“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is.” Bob Feller

Our last game of the regular Fall season. Our shortest game. Our coldest game. Crush crushed us. But...we're in the play-offs, and we get another chance. Here are the highlights of our shortest game in history. Like 2 ships passing eachother in the night, Phil and Rick both went for the ball hit right between them in the outfield. Although almost catching it, they did a great job of backing eachother up and getting the ball back into the field quickly. At bat, Phil was completely robbed at 1B with a lousy ump call. Tina's super studley catch in short center made the mid inning switch totally worth while. Also in the outfield and retrieving many balls on Friday night, Adrienne did a great job of getting the ball back into the field despite the wind carrying the ball farther than it "should have" gone. From the outfield, Genay hunted down a runner on his way to 3B. The runner looked like a deer in headlights as a poised Genay tagged him out. Also hunting for those careless base runners who underestimate our aggressiveness, Alli and Jon were determined to get the lead-off runner out between pitches. Their valiant efforts did not go unnoticed. Steve was (and is always) the star cut-off man running the field and making sure he was where he needed to be at all times to retrieve the ball from the outfielder and get it back in for the play. Additionally, Steve does a great job of reminding "people" who are less aware of their cut-off role more conscious of the responsibility. Helping me make my best play of the night, Steve's gentle reminders kept me on task. Michael made some heroic throws to 1B. Although the tie went to the runner, the "almost" out kept the excitement running through our chilly bones.

Double Win!

Game #1 against wasn't looking good after the first inning. We were 9 runs down and feeling a bit low energy at the end of the weekend. However, Parks and Wrecks made a huge comeback mid-game. Then, game #2 started a little late. We were tired from our previous game and the opposing team looked ready to kill. It was their first game of the night. However, we pulled through and did a superior job of fielding and hitting the ball despite many injured players. The pressure built up during the bottom of that last inning. As the visiting team in the field for the final time, we were up by 2 and they had 2 outs, bases loaded and a heavy hitter at bat. We held the runs and batter was out. Surreal! A little trivia for the team. We beat the Wright Fielders last season, however, we were slaughtered by the Big Shots last season pretty badly during our first game. We've come along way, team! Here are some brief highlights from Sunday night: Unaware that she had committed to a double header, Genay quickly got her game on after transferring her tough day into a winning high. Her fielding was superb. She caught an amazing ball at First on a bounce that didn't seem possible. Bill ran the bases in record time. Although injured from sprinting like an 18 year old, he made some wicked plays 1B plays and seemed surprised that his shoes collected so much dirt there. Welcome to the infield. Rick had a stellar catch in the outfield but will be remembered for his offensive hitting and base running during this particular double header. He did a great job of getting on base, rounding them and bringing home the runs. Speaking of RBIs, Jessica's hits brought them in by the handful. In addition, her strategic fielding as catcher aided with several strike outs. She patiently let those foul balls go and that's not always easy. With a bruised belly and later an arm hit hard by a ball, Kelly's pitching is always second to none. We can never underestimate the value of her gift to get the ball in the right place, at the right time. An impressive number of strike outs! As someone who proved he could get a ball in the "right" place, Jon hit the ball all wrong for the defense by strategically placing it in the gaps. Jon got himself on base a number of times. Chris tempered his anxious arm making some great plays and one of a kind catches. At bat, he pulverized the ball. Warmed up from Friday and ready to roll, Phil was another one who crushed the ball and ran aggressively and successfully helping rack up the runs. Victory minded and eager to score, Tina held her own in the field and at bat. She consistantly hit the ball and scored for Parks and Wrecks. Go P&W!!!!!!

