“So it’s true what I heard, you’re back?” Mike said as I greeted his boys. “Yeah,” I said. “I’m back.” To t-ball. To the Perry League.

Sixty children and their families and friends came out for our season finale to play ball with us, eat a hot dog or two and collect themselves a lovely little Perry League trophy. It was a perfect end to Jason Newsome’s successful first year as the league’s new program coordinator.

We had a great turn out for our penultimate night of t-ball on Friday, July 30. Eight-year-old Eamonn Cary came, his mom Callie Cary said, “To help out Jim-Jim.” He is a strong batter now, hitting the ball easily over everyone’s head. And he was and is a terrific helper, catching balls for me at home plate and spending part of his evening throwing balls out with Erica Lindemann…

Hey! All you t-ball fans! Listen up! The Perry League is in the twilight of its 2010 season. This Friday, July 30, will be the ninth Friday night in our 10-Friday night t-ball season — our penultimate evening of play.

Colin Lindemann is the first child on the diamond. “How old are you, Colin?” I ask. He’s left his glove with his mom until after we do our stretches. “I used to be 4,” he says.

Siobhan McCane Stewart, 4, was out by second base, scooping up ground balls in her new and beautiful, shiny black and brilliant snow white, all-leather Rawlings fielder’s mitt.

The Perry League’s 2010 opening night was almost rained out on Friday, June 4. It rained like crazy for about an hour before we took the field.

The Perry League, Yellow Springs’ beginners baseball program, our t-ball program for girls and boys ages 2–9, for all our children regardless of race, color or creed, kicks off its 2010 season Friday night, June 4. As usual, we will have the two Gaunt Park ball diamonds from 6:30–8 p.m. every Friday night, all summer, June 4–August 6.

How do you say goodbye? Parting is such sweet sorrow. (Remember the 1970s best seller, Love Story by Erich Segal, and its promotional line, “Being in love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

We start the evening and end the evening with a whistle. It’s a fascinating thing how so many of us love the sound of the athletic whistle, the clear-high-pitched, a train’s-a-coming blast of it.