Thursday, November 6, 2008

The Scourge of the Beer Leagues

If your company softball team stinks, take solace in the fact that at least you're doing it naturally, as God intended, because not everyone is:
In late September, [Denny] Crine won the LongHaul Bombers competition -- a slow-pitch softball home run derby -- and was crowned the national home run king . . .

. . .
If a Mitchell Report was done on softball players, Crine said a lot of names would be on it -- but not his name. "There's actually a lot of them who are steroid users," Crine said. "If you look at some of the guys, it's pretty easy to tell. Softball is not a regulated sport, so no one really cares. But I don't want to say they encourage it.

"I've never done anything like that. I take pride in knowing that it's something natural, that I have a natural talent rather than a chemically enhanced talent."

Say it ain't so, athletic-female-friend-of-the-copy room guy-who-we-claim-works-for-us-because-otherwise-we'd-have-to-forfeit!

5 comments:

Alex Brissette said...

Scourge?

Craig Calcaterra said...

Man, I must be on crack. I'll do something about that.

Ron Rollins said...

As silly as it sounds, it true. I used to play tournaments every weekend as well as leagues several nights a week. The amount of guys taking some kind of pill or using a cream was ridiculous.

Guys were spending more money on this stuff then bats and gloves. Or beer. Just for the power stroke.

Baseball never had a problem as bad as what goes on in "recreational" softball.

As I write this, I listen to Bruce sing "Glory Days".

Oh, the games people play.

Craig Calcaterra said...

That just blows my mind, Ron. I mean at least in baseball there is the promise of millions of dollars. What do the softball guys hope to get out of this? The last slice of pizza? Endorsement deals for silly-colored pinstriped softball pants?

Ron Rollins said...

They're looking for the fountain of youth. When they were still the star of the varsity, or maybe a small college somewhere.

Instead of being a guy who's losing his hair, putting on weight, and worrying about his job and a mortgage, out there on the field, they're still wanted by everyone. They're still the superstar. They're still the first guy picked.

And is some cases, because local business like the free publicity from the sponsorship, there are 'incentives' for the better players to play on the best teams.

Because when you're facing the reality of life, its better to do in 'A' ball than 'C' ball.

You get the same scenario in rec league basketball and hockey, but without the limelight.