"All right everyone, line up alphabetically according to your height." -Casey Stengel

Although we lost to the guys in the baseball pants again, we need to celebrate some seriously great plays. During our first inning in the field, Kelly's quick reflexes came in handy when she caught a ball shooting at her at like 90 MPH. However, she did not fare so well later in the game when the tallest member of the other team pelted the ball right at her belly button. Her belly "catch" resulted in a single instead of a triple, but she definitely took one for the team. Let's just say it's a good thing she is done with the birthing thing. New kid on the block (literally), Chris, filling in for Steve won a spot on the teams roster for the Spring. Chris really knows how to hit a ball and that arm came in handy when he needed it to throw to 1B....(and beyond). Welcome to the neighborhood, Chris! Genay covering 1B for 2 innings tonight made an astounding line drive catch. Genay also made one of the first runs in of the night! Alex's memorable catch at short center had everyone cheering. He also was responsible for at least one RBI at bat. Don't feel bad for bailing on us on Sunday, Alex. A dinner out with friends is waaayyy more important than your 2-3 softball team who could make it into the play-offs with your help. ;) Jessica showed extreme talent in RF when she caught a fly ball, but we are convinced that the fancy pants team planted a mexican jumping bean inside of that ball to hop out of her glove. Even so, I still call that a catch in my book because it seemed to survive the 3 second rule. Our 3rd base fill- in, Phil, did a great job hitting the ball. Another heavy hitter and member that instantly made it on to our Spring roster next season. Welcome Phil. Although she begged to be catcher the entire time, Alli's perservering speed always gets the ball back into the infield as fast as lightening. How could any right-minded captain put her in the infield? Speaking of speed, there's no place in left field that's out of Bill's range. Bill dashed where ever he was needed and per usual made some commendable catches. Training for his marathon and raising money to cure cancer is just a side job for Rick's real aspiration of floating between 1B and short center. Rick made some great plays at first and hit the ball well. Rick is waking up at the crack of dawn on Sunday morning to train for his run before church and is expected to be fresh and ready for our 7pm double header. After being benched for an ankle injury, I finally got to play and made it on base, but caved at the chance to make a double play in the field. Next time. Great job Parks and Wrecks. Although I would've thoroughly enjoyed hearing the lecture their captain would've given the team if they lost to us, I think we played a fantastic game. Rest up for Sunday!

"It’s not how good you are, it’s how bad you want it." Anonymous

Exciting game for Parks and Wrecks. Another win against "Ball Me Maybe" As a team, we did 3 especially fantastic things worth mentioning: 1. After being down by a number of runs early in the game, we made a quick comeback. 2. During 2 particular innings we had 2 outs and instead of easily giving in to wipe the inning clean, we perservered and scored our most runs with the 2 outs counting against us. 3. Many teammates continued running even though they thought they were easily out, and surprisingly found pay off for running it out. Here are some more specific highlights: Although worn out from getting many "Ball Me Maybe" hits in RF, Adrienne had some brilliant hits, got on base and scored! Her ambition paid off except when she listened to an over-aggressive 3rd base coach who she tried to hide behind right before her demise at 3B. After a long day on the golf course, Rick saunters in pulling a "Sonny Mann" and made a star catch at center field while hitting the ball with power bringing in the RBIs. Alex also showing up from a day on the course changed from polo to his softball gear from one ball game to the other on Friday with a dicey blood/alcohol level. Alex's unbelievable catches at short center and 1B earned him the MVP title. However, Alex was weakened at the end of the game by a leg injury. Eager to hit the ball, Jessica got on base with her aggressive hitting and running. She also had the most fans one of which (her dad) assisted with coaching as a veteran softball player. Covering for a last minute female bail, Ellen played solidly at 2B and got the short end of the stick when the batter was out at 2nd due to her covering and catching but called safe by the ump. Steve shot the ball low and hard never dismaying any of our base runners because, per usual, he hit them home. However, Steve had one rare yet entertaining play in the field when he almost threw the ball to the city of Chicago intending it only for 1B. Kelly's star quality pitching paved the way for several strike outs. Although not blood related, there seems to be a common athletic prowess in the family because Kelly's cousin Tina helped kick some "Ball Me Maybe" ass. Tina hit and pitched extremely well and we appreciate her filling in to cover for our absent women. Switching it up a little for Jon by placing him at 3rd instead of 1st, didn't rattle him a bit. At bat, he hit like never before and ran the bases fast and furiously. Bill was his usual super solid self in left and even came into the infield in the last inning to close it out with a game ending double play. Great job P&W!!! We're headed in the right direction.

Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer. - Ted Williams

Here are the highlights of games #2 and #3 of the season. Back after her first missed P&W game, Kelly's killer catches during her short stint as short center and as pitcher were particularly noteworthy. Although she was doing her raindance around 6:30, Adrienne humbly smacked the ball a number of a times into the outfield. Alex's ability to pummel the ball was responsible for some wicked RBIs so at least we could lose with some runs on the board. Weakened by a cold, Rick fooled us all for most of the games by doing a great job at covering a huge territory in CF. He left us early to rest up for the next game, of course. Hope you are feeling better, Rick. Making her debut with Parks and Wrecks, Alli's intimidating batting stance and impressive ability to move the ball quickly from outfield to infield wowwed even her youngest fans. Note that Alli had more underaged fans in the stands than anyone. Eat your heart out, Winbigler! Unexpectedly showing up, Genay pleasantly surprised us all and brought her killer swing. Jon showed up just in time to relieve Rick. Jon hit well and decided not to fall just so he wouldn't get his white shorts dirty. On the other hand, Octopus arms Sonny came in from Elmhurst on his first day of school to help us out and did fall. As usual, Sonny does not let a ball get past him...at least not with out a dramatic fall which includes rolling in the dirt and dust flying all over the place. Although Michael likes the bottom of the batting order, he is consistently whacking the ball into the outfield causing the defense to move back. As the most athletic and energetic mom of 4 kids I know, Ellen covered 2B like she's been on our team all year. Ellen enthusiastically came out to play when I thought we were going to be short women. Thanks for playing, Ellen. Alert and ready for the ball, Jessica had some great hits and also covered 2B well. As the "Steve" of all trades on our team, Steve is always willing to plug into any position where he is needed and works it like the position has always been "his". Mini-Steve (Jonah) was cheering proudly on the sidelines while playing soccer after watching his dad catch several challenging balls in left field. Kyle rushed to the game from dinner plans only to find out we already started. Thanks for cheering us on Kyle and Chris. Your energy always brings the team up a notch!

Fall Ball Game #1 - We Did The Slaughtering This Time

Huge win for P&W! After only 4 innings, we won by slaughter rule. Here are the highlights: A memorable farewell for Ericka as she departs for Texas. Ericka kicked some Judson ass in the field with a stellar catch at short center and decimated the ball while at bat. There were very few four letter words muttered from short center. Dr. Lingk has forever engraved her name as a founding member of our team. You will always have a place on our roster! Michael hit the ball far and wide not one, not two, but THREE times tonight. Although reporting to be a bit tired by the second inning, Michael rallied and played his best game yet. One of our newest team members felt right at home stepping up as pitcher...Genay struck several batters out and killed the ball with her strong left handed pulls to right field. Welcome to the team, Genay! Jessica wouldn't let a new hairdo or a pink glove get in the way of some great hitting, base running and a phenominal catch at second base. As another welcomed new member of P&W fall ball team, Jessica claimed to not have played for years yet picked up the bat and glove like it was yesterday. She accomplished all this with out fully stretching out before the game and walked away injury free. It's a beautiful thing when the bases are loaded and Steve is up to bat. Hitting the only homerun of the game and catching some extraordinary balls as our star short stop reminds us why he can easily win the MVP title over and over. After almost falling asleep before game time at home, Adrienne got a second wind and showed some great strength at bat. Although there wasn't much action in RF tonight, Adrienne was ready and waiting. Alex's strategy was to hit the ball so high into the air that the lights would blind the defense and he could round the bases. Although that didn't always work as planned, his outstanding plays at 1B made it hard for the visiting team to get past him. She almost threw in the towel and retired from P&W - yet Kyle had a huge game. Her awesome catch during a foul hit made the fans in the stands roar with excitement. She also made some great hits showing us that this is just the beginning for her and retirement is far, far away. Bill will be remembered for his unbelievable LF catches. He leapt for the ball on several occasions and his glove was almost always exactly on target. He amused everyone during one particular catch where he seemed to struggle with the ball as it wobbled a bit but he caught itand everyone sighed a huge breath of relief. Rick hit the ball well but did some sacrificing which paid off in some awesome RBIs. As chief strategist of P&W, Rick hypothesized our win. Great job Parks and Wrecks!!! We are on our way to the championship.

