The 2015 CB softball season is here

No Rastas? WTF!

by Than Acuff

As small towns transform into large towns, things change. And as the transformation occurs, there are a number of indicators that, well, indicate things are changing (that’s some Ph.D. dissertation stuff right there, people). Point being, things are changing around here and every now and then something happens that really brings home the point.
Some believe that when the North Face and High Lifts were put in, that marked the beginning of the end. Others thought that when Stefanic’s shut down, and with it freshly deep-fried donuts and a breakfast special that has yet to be matched, the town was done.
The thinking-type people, the number-crunchers, look at the percentage of owner-occupied houses in the town limits and as that number drops, so begins the loss of “community.”
Well, while all of those happened, or are happening, another change needs to be noted that I believe is a glaring example of what is happening to Crested Butte.
The town of Crested Butte parks and recreation department just held its softball captains’ meeting last week and it turns out there wasn’t a Rasta in the house.
That’s right, there will be no Rasta Hairnets team this year in the Crested Butte coed slowpitch softball league.

The end of Crested Butte, as we have known it, is upon us.
Year in and year out you could count on the Rasta Hairnets to maintain the perfect rec league coed softball vibe. They played hard, but not too hard. They took it seriously, but not too seriously. They were good, but not too good. They had music playing at their games. They had Jell-O shots.
The Rastas will go down in history as one of the great local softball franchises of all time, or at least of the past 20 years. Right up there with the Trouser Snakes, the Hills Brothers and the Loaded Ladies. I will miss their iriescapades.
Yet, rather than live in the past, I only hold hope for the future and continue to recite my personal mantra penned by the ‘80s Bay Area sage, Huey Lewis: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Rather than focus on who is not playing though, let’s talk about who is playing as teams are ramping up for another fantastic coed softball season. There are 10 rec league teams and four comp league teams signed up this year.
The teams to beat? Well, the defending champions, of course. Last year KBUT took down Tully’s in the rec league finals to finally win a title, while the Rent-A-Gades held off the surging Mustache Bashers to take the comp league title. Both teams are back to defend their titles but a couple of new teams are joining the mix that may pose a threat.
Comp league games will be on Mondays and Wednesdays at Gothic Field and rec league games will be Tuesdays and Thursdays at any one of three local ball fields, and all games are at 5 and 6:30 p.m. The season officially starts on Monday, June 8 at 5 p.m.