The World of Beer League Softball: Why We Play By Hobson...

The World of Beer League Softball: Why We Play

By Hobson Lopes

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for a Degree

in Professional Writing: Journalism/Freelance

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Submission Date

WRT 465/Thesis Advisor: Dr. John P. Briggs


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Table of Contents

Slowpitch softball (Introduction) 3

What is slowpitch softball? 11

Comparing slowpitch softball rules to baseball Rules. 14

Is background in organized sports needed? 16

How important is having fun? 18

How were others introduced to sport and why they still play 20

What makes players risk everything? Is it competition? 25

Is it different for the girls? 31

How important is the family aspect in playing? 34

Greatest memories in slowpitch softball 38

Works Cited 42


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Abstract

Professional athletes are loved and hated for what they are paid to do. For amateur

athletes, the chance to complete their lifelong dreams of playing on a sports team has

been made true by the sport of slowpitch softball. This thesis features first-hand accounts

of seven players who have been playing for as little as two years to as many as 30 years

and examines why these men and women play. The author has played of dozens of

different slowpitch teams in the past six years and uses his own experiences as a starting

point for the article. In a sport that, for the most part, doesn‟t offer monetary incentive for

these athletes, what is that makes them risk losing their source of income because of

injury. This article will show that it is a combination of factors that make these men and

women play on a nightly basis during the warmer months.


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My Introduction to Slowpitch Softball

In the United States, it‟s not just the paid athletes anymore that devote their life to

sports. It‟s the homemakers, accountants and police officers that live the athletes dream

as well. In the Northeast, slowpitch softball is an everyday experience. More specifically,

in the state of Connecticut, it‟s not unusual to see an amateur athlete play in New Milford

and Danbury in one night, Newtown and Bethel the following night and Bridgeport the

next day. This might seem like sheer craziness, but to the hundreds of people who live

this life each summer, there is nothing better.

During my time at Henry Abbott Technical Regional High School in Danbury,

Conn., I was a member of the varsity baseball team. As a senior, I was named a captain,

which was a great honor to me considering I was respected enough to help lead my team

and unite players from different backgrounds. To those who have never played organized

sports, these type feelings may be difficult to understand, but the main overall theme of

playing together as a unit is something that is second to none.

Connections with those I may have never been friends with was obvious when it

came time to work on my wedding invitation list. The 20 or more people invited to my

wedding from my softball teams showed the disparity in races that is evident each time a

team steps onto the field together.

Slow-pitch softball has been a part of my spring/summer routine since 2007. I got

my break with a team whose sponsor was located in the same complex as my full-time

job at the time as a machinist. While he was initially hesitant about me joining his team,


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Don Schappach welcomed me to the Dr. Don‟s Automotive softball team. It was the

beginning of what has been a long journey that has taken me to all the previously

mentioned cities, as well as tournaments in Stamford, and Washington, Conn., and

Pittsfield, Mass.

When my teammates and I talk about my first year on Dr. Don‟s, the question of

why I stuck around is asked. It was so bad at times, the Bad News Bears would laugh at

us. On most nights, we would often find our team short on the number of players needed

to play, only to get the crew that used to work at one of the local car washes to come

down, throw a uniform on and play. It wasn‟t pretty and for the most part, it was

embarrassing.

Now don‟t get me wrong, Dr. Don‟s isn‟t like the New York of New Milford

Parks and Recreation softball, but it has been a highly successful team since it started. To

struggle as bad as we did that year was difficult. At 1-19, we finished last in our division

and may have had the worst record of any team in the league. The single good thing that

could come out of this was that we could only get better from there.

My second season with the team, we drastically improved, bringing the Don‟s

name back to the top of the division, where it should always be. We reached the playoffs,

where if not for a terribly timed vacation by our pitcher, we probably would have won the

title. As Skip Carey once said about the Atlanta Braves, we did the improbable and went

from worst to first.


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In my third year of playing, I expanded my softball schedule to include Danbury

in addition to New Milford. Not only did I pick up more games; I also took over the

managerial role of Dr. Don‟s. In my first year as manager, we had a great season,

winning our divisional title. For the second year in a row, injuries and vacation

scheduling kept us from winning the playoff title. Still, despite the “postseason” blues,

we were happy to have continued our success. While there were bad feelings after losing

in the title game, the majority of the team still felt great and were looking forward to the

next season.

2010 South Division Champions Credit: Hobson Lopes

In 2010, Dr. Don‟s saw its most successful season in history. With a 16-2 record,

we easily won the regular season championship. When we got to the playoffs, we were


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expecting bad things to happen considering our past. Instead, we swept through the

playoffs winning all four games, finishing the season with the second best record in all of

New Milford, adding two more trophies to the waiting room at Dr. Don‟s shop.

Two Thousand Eleven wasn‟t the best season for Dr. Dons. We reached the

playoffs as the second seed in the playoffs, but we were eliminated from the playoffs

early. That didn‟t mean we didn‟t have a good run. In July, we competed in the Swanson-

Horrigan Memorial Softball tournament in Washington, Conn. Three years earlier, we

swept through the tournament, winning all five games en route to the championship. This

year, it was a little more difficult. We lost the opening game, before going on a two-day

run that saw us win four straight, including a win against the team that beat us in the

opener. Champs again!

