LA MESA, Calif. — As life slows down, so can the sports you play. In this Zevely Zone, I went to La Mesa to play ball.
There comes a time in life when it's just nice to see the pitches keep coming. La Mesa Senior Softball is where 85-year-old Rick Simon told us his body struck out years ago.
"Wires and screws in my knee, operation on my back for arthritis, quadruple bypass," said Rick with a big smile.
Around here, there's a fine line between stretching and the stretcher.
"I'm not dying," laughed Gary Bregstein who was on his back loosening up. The seniors swing for the fences here but, "Home runs in this league and few and far between," he said.
What they lack in power, they more than make up for it with diversity.
"There is nowhere else where you can have a professional poker player, teachers, helicopter pilots, a scientist playing ball," said Nancy Watt while heading out to play second base.
"This helps hold it together during the game," said Rick while wrapping up his knee. Forget padding your stats, he was more concerned about padding his body. "Shin guards, knee pads, elbow pads," said Rick. Just getting ready to play is a workout for him.
Jim O'Connell left it all on the field and by that, I mean his skin. He showed me his bloody knee that had several wounds. "This is not child's play you have to wait 68-years to get this," said Jim who quickly corrected himself and told me he was actually 78-years old.
Between cancer and heart attacks, it's easier to ask 85-year-old John Palmer what was working well on his body. "My ears, ha, ha, ha," laughed John while showing me his hearing aids.
At 68, Sam Stockstill is one of the youngsters. "You have not complained once about some sort of ailment. Oh, they are there, they are there I will go home and die, ha, but they are there they are there," said the retired postal worker. If you want to take a swing and you're 55-years or older, they want to recruit you. "It keeps us young," said one player heading for the dugout.
Remember, Gary Bregstein the guy we thought was dying? It sure was nice to watch him make another lap around the bases. "We are going to get rid of the defibrillator and get oxygen," he laughed as he crossed home plate.
I guess you could call these 'Senior Moments' on the right side of the grass. If you're interested in learning more about La Mesa Senior Softball, click here.