After game 9, there's only one more time

20-8 For those of you that missed it, you would have been proud of us during the first 2 innings. We played a great game at first getting most of our 8 runs then. Just as Bill predicted from previous observations, we began to fall apart in the field around inning 3. Keep in mind that we did get 8 runs from the best team in the league. Many of us also observed that they didn't have the best players neccessarily, however, they did have some great strategies which probably comes from playing time spent playing in this league. For those of us that want to continue playing in the Fall league, there has been some talk of gathering as a team more and working on this type of strategy. Ericka made us proud as Center Fielder with her fantastic fly ball catch and many great throws back into the infield. Rick, as he gently reminded us on the rooftop at the Ale House, turned his game around completely this week. Rick played a mean short center. Despite downing sangria shortly before the game, Kelly did a great job of getting on base and managing to get home before Bill passed her. Bill hit the ball hard and far while playing a star left fielder. Candi, who dropped everything on a moments notice to be girl #5 for Parks and Wrecks, had the unfortunate but not uncommon experience for players on our team of pulling a muscle in her leg during inning #1. Despite her misfortune, Candi was able to hit the ball well and get on first base hopping and wobbling. Very impressive moves! Sonny's REM sleep was disturbed at 9:15 by a phone call from a nervous captain. During his short interuption of sleep, he did his usual magic at short stop and hit our only HOME RUN and GRAND SLAM of the evening! Julie's contact with the ball did not happen with her bat or glove but with different places of her body all incurring bruises and bumps. Joe fielded some great balls including an extraordinary catch at 3rd base. Kyle did a fantastic job at getting on base and scoring! Jon L smacked the ball harder than ever getting on base while giving our competitors some exercise in the field. Thanks to a jetlagged Chris for cheering us on in the stands.

Game 9 - We should have "PRAYed for RAIN"

Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical. Yogi Berra

Winners at last! Game #7

Game 7 proved to be the most fun of the season mainly because...get this...WE WON!!!! Here are just a few of the many highlights... The early start of 8pm attracted lots of offspring to the stands on Friday night. Our youngest fans ranged from just a few months to about 10 years old cheering loudly for their parents, neighbors, friends and of course a favorite ex-babysitter. MVP Bill caught every ball hit with in the vincinity of left field. He was relentless in the field and at bat killing the ball and rounding the bases! Ericka hit the ball hard and high. Kelly barely pitched a ball and didn't let a soul walk. Her epic pitching accounted multiple strike-outs. She hit the ball great as well and as usual. John M. killed the ball while at bat. Michael made an outstanding catch as 3rd basemen making his wife and kids cheer in the stands. Kyle's first time at bat accounted for a great RBI! As catcher, Kyle's strategy of letting the ball go foul purposely by not touching it helped contribute to our win! Adrienne looked alive in right field and at bat. Just as she was injure-free a ball pounded into her nose while practicing but she made a quick recovery. Alex has been hiding from us his talents at 1B. He did a sensational job and was responsible for some awesome plays at first during the second half of the game. "Steve of all trades" is always willing to fill in where ever needed and does a consistent job at pulling through for the team in any position, made some awesome plays while covering 3B. Jon L smacked the ball out of the field and strategized with his pinch runner (Sonny) who made it home. Katie hit the ball better than ever. She did a great job at catching too. Big shout out for multi-tasker Sally, who kept score for us while keeping her baby happy in the stands.

Game 6 - Remember the good ole days of playing 7 innings?