That tournament wasn‟t the only success I saw in 2011. In the Danbury Sunday

Softball League, the New Balance Pandas finished second in the league during the

regular season. During the season, we found ourselves with a new rival. BeBe‟s Lounge

defeated us in both meetings during the regular season and were already counting on

another title when it was determined that we would play in two out of three game series.

After squeaking by and reaching the playoffs, we had the chance to shut up the team that

had annoyed us for too long. The Pandas would go on to win the title in a sweep of the

series, solidifying this new team as one of the best in the league.


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2011 Swanson Horrigan Champions Credit: Hobson Lopes

Winning two titles in a single season is a nice accomplishment, but in the eyes of

many on these teams, it isn‟t enough. We all strive for excellence and we all want to win

every tournament and league we compete in. Why else would we spend all our free time

playing the sport?

The competitive nature I have always had may be the reason why I play. I can‟t

even play a pick-up basketball or volleyball game without getting serious. When I was on

my honeymoon cruise to the Caribbean, I competed in a volleyball tournament where my

team finished in second place. To even reach the title game was fun and although there

was nothing to gain financially, I just wanted to win. To want and to have are two


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different things, which would explain why I have a silver medal hanging from my wall

instead of a gold.

2011 Danbury Sunday Softball League Lynch Division Champions Credit: Hobson Lopes

Intense competition leads to rivals, old and new. With slowpitch softball, most

top-level teams have natural rivals that have been around for years. For Dr. Don‟s, it was

always Green Rhino, but as our team has gotten younger, theirs has gotten older and the

rivalry is essentially done. We have a new rival that plays us tough every time and for

me, the respect for the team isn‟t always there, so they shall remain nameless. We have

been rivals for only a few seasons, but personal problems between some opposing players


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have strained what was once a nice on-field relationship. Rivalry is a major part of why I

lace on my cleats every day. When it comes to rivalries, the competition level increases

and helps push these amateur athletes to do more and be better than they ever imagined.

In a sport where our postgame rituals usually include drinking a 30-pack or two,

it‟s hard to imagine a situation where things can get so heated during the game, but it

happens more often than some would like to admit to. The postgame beers could help

hostility to show more as the night continues, but most people are just happy enough to

be done with their day.

What does it take for a regular guy to risk injury by playing every day? Trained

professional athletes know how to keep their muscles stretched, and they still get hurt.

Every time these bankers, restaurant employees or auto body workers step onto the field,

they risk losing their income. Why does their brain tell them to dive into a muddied

infield to make a play? What is it about that competitive drive that will make us drive

hours just to play in a tournament?

Being a part of a team that has been this successful brings out great emotions. It

goes back to the days when we would play ball in the backyard or played pick-up games

in high school. Maybe we play because these feelings from playing bring us back to when

things were easy and fun. Maybe we enjoy the camaraderie because it reminds us of

when times were simple. In today‟s world, most people are either enrolled in college,

working full-time, working multiple part-time jobs, or a combination of the three. To

some, the fact that we would pass on going to weddings, birthday parties and other family


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functions just to play, we may be called crazy because to those who don‟t play, it‟s just a

game, but to us, it‟s a major part of life. But that‟s the thing. If they played, they would

understand what it is like for us each night. We all want to win. We don‟t get paid, so

money doesn‟t push us for greatness. It could be ego, but then again, who wants to lose at

anything they do? The thing about slow-pitch softball for me isn‟t about playing. It‟s

about being successful, having fun and winning as much as possible. It doesn‟t bother

me, so it shouldn‟t bother those on the outside.


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History and Rules of Slowpitch Softball

According to the Complete Guide to Slowpitch Softball, the sport is believed to

have started on Thanksgiving Day in 1887. Alumni from Yale and Harvard met to hear

the score from their annual football game. Yale won the game that day, prompting their

excited alumnus to begin throwing a boxing glove at Harvard alumnus. After throwing

the boxing glove back and forth, somebody picked up a broom handle, a baseball

diamond was made and the sport officially began. (Rainer and Rainer 2-5)

George Hancock loved the game they just played, so he made a 16-inch ball to be

used with a rubber-tipped back. Hancock created the rules for the game that he would call

“Indoor Baseball.” As the game began being played outdoors, it was given the name of

“Indoor-Outdoor.” The sport gained popularity through the Midwest, prompting Hancock

to publish a rule book in 1889.

Others have also taken credit to creating the game, including a Minneapolis fire

department officer, but it was Hancock who was first credited with coming up with the

idea. As the years have gone on, the sport has evolved and is now governed mostly by the

Amateur Softball Association. In 1947, after most of the original rule books were lost or

destroyed during World War II, the ASA Rulebook was written, allowing teams from

different regions of the country to play each other with the same rules in place.

For years, baseball was known as America‟s pastime. That feeling began to

slowly decrease following the strike of 1994 that cost Major League Baseball their World

Series. Despite American football over taking baseball as the top sport in the country, it


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might be a safe assumption that most people know the basic rules of baseball. Those who

know a little about the rules of baseball might have a head start on the rules of slow-pitch

softball, but there are some differences between the two.

