January 13, 2012
The wonders of Winterball
by Brett Rudy/
About 50 amateur baseball players donated toys in order to play in the annual Winterball game. (photo: Brett Rudy/New England Baseball Journal)
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Those who believe the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year probably don’t play a whole lot of baseball.
For many, the longest months are those without any baseball. Thankfully, there is Winterball to scratch that itch every December for dozens of amateur baseball players across New England who want to keep on playing, even when the weather outside is frightful.
Winterball has become an annual nine-inning baseball game fundraiser played the first weekend of December. Since its inception 11 years ago, the average game temperature has been 39 degrees, and that’s exactly how cold it was for this year’s contest held at Maplewood Park in Malden, Mass.
Personally, I’d rather hit a frozen ball with a frozen bat than stare out my window and wait for spring. (Thanks for that line, Rogers Hornsby.) Thankfully, enough agreed with that sentiment to show up and play some ball.
Participants of the Boston Amateur Baseball Network’s Winterball were required to make a toy donation to Toys for Tots to get onto a roster.
The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program is designed to collect new, unwrapped toys during the holiday season, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community. This year, about 50 players from leagues in Rhode Island to Massachusetts to New Hampshire filled an entire truck with toys. Sgt. Major Rick Peterson of the Marines, who threw out the game’s first pitch, was on hand to collect the toy donations.
As has become tradition, the players were split into two teams. Those aged 18-29 battled those 30 and older to see if age is truly eternal. This year, the Young Bucks defeated the Aging Stallions, 6-5, in 10 innings.
With the score 6-2 in the 10th inning, the Aging Stallions rallied for three runs before the game-tying run was called out at the plate to end the game. In all fairness to Dana Levensaler, who was tagged out at the dish, there were about five different players in the third-base coach’s box from the Yawkey League’s Somerville Alibrandis all trying to keep warm, sending mixed signals.
Charity games take commitment from many individuals to be a success. I’d like to give a big thanks to Smokey Moore for being the mastermind behind the Toys for Tots involvement; the umpire crew of Walter Bentson, Rich Cabral, Mike Cabral and Phil Boardman for donating their time; and Kevin McGovern of Game 7 Sports Training for landing the field permit. And, of course, special thanks to all of the players for bringing toys, and helping make the holidays better for kids in need.
It may currently be the dead of winter, but the days already are getting longer. Spring will be here before you know it. So while you’re waiting, hit the cages and keep swinging for the fences.
This article originally appeared in the January-February 2012 issue of New England Baseball Journal.
Brett Rudy is the founder of the Boston Amateur Baseball Network. Follow him on Twitter at @bostonbaseball.
