7/21/98
Softball: The Curve Ball of Freedom
Dear People,
Congratz to all on last week's simply fantabulous 2 1/2 hour hot and sultry 28-28 slugfest in the park. The fact that 56 runs were scored in a game dedicated to two pitchers who finally put an end to Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak a little over 56 and 11/12ths years ago simply adds richly layered evidence to the intrinsic harmony of the athletic cosmos. I get chills just thinking about the clarion oneness of the universe. I guess I'm just that way.
And if this wave of so-called coincidence were not enough, I imagine that most of you had forgotten that next Saturday is the 115th anniversary of Providence Gray's pitcher Charles "Old Hoss" Radburn's 8-0 no-hitter against the Cleveland Blues. As you know, them '83 blues were a ferocious scoring machine, and for Hoss to do what he did suggests an almost deistic command of arm and ball, a transcendence of both form and scope, if you will. Thus, I would like to pay tribute to good 'ol Hossie by announcing that there will be yet one more game, this Saturday at Codornieces Field, at 5PM, if I get enough commits by this Friday morning.
Given my imminent trip to China and the somewhat spare enthusiasm with which people have come forward to accept organizational responsibilities, this may be the last softball you play for over a month. However, I do plan to recruit the eight best players of the game to fly out and play in our August 15th double-header against the Shanghai City Council, so be sure to make that commit; Do it for Charles "Old Hoss" Radburn, AND the chance to represent Berkeley in our interminable struggle against Shanghaiese communist aggression.....Raymond
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