These seven-inning slow-pitch softball games move along quickly. While nine-

inning baseball games are usually a minimum of two hours long each, softball games can

be finished in as little as 45 minutes, or as long as 90 minutes. In most slow-pitch

leagues, nine players are required to start a game, but 10 are essential for success. Runs

are scored the same way as baseball, but the biggest difference is that in most slow-pitch

leagues, stealing bases aren‟t allowed. Some Amateur Softball Association sanctioned

leagues allow stealing of bases, but most local parks and recreation leagues don‟t adhere

to that rule in an effort to prevent issues with the umpires. ASA rules state that the runner

can only leave the base after the pitch crosses the plate, but with just one umpire, that is

nearly impossible to call.

In an effort to move the games along, some leagues call for each at-bat to begin

with a one-ball and one-strike count. Some leagues use a mat to help the umpire

determine strikes. Mats are pieces of rubber that are placed behind the plate, making it

easier for the umpire to call balls and strikes. It the ball hits home plate or the mat, it is a

strike and if it misses, it is a ball.

Some of the rules between slowpitch softball and baseball are different, but the

basic idea is still the same. What you see on television involving paid athletes will often

be seen around the park. Former Boston Red Sox great, Nomar Garciaparra, was known


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almost as much for his pre-at bat ritual where he played with his batting gloves and bat as

much as he was known for his play on the field. Softball players have the same rituals as

baseball players, and it doesn‟t matter whether they were playing indoors or out. One of

my rituals includes hitting the side of each cleat with the bat before each at bat. To me,

it‟s not about cleaning the dirt from my shoes, but to clear my head. In February 2012, I

played in an indoor softball tournament in New Milord, and was performing my pre-at

bad ritual of hitting my shoes with the bat.

“You realize there isn‟t any dirt.” The other bench yelled.

“It‟s a habit.” I replied.


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Comparing Slowpitch Softball Rules to Baseball Rules

Baseball Slowpitch Softball

Size of ball 9” diameter 12” diameter

Pitching style Overhand Underhand

Bunting Allowed? Yes No

Distance between mound and plate 60‟-6” 35‟ to 53‟

Distance between bases 90‟ 60‟ to 65‟

Players on the field 9 10

Maximum Batters Per Team 9 13 (25 in some)

Co-ed No Yes

Size of bat 33” to 34” long 32” to 34” long

Material of Bat Wood Wood/Aluminum

Innings 9 7

Mercy Rules (Game ended No Yes

early because of 12-run lead)


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Credit for both images: Sportsknowhow.com


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Is Background in Organized Sports Needed?

Not everyone playing in slowpitch softball leagues have played organized sports

in the past. Even with a background in youth league or high school baseball, success in

softball isn‟t a given. Players joining slowpitch softball teams for the first time directly

after high school often have problems adjusting their swing. The same upper-cut type

swings in softball will lead to pop-ups, whereas those swings led to great things in

baseball. Those who never played baseball before are said to have an easier adjustment to

slowpitch because they weren‟t taught to swing a different way previously.

For some players, the transition between softball and baseball was an easy

change. For players like Jay Lanza, 46, New Milford, playing on an organized sports

team has been something he has done since high school. Before joining a national softball

team, Lanza was a catcher on his high school baseball team and was essentially the

typical jock throughout his childhood. He started out playing in little league and as he

grew, he continued to play. In high school, he played so well that he was selected to play

in the Daily News All Star Game at Yankee Stadium on three occasions. For non-fans of

the New York Yankees, the honor of playing on the hallowed field is great, but for

Yankee fans like Lanza, it was a dream come true.

It was because of his great play in high school that Lanza was offered full-

scholarships to 10 schools, before eventually deciding on Mercy College. As he has

transitioned to softball during his career, Lanza has found the same success that came

natural to him in baseball.


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Much like Lanza, Don Schappach, 54, of Sherman, was an athlete before getting

into slowpitch softball.

“It started out in the neighborhood where I lived (Somers, N.Y.) and as I made my

way through school, I had a big interest in playing sports.”

In high school, Schappach was part of the football and basketball teams, but

decided against playing baseball because of personal differences with the head coach.

Despite not playing on the high school team, Schappach got enough practice playing in

the streets of his hometown that he was able to transition into playing softball in no time.

Ricky Dugdale, 36, of New Milford, never played sports as a youth or in high

school, aside from backyard games with friends. For him, playing slowpitch softball was

a new world and it made him work at it more to get better. It was an accomplishment for

him to get on the field and be successful.

“Since I never played before, playing softball has allowed me to see that I can

(play sports),” he said.


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How Important is Having Fun?

The most obvious reason why most people play the sport of slowpitch softball is

basic and cliché. It is fun. The level of enjoyment is the main reason why we do or don‟t

do things; there is more to being a part of something that occupies our lives. One would

be hard-pressed to find someone who enjoys taking part in activities that aren‟t fun.

Playing slowpitch softball is like anything else in life that people enjoy doing.

For me, it is the combination of winning championships by working together as a

unit that brings me to the field. It is the ability to join together with people of different

backgrounds, ages and skill levels that make each game interesting. It is the opportunity

for me to keep active and take part in something that gives me great enjoyment at night,

washing away all the stress of the day.

