Half the fence is up. The rest will hopefully go up Wednesday. The school season is over, so now we can fully expect that we are totally on our own when it comes to maintaining the baseball field.
Segway. There have been a few incidents up there this year and the school is starting to hear of them. Every time one of you drives into that complex, you all represent each other, which, when you come right down to it, is CDMSBL. What the soccer/lacrosse moms and dads and kids see and hear from one of you is a reflection on all of us - like it or not. If one person gets out of line, shouts and yells like an adolescent or worse, cusses out loud or pops a cold one ... it becomes "those guys are jerks.'' And they report us. Just the way it is. They don't want us there because they have limited parking, cars are getting hit by foul balls - and now these incidents. This is THEIR home. We are guests.
Last year, I spent countless hours working on that field - for you. Today, another 7 hours - for you. Tomorrow also promises to be a long day - for you. John Reel went to the field after work today and has done so many times - for you. Reel, Donny Wixon, Scott Bonnano and several others have spent countless hours working on that field - for you. We have spent a lot of money on that field - for you.
i'll remind my players, jim, and hope other mgrs. will do the same. it's a simple request: play cool at the field. behave like guests.
one observation for the guys in the league: the cdmsbl board had hired a fellow to prep the satellite field for games. he did it for a short while and then suddenly quit. that field grows tall grass whether we have someone to tend to it or not. the bases don't drag and line themselves.
so i get to the field last night at 5 for our game with the cards and what do i see? there's jimmy k out on tractor, mowing the grass, which was as high as my calves. the lines were already down for the bases. the field dragged. jim realized the work needed to be done, so he volunteered to take the job of the guy who quit. the pay is minimal. a couple of milk shakes and some gas and he's probably spent what he earned. if memory serves, jimmy had been out there for five or six hours, maybe more. because he was, we played.
then, i look to right field, and there's a familiar figure: white bearded john reel, alone, putting stakes in the outfield for the outfield fence. later, jim helped him hang the nylon wall. i'm guessing john was there an equal time.
then, i read the bulletin board i see don wixon is arranging the father-son game again; scott bonanno is umpiring this season, in addition to playing and having put time in as 45 commissioner and field repairer.
