Date: Fri 11-Aug-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Week-Night-Slo-Pitch

Full Text:

Week Night Slo-Pitch Softball League

Driving down Philo Curtis Road after dark on a Tuesday or Thursday night you

might notice a bright glow emanating from the area of Treadwell Park.

Fear not.

You won't find space ships or little green men; instead, the six teams that

make up the Newtown Week Nite Slo-Pitch Softball League.

A brainchild of Tom Ramsdell, the Week Nite League was first formed a few

years back with teams competing on the local ball fields with all games

beginning at 6 pm.

Interest in that league, though, quickly fell off and it all but dissolved.

With the addition of the lights at Treadwell Park last summer, interest in the

night league grew until reaching an all-time high this season.

The allure of playing under the lights seems to have players and fans alike

falling in love with the concept.

" We get a lot of people out to watch the games, " Ramsdell said. " You can

see people, who don't even have any connection with the players, lined up and

down the hill watching. It's really becoming popular. "

The league itself holds three consecutive seven-inning games on Tuesday and

Thursday nights beginning at 6 pm and concluding some time after 10 pm. It

contains a competitive mix of players from Sunday's A and B Divisions.

" People don't really take this league as seriously as the Sunday League, "

said Frank Pitrone of the defending-league champion, Mendelsohn's Video

Memories. " Everybody's just relaxed and out to have a good time. Even with

the last place team, they're competitive and they always have fun out there. I

think that's what this league's all about. "

Different players in the league seem to have different opinions about it and

different reasons for playing in it.

" I just like to come out here and get some swings, " said one player who

competes in several leagues and tournament's around the state. " The

competition's not really cut-throat, but the games are usually good ones.

There are a couple of good teams, but anybody can be beaten on any given

night. "

Mendelsohn's Video Memories has been the team to beat over the last two years,

taking last year's title and leading the pack this season with a 19-3 record

after winning its first 15 in a row.

The second-place team, 100 Church Hill, has provided Mendelsohn's with its

primary competition while Gastop, Tilford Piano Movers, TK's, and Mauro's

Restaurant have been slugging out as well.

" It's a good league, " said Chris Kachur of 100 Church Hill. " What makes it

nice is that it's an open field and the lights are the best around. The

competition's really pretty good. The open field evens things out a little. "

What teammate Jim Pope likes is that it doesn't chew up the weekend time with

his family. " I have two kids and I work on Saturdays, so it's hard for me to

play and kill the whole day on Sunday, " he said. " My wife likes it better if

I come down here and play two nights during the week, and it's fun under the

lights. "

Pitrone also agrees. " People have things to do on Sundays, " he said. " Plus,

at night the weather's a lot better. It's nice and cool and people like to

hang around and watch the games. It's just a really pleasant atmosphere. "

The growing popularity of Newtown's new league under the lights could well see

next season's list of participants increasing dramatically.

" I think its going to take over for the Sunday league, " Pitrone offered. "

This is going to become the league to be in. Playing weeknights is the way to

go. I think the town should do another field with lights. "

The Newtown Week Nite League will spend the next three weeks completing its

regular season schedules upon which the first-place team will be crowned

champion. So if you are driving down Philo Curtis Road on a Tuesday or

Thursday night, stop in and take a look. Treadwell Park is offering a new

perspective to an old Newtown sport.

And it looks like a big hit.