–FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
September 1, 2026 (Liberty Park Sports Complex)
September slipped up on us overnight but so far, it was just as hot as August. Bob Slanovits came to the field to celebrate his birthday even though he strained his back trying to do the impossible. “I kept thinkin’ I could get better at golf if I just hit more balls but all it did was wear my back out. Now that I’m 75 I need my sleep; at least 6 hours a day—and 10 at night. By the time you get to be my age you start thinkin’ you know everything. The trick is to remember it. But I read we only use 10% of our brain. Just think what we could do if we used the other half.”
Red faced Blue in the early game. Ron Ingram singled, Harold Finchem walked and Wayne Graham drove them both in with a double. Pete DiCiara got another single but by the time he got to first he was hobbling. “It’s frustrating,” Pete complained. “I’m okay on Wednesdays and Fridays but Tuesdays and Thursdays I’m a cripple.” Blue answered with 4 runs in the bottom of the first. Tom Wasmer walked, Sid Hilton singled and Edwin Yergen drove in Tom with a triple. Ken Aubin drove in Edwin with a double, Mike Richards walked and David Brasfield drove Edwin and Mike both in with a double. Blue 4, Red 2 after one. Both teams scored one run in the second. Jim Raley drove in Keith Frederick for Red and Rick Alston drove in John Remley for Blue. Then Blue shut out Red in the third and scored 5 to take a 10 to 3 lead. Tom Wasmer led off with a walk and Ken Sransky hit a 2-run homer. Ken Aubin got a two-out hit and Mike Richards walked. David Brasfield drove in Ken, Rel Underwood singled and John Remley drove in Mike and David.
Wayne Graham and Holly Whitmire got hits in the Red 4th but died on the bases. Blue scored 4 more to extend their lead to 14-3. Harold Easterwood and Rick Alston singled and Tom Wasmer loaded the bases with his third walk. Sid Hilton drove in Rick and Brian Gierlatowiecz and Ken Sransky drove in Tom and Sid. Red scored 2 in the fifth when Finch and Bill Lovell singled and Wayne Graham drove them in with a double. David Brasfield’s single was Blue’s only hit in the fifth, but Red needed 9 runs to tie the game in the open 6th. They didn’t get any and Blue won, 14 to 5.
Blue hitters were 17 for 30 with 5 walks for a .567 team batting average and a .629 on-base percentage. Tom Wasmer had 3 walks in 3 plate appearances bringing his league-leading walk total to 31. David Brasfield was 3 for 3. Red hitters were 12 for 30 with one walk for a .400 team batting average and a .419 on-base percentage. Wayne Graham was 3 for 3.
Green played Sky Blue in the late game and Carlos Davis made his usual boisterous entrance. “I saw my doctor the other day. I pulled down my pants and showed him the rash on my butt, but he acted like he didn’t know me and kept pushin’ his cart down the Publix aisle.”
Only David Ferguson reached first base for Green in the first inning, but Sky Blue came out hot and scored 5. Green didn’t get anyone out as Chuck Killough, Ronnie Muro, Chas Jones, Royce O’Donnell, Jeff Tyler, Duffy Vandeford and Sid Hilton got consecutive hits. Green reversed the process in the second and scored 5 while shutting out Sky Blue. Phillip Cheek walked and Carlos drove him in with a triple. Larry Enzweiler drove in Carlos with a sacrifice fly. Bobby Watkins doubled, Cecil Kwong singled, Mike Madden drove in Bobby, Pete Manown drove in Cecil and Dennis Horne drove in Mike. Sky Blue went down 1,2,3 in the bottom of the 2nd. Green scored 1 in the top of the third to take a 1-run lead; Mark Lilla singled and Gene Garcia drove him in with a triple to right. But Sky Blue scored 2 in the bottom to take the lead back. Wayne Sheets walked, Ronnie Muro singled and Chas Jones drove them both in. Blue 7, Green 6 after three.
After 2 fly-ball outs in the top of the 4th, Larry Enzweiler walked and Bobby Watkins and Cecil Kwong both singled to load the bases. Mike Madden hit a sharp line drive to left that fell in front of the outfielder, Jeff Tyler, for a hit but Jeff’s quick throw to third beat the runner who had been on second base for the forced third out, negating Larry’s run to home plate after some discussion among rules authorities. Sky Blue scored 3 in the bottom of the 4th to extend their lead to 4. Sid Hilton and Bill Lovell singled and Clarence Kornegay drove them both in with a double. Then Rel Underwood drove in Clarence. Green got a hit and a walk in the fifth but didn’t get a runner past second base. Sky Blue scored 4 more. Ronnie Muro sandwiched a walk between 2 fly-ball outs. Then Royce O’Donnell, Jeff Tyler, Duffy V and Bill Lovell got RBI hits and Sky Blue led 14 to 6 going into the open 6th inning. David Ferguson and Jerry Bevel got hits for Green and Carlos Davis drove David in, but that was all Green could come up with and Sky Blue won, 14 to 7.
Sky Blue hitters were 19 for 31 with 3 walks for a .613 team batting average and a .647 on-base percentage. Royce O’Donnell was 3 for 3, and Ronnie Muro and Sid Hilton were each 2 for 2 with a walk. Green hitters were 14 for 25 with 4 walks for a .560 team batting average and a .621 on-base percentage. David Ferguson was 2 for 2 with a walk and Bobby Watkins, Cecil Kwong, Mike Madden, and Pete Manown were all 2 for 2.
Chuck Killough was reminiscing with Rel Underwood after the game. “This hot day reminds me of when I was a kid and the boys in the neighborhood would try to roll down the hill in tires. Those were the Goodyears.”
Sad news: Jim Hill, longtime RASSA player, passed away over the weekend. There will be a visitation from noon to 2:00PM on Thursday, September 3, with a service immediately after at the Palmerdale Cross Baptist Church, 4950 Faucett Road, Pinson, AL.