WEEK ONE:

 ORLAND ONE STAVES OFF CAL CITY 

 Cal City's Rally Falls Short 9-7 




Orland Park One  3 1 0  1 4 0  0 - 9
Calumet City     1 0 0  4 0 0  2 - 7





 DEFENDING CHAMPS REMEMBER WHEN ROLL 16-0!
 Park Forest Struggles With 9 Players

Park Forest      0 0 0  0 0 0  0 - 0
Remember When    5 5 3  1 2 0  x -16
..............................................
 GRAND GENTS START SEASON WITH 16-7 ROUT!
 Steger Stumbles in Opening Game 
...........................................
 CHICAGO HEIGHTS EDGES SILVER STREAKS 8-7
Rally in Bottom of 7th Starts Franchise with Win
............................................
 ORLAND TWO/BLUE CHIPS DUEL SUSPENDED AFTER 6
 Blue Chips Scramble from 10-2 to 11-10 Deficit
............................................



Attn captains...I received from Al Narter tonite:

The umpire sent me a fax at 6:20 on Tuesday nite, which I opened
at 10.  It said that he would not be providing umps.  I will 
work on it, but I have a convention that I am hosting this 
weekend.  Please pass it on.

Thanks, Al

       

  
WEEK ONE-by Ray Porter

The South Suburban Senior Citizens Softball League
began its first season of the new century on Tuesday
and Wednesday.  The three teams that many have deemed
to have the greatest chance of winning the pennant 
this year all won, although in different ways.
  Defending champions, Remember When faced Park Forest
in a replay of their 1999 Semi-Final battle.  The result
was somewhat similar, except more so.  Park Forest, with 
coach Al Narter not there (a prearranged absence), showed 
up with only 9 players.  This fact and the resulting score
was reminiscent of the poor start the MOB had last year.
  The game was lopsided from the first inning when after
Park Forest went scoreless, RW scored the maximum 5 runs 
when PF's new pitcher walked 5 straight batters.  The 
rally started with two out and nobody on.  The second 
inning was deja vu: PF hit into it's second double 
play and went scoreless and RW scored another 5 runs 
without an out.
  At this point, RW mercifully loaned an outfielder, Howie,
to Park Forest, but the game crawled to it's conclusion: a 
16-0 rout for Remember When.
  The team that came within one run last year of upsetting
Remember When, Orland Park One held off a seventh inning
rally to beat upstart Calumet City.  Calumet City, perhaps
the most improved team in the league, showed some opening
game jitters, as several strikeouts were recorded by Orland
Park.  Bolstered by several new players, including 5 from
the defunct Legends, Cal City displayed some great infield
defense, and should greatly improve their 1999, 1-17 record.
The game marked the coaching debut of Rich Young, who figured
in the most controversial play that may have turned the 
game around.
  Rallying from behind early in the game, Cal City's pitcher,
ex-Legend Cliff Kline, singled.  At the suggestion of new
player, Dan Sipes, coach Young ran for Kline.  The next batter
flew to right field, Young scampering to second.  Orland 
appealed to the ASA umpire (incidentally the ONLY umpire to
show up in any of the 5 games) that Young left first base
early.
  The appeal was upheld, much to Young's consternation,
and killed the rally.  The ruling was one of many that Cal
City found fault with Monday night.
  The third top contender, the new Chicago Heights teams, 
debuted with an exciting 8-7 victory over the Silver Streaks,
another serious player in the chase for the crown. Phil 
Kuasnicka's Heights team stars, among others, several top
players from Park Forest and the Legends.
  Chicago Heights, whose first six batters all come from Park 
Forest or the Legends, led 7-5 going into the seventh inning,
after several lead changes.  The Streaks tied the game in the
top half of the 7th.  Coach Phil started the bottom of the 
inning with a double, and when Bobby Latham singled him to 
third, he was able to score when the throw from the outfield
to home went out of play.
  The Grand Gents joined the other three winners in first place
when they routed Steger 16-7.  The Gents, improved over the
winter, were up 16-3 going into the top of the 7th.  Steger 
struggled all around, including on the mound.
  The only other game pitted Orland Park Two and the Blue Chips.
This game had no winner as the score was Orland 11, Blue Chips 
10 after six innings, but was suspended at that point due to 
darkness.  The game will be finished when the two teams play
in Homewood later in the season.  
  The two teams started late, in part because they waited for
the umpire who never showed up.  Combined with numerous 3-0 
counts, walks, and an overcast sky over Orland, the game dragged
on until there was not enough light to continue.