Normally I glance through MSBL's HARDBALL magazine and toss it. But this latest issue features an impressive lineup of CDMSBL-related articles:
* On page 2, there's a color photo of Ralph and Sue Caputo. She wrote a letter to the editor, detailing some of her experiences this past year battling breast cancer and the role that our baseball community has played in her recovery. It's beautifully written and heartfelt. Sue is an impressive woman.
* On pages 14-15, there's a nice spread on the 11th Annual Labor Day Tournament. A lot of us participated in it and had a great time. My team, the pasted-together version of the Albany Pirates, lost 6-5 in the semifinals of the American (read: Poor Man's) Division to the New Hampshire Patriots, who went on to win the American Championship Game the next morning. If we'd won, there would have been even more photos of Albany ballhawks. (We also lost in a close game, 4-1, to the L.I. Mets, a perennial powerhouse that lost the championship in the 38 National Division to Bristal, 1-0. We played them just as close; errors undermined a determined pitching performance by John Pologa: "Ump, where was that?! It's 95 degrees out here! You're KILLING ME!!"
* On page 31, there's a photo of John Reel -- fear not, it's a SMALL photo. John was inducted into the MSBL Hall of Fame. We're glad to see him get the national recognition that he deserves. While many are responsible for the games we play at CDMSBL, John Reel is the man MOST responsible. Every game we play, we owe him our thanks. And it's why we put up with his spelling. He's a Hall-of-Famer -- he can spell any way he wants. Or as John might say, "E cna slpel nya awy I wtna."
* Lastly, on the inside back cover there's a photo contest winner taken by Laura Garrity. It shows Curtis Garrity knocking a single off of Dennis Walters. Nice shot.
Given that this is a national publication, that's not a bad showing from our neck of the woods. It only underscores, once again, how fortunate we are to have this league.
