Softball For The Love Of It

Legal and Legal Humor Articles and Music

2008 SFTLOI Season In Full Bloom!
Heckscher Fields in Central Park at 63rd Street
2008 Batting Stats: HTML XLS | 2008 Pitching Stats: HTML XLS
Dave Rosengard 2008 "View From The Mound"
SFTLOI All-Time Leaders (through end of 2007 season)
Final 2007 Batting Stats (XLS) | Final 2007 Pitching Stats (XLS)
Watch the Spectacular SFTLOI Video On YouTube!
More Stats From Prior Seasons Now Available
"Get A Life-Time Stats" Posted

"Softball For The Love Of It" is a pick-up softball league in New York City in which I am privileged to be a participant. It is composed of about 60 players ranging widely in age, ability, and attitude (and wardrobe), but all sharing a devotion to the beloved game of softball. We divide up those hardy souls who show up on a given weekend morning into two matched teams. We play the majority of our games at the beautifully restored Heckscher Fields in Central Park at 63rd Street (the field closest to the Carousel), Riverside Park, the Dobbs Ferry Little League field, Zinsser Park in Hastings-on-Hudson, and Van Cortlandt Park. Our season usually runs from March or early April to late November, with either excellent or poor weather either increasing or decreasing that period. We are always interested in hearing from any "new blood" that shares our enthusiasm for the sport. Many have found this website and contacted me to express their interest; we in turn will advise them if and when turnout during the season allows us to dip into this much-appreciated source of new talent.

We have some unique ground rules. Perhaps the most controversial is the "Tree Rule," a guideline which purportedly traces back to the Druids (also known for their aversion to aluminum bats), which provides that trees and other manifestations of nature (as opposed to person-made structures like fences) are, in essence, "heavy air," such that batted balls which strike them and land in fair territory, are in play. Thus, a batted ball which hits a tree or appurtenances thereto (such as leaves) and is caught before hitting the ground (the ball, that is) constitutes an out. Unauthorized sudden planting of trees by players during a game within the field of play for strategic advantage is forbidden. (Note: the "Tree Rule" has now been modified in a specific situation involving home runs.)

The following menu will take you to various and sundry items related to our League.

2006 Batting Statistics | Spreadsheet

2006 Pitching Statistics | Spreadsheet

Dylan and Jason - The Weinberg Twins

Final 2005 Batting Statistics | Spreadsheet

Final 2005 Pitching Statistics | Spreadsheet

2005 Opening Day Photo by Mike Palma

Final 2004 Batting Statistics | Spreadsheet

Final 2004 Pitching Statistics | Spreadsheet

2004 World Series Winners Photo by Mike Palma

2003 Season Awards

Final 2003 Batting Statistics Posted

2003 World Series Pictures Posted

Final 2002 Batting Statistics Posted: Web Page | PDF | Spreadsheet

League E-Mail Directory (in progress)

2002 Pre-Season Meeting Highlights

Dave Rosengard's 2005 "View From The Mound" Columns

Dave Rosengard's 2004 "View From The Mound" Columns

Tony Connor's "Connor's Corner" Columns

Gil Schmerler's "Schmerler The Hurler" Column

Bill Vernick's "A Flair For The Vernickular" Column

Havelock Hewes' "Hewes On First" Column

Paula Connor's "Paulagraphy"

Mike Palma's "Palma's Sundays" Photographs

Henry Blaukopf's "Henry The F/8th" Photographs

Glen Lawrence's artistic rendering, "Play Ball" (in anticipation of the 2001 Season)

Was this our legendary shortstop -- in a tech ad?

2000 Post-Season Debate on "What Makes A Player Most Valuable"

Vinny D'Alessio's Paintings

Note that our logo above is by Ian Lebowitz

Bill Weinberg's League photo from August 1986

Links to players' websites

Savell on Pick-Up Softball from the New York Observer

1999 Awards

Pre-2002 Statistics:

Partial 2001 Statistics: Batting (.GIF) | Batting (.PDF) | Pitching (.GIF) | Pitching (.PDF)
Final 2000 Hitting Stats: -- Download Spreadsheet
Final 2000 Pitching Stats: -- Download Spreadsheet
1999 Season Hitting: -- Download Spreadsheet
1999 Season Pitching: -- Download Spreadsheet
1998 Season Hitting
1998 Season Pitching
1997 Season Hitting
1997 Season Pitching
1996 Season Hitting -- Download Spreadsheet
1996 Season Pitching -- Download Spreadsheet
1995 Season Hitting -- Download Spreadsheet
1995 Season Pitching -- Download Spreadsheet
1994 Season Hitting -- Download Spreadsheet
1994 Season Pitching -- Download Spreadsheet
1993 Season Hitting -- Download Spreadsheet
1993 Season Pitching -- Download Spreadsheet
1992 Season Hitting -- Download Spreadsheet
1992 Season Pitching -- Download Spreadsheet
1991 Season Hitting -- Download Spreadsheet
1991 Season Pitching -- Download Spreadsheet
1990 Season Hitting -- Download Spreadsheet
1990 Season Pitching -- Download Spreadsheet
1989 Season Hitting -- Download Spreadsheet
1989 Season Pitching -- Download Spreadsheet
1988 Season Batting -- Download Spreadsheet
1987 Season Batting -- Download Spreadsheet
1986 Season Batting -- Download Spreadsheet (my debut cameo!)
1985 Season Batting -- Download Spreadsheet
1984 Season Batting -- Download Spreadsheet
1983 Season Batting -- Download Spreadsheet