Softball set for another season in the sun

Vaccination nation

[ by Than Acuff ]

Grab your White Claws and get ready, softball season is on the horizon. The tradition continues having survived the pandemic last summer and is ready to shoot the lock off this season as the county just removed the mask mandate in public outdoor spaces. It’s like when they discovered a cure for herpes in the ‘80s… oh wait. Penicillin nation.

Kudos to former Crested Butte Parks and Recreation supervisor turned Recreation Open Space and Trails supervisor Joey Carpenter and the county for their efforts last summer pulling off a season at all in the midst of the pandemic.

“Last season was successful, the championship might have been a little loose,” says Carpenter.

Things are looking a little more normal every day now though. In fact, the tourists have started slowly streaming into the valley and are already driving out into meadows to camp where they shouldn’t. Or should they? I mean it’s public land, right?

But hey, it’s summah, and that means softball. Besides, if there were no tourists, there would be no advertising in the newspaper and, thus, no room for softball coverage.

The season is set to start on Tuesday, June 1 with two leagues in place, the Tuesday/Thursday league and the Wednesday league.
As of press time, the Tuesday/Thursday league continues to see a slight drop in participation with just seven teams signed up. Meanwhile, the Wednesday league has eight teams registered. And, yes, the Hares are back for more and the Pita’s franchise will be in full force three days a week as they look to win the title in both leagues, again. Side note, word on the street is the Sultan of Swat and All Things Softball (SOSAATS) Drew Stichter will not be playing for his Pita’s team on Wednesdays. Rather, he is jumping to CB Extreme as a result of procreation, both at home and in the business community.

Wednesday teams are projected to play a total of seven games during the regular season at Pitsker and Gothic Field with each team qualified for the double elimination playoffs for a total of nine games minimum. Tuesday/Thursday teams will get 12 regular season contests at Pitsker, Gothic and Tommy V Fields and a minimum of 14 total with the playoffs. The post season is slated to start the third week of July.

Registration for teams closes on Friday, May 21 with the captain’s meeting set for Tuesday, May 25. If there are any of you out there looking to get on a team, and still reading this, you have three ways to find one. You can sign up on the free agent list on the parks and recreation website, priority will be given to anyone who signs up with a coed player as well. Or, and more reliable, you can head out to any one of the bars or restaurants in town, see if they are sponsoring a team, and tell the manager how good you are. Or, you can swing by one of the fields where teams are practicing and tell them how good you are, or were.
See you June 1.