Every Friday night, from April through November, adults fill the ballpark at Ocean View Park to play slow pitch league softball. This full moon Friday is no exception - the first of three games is The Crazy Pitches against the Night Owls. I had a chance to talk to the team captain, Erika, of The Crazy Pitches, and found out that this team has deep Albany roots.
The Crazy Pitches (C.P.) have been playing softball in Albany for three and a half years, but most of the players on the C.P. have lived in Albany for over 30 years. Erika’s family has been in Albany since 1923. Her father played little league in the 1950’s at the fields now known as Victory Field and Krone field, located in the University Village. Krone Field was named after a beloved Little League volunteer, long retired.
Most of the team members of the C.P. went to elementary, middle, and high school here in Albany, and are now raising a new generation of students and athletes. Members of the C.P. include Tonya, the owner of The Ivy Room, Tod Abbott, who ran for Albany City Council, and Steve, the best baseball field Groundskeeper in the East Bay (who is also a hella good pitcher).
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Erika’s favorite thing about Albany Adult Softball is the sense of community and the hometown feel. As we talk in the bleachers, a Round Table pizza arrives, and the whole family, Erika and the three boys, has dinner while watching their father pitch another (for now) winning game. I agree with Erika – my favorite thing about Albany Sports is being in my community.