Given the large number of people who play in leagues each night, there must be

something that keeps them coming back to the field. In Danbury and New Milford, a

large portion of the population takes part in the sport each spring.

Every January, meetings for town leagues begin, with hundreds of players signing

up. In 2012, New Milford had 40 teams sign up for the upcoming season. Throughout the

league, 1,000 players signed up in the men‟s and women‟s leagues. In a town that has a

population of 28,667 people, that means more than three and a half percent of the

population takes part in the same sport. The New Milford league is considered a closed

league, allowing only those who reside in the city and those who work full-time to play.


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In Danbury, between the Danbury Industrial League, Saturday Open League and

the Danbury Sunday League, more than 100 teams signed up, with as many as 25 players

committing to play on each roster. The softball players make up about three percent of

the city‟s 80,893 people. That percentage is a bit skewed considering Danbury is open to

everyone, but it is still a large number of people that descend on Rogers Park each night.

With so many people signing up each year, there has to be more than just idea of

having fun with your friends that keeps them coming back. In this area, it is easy to get

into basketball and bowling leagues. Tennis clubs are located everywhere and there are

countless other opportunities to take part in something “fun.” There has to be more to the

sport that makes so many people play each night than just having fun. In the minds of the

players, they have to be getting something out of it.

What is about the sport of slowpitch softball that makes men and women go to the

fields every day? Are they getting away from something? Are they continuing their

dreams of playing sports after a high school or collegiate career? Is it about playing with

friends, or about meeting new people? Are the reasons they play different between men

and women? What about the family behind the player? How do loved ones feel about

their family member playing? What drives players to risk their body, careers and

potentially their lives to play in what is usually known as beer-league softball? Do honors

and accolades help keep the players going? These are all important features, but the only

way to find out is to question those who know best, the people who lace up their

Boombah cleats each day to step on the field.


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How Were Others Introduced to Sport and Why They Still Play?

For some, the chance to play the sport and get paid is an option. In the case of

Lanza, he had that opportunity when he was 20 and just getting into the sport.

“A friend of mine came up to me as a joke and said, „hey, can you play softball

this weekend in a tournament,‟ and somebody from an upper-division team saw me play.

From there, I went from playing in a silly co-ed tournament to playing nationally within a

month.”

One of the best parts about playing nationally is the ability to make money while

playing the sport that most people love to do for free.

“Being a 20-year-old kid and being asked to go an all-expense paid trip to Las

Vegas, how could I pass it up? By all expenses, I mean all expenses, plus money in an

envelope at the end of the weekend. When I first started playing, I was walking away

with my airfare, hotel, rental car and three, four or five hundred dollars at the end of the

weekend.

While in theory, the idea of playing for money is great, it does often mean

spending time away from family, which was the biggest downside for Lanza.

“We were on planes Thursday nights or Friday mornings, come back on Sunday

night or Monday morning and go back the next weekend,” Lanza said. “The money

helped, but it was an incredible strain.”


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Playing in the tournament in Las Vegas made Lanza decide between the

importance of playing ball, or taking a final exam in college. While he would have had

time to make it back in time for his test if it weren‟t for a delayed flight, he still took the

chance and missed his exam. The teacher did allow him to re-take the exam, but it just

helps to prove the point that for some, softball is life and everything else is secondary.

In the case of Don Schappach, he began playing in a “few leagues” in New

Fairfield, Conn., which led him into the opportunity of playing in the Industrial

(weeknights) and Independent (Sunday) leagues in Danbury. He was 20 at the time and

instantly became hooked because of the aura of the sport.

Dugdale has played slowpitch for more than 10 years, and was the brainchild to

the Dr. Don‟s team, convincing Don Schappach to sponsor a team 12 years ago.

“I started the team because it looked like a fun thing to do and was an easy way to

get everyone together,” he said.

Dugdale, who ran cross-country in high school, immediately fell in love with the

sport because it wasn‟t an individual sport like he was used to. Winning a softball game

requires all the right pieces and is a “true team sport.”

Despite his incredible success at the high school and collegiate levels,

Lanza‟s realization that a big league baseball career would never come to fruition may

have been what got him into playing slowpitch softball, but it is the connections that keep

him going. In 2010, Lanza got called to play for New Milford Sports Club in New


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Milford and while he says he wasn‟t in shape to play like he was in his twenties, he

decided to do it. Having his own business selling sports apparel, he used his presence in

the league to get his name out to the public.

“So really, I only played two years ago for my business and because of it, I‟ve

met 50 to 60 contacts,” he said.

Lanza says he knows some guys play as a relief from family life and knows that

others play just because they love the sport.

“Maybe it is the best thing in the world to go and play a game,” Lanza said. “You

go, have a couple of beers with the guys and it is sort of energizing your body and gives

you a brighter outlook of what happens next.

During Don Schappach‟s first year of playing in Danbury, his brother-in-law

came up to him and said that he led the team in hitting.

“I was like „wow‟ and was ecstatic. I didn‟t think about it again until a banquet

was held that I didn‟t know about,” he said. “Little did I know, not only did I lead the

team in hitting, but I won the batting title for the entire league and I wasn‟t even there to

accept the award.”

Schappach was never one to worry about personal accolades and achievements.

