Terry Hurley
SaddleBrooke Senior Softball has a few weeks left in its summer season. Nineteen teams have played 10 games a week since the season started June 1. As always, there have been some exciting games, impressive hitting and fielding displays, and as to be expected, weekly reminders that many of us ain’t what we used to be.
However, we all share a common love for the game and enjoy the competition, camaraderie and exercise.
Here are 10 other things we love about SaddleBrooke Senior Softball.
1. The ballpark: From the stadium seating, dugouts, electronic scoreboard and beautifully maintained field, it’s still considered one of the best facilities in southern Arizona.
2. The old guys: We have a number of players in their 80’s still playing the game and playing well. God bless them; we should all be so lucky.
3. Our teammates: What a diverse group from all over the country and all walks of life—former teachers, doctors, firefighters, small business owners, veterans, skilled laborers. Some are excellent athletes, some not so much, but being part of a team is a victory in itself, win or lose.
4. The conversations: Half the fun of playing is the talk on the benches and the field. We have a lot of philosophers, comedians, and experts on many subjects.
5. The fans: Mostly spouses (and dogs) but they are passionate, knowledgeable, and appreciate the play even when their partner screws up on the field.
6. The uniforms: We may not play like professionals sometimes, but we sure dress like them. We even have our names on the back of the home and away jerseys.
7. Our holiday tournaments: We host the community with free food, music, and good softball at our annual St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Veterans Day tournaments.
8. Our website: Good or bad, game results are posted online at the end of the day. We can check out our batting average, slugging and on-base percentages, and other numbers that baseball is known for. The comprehensive site also includes league standings, schedules with weekly results, rosters, player photos, previous seasons’ results, and history of the league.
9. Our volunteers: We couldn’t operate without them. They include field maintenance workers, umpires, scoreboard operators, managers, league commissioners, rules committee, and board of directors. And a special shout out to our scorekeepers. When one of us brags about our .725 batting average, understand that we’re probably hitting about half of that. Our scorekeepers are very generous. Any time a batter doesn’t make an out, they’re most likely awarded a hit. That’s why the term “SaddleBrooke single” is often heard at the ballpark. We offer no apologies.
10. Our sponsors: Team sponsors this season are Absolutely Art, Window Wizards, SaddleBrooke Remodeling, Western Exterminator, Stone Canyon Painting, Ambient Air Heating & Cooling, Big Bear Garage Doors, DS Builders & Remodeling, Hardin Brothers Automotive, Patrick Shaffer, DDS, The Motive Physical Therapy, Concierge Air Conditioning, Ridgeview Physical Therapy, Chiropractic USA, Andy’s Irrigation-Andy McInnis, Players Pub, D-Bat, Barron Electronic, and Pride Mechanical. We appreciate their support. And no charge for this free plug which is not part of the sponsorship package.
If you’re interested in playing when the fall season starts in early October or simply want to watch the games, go to saddlebrookesoftball.com to learn more.