I thought that I would share a few things that came our way via email this winter. The commissioner of a flourishing senior league located in a large city in California, voiced a concern which could apply to all senior leagues no matter what their size might be. He stated that they try to provide a minimum of two local tournaments for their league per year: The first tourney is always a hit, all of the teams are in grand spirits and a good time is had by all; as the season goes on though, the mood becomes more surely and filled with complaints from the players. These cries of injustice range from opponents’ conduct to entire teams’ credibility. The phone begins to ring on the commish’s desk with alarming frequency, until all he can do is become a sounding-board for the various, almost-always petty peeves.

Is it just the nature of seniors in general to gripe a lot, or does the game of softball bring something out them, which otherwise would not be there? I don’t think that either of these supposed premises is entirely true, but rather that the problem just can’t be solved. In this case, just let the shouting be confined to the field and best men will win when they can turn around and jump on the next play and FORGET IT!

It all comes back to the umpire. That’s the plain and simple way this Game structure was set up, and at our amateur level, this is the end of it. He is in control of the game’s rules and judgments; after that game, it is over. Legitimate protests can be filed to the appropriate department and due process will be followed. Grudges and bad feelings should not be carried into any other ensuing games.

As my fellow columnist, Michael Vaughn, states in his "Rules for the Whine Connoisseur (found in the Nov/Dec issue of SWM): "Complain only when you are right. Don’t argue with complainers from the other team. Limit yourself to five seconds; it allows you enough time to get ready for the next play. Support the umpire’s good decisions and on occasion, crack jokes with him_he’s human." These last positives are the types of things that can make ANY game we are in stay within our sanity range. After all, you came out there to have fun.

Our well-meaning California commish is put into a lose-lose situation from the get go. The rules have already been drawn up and the umpire who enforces those rules does the best he can merely for THAT GAME, then the players must live with it and go on. Good ball players know that half of the time the questionable calls go your way. When that particular game is over, everything that went along with it is over also. The discerning ball players have learned to live with the ump’s decisions and the other player’s "bad moments" and then to get right into the next play. Players don’t change the umpire’s judgments or the league’s rules-they are there simply to play! Live and laugh with that blue with the one bad eye and do not involve yourself in any unsportsmanlike conduct coming from the opponents, you will be the ultimate victor of all surprise bombings. This helps your team to keep their heads and avoid putting themselves in jeopardy. After the game (as we always do) is the time and the right place to re-hash game incidents. Be a real winning amateur softball player, always keep foremost that you are there to play a friendly game with great guys just like you, and frankly, the larger part of the game is going on right inside of you anyway-how are you handling yourself?

The positives of senior ball players becoming so "fired-up" as the season goes along is an interesting reflection on their avidness concerning the game. They care about getting all of their special rules correct on the playing field; they want fairness when it should not be difficult to produce by way of the written rules and aware umpires. The great things are that they still have the source of vim and vigor and we’ve got to hand it to those old warriors for having such spunk in their lives anyway! Lighten up, old guys, the biggest call you’ve gotten has gone in your favor anyway-you can STILL play! Put all of the other calls in perspective beside this one. That settles it, what more do you really expect out of this Game, thus far it has made the Big Call in your favor.

Doug Dammeier from Olympia, Wa. States that his 60+ team plays over 90 games a year and during those games has frequently encountered the courtesy runner from home plate rule at various tournaments. Overall, he found that teams from the Northwest liked the rule and his team was disappointed when a tournament did not offer it. "It seems to us that if a man still has the guts and competitive desire to step out onto the battlefield and play the game, he should be allowed to use a c.r. from home plate if needed. He’s still contributing and even though he may not be able to run, he’s still a member of the team-and at our age, this c.r. rule seems to be common sense, something which is still lacking in some tournament’s governing bodies and rule books."

Doug shared that during the off-season his team, the Ancient Mariners, has solved the "nothing to do" blight: "We meet together on the 1st Sunday evening of every month for a team get-together. Usually at a local pub and we discuss softball, sports in general and life with its aches and pains. This usually brings forth a lot of laughter, which is pretty good considering that we never even pick up a softball. We consider ourselves a ‘club’, not just a softball team. Our off-season get-togethers go a long way towards building our team’s closeness and morale. If one member has a problem, or needs some help, he calls the rest of us and we are there for him. This isn’t just a game for us, but it has become a way of life for many of the guys who are life long ‘players’. We decided to start a not-for-profit organization this past season to help save the lives of senior players all over the country. If you are interested in seeing what we are doing, go to: www. safe-at-home.net."