At the time, he was helping to run the team and just wanted to walk onto the field with

the authority to say that he had a great team with a “good group of guys.”


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Elizabeth Davis has been around softball her entire life. Her father, Rich, 47, of

Danbury, has been playing slowpitch softball for as long as she can remember. During

that time, she has never seen his excitement level drop for the sport. For Rich Davis,

playing the sport is something that allows him the chance to stay in shape and relieve his

everyday stress.

“He always makes it a point to be there (at the field) early,” Elizabeth said. “It‟s

the one thing he does that is for him and nobody else.”

Elizabeth said that playing slowpitch softball is how he has made a lot of his

friends that have attended family functions and become an integral part of his life.

“He‟s made a lot of connections with people he has played softball with,”

Elizabeth said. “He has played in New Milford, Bethel, Redding, Danbury and probably a

bunch of other towns I don‟t know about.”

As her father has gotten older, he may have slowed a bit since his younger days.

She considers him to be “pickier” about which teams he will play for.

“When I was younger, he would go to any team that needed a player, but now he

won‟t commit all of his time to just one team.”

Still today, despite his age, Rich has the chance to play with men his own age in

the over-40 league, but is still considered a solid enough player to get called to play with

teams filled with men half his age.


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“When he is playing with the young guys, he is challenged, but it also makes him

feel good about himself for his age,” Elizabeth said.

Since Dugdale began the Dr. Don‟s team, he has continued to play and continued

to do so because of his enjoyment for the sport.

“I want to play,” he said. “Win or lose, I just want to play and have fun.”


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What Makes Players Risk Everything? Is it Competition?

In most sports, competition is what matters the most. It is competition that instills

the drive to be better in men and women. Without it, we would all just go through the

motions in our normal everyday life, but where is the fun in that? That drive, however,

can often become problematic and at times dangerous.

In my first game as a member of Dr. Don‟s, I pulled my hamstring running in the

outfield. At that time, I was working two jobs, both of which required a lot of standing

and walking around. I was new to the sport and was having a good time, but it could have

cost me my sources of income. Despite the injury, I continued to play and continued to

enjoy myself. Pulled muscles and sprained limbs are common occurrences, but it is the

competition that keeps players fighting through the pain. For one player, it was the

competition of beating death off the field that changed the mood at the fields.

In 2010, Roger Perry was playing a game at Rogers Park. He was funning for a

fly ball, as was a teammate. As Perry dove for the ball, a teammates‟ knee crushed his

face. Thousands of dollars and multiple surgeries later, Perry is healthy again, but will

never get back to where he was mentally or physically before the freak accident. All he

ever loved doing was playing softball and it nearly cost him his life. In April 2012, he

took to the outfield again, playing in the Waterhouse tournament. While some marveled

at the sight of him playing again, most were just happy to see the accident didn‟t take

away his drive and love for the sport.


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What is it about the sport that makes hundreds of players each week risk injury or

even death to play slowpitch softball? What is it about the sport that will make smart

people do unwise things just to win a game or make a play? If you ask Lanza, he‟ll tell

you it‟s instinct.

“I get balls hit to me (at pitcher) and I put my bare hand out. I get hit on the ankle.

I get hit in the chest, roll forward and try to kick the ball to first base,” he said. “For me,

being on the mound is almost like being bullet proof.

For Schappach, diving into pools of dirty water, or diving for a ball, which his

doctor said to avoid, is done for one reason. Winning. Not only winning with the final

score, but winning when it comes to self-worth on the field.

“To feel that you played best you can play because nothing then like diving for a

line drive and just flat out catching the ball and being able to hold it, roll over and come

up with it and, you know, just see that umpire punch that batter out. It‟s just something

about it, man.”

As Elizabeth Davis said about her father Rich, “He is the only guy out there that

has to wear two knee braces but still risks everything on the field. It doesn‟t matter his

age, or if he is hurting, he‟ll keep diving for balls and doing things he shouldn‟t do just to

make sure he does his part in helping the team.”

The only thing that Davis cares about is playing well together as a team and for

him, it means he can‟t be responsible for letting the team down. Knee braces or not,


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Davis will go out of his way to ensure that he will do everything in his power to help the

team succeed.

Competition is something that most boys are brought up with and as they get

older, those feelings only grow stronger. Most people who have taken part in organized

sporting leagues as a child crave the competition. Without it, there may not be anything

left to play for.

In slowpitch softball, the same feelings of those in other competitions are

experienced. While we all step onto the field each day to have fun and enjoy ourselves, it

is the competitive spirit that makes us try to better ourselves each time we go to bat, field

or throw.

The competitive spirit is something that has been featured in our lives from our

early years. It‟s playing basketball in the driveway with our older brother and finally

getting the win that has been at your reach for what seems like an eternity. It‟s playing a

round of golf with your friends and wanting to get it closest to the pin on that par-3 hole.

Our competitive spirit is there, whether one knows it or not. It can be seen anywhere,

from playing in gym class in elementary school to trying to impress the hottest girl in

high school. In slowpitch softball, the competitive spirit is as important as anything in

life.

