Statistically speaking, how important is Opening Day to a team in regards to a championship season? The answer is not that much. The record for most consecutive wins on Opening Day in the Majors for a team is nine, set by the Cincinnati Red (1983-1991). The Tigers, who have won every Opening Day game since 2009, tying the Big Red Machine in 2017.
We in the Winter Haven Senior Softball League don’t fret about these kind of records. What opening day at WHSS means to me is seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I remember guys like Joe DeForge playing ball at 84 years old and having his picture and an article in the News Chief about playing softball. We all said we hope we live that long. Joe played until he was 90. I remember Ray DePalma hitting 4 home runs in four at bats in a game. All hit to the fence and blazing speed around the bases. I remember Ron Augenstein having 26 consecutive hits, then with a young man named Don LaMay was playing 3rd base hoping to be the guy to break the streak. Ron hit a liner in the hole for a base hit. An inning or so later he hit a grounder to Wayne Mundy, who threw to first for the out.
I remember a tall lanky man who played named Suitcase, I guess mostly because his name Willard Dayhuff. Does anyone remember a guy named Terry Feehan who last played in 2012 and has attended almost every game since then, as a fan of WHSS. One more, did you know John Merritt played for the Rockies WHSS in 2010 and had 66 at bats, and 29 hits for a .439 average.
My point is that WHSS is a great place because of you. WHSS needs to find a young person to spruce up and update the Web page so we have records to prove how great this can be in the future.
Written by Don LaMay
No comments:
Post a Comment