This summer, Oregon Restoration tried something new.
Our captain, Meghan F., thought a coed softball team sounded like a fun way to get people together outside of work. Plenty of others agreed.
By the time the season started, about 35 employees, spouses, partners, and family members had signed up, enough to field two teams: the Wet Sox and the Drip City Sluggers.
And with names like those, expectations were obviously high.
Sundays at the Ballpark
The teams played 11 games from late April through early August, with holidays off, alternating between Ibach Park and Jurgens Park in Tualatin before finishing the year with a full weekend tournament.
Spouses, partners, and family members became a big part of both teams, while plenty of our kids spent their Sundays cheering from the sidelines and playing at the park between innings.
That ended up being a big part of what made the season work.
Some players had softball experience. A lot did not. We managed one preseason practice, had ambitions for more, and quickly discovered that coordinating practices for 35 adults was significantly harder than it sounds.
So, mostly, we learned on Sundays.
And we really did get better.
Throws got more accurate. At-bats got better. Players started figuring out where to be without someone pointing. People who had never played before became dependable parts of the lineup.
The Wet Sox and Drip City Sluggers got to face each other once during the season, with the Sluggers earning Oregon Restoration bragging rights.
More than anything, people kept showing up because it was fun. It was a reason to spend a sunny Sunday with coworkers, friends, and families without talking about jobs, projects, or what was waiting Monday morning. Ok, fine, there was some work-talk.
The Inaugural Oregon Restoration Softball Awards
No first season would be complete without some hardware. Some of these awards are based on performance. Others are based on criteria we developed ourselves.
MVP: Jake K.
Pitcher, slugger, and the centerpiece of the lineup. Jake saved his biggest performance for the season-ending tournament, where he hit two home runs.
Most Improved: Hannah W.
Hannah had never played before this season. By the end of it, she had turned herself into a rock star at second base.
Best Teammate: Michael D. & Katherine M.
Michael and Katherine were two of the most dependable people on the roster. They showed up week after week and could always be counted on when the team needed them. (And the team really needed them.)
Fastest To First: Ricardo G.
There is fast, and then there is Ricardo on the base path. A grounder to the left side of the infield? No chance throwing him out.
Best Heckler: David S.
David provided a steady stream of commentary throughout the season, most of it directed at his own teammates. Nobody was safe, which was exactly how he liked it.
Most Enthusiastic: Meghan F.
The person who started this whole thing also made sure nobody took it too seriously. Thanks to her, funny sunglasses, headbands, and knee-high socks were our calling card.
Most Game Ready: AB
Baseball pants. Sunglasses. Full commitment to the look. Whether or not the rest of us were ready to play softball, AB always looked like he was.
Most Injured: Bryce S.
This was one of the season’s most competitive categories, with about half the roster making a strong case. But the award has to go to Drip City Captain Bryce S., who got hurt in Week 2 and spent the rest of the season on the injured list.
Most Likely to Forget There’s a Game: Ryan G.
Ryan missed the final game of the regular season for one simple reason: He forgot there was a final game of the season. He remembered when we told him the next day.
See You Next Summer
There were great plays, plays that looked better in our heads, a lot of laughs, and 11 games’ worth of reasons to spend Sundays together.
For a first-year league made up of employees, spouses, partners, family members, experienced players, and people learning as they went, it turned into exactly what Meghan hoped it would be: something fun to do together.
We will be back next summer.
And this time, we might even get in a few practices.