Parks and Wrecks had a rough night last Friday. Losing 16 to 1, we all agree that something was a bit off especially while at bat. Here is a brief summary. It was graduation day for Joe. He was poised to hit a homer, however, his swing scared the heck out of the ball. Steve fielded an amazing game proving he is a "jack of all trades" and can field where ever needed. Ericka's epic catch in Center Field left everyone gasping. Kelly spent the day getting psyched to play a little 1B but we wound up needing her on the pitching mound for the entire game and did an awesome job. John M, as usual, caught every ball with in a 20 foot radius. Rick's intimidating stance in left field forced the other team into a strategy of hitting anywhere but to LF. Bill's fearless line drive, bullet catch at 3B finally relieved a tough inning in the field. Completely healed from injury but possibly, slightly hung over from Thursday night, Adrienne played our faithful catcher. Sonny's star fielding in inning 1 left us over confident and potentially jinxed us. (ok that may have been my comment about having a good feeling about the game that jinxed us) Genevieve was feeling her Zen at bat despite P&W curse at bat. Jon broke a sweat at 1B as the recipient of many infield plays. Julie(on purpose of course) fielded a ball with her shoe which redirected it to Steve at 2B and the runner was OUT!! That strategy has taken years to master.

Game 5

We had the lead for an inning or so but a grand slam broke the game open for the other team and we couldn't recover. Here are some highlights: When Michael was at bat, he pounded the ball earning a Triple and multiple RBIs! In the field, he won the ump over and distracted the other team with his chatter about his day "Occupying". The team was happy to see Sally return after a few weeks off. With their newborn and parents cheering in the stands, Sally did a great job catching while her husband pitched and covering 3B during the second half. "Politically incorrect" Rick, didn't let the ball even think about going anywhere else but in his glove. Rick was partially responsible for our first few innings in the field which were short and sweet due to great fielding. Look for him in the outfield next game. Genevieve's killer swing scared the pitcher so much that he lost focus and couldn't pitch a well placed ball for her to hit. In the field, Genevieve did a great job of getting the ball back to the right spot. John M. used his knowlege of the rules to make sure the bases were almost loaded when he was up at bat. The result: RBIs. John made his pitching debut on Parks and Wrecks and did a fine job as well as making some awesome plays as short center covering many holes. After a long week away from home, Bill's allegience to Parks and Wrecks is appreciated. Practically coming from the airport, Bill stopped at home to say hi to his girls and showed up fully ready to win. A shout out to Ellen for all of her support and her phone call letting me know that he was on his way. Demonstrating that alcohol may enhance his abilities on the field, Sonny fielded another fantastic game as short stop. His double play seemed graceful and effortless. Kelly had another fantastic game at 3B and pitching. For being as tired as she claims to be, she knows how to bring it. As a newbie to softball, Katie is impressive with her courage and ability to put herself out there in front of the ball. Joe played a solid game in left field catching some great fly balls and impressing his fans. Among them, his proud father in the stands. Joe did a great job at bat and running the bases as well. Jon L. played 1B well and managed to stay off the ground. He walked but got caught at home trying to score. At bat it was my intention to force that pitcher to get his baseball pants dirty so he could look like a serious player, but unfortunately my hits practically fell into his glove and he came away clean.

Game #4

At least we are consistent and that keeps things predictable. We may have lost, but we keep improving which is a good sign. We had the lead early and kept it close most of the game. Overall we did a great job and had a ton of fun. Here are some highlights. I lived up to the "Wrecks" part of our name with my dazed and confused performance as captain. I'll do better next time. Kelly proved herself as versatile as ever by pitching a great first 3 innings and being a star 3rd baseman. After taking week off from the field, Sonny's glove was once again a magnet for the ball. Seemed like every time you looked up, Genevieve was running the bases. Her ability to get on base and score was uncanny. Alex's strong arm came in handy when the ball seemed like it was constantly hit to left field and he was able to bring it back in for the play. The team was wishing the bases were loaded when Steve was at bat during his epic home run hit. Bill was the all around athlete hitting ropes and making great plays. Hats off to Ericka for showing team spirit and being willing to play even when sick. We hope you're feeling better. Kyle's swift moves in right field by stopping the ball and borrowing the arm of other players when needed was strategic and effective. Still injured but willing to play, Adrienne caught a great game with a smile on her face. Michael, catching for the first 3 innings, proved that he can fill in where needed and do a stellar job. Rick continued his command at 1st base and hit the ball solid. Jon L found himself on the ground yet again with in the first inning and also made some awesome plays at first base. John M gave his audience something to cheer about as he rounded the bases and caught balls at short center. Joe's aggressive base running manufactured runs and contributed to our improving offense. As for me, making the last out of the game speaks for itself. There's always next time.

