OK, let's disperse with the dancing, we won our first softball game of the season Sunday night, 23-13.  This will be a weekly update just because it should be an interesting year.  The old Fox 47 team has been overhauled with a new name, my brother's restaurant has sponsored a team "Ryan's Roadhouse", and there's a continued rivalry with a team from last year's playoffs.  But to top it all, there are two teams from News 10 in the league this year and the relationship between the two is a lot like the one Cole Trickle and Russ Wheeler had going in "Days of Thunder."

Here's the backstory on that.  The last 3 years, I played on the Fox 47 team and by last year, TK, Beth and I were the only "Fox" people even left on the team.  This year, w/ TK off to Indy, Beth not playing, me back on Channel 10, and Chris Gervat not knowing anyone on that old team, we decided to merge a little with the News 10 team.  Backstory on the News 10 team:  Started two years ago and has won a total of 3 games in that time.  Maybe 4, I lose track.  Back to original backstory now... so when I joined I pointed out the advantage of not having the station sponsor the team, which is you can limit the roster.  It's not about exclusion or segregation as the head of the other station team cites, but you can't win games with a team of 16-18 people.  5 girls and 5 guys play in the field and if you bat way more than that and sub in and out ad nauseum, you're best players don't bat enough and you end up paying x-amount of money to play 3 innings and bat twice a week.  That's if you don't get mercied which happens too often with the type of team that everybody wants to play on.  It ends up being awful - losing and not playing, bottom line.  So, this squad has 7 guys and 6 girls... which is good, not perfect, but good. 

The "other" News 10 team was started by a sales guy who was ticked he was "segregated" from last year's team.  I tried to explain why (and why it's not segregation) but he wasn't having any.  The same guy mind you, that skipped the majority of games last year.  He took time between bragging sessions to poach our 3rd baseman, Nicole.  Side note: girls are the key to winning co-ed.  If one can catch and hit she's gold.  If she can throw too she's the marrying kind.  Nicole plays third and is great.  So, we let her go over not wanting anything controversial.  Truth be told, I'm rooting for those guys every inning.  I hope they win every game (except against us) because they're all still co-workers and all great guys.  Even Mad Skills (braggadocios self-coined nickname of said sales guy).  So, stay tuned for the lead up to our game with "The Softball Authority."  BTW, they lost game 1, 15-1.

Our team showed some real guts, coming back from an early deficit to take a 9-4 lead.  But when we fell behind 10-9 and then went 1-2-3 the next at-bat, it was gut check time.  We responded with a 1-2-3 on D, and then 8 runs the next inning.  The other team's pitcher struggled mightily which made a big difference, and it didn't help that one of our guys popped out with the bases loaded and tried to steal home only to get thrown out.  Idiot.  You can watch that idiot tonight on News 10 at 11 with Adela, Andy and Tim... your Breaking News and Weather A-tho-ity.

But, our big guns delivered... Chris Gervat must have had half the team's RBI with two bases-loaded triples and another from EP Jeff Proctor.

CHRIS GERVAT VS. TODD KLAASSEN

Speaking of... and frankly, this is eery.  Chris replaced TK as a weather producer in New York.  He then replaced TK as meteorologist on Fox 47.  He replaced him on the softball team and sometimes it's tough to tell them apart, on the golf course, at the station,.  They don't look alike, but-- well you be the judge.

                                                                                          TALE OF THE TAPE

                                                                                        KLAASSEN - GERVAT

                                                                                           6'2"  HEIGHT  6'2"

                                                                                         200   WEIGHT   190

                                                                                               28   AGE   26

                                                    Haledon, New Jersey   HOMETOWN   Long Island, New York

                                                                                Smile   KNOWN FOR   Laugh  

                                                                               10.1   GOLF HANDICAP   11.2

                                                                          Cannon   SOFTBALL ARM   Rifle

                                         Long Line Drive Rockets   SOFTBALL SWING   Long Line Drive Rockets

                                                                           4.81 sec   50-YD. DASH   4.66 sec

                                            Prep Baseball Star   SPORTS CLAIM-TO-FAME   Capt. UMASS Lax Team

                                                                         Works Out   EXERCISE   Gym Rat

                                                                       Ladies Man   LOVE LIFE   Playa

                                                  Never Missed It   WED. NITE @ HARPER'S   Never Misses It  

                                                                           Loves 'em   MY KIDS   Acknowledges 'em                                                       

                                                        Jason Colthorp   FAVORITE ANCHOR   Jason Colthorp

As you can see, it's pretty tough to tell them apart.  Last night on the softball field it was like watching TK last year with the same result - a "W".  And hopefully that will continue.