SB Simon & Garfunkel

For this summer at least the creators of NYC best fall softball league

http://sites.google.com/site/inwoodsoftballleague/

have gone the Simon & Garfunkel route
and broken up. As previewed earlier this month, http://softballinsider.blogspot.com/2011/03/let-me-make-this-statement-loud-and.html , the Jersey City Weeknight Softball League is off and running as last night was our opening night at Mary Benson Park

(this picture does not do this very cool field justice)

My team West NY squared off against Fiserv to usher in a new softball beginning for me. This league is a tremendous softball growth opportunity, but I would be lying that it was strange running a league without my partner there. While Juan is actually on the team (he ditched me last night - thank god as you will see later), but he's just consultant in this across the river venture. That solo reality hit my yesterday on the following fronts:

1. Weather Issues
   
2. Multiple new teams wanting to join at the last minute - *** good promising stuff ***
   
3. Light issues - they better turn on for the 8pm start. They did - whew
   
4. Field Maintenance issues - at 4pm I bought a broom in ghetto ass pharmacy in Jersey City and scraped water out of the home plate area. Ugly but effective.
   
5. Current League Member Questions - The customer always comes 1st
   
6. Buying League Equipment at Peligro in Washington Heights - Keep it Real
   
7. Carrying Shit to the Field - balls, masks, books, etc - sucks
   
8. Traffic - always sucks
   
9. Phone calls and text messages galore - sucks
   
10. Paying officials and insurance - a necessity
    
11. Managing my team - of course my pen ran out - annoying. I had like 20 players show up which is awesome b/c you can never really over recruit. But getting them all in the game was challenging, but I have to give them all mad love b/c they were so cool about it.
    

While I've had amazing help from head umpire Pat Ryan and the Jersey City Park's department, this is still pretty much a one man show. It was overwhelming at times, but it was a good beginning as everyone was very happy with the direction of the league. However, I must admit that perhaps breaking up the band isn't always what it's cracked up to be.

P.S. I would like to thank original NY West manager and lead SBI analyst John Sheppard for allowing me to use the West NY name.

I promise to make you proud Sheppy