Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Go Roadkill!

The Roadkill senior softball team did not lose tonight! We tied Greens Pharmacy from Fortuna 18-18. So close. We were behind by 3 runs and I told our guys in the dugout if the player in front of me got on base I would hit the ball out of the park to tie the game. Dave Schmidt did just that and so I was put to the task. I was lucky too be able to back my smack and hit a 3 run Home Run out of the park. Our players have stayed upbeat and positive. Mercer Fraser/Operating Engineers local 3 and Samoa Athletics have co-sponsored a good time for 20 plus over 50 year old softball players.

11 comments:

rick mitchell said...

Well congrats Rich and the Roadkill team. For the big effort and you for the dinger.I didnt know Dave was playing on your team. I remeber when he played for J/H, Behind the plate, 90 percent of the time his chater would rattle my cage real bad. LOL
Rick

Anonymous said...

No offense but shouldnt Eureka's geriatric crowd make way for younger people on the cities playgrounds?

Anonymous said...

Anon 12:23, if you hadn't noticed, interest in softball has declined in recent years. There are fewer teams playing softball now than there were in the past, and young people just don't seem that interested in playing ball these days. They would rather cruise around in cars with loud music, hang out at the mall, hang out in gangs, or play video games. As a matter of fact, the typical fat American isn't interested in playgrounds except as a place to hang out and do drugs.

samoasoftball said...

Rick-You would recognize most of the guys playing with me.Most have played with me off and on the last 25 years or so.

Anonymous said...

Richard: Congrats! When I find myself in your situation, the best I can hope for is maybe a two-run triple down the first-base line...maybe an ITPHR if I don't have too many muscle pulls that night.

Anon 12:38....I don't know, I play on two co-ed teams in the city of Eureka leagues and I think there is great interest in softball here. On almost any week night Eureka's four fields are going with three games each evening. I have lived in a lot of different cities and I don't know of another community where so many people are into playing softball, or where there are so many organized leagues.

I play on one team that is sponsored by the Humboldt Association of Realtors, the second year of this team's existence. Last season we won just 1 or 2 games. This season at mid-point we are 4-2 (one loss and one win each by forfeit). It is satisfying, the improvement this season over last. In co-ed, it is the ladies who really make the difference. Our girls are playing at a high level right now.

Anonymous said...

Andrew if you had been here plating softball in the 1970's and 1980's you would know that softball is not what it used to be in Eureka, and neither are the fields.

Anonymous said...

If softball is so popular here now, then why have 2 of Andrew's 6 games been forfeits? No one cares enough to show up; not enough people interested in playing. Forfeits used to be rare in Eureka league, now they are commonplace.

samoasoftball said...

I will admit times have changed in the local softball circles. You used to have to enter a drawing for a weekend field to hold a tournament! They would be full all the time. There were no tournaments last year, and I was the last to hold an open October of 2005. I may hold a tournament in October this year, but it will be in Arcata.

Anonymous said...

I don't know why the team that forfeited to us did so. But our forfeit was the result of one of our games being scheduled at the same time as an anniversary celebration for the Humboldt Association of Realtors, which had been scheduled far in advance; half the team was already committed to that and could't get out of it. It was tough to forfeit that game, yes.

Maybe softball was even bigger in years past. But it's still pretty big here compared to other areas where I have lived. It really adds to the appeal of Eureka/Humboldt.

That said, I do wish the city would do something about the mosquitos at West Nile South.

Anonymous said...

Andrew you are living in a fantasy world. The mosquitos are also out of control at Hartman.

samoasoftball said...

The repellent made by Avon is the best by the way.

At one time there were 7 Fields being used in Eureka on a given night. Hartman, Kennedy, Cooper Skeeter North and South, Carson NOrth and South and Highland. Carson and Highland were used by Womens league. Nearly 100 teams.

Then the Arcata Sports complex opened.

There are currently 38 teams (all wood bat) in Arcata. 6 Tesms played in Blue Lake. 11 Seniors Teams. So there is nearly 100 teams out there, just way less womens teams.

Tournaments are just a thing of the past. If the process to rent the fields were made "user friendly" I feel there would be more tourneys.