You're blind ump!

For many years, from the late 1960s though the early 1980s, that was a phrase I heard quite often. I umpired hundreds of men's and women's fast pitch softball games during that era. The heyday of that sport locally, has long since passed, but there is a memorial on the horizon.

My very first contact with the sport took place around 1959, when I was 10 years old. The First Baptist Church had a boy's youth organization called the Royal Ambassadors. We had a weekend campout scheduled, and several men from the church volunteered as our hosts.

One of the youngest of these men was Marvin Davison. He had just moved here a year or so earlier, and opened his first family shoe store. The campsite had a ball diamond, and every boy in those days never left home with out his ball glove.

In the Midget League baseball summer program, I was a catcher for the Double Cola team. As a 10-year-old, I took a lot of pride in my catching ability, and was under the perhaps misguided impression, that I could catch anybody!

My lesson in humility was delivered to me soon after arriving at camp, when I was appointed to be the catcher for Marvin. Marvin was a veteran softball pitcher. He would go on to pitch for several decades, and his legendary fastball was something to behold. I had no idea that a ball could be thrown at such a speed underhanded. When he delivered that first pitch, I don't remember having time to actually see it. Somehow I managed to get my glove in place, which kept me from getting one right in the nose.

A loud "SMACK" resounded as the ball struck my glove, which was immediately followed by a number of oohs and ah's from the other boys and men. I must have been in a total state of shock, because I barely noticed the sharp pang of pain in the palm of my glove hand.

I gingerly took the ball out of my glove, looking to see if it and my hand were still intact. When I looked out at Marvin, he had this huge grin on his face. That was the first of many times, that I would be behind home plate, and witness pitches from Marvin and a host of other pitchers.

There is no better seat at a baseball or softball game, than the one enjoyed by a catcher or the home plate umpire. Everything is in front of you, and the game is a beautiful thing to watch.

Softball is still very popular for women and girls in high school, college, and even pro leagues. The days when towns like the ones around our area, boasted numerous men's and women's teams and leagues, has disappeared. That is sad, because it is still a great game to view and play.

Marvin called me a few days ago, and asked me to help him get the word out, regarding a reunion. This Saturday, Dec. 5, he is hosting a fast pitch softball reunion. It will be held at Buzz's BBQ, 2500 E. Austin Blvd., at 5 p.m.

Marvin is hoping that we can attract many of the players and team members from those glory days of fast pitch softball, to come to the reunion. He told me there would be no formal program, just a get together, where we can all celebrate those days of old.

There will be some notable absentees from the reunion. We lost my longtime umpiring partner, "Runt" Thomas a few years ago. Runt was a mail carrier in Nevada for years. He was a great ball player in his day. Hundreds of kids in Nevada remember Runt stopping on his mail route to watch them play ball, and even umpire for a few minutes. What I wouldn't give to be able to umpire just one more game with that fine old gentleman.

My childhood friend Randy Fellows won't be there either. Randy was a catcher on a team, whose members included some of our closest friends. It was like being with your family. We played, partied, won, and lost together. Our wives, kids, and other relatives, spent hours watching us play.

There were lots of women's teams back then too. Mary Ann Hacker won't be attending. We lost her too soon a few years back. In those days she was the leader of women's fast pitch in our town.

The rivalries between teams and towns were special. Teams from Fort Scott, Pittsburg, Joplin, Butler, Collins, El Dorado Springs, and Miami, Okla., regularly played in softball tournaments here. At one time, there was even a traveling league that had some of the best teams from each of these towns.

Fast pitch softball from those long ago days, reminds me a lot of the movie, "Field of Dreams." In that movie, one of the characters asks the question, "is this heaven?" I don't want to offend anyone's religion, but I sure hope that there is a heaven. I also hope that it has a fast pitch softball park, just like those from the old days.

A place with warm summer nights and a fast paced game being played on the diamond. Outside there will be kids running, playing, and chasing down foul balls. It will have a concession stand, complete with popcorn, hot dogs, and cold soft drinks.

It doesn't matter if you were a player, an umpire, or just a fan from that era. Come join us this Saturday. Let's all take a trip down memory lane. Tell us your stories. Let us relive them with you.

Baseball and softball are so much a part of America and who we are as a people. Those days must not be forgotten. I suspect Marvin can still throw a softball quite well. Sorry old friend, I will be there Saturday, but I won't have taken my glove along!