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If you have noticed " uncharacteristic lack of color in this section the past two weeks, it is because I have been depressed. But I have now regained a sufficient emotional state to talk about one of the greatest disappointments in my life. It was the night of July 12, about 9:30 pm. at Waterloo Centennial Park. I was sitting at the picnic table-press box with Waterloo CHYMY announcer Ken Buckley on my right and " Record scribe Larry Austen on my left. -- It was the top of the seventh inning between CHYM'rs and Team Sports, who were making their debut in the Intercity Fastball League and Larry and Ken and I were engaging in idle chatter when IT happened. Whitey labsinger, batting for Team Sports, squared to bunt but the ball shot straight up in the air, made an oh so gentle are over the screen, and as I casualty stared up. realized it was coming down straight at me. A fate worse than 've. I have attended baseball games for the better part of 18 vears. fully aware that foul balls were a part of the game and that all that illegible scribbling on the back of your ad- mission ticket meant that the home club would wipe your bloody nose but don't ever try to sue. For five years I sat in the cavernous Maple Leaf Stadium in Toronto watching the International League Maple Leafs battle the future and past big leaguers. I'd take my flimsy trapper mitt out in the left field bleachers, at least three and -iidi' do ku know that in all. that time, I have never had a foul ball hit directly at me. -- - - - The Waterloo Slo-Pitch League will be holding their fifth annual Lou's Bearings Invitational Toumament on Aug. 10 and 11. The tournament begins at Centennial Park North and South; Marsland Hillside Park and Lexington Road Park, at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10, and will end with the Championship galre at Centennial South at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 11. On Saturday. games-begin at 9:00 a.m. at all diamonds and will continue all day. Sic-pitch tourney goes this weekend MSW CUSTOM BUILT WOODEN DECKS IN WOODEN PRIVACY, CEDAR RAIL & CHAINLINK FENCES lARRY HURAS. KEVIN HURAS RR No. 1, WATERLOO-tsur-MI "Landscaping with a personal touch" FENCING SPECIALISTS HYLINE MODEL Let us build a cedar or pressure treated pine deck to your specifications Teams entered from the Waterloo Slo-Pitch League include Arrow Cluett, La- batts, Morrison Ford, Navy Sea Dogs, J. M. Schneider Vets, Sunar, and the Wa- terloo Fire Fighters. Visiting teams include Lru's,Bearings (Waterloo), Lou's Bearings (London b. Atwood, Bright, Chippers of Waterloo. two teams from Heidelberg, New Hamburg. St. Clements, Shakespeare, and Wellesley. Admissioi, is free to all games, with the rain date Aug. 17, a half miles from, the next closest spectator (Leafs averaged Mo fans in a 22,000 seat stadium their last year of existence) and waited to reel in that precious' horsdlide. I waited and waited and waited every Friday. Saturday and Sunday for five years. Nothing. The closest I ever came was a Sunday in late August, 1966. There were about 150 fans left late in the second game of a doubleheader and Steve Demeter of the Leafs got way around on one and pulled it into the left field bleachers. I flipped my shades, camped mder it, and then watched in horror as it caught in the retaining net on the roof of the stadium and slid harmlessly down the back of the mot to a trough where stadium officials picked it up after the game. Well, I've been to at least 1,000 games since then, includ- ing well over 100 this year and never came close to grabbing a souvenir. even if I do have to give it back. Spectator baseball catching is a growing sport you know, often it provides the highlight of many games and there are thoughts of including it as an official entry in the 1980 Olym- pic Games. Can't you Just see a now of judges sitting in a press box, watching as bleacher bums do pirouettes from one tier to the next. I It's gram into aieoot and calcillated science, the catching of foul balls. Home runs are different, they don't have near the spin that fqul ham do._ - _ A _ . . "Oh, the East German judge only gave him a 9.8, that last bobble really counted against him. He has to be heart- broken about that after training so hard at Bechtel park for four long years to get here today." With foul balls, the key is not to put your hands on top of your head. What the hell good would that do? And whatever you do, don't try to outjump everyone to get to the ball first. All you'll get is a Chinese sunburn on your hands while the guy%eeping next to you will wake up yelling "what's the commotion" and find himself with a brand new Spalding on his lap. No, the key is to lie low while everyone makes their ULTRA SEC fdr the 'il/ti')",;), . bottl ‘ 'lo -- , "m" l e t 1:7-" _ Cy . _ . at... Reach ULTRA SE. --- +4 fur th first move, watch the direction of the first rebound, and then plunge in with all your might. And should a little kid get to the ball first, the strategy is to tell the kid that he just made the greatest catch you've ever seen, that you are from the baseball hall of fame and want the ball for a new exhibit = then when he gives it to you, dash for the exits. So why ditht't I remember all these things when for the first time in my life, I had a ball hit right at me that fateful Thursday night.? Plain and simple. I panicked. First Buckley jumped to his feet. Then Anstett. Then I, like a Douglas Fir among shrubs, bolted up and hands ex- tended, grabbed for the spinning sphere. pm It bounced off my right hand. Then off my left. Hit my right elbow. Then disaster. It landed smack in my cup of Pepsi, knocked it over and spilled the drink all over the table, my jeans, and I think, I'm not sure. Larry's patent leather shoes, . I was mortified. Everyone in the park saw me. And laughed. It's taken two weeks to get over it. \ _ Bad enough I should get enquiries from Tide, J-Cloth. and Timex watches asking if I'd do a commercial for them. But the crowning blow came when the mess finally got cleaned up and order was restored to the picnic table. Ca- sually I peeked over at Buckley's scorebook. He had given me an error on the play. Drat. There goes the damn Golden Glove for this year. tnsta,octtroe,-utsrtesttiauwstt.urrir-r-ts