Game #3 Losing to The Foul Balls

We're 0 and 3. Good job Parks and Wrecks. We are here to make the other teams feel better. Joe Winbigler lived up to his nickname "Big Winner" hitting the ball extremely well, running fast and making some great short stop plays all while once again bringing the best Oak Park cheerleaders to the bleachers. Katie Jones may have gotten a little too much action in right field for her first game with Parks and Wrecks but she kept her composure and used her strong throwing arm to get the ball back in to play. Back from the land down under, Rick Nott had an incredible night at the plate. Batting 1000, Nott hit the ball hard and far and kept a steady hand at first base. Ericka Lingk never disappoints. Her great hits and quick running kept her in the game and contributing to Parks and Wrecks best showing yet both offensively and defensively. Alex Davidkhanian wins most improved, hands down, by showing his strength at the plate. A little work at Stella's batting cages goes a long way!! Adrienne Eyer (sorry I've been spelling your name wrong) has recovered from her injury last week. As catcher, she helped keep Kelly focused and alert. And, her short people's bat, helped us shorties feel more comfortable at the plate. Jon Lulu came up short at the plate but made up for it with his tight defensive plays at first and did a great job catching those harder to retrieve balls. Kyle Hanson showed great hustle both at bat and a solid performace as catcher and was an integral part of the team spirit. Steve Black's range was amazing where ever the ball was, he seemed to be there and provided a steady confidence as third base coach. Kelly Oxer pitched another gem and proved herself a fighter by hitting the hell out of the ball and running the bases aggressively. Michael Bornhorst continued to settle into his role at third and provided the fuel to keep the team's fire alive. Dr. Genevieve sprang into action when her professional talents were needed on the sidelines but her real talent continues to develop thanks to backyard, nightime practice with Yannek. Thanks to Yannek also for keeping score! After a week off, Bill Maliff came back to life and showed his power at the plate. Come watch Bill do a little pitching during game 4! And as for me, I was able to make some plays at second and made contact with the ball but couldn't get break at the plate.

Great game #2. Parks and Wrecks 'almost' won!

Here are some highlights from game #2... Sonny Mann kicked off the game with a double. His star short stop moves proved that rarely does a ball get past him. Home run hitter, Steve Black, took center stage. Responsible for multiple RBIs, great infield plays and flexible enough to switch to 3rd base, Steve could possibly be up for the MVP title despite only playing 3 innings. Kelly Oxer struck out several players with her ability to make them swing and miss. A pop-up doesn't get dropped in Kelly's territory. Michael Bornhorst got on base and played the first half on 3rd base all before the 9pm tuck-in. Ericka Lingk never has a problem covering 2nd base and her quick and steadfast moves rocked our infield. Joe Winbigler made a heroic catch in left field always playing deep but able to run faster than lightening to get where he needs to be. Jen Mann made her Parks and Wrecks debut as catcher and then as right fielder. A great and welcomed addition to the team. John McCormick made some fantastic plays in the outfield catching any ball that came with in 50 feet of him. Despite an injury, Adrienne Ayer played the game out learning that the "catchers stretch" is the best medicine for a leg injury. Jon Lulu found himself back on the ground on a few unfortunate occasions but his skillful first basemanship and ability to hit at the plate compensated for his time on the ground. Julie Lulu (that's me) didn't have much action in center field Friday, but was excited to get around the bases and score early in the game.

