Ageless inspiration

Some men in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and even 90s, still play the sports
they grew up with as little boys with the same passion now as then.
For these athletes, age is but a state of mind.

The brilliant left-handed fastpitch softball pitcher Bobby Moore of
Wisconsin with the great rise ball and change up comes to mind. In
the mid-1990s, I saw the silver haired Moore pitch in an ASA Masters
(fastpitch) tournament in Las Vegas.

Moore showed the same determination, the same gusto, the same burning
desire to win as I saw when he led his Shenanigan's team to the
championship in the Mankato Happy Chef tournament over 20 years earlier.

On a hot, humid July Sunday, Moore pitched four or five games to
bring his team back from the depths of the loser's bracket to claim
the championship. On Monday the Mankato Free Press sports page read
something like, "Too much Moore on Sunday."

Southern Californians, Ron Ortega, Brian McNaughton, and Jim Teninty
also come to mind. Ortega and McNaughton pitched well into their 60s
and 70s before sudden illnesses took them from us.

And Teninty - over 20 years ago - founded the Southern California
Masters for his "senior" fastpitch buddies so that they could
continue playing after much younger teams had deemed them to old to
warrant a starting spot.

And further north in Oregon resides right-handed pitcher Mike
Trotter. The 70-year-old continues to mock and defy father time. In
August, Trotter won four games to lead his Southern Oregon Bandits to
the championship of the 49th annual Seattle Invitational.

In the championship, Trotter was at his best in a 2-1 victory over
the Boise River Dogs. And for his outstanding tournament performance,
Trotter was chosen as the tourney’s Most Valuable Pitcher.

These ageless young-at-heart men, and many more like them, play
fastpitch softball for the love of the game. For their love to compete.

As does Brett Favre.

If you watched the Sunday's game between the Minnesota Vikings and
Cleveland Browns, you couldn't help but smile and applaud the soon to
be 40-year-old Favre's antics after he threw a touchdown pass in the
third quarter to rookie Percy Harvin.

After connecting with Harvin, Favre raced like a little kid into the
end zone and leaped on the 21-year-old rookie, who scored his first
NFL touchdown.

It was a scene of pure joy. And the huge smile on Favre's face said
it all: "I still love to play this game."

So to all you ageless fastpitch chuckers and players, and senior
athletes, who continue to defy father time in your endless journey in
your chosen sports: Please keep inspiring us.

Bob Otto
botto3@verizon.net
www.ottoinfocus.com