In some cases, it is the need for playing better teams that bring out the most in

players. In Lanza‟s case, playing against a team that is better makes it easier and more

exciting to go to the field. He said it can get difficult to make yourself get up off the


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couch to play a team that you know is going to end up with a mercy rule win (leading by

more than 12 runs after five innings). From my own personal experience, I can vouch for

Lanza‟s disdain for playing teams that are below you.

“When you go to the field and you know you‟re playing a team that can‟t play, it

kind of takes the fun out of it a little bit. You know, you like to be pushed to play hard,

not to throw your gloves out there and just do nothing and win.”

Part of what kept Schappach coming to the field every night during the season for

more than 30 years has been the competition.

“Certain teams you have a rivalry with and it just raises the overall level of

playing; it raises the stakes,” Schappach said. “You know, you just play harder and have

a more aggressive feel on the field”

In the 11 years of Dr. Don‟s softball, Green Rhino was a team that had our

number on a regular basis. Each time the two teams met, the outcome wasn‟t a given until

the final out was made. Both teams were at their best and it made each team work harder

to ensure the victory.

“I think every athlete on the field has a certain level of competitiveness in them

and when you‟re on a winning team, you enjoy playing the guys,” Schappach said.

Dugdale points out that despite teams having rivalries with each other, for the

most part, the players may all still be friends. He says that you could cheer them on if


29

they make a good play, but nonetheless “you just want to destroy them and it helps you

get ready to play.”

Being a sponsor of a team filled with players in the early to mid-twenties,

Schappach can only wish he was 20 years younger so he could play with the star-studded

team that currently makes up the roster. He was forced to retire after having a complete

hip replacement in 2009. After recovering from surgery, he played one more successful

season in 2010, before realizing he couldn‟t afford to get hurt again. He still attends the

games, but it has been a difficult adjustment from playing for 30 years to sitting the

bench.

“What really gets me motivated is the enjoyment of playing with these guys,”

Schappach said. “You know you are going to win seven-of-ten games and these guys are

going to raise their level of play in each game. I feel their youth rubbing off on me and

with my age and experience, it puts a nice balance on the team.

When you are at the softball fields, it is easy to tell who has the talent that was

given to them at birth and those who have to work hard to compete.

Dugdale put it this way, saying, “You got guys who are pure athletes and you

guys who aren‟t pure athletes. You try to do better than you did last time. It‟s the desire

to not so much win, but to accomplish. You want to win but you want to do better each

time you come out. You cheer on your buddies, get good hits and hope that something

you do will help you win the game.”


30

It is those pure athletes on the opposing team that prompt your teammates to say,

“avoid hitting the ball at him.” On the inside, you may know they are right and you

should hit it elsewhere, there is a piece of you that wants to hit the ball at the player so

you can prove to everyone that anything can happen.


31

Is it Different for the Girls?

Tiffany Schappach, 23, of Sherman, has played co-ed softball for two years and

while she doesn‟t have as much experience as others, she still talks about the sport with

the smile that is normally found on die-hard players. Schappach never played organized

sports high school and was urged to get into slowpitch by family and friends. She may

have needed the initial encouragement to begin playing, but it is the sport and its

surroundings that keep her playing.

“Once I started playing, it was really fun and I enjoyed myself,” she said. “I knew

it was going to be a good time because of who was playing and because of the weather. It

was a perfect time for me to play.”

Schappach enjoys being out on the field mostly because of the anticipation of

what can happen. One never knows when the ball will be hit to them, which builds

suspense as the defensive players need to be ready at all times.

“You don‟t know where the ball is going to go, but when it‟s coming at you,

you‟ll be like „Oh my God,‟ and either make a good play or a bad play.”

For most men, competition is a major aspect of any competitive league, but for

Schappach, it is more about having fun.

“If we start losing, I‟ll be pissed, but I enjoy being around people I like.”

She was one of the lucky ones that has been able to play on a team with her

father, mother and brother. Playing with them made it an easy transition into the sport, as


32

she was more comfortable with them. Even though she is new to the sport, she will put it

all out there and make the same type sacrifices that the men make on the field. When it

comes to Schappach diving to make a play or watching it go by, she‟ll put forth that extra

effort.

“I would absolutely dive for the ball, no matter what,” she said. To those who

wouldn‟t, she has a simple message. “Just have fun and go for it.”

Schappach may not have played on any organized sports teams prior to her start in

slowpitch softball, but Michelle Haber, 27, of Danbury, team sports has been part of her

regular schedule since high school. During her time at Henry Abbott Tech, she was a

member of the Wolverines‟ basketball and fast-pitch softball teams. She made the jump

to slowpitch directly after high school when a team her friend was on needed a player.

“I had a blast playing, so I kept playing,” she said.

Having played slowpitch softball for nearly 10 years, Haber continues to show up

to the fields to get out of the house and stay competitive. It doesn‟t matter when a

tournament is held, Haber will be there.

“It doesn‟t matter what time of year or day, I am playing,” Haber said. “I can‟t

imagine not playing.”

Haber has had success at every level of fast pitch and slowpitch softball. During

her sophomore and juniors years in high school, she was named to the All-League team

and won the team MVP and League MVP award during her senior season. In slowpitch


33

softball, Haber has found the same success, winning the batting title and playoff MVP in

a co-ed league. While some people say that individual awards don‟t matter to them, for

Haber, it gives her added motivation to push herself.

