Jester's
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League
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First! I would like to thank all of you who were asking about my column in Tulare who said they missed it and enjoyed it. I need to explain that after my business went under, (due to a breach of contract by a supplier), I was unemployed for the past two years which gave me the time to think a lot about softball and time to write my articles. It was nice being a house dad, cleaning, cooking, washing, and all the stuff that wife’s do around the house. I learned to appreciate what the wife did around here.

Now that I have gone back to work, I am no longer in an air-conditioned office, doing books, answering phones and all the stuff the so-called white-collar people do. I now am out using my muscles, (what little I have), and sweating, get blisters, getting dirty and working long hours. I now know how my employees used to feel on those long hot summer day.

This past travel league weekend, in Tulare, I noticed a few things that were different from weekends past. I was not at the main complex, but off on Field #5. Nice, quite little park, plenty of shade and a solid fence at the 250 foot mark. During the two days there, I noticed that all of the teams seem to be having fun. With only one exception, there was no serious complaining about umpire calls and such. Teams respect each other, played hard, and enjoyed the sunshine and life itself.

Many of the games were close ones while others were called due to the run ahead rule. Yet! I heard no one get disrespectful of another, not even to the umpires. Speaking of the BLUE, they too love the game of softball, why else would they be out there. Lord knows they do not get rich from calling softball games. In fact many of them could be doing youth games for the same money and not getting the hassle which they have receive in the past doing adult games. Like the other lessons of life I have learned recently, I think we all need to give a hardy thanks to the men & women who wear the BLUE. Just think what it would be like if the catchers had to call the balls & strikes or if we let the first baseman call safe or out. Just like life, things have a way of turning around on us and giving us a chance to see the other side of life.

Other things might seem to be the same what with the Lumberkings in first place, (so what else is new), but only by 1 game over the River Rats and the surprising KHT Pumpers. The league seems to have a lot more parity in it this year and it will take a good run to the finish in the top half for many of the teams. When you think about all the things that many of us have gone through over the past year, what with 9-11, economic changes, the war, the anthrax scare and such, isn’t it nice that we can still be out there playing or working the game we love so much.

I again thank all of you who read this little article. I promise I will do more to see that it is kept up monthly, now that I have adjusted to life in the work force once again.