–FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
April 2, 2026 (Liberty Park Sports Complex)
RASSA’s Masters Division played its season opening games on an overcast March 31 morning. Aging superstars gathered to sing the national anthem and greet old friends and new additions to the league. Nobody looked much different. Once you’re old, you’re old.
The Blue team, managed by Sid Hilton, held on to win the opener over Bill Lovell’s Red team, 18 to 17, after Mike Richards hit a game-winning homer in the top of the seventh.
Harold Hagler started pitching the late game for Cecil Kwong’s Green team and stood staring at a protective screen 15 feet directly in front of him. “Ya mean I gotta throw it over the screen this year instead of around the side of it like we’ve always done.” Commissioner Tom Kilgore explained; “The Board of Directors saw too many line drives whistle past the ears of defenseless pitchers who didn’t even have time to duck last year, so we decided to put the screen in front of the pitchers to try to keep ‘em alive. The big plus is that it will eliminate arguments about flat pitches—if it goes over the screen, it’s not flat.” Harold shook his head. “I’m 83 years old and been pitchin’ the same way since Bush was president—the first Bush. I’m not so sure I can do this.”
And at least on March 31, he couldn’t. But Bobby Watkins could, and the game proceeded. Jeff Tyler’s Sky Blue hitters were hot, Green was missing some key players, and Sky Blue won 28 to 12. Players trudged down the ramp catching up on the winter’s surgeries, glad to be back.
April 2 was a beautiful cool spring day with a bright sun blinding the players trying to catch balls in the air. Green played Blue in the opener and Earle Dunn, pitching his first game of the year, was unbothered by the screen, only walking one of Green’s 43 batters. Green outhit Blue, 29 to 23, but Blue got 6 walks and a sacrifice fly, and won the game, 22 to 15, proving the adage about walks being as good as hits.
The late game saw Sky Blue come on strong in the late innings after falling behind to Red, 15 to 5 in the first three innings when Blue pitchers couldn’t find the strike zone. Dale McWhorter finally stepped in and threw enough strikes to slow down the Red hitters while the Sky Blue hitters got untracked. Blue was still behind by a run after 6 innings, but outscored Red 6 to 4 in the open seventh to win the game, 22 to 21. Red hitters had 19 hits and 17 walks in 54 at bats; the Sky Blues had 30 hits and 6 walks in 48 at bats. Scott Wadsworth and Jeff Tyler both hit 2 balls over the fence for Sky Blue.
Carlos Davis, nursing a torn rotator cuff and hoping to return to the field by July, summed up the day. “Funny stuff happens out here! It’s great to be back!”