The boys of summer

By Joe Mason
Times Staff Writer

Carter Fellenbaum enjoys the routine very much.
Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, he wakes up in his Oxford Circle home, throws on his Cardinals baseball uniform and heads to the field at Holme and Convent avenues.
He dons his cap, puts on his spikes and meets up with his 20 teammates so they can play a game of softball.
Once everyone arrives and is dressed and ready to go, they start to warm up.
They take powerful swings at fastballs.
They leg out ground balls before their opponents can make a powerful throw for the out.
They do their best to play stellar defense and make sure they keep the ball in front of them.
And they compete to the best of their abilities, and almost always play a fabulous game of softball.
But these aren’t a bunch of kids playing ball on a lazy summer morning. In this 100-player, six-team league, the players are over 60 years of age.
Don’t think that means the league is where older baseball players go to take it easy. It’s a highly competitive league, with every player taking a great deal of pride in his ability to play the sport he’s been playing for five decades or more.
"The guys can play the game, and they take it very seriously," said Mayfair resident and league treasurer Nick DeLaurentis. "Some of the players are better than others, but all of the guys are out there because they’ve been playing the sport for years and they want to continue playing."
The game is played under softball rules, with a few modifications. To avoid collisions, every play is a force-out, and there is no sliding on the basepaths — a precaution against injuries.
Actually, that sliding ban didn’t go over well with some players.
"Some of the guys asked me why there’s no sliding," DeLaurentis said. "And I said, ‘The average age of our players is sixty-seven or sixty-eight years old. If we go down, there’s a good chance we won’t be able to get up."
Even if most of the players have lost a step or two since their heydays, the league is something they all enjoy. When they’re on the diamond, it just seems to turn back the clock.
"It definitely keeps me young," said 65-year-old Charles Cotugno. "I love any kind of softball. We all come here because we want to be here. And most of us are retired, and when you retire, you can either stay home and watch the grass grow or you can go out and do things. We want to stay active, stay involved in baseball, and we love it."
Then there’s 65-year-old Edward "Tug" McGraw. If there’s a softball game, count him in.
"I’ll play any kind of softball, but this is a great league," he said. "I was in leagues where most of the guys were twelve or fifteen years younger than me, and I still played, because I love the game. But this league is perfect, because we’re all just about the same age, and as long as the wives don’t mind, we’re allowed to play two days a week.
"It’s good players, and I tell you that because it’s all good men," McGraw continued. "It’s a great group of guys who get together to have fun and play ball. It keeps every one of us young."
Indeed, it seems these players are good guys. Sure, they all want to win, but sportsmanship and friendship are key aspects that make the league work. Even out of uniform, they usually can be found together.
Many of them are dining buddies and also participate in an offseason pinochle league that is just as competitive as the baseball league.
"The camaraderie that we share is unbelievable," said Moe Coyle, 60, a former teacher at the Carnell Elementary School. "That’s the greatest thing about this. I mean, we get up on perfect days and play baseball. Where’s the bad part?
"I meet the guys at Dunkin’ Donuts for coffee. We go to the bar together. All winter, I keep in touch with them. If there’s anything going on, we do it together. I joined this league and now I have a hundred new friends. That’s how close we all are."
Many of the players have a special story on why the league means so much to them.
Take Joe Matczuk, for example.
About a year ago, the 60-year-old Matczuk suffered a stroke, which prevents him from playing in the games. But the huge baseball fan never misses a chance to watch his friends compete on the diamond. He also serves as a bat boy and does anything he can to help.
"I’ll never forget when I was just here watching and one of the guys put a cap on my head," Matczuk said. "I’ve taken some swings and I’ve thrown the ball a little. I look at it as physical therapy as I recover. It means so much to me. Even though I’m not playing, this league means a lot."
Carter Fellenbaum, 66, enjoys the league for a different reason. He has two sons, Kyle, 13, and Ted, 12, and the league gives the St. Martin of Tours students a chance to watch dad play on the diamond.
"They come out and watch me play every game," he said. "And I like it because they get to see me. The rest of the guys enjoy them being here, and they even get a chance to play around."
"He’s really good," Kyle said of his father. "All the guys here are good. I learn a lot by watching them, and they are all real nice."
As DeLaurentis sees it, the family aspect of the league makes it that much more fun.
"We have kids, grandkids and wives all come out," he said. "This league has been around for six years, and it gets bigger and bigger every year. And it gets more fun all the time. It’s just a chance for us to do what we love." oo
Contact Joe Mason at 215-354-3035 or jmason@phillynews.com