2023 Stickball Begins - 'Spring Training'

rogergoehring
Mar 11, 2023
3 min read

Let the good times roll like a Spaldeen

A great turnout for the opening day of spring training - INCLUDING, a new sheriff in town.

Spring Training, who needs Spring Training?

Well, the weather and our stickball play are ahead of schedule!! But what of the next few weeks? We will continue with the spring training into some cooler upcoming weather until April's OPENING DAY. What a great game of NO RUNNING for players of all ages and conditions to play and enjoy!! Some of us don't need any training as they let their bats do the talking, wow some impressive stats on the day:

Both Linda Lilly and Phil Dunaway batted 1.000 with a HR and 2 singles with 2 RBIs!! (MVPs for the winning home team ;-)
Moe had a Triple and a Single for 2 RBIs, also for the winning team - I'm seeing a patter here ;-)
Not to be outdone, also for the winning team, our own Commish smashing a long HR that alluded Roger's hands in spring training ;-)
Rick Peal with a Double leading off for the visitors to get the game under way!
Billy T. lending a HR and a single in a losing effort.
Biggest surprise was one of our founding fathers, Bob Ley, batting 1.000 with a TRIPLE and a single with 2 RBIs to contribute to the visitors maxed out inning!! Way to go Bobby! - He thinks he'll retire now :-)
Our scorekeep/DH had a Double and a Triple for an RBI, also contributing to the visiting maxed out inning.
Chuck was on fire in the field, making some great plays even on bounces off the foul territory!!
Someone other than Manny or Roger actually caught a fly ball! (way to go Moe)
> Due to time/deadline constraints, Insert your missing stat/memory here :-) <

Although the game was close due to one exceptional inning by the visitors, the real story of the game was the arrival of our guest of honor, the sheriff, who missed throwing out the ceremonial first pitch (and the first drunk ;-) but had to come by and find out what the riot was with old people with bats taking to the streets, annoying those passing through apparently?!?!?! You can hear it now: "If those 'guys' start up again this year, I'm calling the cops!!" And so, they did ...

After getting the OK from the Sheriff (and his back-up - it was a very BIG riot!!) we proceeded to play and allow traffic to pass as always (which is what the sheriff said needed to be done. All of us waiting with great anticipation, no one got a pic of the 2 sheriff's cars but, yes, it did happen ;-)

The sheriff, having played in the street in his day as well, understood and let us know just to NOT BLOCK the street so traffic could pass, there you go .... let all Sun City behold!!

We had a great turn out, got through some administrative stuff, ironed out some rules - and still had controversy in the first inning on some interpretation!!! What would stickball be without THAT :-) Everyone had a great time, we had the excitement of 'the law', the weather was excellent, and we got to experience the beloved game that is stickball!!!