Joey Ruben!!!

It has been a tradition for the Central Park Track Club to hold a softball game each year on the afternoon of the Club Championship Race.  It goes without say that the game is held inside Central Park.  For this year, the club has to thank Mary Rosado especially, among others, for the organizational aspects.

PRE-GAME JITTERS

  • Photo 1: This photo of Joey Ruben captures all the excitement and glamour associated with this all-star event.
  • Photo 2: First things first, and that would mean ice cream for Sarah Gross.
  • Photo 3: Alan Ruben and Gordon Bakoulis came to take care of business.  For this occasion, Alan went through his wardrobe and came up with a 1987 (and pre-CPTC) Turkey Trot baseball shirt.
  • Photo 4: Now here is a serious ballplayer, Tony Ruiz, dressed in the black baseball uniform.
  • Photo 5: Stacy Creamer preferred the classical team uniform.  What was she doing here anyway?  Wasn't she doing the Central Park Triathlon the next day?
  • Photo 6: Peter Allen & sons
  • Photo 7: Eve Kaplan, Sarah Gross, Stacy Creamer, Sylvie Kimche and Jud Santos --- "Pretty Maids In A Row"? Well, almost ...
  • Photo 8: Joey Ruben doing his running workout, with assistance.  Maybe he should learn to walk first?
  • Photo 9: Maybe Joey should take up soccer instead?  There is definitely more money to be made in the English Premier League.
  • Photo 10: Unidentified individuals appeared to be violating a city ordinance.

BATTING PRACTICE

  • Photo 11: Stuart Calderwood pitches batting practice.
  • Photo 12: Peter Allen swings the lumber.
  • Photo 13: Mary Rosado takes a few cuts.
  • Photo 14: Bola Awofeso indicates that the next ball will land in the second deck, no question about it --- except there are no stands in the park.

THE GAME

Tony Ruiz and Craig Buckee went ahead to pick their teams from among those present.  The teams were somewhat handicapped by a number of things.  First of all, there were not enough gloves to go around.  Moreover, some people were not dressed for the occasion (e.g. thongs).  In the following, we show as many pictures of the team members as we have.  We apologise for any omissions.

TONY RUIZ'S TEAM

  • Photo 21: Tony Ruiz gave an emotional pep talk to this team before the start.  "My teams have won the annual softball game for the last 5 years, and I have no intention of losing today!"
  • Photo 22: Sylvie Kimche ("It's just like golf.")
  • Photo 23: Stuart Calderwood
  • Photo 24: Michael Garland
  • Photo 25: Tony Ruiz
  • Photo 26: Alan Ruben (for the record, the guy can play!)
  • Photo 27: Jud Santos
  • Photo 82: Jud Santos actually received batting tips from members of the opposing team.
  • Photo 28: Sarah Gross ("What do I do?")
  • Photo 29: Nicholas (friend of Sylvie)
  • Photo 30: Gordon Bakoulis (pinch hitter)
  • Photo 31: Alan Ruben (relief pitcher)

CRAIG BUCKBEE'S TEAM

  • Photo 41: Team captain Craig Buckbee set his team up with an all-business, no nonsense approach.
  • Photo 42: Tim Robinson
  • Photo 43: Mette Strandlod (note: barefeet in a skirt!)
  • Photo 44: Kevin Arlyck
  • Photo 45: Steve Zirinsky (our friend from Warren Street; he skipped their downtown party to join us instead)
  • Photo 46: Audrey Kingsley
  • Photo 47: Carsten Strandlod
  • Photo 48: Jenny (Richard Kixmiller's sister-in-law; a ringer from the Prospect Park League)
  • Photo 49: Craig Buckbee

POST-GAME ACTIVITIES

For the record, Tony Ruiz's team took a quick 4-0 lead in the first inning.  But Craig Buckbee's team came back strong and won the game by a final score of 7-5.  The Most Valuable Player was Jenny, an innocent-looking ringer who could field, hit and run. 

  • Photo 61: Post-mortem analyses by (l. to r.) Tim Robinson, Stacy Creamer, Mette Strandlod, Stuart Calderwood, Kevin Arlyck, Alan Ruben, Michael Garland, Sylvie Kimche).
  • Photo 62: As Stacy Creamer and Gordon Bakoulis watch Theo Evans and Alayne Adams, Joey Ruben is getting away.
  • Photo 63: This was after all just a game and life must go on.  More importantly, there are deals to be made.  Here is Audrey Kingsley on the cellular phone, instructing her stockbroker on how to re-balance her stock portofolio in view of the pending meltdown of the Russian economy ...
  • Photo 91: Gordon Bakoulis, Joe Ruben and Alan Ruben head into the sunset afterwards ...
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