Big Papi
On Wednesday, when the skies started to clear, I traveled to Wayland MA with the hope of participating in a pick-up game with other senior softball players – a weekly event of the Eastern Massachusetts Senior Softball League (EMASS). Well, not enough players showed up for a game, so I just got to take some swings and loosen my arm. But there was some strange activity at the park – a film crew of 20 or more people, all gearing up to do something – I had no idea what. Then, suddenly, who should walk onto the field but David Ortiz – “Big Papi” – the most storied Red Sox baseball play of the past decade. Apparently he – and the crew – were there to film a commercial with the topic being “things Big Papi wants to do in retirement.” One of those things, apparently, is playing senior softball.
I found out later that Big Papi had surprised the ongoing league game (in the background in the photo) by walking onto the field and asking if he could take a few swings. So the game stopped and Fred – an octogenarian pitcher for one of the teams – fed him some meatballs that he absolutely crushed. I am told that one landed more than 400 feet away, near the backstop of the other field.
If Big Papi is going to play senior softball (it will be a few years from now as you have to be 55 to join), then I want him on my team.
Walking onto the field