–FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
June 24, 2025 (Liberty Park Sports Complex)
Summer heat descended on Birmingham today. A bunch of elderly men and women sweated their way through close games under a sizzling sun. Nobody collapsed.
Red played Sky Blue in the opener and continued their streak of misfortune, losing after taking a big lead. Red shut out Sky Blue in the first three innings and held them to 3 in the fourth while they scored 11. Then Sky Blue started to hit and scored 4 runs in each of the next two innings while holding Red to 1 in the sixth, to get within one run. Red 12, Sky Blue 11 going into the open seventh.
Larry Enzweiler, Royce O’Donnell, Charles Jones, Dean Farris and Pete Manown got 5 straight hits to open the Sky Blue seventh scoring 3 and Steve Belcher drove in a fourth run to give Sky Blue a 15 to 12 lead. Cecil Kwong, Rel Underwood, Ron Lentz, Mike Richards, and Glenn Little then got 5 straight hits for Red to tie the game at 15 with one out and runners at first and third. But Mike Richards got thrown out at home by shortstop David Ferguson on a ground ball. Sid Hilton then walked to load the bases but the Red rally ended with a force at third base and the game was tied, 15 to 15 after 7 innings.
The marathon went on. Sky Blue scored 5 in the top of the eighth on RBI hits by Bobby Watkins, Mark Lilla, Larry E., Rick Alston and Charles Jones before Red could get them out. Red’s Alicia Johnson and Shelly Johnson both doubled to drive in two runs to open the Red eighth. Jim Anderson, Wayne Sheets and Cecil Kwong followed up with hits to load the bases with two outs but a fielder’s choice ended the game, Sky Blue 17, Red 14.
Sky Blue hitters were 32 for 49 with 2 walks for a .653 team batting average and a .667 on-base percentage. Dean Farris was 3 for 3 with a walk and Charles Jones was 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs. Red hitters were 32 for 54 with 3 walks for a .593 team batting average and .614 on-base percentage. Cecil Kwong was 5 for 5 and Sid Hilton was 4 for 4.
Wayne Sheets was philosophical. “We keep givin’ up these big leads but we’re bound to win some games sometime. Shelly Johnson, who played today, is new to our league and we’re glad to have her.”
Orange and Blue sweltered through the second game with a similar outcome. Blue outscored Orange 7 to 3 in the first three innings. Then Orange came alive and outscored Blue 9 to 5 in the next two innings to tie the game at 12 after five innings. Orange couldn’t score in the sixth but Blue could. Carl, Brian G., Hootie, Sid Hilton, Cecil Kwong, David Ferguson and David Brasfield all got hits to score 5 and take a 17 to 12 lead into the open seventh.
Mike Madden, Ken Sransky, Ron Oliver and Jim Hill started the Orange seventh with 4 hits and 2 runs. Wayne Graham got another hit to put runners on first and second with two outs, but a fielder’s choice ended the game, Blue 17, Orange 14, the same score as the first game but arrived at in a different way.
Blue hitters were 25 for 37 with one walk for a .676 team batting average and a .684 on-base percentage. Cecil Kwong was 4 for 4 (9 for 9 for the day) and Brian G. was 3 for 3 while pitching a no-walk game. Orange hitters were 26 for 43 for a .605 team batting average. Ken Sransky and Wayne Graham were both 4 for 4.
Jim Anderson and Dennis Horne were talking after the game. Jim said “The one thing I look for in a woman is intelligence. If she doesn’t have any I’ve got a chance.” Dennis laughed. “My wife and I have an agreement. I don’t try to run her life and I don’t try to run mine.”