Greg cut down on your stride

 

Greg cut down on your stride

    This was said from one great friend to another great friend. It was in the later period of when the Strange Heads first battled on the slow-pitch softball diamonds of South Gate park. In the very beginning Timo, Billy and I saw games at the park and thought we could field a team of old pals who once played in the SGJAA. These were the first seasons of slow pitch that was replacing the old mush-ball leagues from the early 70's.  The team was not formidible since we were beginners but after a few seasons we started to get the hang of the game and became competitive. At first we were C&H Auto, then the sad-sack Base Sages. We just grabbed guys without any idea of winning games but just having fun. These brave warriors included  Ed Carroll, Tom Fashing, Kevin and Mike Knowlton, Bobcat, my brother Stephen, Big E, Billy, Timo, and myself. By the time the Strange Heads were created out of the scraps of the early squads we began reaching out to experienced players who were athletes able to compete at the beer league level. These guys included Johnny Knowlton, Jim Grimes, David Glavas, Zippo, Steve Wright, Steve Weinstein, Paul Lee, Bill Brown and Pat Lane who turned the old sad sacks into several-time league champions. Greg was our solid right fielder with a steady glove and sometimes productive bat. Imagine a young guy wearing corduroy pants to play in each game. The game always looked easy from the sidelines as the ball was lobbed up to the plate but it was difficult. This was the old wood bat, full baselines slow-pitch where scores were often single digits and the stress was on fielding instead of home runs since there were no fences. There was no limit on the arc of the pitch and sometimes they looked like they fell straight down.  Like all of us, Greg was struggling one season topping the ball and lunging toward the floating sphere. Timo, who was always very competitive barked some advise when the frustrated Greg trotted toward the dugout, head down after another weak grounder. "Greg cut down on your stride!!"  The irritated hitter wanted to answer fuck you but held it in and did better in his next ab when he rapped a single. Later, when he felt he could do better in the future of any endeavor he might say to me as a reminder "Greg cut down on your stride!!"