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75-year-old infielder Eddie Castrena wore two braces under his old spice uniform.
Tony Sparino, a 67-year-old big red catcher, was moving quite a bit behind the plate, hoping he wouldn’t need a second hip replacement.
His teammate, 83-year-old Agustin Kezada, limped through a dugout between the innings, leaning against his bat as if it were a cane.
“When I first started, it was like the guy, the Bengay here,” said Big Red utility man Ruben Enriquez.
But there’s no glory in compromise, and no matter how many paramedics it takes to get you home, there’s no thrill to blow a ball into the gap and spin the base. So the game takes place every Thursday at Smith Park in Pico Rivera, home to the GoGetter Softball League.
“I’ve never played baseball before. I never learned. I love it,” said Isabelle Enriquez, who played several positions for the Big Red and who has certainly won a fly ball that towers to the left in a match against the Force.
The reflections are generally good, and in most cases the bat still has some pop, especially for players closer to 50 than 80. If you chase the ball or sprint through the base pass, you’ll have to work even if your feet can’t always deliver what your heart wants.
67-year-old big red hitter Tony Sparino leaves in frustration after being out during a match against the Go-Getter League Forces.
(Robert Gautier/Los Angeles Times)
“When I’m at their age… I hope I can be flexible and run through those base passes,” said Mayor Pico Rivera Johnny Garcia.
Lorenzo Sanchez, who won the Rolling Thunder 14-2 over the Warriors, didn’t look like 83 wearing a boyish smile.
“I’m in good condition,” Sanchez boasted.
“I’m going to emphasize on new players, go out with my grandson and try to run and throw the ball back and forth,” said Rolling Thunder manager Gil Perez, 76.
Perez and his wife, Deborah, 71, play catchers and exercise regularly.
“I’m doing the 2.5 minute board,” Deborah said. “That’s why my core is pretty tough.”
Several players encouraged them to leave the press box and onto the field.
I said I want to. But I had two knee replacements.
It elicited a sharp, one-word response from Dicosa “Die” Kezada, wife of Agustin, watching all the games from the grass chair behind the backstop and a loyal audience.
“So?” she asked with withered glare.
GoGetter League game.
(Robert Gautier/Los Angeles Times)
I wouldn’t be the first, Dicosa told me.
Over the past few years, one former Go-Getter has used pedestrians to reach the field, swinging an average bat and taking over the pinch runner after hitting a hit.
He then said that Sparino had undergone hip replacement and was about to return soon after surgery in 2017. There’s a little more rest and the hips are still working hard, Sparino said, “But I’m having problems with other things right now.”
Players feel at ease to know that former softball player Lupe Diaz, a retired registered nurse, will come to all games with her first aid kit. A few years ago, the kit didn’t have enough tools.
1. Rolling Thunder Pitcher Lorenzo Sanchez, 83, watches the ball fly while batting during a Pico Rivera co-ed senior softball league match at Smithfield. (Robert Gautier/Los Angeles Times) 2. Rolling Thunder Catcher Deborah Perez will set up behind the plates of Smith Field’s Pico Rivera Coed Senior Softball League. (Robert Gautier/Los Angeles Times)
“I remember it like yesterday,” Diaz said. “I’m a catcher and when I saw this player lying on the ground in the outfield, I was ready to throw the ball back.”
Diaz raced and began CPR with a fallen Fielder.
“I brought him back and they took him to the dugout,” she said.
The player recovered in the hospital, but as Diaz recalls, he died about two weeks later.
On Thursday, Big Red outfielder Art Montano, 77, swings on the pitch and missed it. He ended up hitting a sharp single to the right, but he was still annoyed by his previous whim.
“My vision isn’t like it used to be,” Montano said. Sometimes, the brain is not responding to messages sent by the eyes quickly enough. “Suppose the ball is pitched and you’re waiting for it. Your brain tells you it’s right there, but you can’t pull the trigger.”
83-year-old big red pitcher Agustin Kezada will face the Force from Smith Park.
(Robert Gautier/Los Angeles Times)
In a gentle thunderstorm of the Warriors, outfielder Uvaldo Davila showed off his smooth gloves and strong arms, and after hitting a hit he ran around the base to score. But back to the dugout, he says he is fighting a big challenge.
“I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease about eight years ago,” said Davila, 64.
“I’m taking medication,” said Davila, and he intends to continue playing as much as he can, as softball is “better than medication.”
The Force, the strongest team of the season, showed no mercy on Thursday.
“We have a lot of good batsmen and we don’t have drama,” said Lee Wabash, a 75-year-old Force Journeyman. “There’s been a lot of discussion in the past, but this team is there.”
At one point, the Force Batter hit the everyday grounder, as there was no one on the bass. Big Red’s second base hand neatly put it in the field, but threw it in the second rather than the first.
“Senior moment,” a big, disappointed red teammate tweeted in a dugout.
In the six innings, several big red players noticed that the pitcher was missing. They looked around, found him in the car park and pedaled his bike.
“Rick!” One player was called, but to no avail.
“He’s going home,” another said.
Agustin Quezada often uses his bat as a wand. At 83, he pitches in the GoGetter League and plays the infield.
(Robert Gautier/Los Angeles Times)
However, there is still time to find the groove as two games remain in the regular season. And all six teams will qualify for the playoffs.
Reuben Enriquez says anything can happen.
“It’s better to play,” he said, “thanks to rot at home.”
steve.lopez@latimes.com
Steve Lopez
Steve Lopez is a California native who has been a columnist for the Los Angeles Times since 2001. He has won over 12 National Journalism Awards and is a four-time Pulitzer finalist.
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