Game #1

Team Parks and Wrecks came together last Friday evening sometime during the 9pm hour. Many of us were strangers before that but by 11:45pm, we had congealed together cohesively like a winning team. Although we may have lost on paper, the 6 or so runs we brought in as a first time team was a huge accomplishment. Here's a recap: Being the visiting team on a cold and windy night in Oak Park, we were up to bat first. Breaking out of her 23 year departure from softball, Adrienne Ayer proved that she is a solid batter and outfielder for Team Parks and Wrecks. Friday's game was a warm up for Adrienne and she demonstrated that she can easily transition back into a team player after over two decades on the bench. An oversight occured when Alex Davidkhanian's turn was skipped in the batting order. Although an accident, Alex kept his sense of humor despite coming from a sleep deprived house with 3 kids under the age of 6 for the night. Proving that blondes do have more fun, Kyle Hanson scored a run in the second inning and assisted with many balls in center field. John McCormick's pro-like batting and fielding hugely contributed to the success of the team. John's power hitting ability kept the other team on their toes. He was the first on the team to cross the plate bringing home our first run. Another dad with a newborn at home on the team who can seemingly multi-task effortlessly. There was no play too complicated for Ericka Lingk. Our star second baseman knew where to position herself at all times and was all over second base during a force. Ericka also brought home one of the first runs and hit an RBI. Ericka is another hardworking member of the team not to even mention that her dissertation is due in about 2 weeks. Bill Maliff rocked it with the bat and on the field. Practically deboarding a plane and coming directly to the field, he showed that there is no differentiation between work and play because he takes both seriously. Joe Winbigler, our youngest and most rablerousing team member attracted a crowd of devoted and enthusiastic fans to the stands! Joe, bringing down the average age of the group significantly, proved himself as a go getter in the outfield as well as crossing the plate for Parks and Wrecks. Winbigler's enthusiasm and skill is a big winner. MVP Kelly Oxer starred as our solo pitcher. To much of her teammates surprise, she has never pitched a 14 inch before Friday night and she had several strike outs and made some great plays. Although Kelly's philanthropic side must end by not giving anyone walks just because she feels sorry for them. Kelly is just as skilled at the plate as she is at the pitchers mound. The idea man who coined our team "Parks and Wrecks", Michael Bornhorst, stood sturdy as our 3rd baseman. Michael showed us that a creative mind and an athletic soul is a good combination. I've spotted Michael around the 'hood practicing his swinging with his imaginary bat. Don't call Chris an "O'Connell" with a bat in his hand because he is an O'Donnell and it fires him up. Chris may be a newbie to softball but he proved to be a quick learner and is a great addition to the team. Nothing on the ground gets passed Steve Black when he is shortstop. His steadfast ability to scoop up a ball and effortlessly throw to first base was demonstrated within minutes after the home team pick up their bats. The outfield went deep when Steve stood up to the plate. Stepping into the roll of shortstop mid game was a snap for Sonny Mann. After almost opting to make his debut with Parks and Wrecks next week, Sonny made it and made us proud. Another enthusiastic, talented addition to the team! Just giving birth just a few weeks ago, Sally McCormick showed up eager and ready to play where ever needed. That in and of itself is heroic. Although not healed from giving birth yet, Sally hit, ran, caught and threw and we are praying she isn't too sore this weekend! All that along with the 10pm game put her home in time for a midnight feeding! Thanks for helping us keep a scoresheet and for bringing the bats. Rick Nott showed that batting cage practice does work on the plate and on the field. Playing first base for much of the game, Rick did not let the option of not retrieving the ball in his glove even cross his mind. Thanks for letting all use the all-star bat. Not letting altitude sickness get in the way of playing softball, Jon Lulu took over as first baseman for the last couple of innings. Jon was also proficient at First Base, however, in his only at bat, Jon thought the play at first was closer than it was which lead him into a sliding frenzy just a bit early. Then, there's me the "community organizer". Perhaps a bit flustered with my job responsibilities and learning how to scorekeep but I am determined to have fun and finding it not at all hard with this team!!! Thanks everyone for a great time. Go team Parks and Wrecks.