The Boys of Summer
Reported by Erik Smith
Web produced by Rachel L. Miller

A batter awaits the pitch.

Consider it, if you will, a breath of fresh air in the world of sports, in a world dominated by endorsed shoes, comedy beer commercials and athletes with attitude.

A bunch of older men playing baseball because they love the competition, but most of all, because they love to play ball.

"Oh, it is fun," one of the players said. "It's so nice to be a kid. Two, three, four times a week."

It is senior softball, and it's sort of serious business. There's a world tournament coming around again, and these fellows aim for it.

They ache a little more these days. The zip in the old fastball has been zapped. And the eyes may not be as eagle-sharp as they were when they tried out for the high school team a few years back, but they're playing ball. They're playing because they love the game.

"I'm 72 years old," one player said. "I've still got a little color and a little hair. And it just brightens your outlook. You look forward to it."

A senior ballplayer prepares to pitch a strike.

One team has just moved up a notch in play. They're in the over-70 division now, which should give you a pretty good idea about the average age of their squad.

Once upon a time, they were cops, lawyers, teachers, plumbers and salesmen. Now, for at least a couple of times a week, they're ball players again, intent on winning and making sure to have a good time doing it.

"We've playing against these teams for years, same bunch of guys," a ballplayer said. "They know my name."

If they're lucky, maybe a local store will pick up the tab for their shirts and caps. This year, one of the teams was sponsored by a local funeral home.

"Well, they look to us as a potential customer, but not for a while," one player joked.

The bats can get a little expensive, but with a fixed income set here, it's not about being sponsored. They're not out there doing a fashion show. They came to play.

Ballplayers gather to cheer on their teammates.

So winning isn't everything on this field of friendly dreams. Winning will never be the only thing either, because this is about the game and friendships.

"We enjoy playing with each other, and it's just such a joy," a player said. "I think a lot of it is competitiveness. I mean, we're all extremely competitive."

Certainly it is a full summer each year for these ageless boys of summer. They've put a few more summers under their advancing beltlines than those kids who play for all that big money in the big ballparks, but you have to wonder who's really having more fun. Who is playing from the heart?

Perhaps the answer rests in an old quotation: "It's not that age brings childhood back again. Age merely shows us what children we remain."

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