“It makes me want to work harder,” she said.

When it comes to making a big play at a pivotal time of the game, Haber says it is

her competitive spirit that makes her do things she knows she shouldn‟t be doing. She

doesn‟t want to be the reason why her team loses and will make the extra effort to make

that big play. She doesn‟t understand why people won‟t make that extra effort, but feels

that it is a “lack of athleticism” that doesn‟t allow them to make the play.

“They may just be playing to say they are on a team, or may not want to get dirty

or hurt,” she said.

Ten years and she sees herself as a lifer. Retirement won‟t come for Haber until

the time comes that she can‟t take the field anymore. Until that time comes, every

women‟s or co-ed tournament one attends in the Danbury area, you will surely see her

playing.


34

How Important is the Family Aspect in Playing?

In my Writer‟s Aesthetics class during the fall 2011 semester at Western

Connecticut State University, my class was prompted to write about a place that makes us

feel good and to explain to someone unfamiliar with the place to gain their own emotions.

For me, I wrote about Roger‟s Park in Danbury, Conn., which is the home of Danbury

softball.

“When I‟m at the field, aside from the general emotion of playing a game that I

enjoy so much, the feelings of being united as a team is an inspiring thrill,” I wrote.

Rogers Park allows an entire family to come down on a Sunday morning and

enjoy their day. The father could play a doubleheader, while the mother can be with the

kids at the park, while the grandparents can be sitting in the stands cheering their own

child on.

“The warm weather months bring about loud screams of enjoyment, which help

me think about the future. It makes me think of the day when I will be playing softball

while my kids play at the park with their mother.”

For many others, slowpitch softball is a family affair. It‟s not odd to find several

father/son, father/daughter, mother/son, or mother/daughters groups playing together.

One day, I would love to have the same chance to do as some who have been interviewed

for this piece have. For me to make that wish a reality, I know I will need to stay in good

physical shape until I‟m 50 or older. When I see these father and son combinations step


35

on the field to play together, it makes me happy thinking about what could be in my

future, especially having the ability to be a role model for my kids.

The family aspect of the sport is a great feeling for those who have those rare

chances to play with family. Don Schappach knows that all too well. He has played three

seasons with his son, Tyler, and nephew Brandon, two seasons with his daughter,

Tiffany, multiple tournaments with another nephew, Michael and even one season with

his wife, Lorraine.

“As a parent, it isn‟t an opportunity that is easily had (to play with family). First

off, you have to be into sports, need to be athletic and keep yourself in good shape,”

Schappach said. “You know, it‟s really cool. It says a lot about how I took care of myself

and was able to do it for a couple of years. It was a special moment.”

Tiffany recalls times when she was younger when she and her mother would go

watch her father play.

“We would go with our blankets to sit on the bleachers and cheer him on,” she

said.

Her memories of watching her dad play makes her hopeful for the future when

she could have a chance to play with her kids as well. If it was something that her kids

wanted her to do with them, she would “love to have fun with them.”


36

The family aspect of sports is something Lanza recalls vividly with a smile. He

recalls a time when his father was pitching to him and feels like it would be something

his son might want to have a chance to do at some point.

“He threw me a curve ball and I was like „awe, that‟s good, now don‟t throw it

again,‟” Lanza said. “He threw the same pitch and it went buzzing right past his ear. „I

told you not to throw that again,‟ I told him. It would be a good bond to play with or

against my son.”

Lanza never had the opportunity to play with his father on a consistent basis like

the Schappach family, but it doesn‟t mean it won‟t happen for Lanza and his son, Tyler.

Haber, who has several family members who also plays slowpitch softball, loves

to play with or against her brothers. A joke is often made about Michelle and her twin-

brother Mark, saying that Michelle is the better twin; something she finds humorous, but

also makes her feel good about her talents.

“We used to play co-ed together, but not so much anymore,” she said. “It‟s fun to

play against them because of our sibling rivalry. Who‟s going to be better and who‟s

going to win?”

Playing in leagues against your siblings could make things interesting. There was

a game I was playing in which Mark “took out” Michelle at home plate. After the game,

the siblings laughed about it, but at the time of the play, Mark was worried about the

shape of his sister. Being able to play with her family is part of what makes Haber enjoy


37

the sport more. While she admits she wouldn‟t be able to play all summer with her

brothers, certain tournaments could lead to some fun family time.

Dugdale has seen the family aspect of playing softball for years, watching Don

and Tiffany play together. It is something he can see himself doing in the near future with

his oldest daughter, Arielle.

“I‟d love to play with her,” he said.

Each summer, Dugdale‟s three cousins from New Jersey, whom Dugdale himself

calls phenomenal ballplayers; make the trip to the New Milford area for tournaments. For

year‟s this has been the routine and it allows the family members to unite each summer

with something they all love and care for.

“It is family and you‟re doing something together that you normally wouldn‟t do.

At tournament time, I can call them and we all get together and have a good time by

playing sports.”

Since Arielle can‟t play with him yet, Dugdale enjoys just having his wife and

kids come down to the field to watch him play. At one point, he admitted that he was

ready to retire from the sport, but his kids changed his mind after telling him that they

loved going to the fields to watch him play. It is fun for him to have his kids cheer him on

at the field, but Dugdale also feels that is good for his kids too.

