Show - L- s t - V--- ’: '? 19 !" U - i i u IT Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday July 19 1998 V ''i w - 'o v ' s r i “ V-'- ' - ' ” -- Ht- t' V " irV v " w r i''- - v- - ’ J '" f! g : J iJ r a £: ' t‘V - ’ ’ - : 0 V 7 f ! f - ' t ':i V ' : 4'BVV ''' -- i5 Ws £'? gSwwyy'Jwtr' ' Y"' I i ' j - - f 'V‘ v At i ' V 'S- - ' ‘ v V ' ' ''’' — ' ' :i : y -fv- s-v’-' VT V- '- ' K'"" f'' ifc ’ '( v ' ' ' k S'' & si: r 5 !’ ' '" 4-- 1 : " r f- ' r f if! - rk':- - : ‘AW1 : jrrl " ' iaairVteg-r w r -- i f-- i- -- 1 ' If “ETsLXLi igs£sg - - ?: f y1! t3p'jJfeiav3g V V ITS 1" : f- i IY SHANE WRITTEN I FRAZIER PHOTOGRAPHED IY DIANA MULVI HILL ' t one an Eddie Fdgiwr and his tfarea rades or Hie King and Hii Court as they weie known in tbe‘50t‘60i and 70 I remember my dad telling me stories of Feigner who would take the mound against local all-st- ar teams in whatever city he visited — along with a his shortstop a first baseman and a catcher That was alL was personally tattooed with a ground ball at my first-baposition when I attempted and succeeded to catch a grounder with my upper lip The infield at Willow Park although well groomed slows down a ball about as mudi as a 1 se fly slows your car when hitting your wind- shield This is the only explanation I can think of for people wearing jeans to play the game They don’t want to risk the use of their legs for the rest of their life by sliding on me pavement-lik- e surface near second base I'm sure if Paul Welch had his way the fields would be soft and forgiving — but Paul can my own father being an excellent slugger and only do so modi as he races around to the varithird baseman — using the same glove today as ous parks every day grooming and watering when he was a teen Hence softball runs thickly each field as if it were his own flower garden through my veins four months a year "I enjoy what I do” Paul told me with a So when I was introduced to the summer smile and I knew he was serious You see leagues here in Cache Valley where the pitches Welch helped design and build some of the come in nice and slow I was thrilled that I in the valley and now as he's getting on could compete in organized professionally done parks in yean and can’t play the game he’s content to leagues that are designed to he entertaining prepare die fields for the hundreds of us that do competitive and most of all — fun And that’s exactly why the Willow Park play Hitters would probably rather venture out to league was created according to Rob Griffin or Smithfield where me fences are a Hyrum who oversees the affairs there 277 feet from home plate rather than measly "People come out for the excitement of the free the 300-fofences at Willow Park competition and I think everyone has fun an ego thing and it's easier to hit mem "It's — but of course they want to win a socializing out in (other places)" Griffin said in compari- few games too” Griffin told me "Sometimes games get a little heated but we try to keep it Paul Olsen a spectator at one Wednesday tun down there ’cause that’s what it's all night game told me mat the last season he about” ' And that is precisely what attracts the hordes played was on a team with bom of his sons a of people not only to Willow Park but other few yean aga 1 hit a triple and had to leg it out — heck it's leagues in Hyrum Smithfield and possibly a long way around those bases 1 was out of Richmood in the future Last year there were 100 teams signed up at bream” Olren told me He represents a lot rtf Willow Park this year 130 There are games people when he says that "That’s when I figfrom Mooday to Thursday usually from 6 to 10 ured it was time to give it up" They say defense is the key to winning chamInterest in the sport has skypjn pionships But fun is the key to getting people rocketed to come back year after year And lately people "We had to turn a few teams down this year have been bringing a mend or two adding to accommodate to scheduling Softball's so popular everyone can play it some people aren’t the popularity of the sport in Cache Valky And then there's people like Bob Mahaffey that athletic or can:t hit the baD mere's all different skill levels And we try to match up from San Francisco who has been here for two teams with others of their level" Griffin said yean and was quickly picked up by a team Bob Once play commenced this spring after all will teO you that the softbaU is more fun here the turnouts an those springsoftball smells hit "because I think you've got to know where to my nose freshly cut grass the leather of ny draw me line between having fun and being real glove and ky Hot? That's right there are plenty of pulled musBut whether it’s intense competition or a cles and bruises to go along with sprains and the playful frolic with friends or (bound rare broken bone "But that's softball" I was to be a topic of conversation an week) tbere’s a informed by Griffin The next day he took a league a time and a place that wiU fit your likfoulball in the mouth while umpiring ing Just remember your Icy Hot Feigner was a fastpitch wizard and he could seemingly command the ball to da whatever he wantedoothe way to the plate One of his specialties was striking out bmten whik blindfolded He threw a breathtaking 104 mph I grew up with softball visions in my head — - user-friend- ly Features: 752-212- Features: 1 DR COPY i 752-212- 1 |