Softball team has no retirement age
‘Geezers’ have been playing for four years, for ages 50 and older
CUPERTINO — The Cupertino Senior Center has hit a home run when it comes to keeping local residents of a certain age active and socializing.
The senior center’s softball league, affectionately known as the Cupertino Geezers, is just for those age 50 and older. Now in its fourth year, the team has about 20 regular participants from around the area, with many players returning year after year.
The team meets from 9 a.m. to noon every Thursday at Memorial Park’s softball fields in Cupertino to “come in, warm up and get a scrimmage game going,” according to Harlan Jackson, who has also been on the team since its formation.
He says the weekly games tend to be “pretty low-key” and a great way to stay active.
“It just gives us an opportunity to meet new people, play, have fun and stay active, which is very important once we pass 50. Actually, it’s always important,” Harlan says.
In addition to inter-squad scrimmages, the Geezers will sometimes play games against other cities—namely Santa Clara and Redwood City—though games are infrequent.
Glenn Pedley, who has also been on the team all four years, says the Geezers are just as much a social group as a sports team.
“You get out, you get some exercise and it’s just a lot of fun,” he says. “The one thing is you get to meet new friends. It’s really nice. Once in a while you’ll see people out in the field that look more like they’re gabbing together than playing outfield.”
Mike Ziegel, another regular from the original 2013 group, says he hadn’t played softball in years before showing up to the diamond.
“It’s a really, really good group,” he said. “Everybody’s really accepting of everyone’s abilities. We like to win, but hey, if somebody strikes out, that’s the way it goes. Everybody comes out to have a good time.”
The team has special rules to help players who may be at a disadvantage. Ziegel, for instance, has Jackson substitute for him as a runner as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
Patti Canouse and Misao Sekine are two of the few female players who show up regularly, and some rules give them an advantage when at the plate.
“They’re very respectful of the women,” Canouse says of the men. “The way the game is set up, we’re at a disadvantage because they’re more powerful, so we get a smaller ball to hit and they do a relay, which means they have to throw it to someone else before they can get you out at first.”
Norman Pestana, another longtime team member, says the group works well together as a team both on and off the field.
“The camaraderie of the people here is pretty neat,” he says. “It goes beyond just the softball. Every once in awhile we get together for pizza. And after the first season ended, I sent out an email asking if people wanted to play basketball, so we got about six people from the team who wanted to play. And that’s still going on.”
He says some of the team members now golf together.
Many team members had played either baseball or softball before, but Ziegel says some players may not have much experience, and that’s OK.
“We make a point to welcome players who are still learning the game,” he says. “There’s no pressure to perform.”
Other unique rules that apply to the senior team include age handicaps and extended innings. For example, no outfielder or short-fielder can directly throw out any runner age 70 or older who’s advancing to first base. Instead, a relay throw from an outfielder or short-fielder to an infielder and then to first base must be used.
In addition, no player 75 or older can hit a ground ball into a traditional double play. And bats with composite material barrels can only be used by players age 75 and older and women.
All plays at home are force outs once a player commits to running from third base to home, and teams can also use an unlimited number of substitute runners.