Photo by Blaine Schultz
St. Rita's softball reunion
St. Rita's softball reunion
“We need more hitters—who hasn’t been picked yet?”
Third baseman John Torres is having about as much luck getting players to listen as his teachers did decades ago. On Sunday afternoon, in the shadow of St. Rita’s Church just off Brady Street a collection of kids-turned-middle-aged-men are gathered at Cass Street Playground.
Where Proust had his teas and cakes, this group has leather baseball gloves on this asphalt field of dreams. For the last 15 years Torres and his friends have gathered for a softball game in the old neighborhood. Only this gathering of 100 or so folks are here to reminisce as much as play ball. Some show up with a well-worn glove and others are content to watch from the sidelines on a folding chair.
Rules are modified to pitcher’s hand or two strikes and you are out. But dreams die hard. Ignore the paunches and receding hairlines; to a batter, every hitter seems to swing for the fence. Fate knew no kindness this day, as Torres committed an error in the first inning allowing the opposing leadoff hitter to get to first.
“Where’s he from?”
A voice from the sidelines wonders aloud as a young ringer hustles to make a catch on a dying quail to short center. The next hitter steps into the batter’s box puffing on a half-smoked stogie. The game is all in good fun. Most everyone grew up in the neighborhood. Spectators outnumber the players, with everyone catching up on health, family and retirement plans; it could be the best part of a class reunion.
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In a neighborhood anchored by the Three Holy Women Catholic Parish, it was fitting that Father Tim Kitzke offered an opening prayer remembering the names of those who had passed. He also offered absolution in advance for any language used during the game.
