Week 1

This was not your normal softball opener.

For starters, a lot of the familiar faces were missing from Mills Pond Park this past Sunday: Coach-killing superstar shortstop Brian White. League metrosexual/heartthrob Chris Burt. Cool-chick-turned-suburban-housewife Genie White. Diamond diva Karen Osborne. Curmudgeon George Patten.
Commissioner Behind The Scenes Ed Staszeski. Softball hooligan Sylvia Martin.

But that’s not what made it different. Fields 3 and 4 at Mills could have been empty, were it not for the greatest comeback of the season (sorry, Robert. Not you). No, this one was orchestrated by league members and friends, both in and out of the company. And it happened almost two weeks before the first pitches were tossed.

Seconds after commissioner Ed Giuliotti sent out an email on Monday, Feb. 18, announcing the Sun-Sentinel had cut league funding, thus apparently ending a glorious run of winter and spring Sunday mornings, the hornets were stirred. Doreen Christensen, who has never played an inning in the league, ran to Giuliotti’s desk and screamed: “Now they’ve done it! They can’t mess with our softball.”

Right behind her was the equally aggressive Angie Brennan, already with ideas of how to fund the league. Then came Jon Burstein, Belinda Long, Rafael Olmeda, Mike Mayo…. Before long, department heads and senior editors were poking their heads out of their glass offices at the sudden commotion. There was no free pizza in the newsroom, so what could possibly have mobilized all these people simultaneously?

By evening, it was becoming obvious. The league wasn’t going anywhere.

“I was floored by the reaction,” Giuliotti said.

By Wednesday, after more calls, cubicle visits, emails, blog entries at other media sites and at least one heartfelt email to S-S Publisher Howard Greenberg, the league was back in business.

On the dime of the players and friends, mind you. But most seem to agree it’s money well-spent.

Two days later, the draft was held. Enough players committed to $40 to stock seven full teams, eclipsing the predictions of some that the league would be lucky to get four or five.

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