“It‟s good for your kids to come down, see you play, instead of just sitting on the

couch at home.”


38

Greatest Memories in Softball

It‟s a funny thing to see how much people remember about their sports

achievements. Whether they are playing for fun or in a competitive league, the memories

stick in our brains. I remember being in grade school and hitting a one-handed three-

pointer in recess from across the basketball court. I can remember making a diving one-

handed catch while I played Frisbee in the backyard of my house growing up.

On the softball field, memories that can last a lifetime are made on a

regular basis. It is because of these memories that we continue to play. It is these

memories that will be a lifetime full of stories for my kids and grandkids one day and it is

because of these memories that I am who I am in terms of my sports life. I remember

having one of the best games of my life in the 2010 championship with Dr. Don‟s. I got

four hits, keeping our offense in the game. In the summer of 2011 with the Pandas, I went

5-5 with eight RBIs in what was the best game of my life.

It‟s programmed in our minds to remember the good things, but it is also the bad

things that stay in our heads. I‟ll tell my grandkids about my successes, but it‟s the

memories of an error that cost us a game or the time I ended the game with a chance to

win that I will neglect to tell them. Memories, good or bad, stick with us, playing back in

our minds like we‟re watching it with a DVR, but some hold more meaning.

The first moment Lanza recalls from his softball career was a walk-off (game-

ending) home run in The Trentonian – one of the largest slowpitch softball tournaments

in the country at the time – which featured more than 300 teams in different divisions.


39

“It was crazy. There must have been a thousand people there. I hit one to left-

center,” Lanza said. “No doubt. Game over.”

While Lanza has won various awards during his time in the sport, that‟s not the

only important thing for Lanza. He once played in an A(division) National tournament

during Labor Day weekend and despite not being on the roster, he played well enough to

earn All-American honors. With his team losing, he was called into the game to hit,

playing under a different name.

“I was only supposed to come and hang out and get the experience of being

there,” Lanza said. “The guy running the team said, „hey, get up and get a hit,‟ so I did.

We must have been down 12 or 15 runs and I hit a grand slam as Jack Pataceno. I

actually got another at-bat in the same inning and hit another grand slam. I earned that

kick All-America that day.”

When Dugdale was thinking about his greatest memories from playing softball, he

immediately recalled the first time he was able to play with all four his cousins. The first

year of Dr. Don‟s was another great memory for Dugdale, as the team went from being

an unknown group of guys to doing better than anyone ever expected. He also cited

winning various tournament and regular season championships as important factors, but it

all came back to his family. The family aspect has been an important part of Dugdale‟s

playing career and it is easy to see that when he talks about his career.

For Don Schappach, playing the sport has led to a lifetime of fun and enjoyment,

but the feeling that you completed a great play boosts his own self-confidence, as well as


40

the teams. When it comes to his greatest memories on the field, only team achievements

are heard. His fondest memory was winning the Danbury Industrial League with a team

that was just .500 on the season.

“We got hot at the right time,” he said.

His next greatest memory was winning the A-Division title in the Industrial

League two straight years with Rapid Electric.

While the overall success of his Dr. Don‟s team is important to the veteran,

having the opportunity to play with his son is almost as important as anything else.

“We‟ve had dozens of phenomenal memories playing together,” he said.

Tiffany hasn‟t had a long enough playing career to have the same kind of

memories as her father, but she still has memories that will stick with her forever.

“Playing with my family, friends and family friends was a great experience for

me. It was a comfortable situation for me, as we were able to joke around while we

played. I didn‟t mind losing, just because of who I was with.”

Haber is more straight-forward with her greatest moments than most. While she

enjoys the fun aspect of the sport and the atmosphere, her favorite thing about the sport

has been meeting new people.

“You meet new people and connect with them and see all summer,” she said. “It‟s

great. You make friendships at the field.”


41

Men and women amateur athletes play slowpitch softball for a variety of reasons.

Aside from contrary belief, the reason why hundreds of men and women play the sport of

slowpitch softball isn‟t about the beer. That‟s a factor for some, but to most, it is part of a

combination of factors. Some use it to get away from a stressful environment at home or

at the office, but for the most part, it‟s the making of new friends, wanting to push

yourself to be better and uniting together people of different backgrounds to attempt to

win that make these athletes play the sport. The main reason they risk their bodies each

night is for the competition. It‟s the drive to push one‟s self to be better and to always

improve that makes men and women want to play against the best. It‟s the wanting to

show their kids that they can play and possibly set up a time for them to play together one

day. The overall theme of why people play is to have fun, and while wins and losses

shouldn‟t affect that, nobody will ever admit to having a good time if they just lost 25-0.

While women may be worry about the friendships they have created by playing more

than a lot of men, they all essentially have the same feeling towards the sport. That

feeling? Enjoyment of life, because to most of the players in these leagues, softball is all

the matters.


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Works Cited

Rainer, Julie, and Martens, Rainer. Complete Guide to Slowpitch Softball. Champaign:

Human Kinetics, 2011. 2-5.

"American FactFinder." American factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau, 2012. Web. 1 April

2012. <http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml>.

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