Play ball!

By CHRIS VETTER

Journal Staff Writer

LEAVENWORTH -- Don't tell these guys that spring is still months away. The temperature was hovering in the single digits Saturday, but for nine teams in Leavenworth, it was perfect softball weather.

The Leavenworth Annual Baseball Bazaar drew a crowd to town, as players fought throw thick snow to run the bases and chase down fly balls.

"This is the same, good old-fashioned softball, and hanging out with my friends," said Scott Fischer of Elko, as his team left the diamond.

Kent Augustine of Leavenworth said the annual tournament has been going on for at least 30 years. Augustine, now 41, has participated in the snowball event since he was 16.

"We've never missed a year," Augustine said. "We've always had great weather for this."

Proceeds from the day long single-elimination tournament go to the Leavenworth Baseball Association. There are about 150 youth, both boys and girls, that benefit from the fund-raiser.

Augustine said the snowball games are a good excuse to get out of the house.

"It's to break the winter boredom," he said. "Let's get out and play some softball."

While two teams played in a morning game, members from other teams stood by the dugout, laughing at the action while eating burgers and drinking beer.

An orange ball is used because it is easily visible wherever it lands. The ball has a vinyl cover, causing a more plastic-feeling grip.

"We tried painting (a normal ball), and that didn't work," Augustine said.

Despite the cool temperatures, players took the field wearing sweaters and thick pants. Winter jackets were only worn after the five-inning game ended.

"You get out there and start running around, and you get hot in a hurry," Augustine said.

Are these guys crazy?

"We are a little bit," Augustine said with a laugh, as ice crystals formed in his mustache. "But it's all for fun."

There was more than two feet of thick snow covering the ball diamond. Augustine said the only fieldwork done was to shovel out home plate. The rest of the field was covered in thick snow.

"It get's hilarious sometimes," he said, recalling one warm year when a diving center fielder disappeared in a huge pool of water.

Because the snow covers the infield, running is almost impossible, and the body takes a beating, Augustine said.

"You're so sore the next day," he said.

Hitting is also more difficult in the winter, Augustine said.

"Your footing at home plate is terrible, and you haven't swung a bat in three months," he said. "It causes a bit of missed swings at first."

Dean Schumacher of Sleepy Eye is secretary of the Leavenworth Baseball Association. He has played in the annual event for the past 10 years.

"It seems that all the teams come back every year," Schumacher said.

Schumacher said it is tricky playing the field. For instance, a line drive will hit the snow and immediately stop, rather than rolling toward the fielder. And fingers become numb quickly.

"When it's cold, a lot of times you can't feel the fingers in your glove," Schumacher said.

On the basepaths, a player is more likely to slide to get around the diamond because it's easier than running, Schumacher added.

For Bob Harazin of Morgan, the outing was a family affair. Both Bob and his wife, Marilyn, took the field alongside their sons, Tory and Shane.

Bob Harazin said he had fun and enjoyed the camaraderie, although his team lost in the first round.

He agreed that catching the ball on a snow-covered field can be tricky.

"If you don't watch where you are running, you will trip and fall," Harazin said.