud Harrelson. Can't say I remember any of the particulars, 'cause I don't. I do remember Jimmy Britt and Haleys Comet and the subsequent loss of french fries at McCarthy's after the game. Maybe it was not a comet, but it worked all the time.
And continuing in the quest of softball lore, who could ever forget Alegro Enterprises!!! A team guided by the vision and talents of Eddie Landesman resulted in our first real softball adventure. I think Ed still owes for those shirts, unfortunately lost, ravaged by time and the elements. How about that first game against E&L Trucking at Proctor Park. We lost 4-3 and Eddie coulda been a hero:in the bottom of the 7th, down by 1, two outs, we told him to take all the pitches till he walked but swung instead at the first one, fell leaving the batters box and was left to walk home in a dirty heap! Such is the cruel fate of softball and getting Marty a bit ticked off! Ya know, I don't recall every person on that team, but it had to be me, Marty, Jimmy, Mike F, Kenny B, Yogi, of course Eddie,....wow, I don't even remember! But do not forget the Alegro cloud on Friday afternoons and Marty's poor car windshield.
Hey it was time to get a team again, cause Alegro tanked and Duff came up with Victor Conte's back in '77. Me and Duff, Red, Lawrence, Bowman, E-man, Albert F, Lump, Cuphead, Philip, The Monster and secret weapon, Pete W, Blimbloe Bros and favorite fan, Chuck G. Who could forget our first fateful game against Spilka's at Greenman. We were winning 3-0 going into the 7th, but Spilka's tied it and the game went into extra innings and I came up in the bottom of the 8th with a vow to have to get thrown out if I got a hit. Well, wouncha know it, I got a single and headed for 2nd, I wasn't gonna stop, and it hadda been an act of God, something to be seen to be believed, but the throw came in and it hit me in the leg in mid stride and the ball went back into the outfield. I never stopped and beat a throw home and we won!!! Spilka's was howling! "HE KICKED IT!!!" Yeah right! HAHA We became bitter!!?!? enemies from then on. CARLOS MAY I think we finished .500 our inaugural season, maybe not, but it was fun. Our next year we did about the same but in 1979 we turned the world on its' axis by going 17-3 and winning our division! And in August of '79, the still talked about coffin game against Spilka's! One of those games where thousands admitted to witnessing it, when in reality maybe 50, 60. but it cemented our claim to fame. I think we won 1 game in the play-offs and losing the next. Yeah the Who were in NYC that weekend and I remember flying home for that game on a Saturday and driving back down to NYC for Sundays Who show. And in 1980 I will never forget the Gooch syndrome. Just so happens, The Who were playing in LA for a week and hey, why not go and see them! I recall me and McCoy going and I Who-ed for 5 nights and WOW it was incredible! And coming home, I donned the old glove cause we had a game at Proctor High the next night and proceded to throw 8 pitches that were nowhere near the strike zone!! SHEESH! And softball was never the same again.
And a few years later, when we had different players like Wert, Joe D, Donnie R, Woody, another Woody, Chuck D, McCoy, Simon, Donnie D, Mick, The Dog, Ray J and Pro and there musta been others, but after game meals at Bob's Big Beef and sometimes Vosses where Duff got us thrown out of the parking lot for doing the worm. But I just couldn't pitch anymore and I was not having fun. But still, we had fun! Conte's cock, our San Diego chicken hatched one night against Spilka's, and I remember our Michael Jackson tribute at Addison-Miller one night. And how about that band we trucked to the game one night and the resurrecttion of another coffin against John Rices team. I remember playing Spilka's one night and getting kicked in the head between first and second and waking up in a hospital! Wow! then we beat Spilka's for the first time in years! Guess I shoulda stayed in there! HAHA One of my all-time faves was the GRAPEFRUIT BALL!! Spilka's did it to me one day, pitched a grapefruit to me and I crushed it! I thought that was incredible, so I started doing it! Fans used to come from far and near to see us to see what planned insanity was on that night. BUT......some MR. SOFTBALL's started taking the heat and said we made a mockery of the game!!!! Yeah right! Softball on a Teusday night in Utica NY and we are making a joke of it! Needless to say, we had a great year that season and made the play-offs and caught a good draw and got to the final 8, with all the softball superstars, clearly out-classed, we did lose but we presented our selves with our own trophy, The Horses Ass. Thing hadda be 4 foot tall! HAHAHA Oh well....Of course there was that incredible tournament team, The Windows of Rochester. People used to think we were ringers!!!! Whatta laugh! But the Gooch syndrome did not improve, and eventually, the excitement and pizzazz were gone. By '85, I had enough and that was it. The Legend hung up the old hunka leather and bid adieu to those cherished softball fields of Central NY. But it was fun! Made a lotta friends and obviously, there are a lotta memories and on occassion we dig 'em out and rehash 'em and that is what it is all about!
