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Babes softball league keeps players young
(by Sue Reid - August 30, 2012)
Babes softball league keeps players young
By SUE REID
Even though the requirement for membership into the Babes of 1916 softball team is that one must be at least 65 years old, Solon resident David Megraw said he had a desire to join back when he was 55.
He wanted to jump the gun because his father, Charles, was a member, playing until he was 82.
Mr. Megraw, 72, is the first “second generation Babe,” although he never had a chance to play with his father, who passed away in 1995. He has been a member of the Babes of 1916 for eight years, noting that it is the camaraderie and exercise that he enjoys the most.
“We don’t worry about winning that much,” he said. “We are there to exercise and have fun.”
A close-knit group of about 140 members, the Babes of 1916 are divided into six teams, with members coming from as far as Warren, Mantua and Hiram, but the majority from the Solon, Chagrin Falls and Aurora communities. About 105 play a minimum of three to four games a week for a total of about 35 games a season.
The Babes play at Solon Community Park on SOM Center Road (Route 91), as well as a variety of exhibition games throughout the community and at churches and nursing homes. The Babes’ season runs until the end of September.
“It keeps us pretty busy,” Solon resident Gil Novak, 83, said. “We have a good following.”
Members of the team, some into their 90s, are rated at the beginning of the season to ensure balanced teams, Mr. Novak explained.
Solon resident Bob Herman, 65, said many of his fellow team members have been playing ball for more than 50 years.
“They can hit, throw and catch,” he said, adding with a laugh, “The only thing we don’t do good anymore is run.”
Beyond regular games, Mr. Herman enjoys exhibition games, with a recent one against Hillcrest Hospital staff to support cancer research, for the chance to play against people of all ages.
“It’s fun playing against the younger kids,” he said.
The Babes was founded by Bill Sawyer, an avid softball player born in 1916. The league began in Cleveland in 1983.
The Babes are more than softball, according to Mr. Novak, a Babe since 1999. The group has bowling and golf leagues, as well as volleyball. There also are lunches and picnics.
“We have all kinds of activities through the year,” he said. “We try to involve the wives as much as possible. It’s just a good bunch of guys who enjoy each other.”
A fully uniformed league with blue pants, blue and white socks and ash gray tops with red sleeves, the Babes recently recruited 14 new members.
“It’s really a great bunch of people,” Mr. Megraw said. “We all get along really well. We’ve all mellowed now. We just love the time out on the field.”
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