Metro Atlanta Senior Softball League

2008 Memorial Tournament
Saturday, August 16- Best Friend Park

Age Division

Winner

Team ABC - Nashville, TN

Team ABC 3 - 0
GA Express 2 - 1
Hendersonville 1 - 2
League Team 0 - 3

Georgia Nuggets

Nuggets 3 - 0
Peaches 2 - 1
Classics 1 - 2
Augusta 0 - 3

Thanks to all of the teams and players that came out and played in the Memorial Tournament. The Executive Committee appreciates your support of the tournament honoring league players and spouses that have passed away. This year was especially important for players in the league because one of our "best" players, Ray Bearden, passed away this year. Ray was a gentleman and an awesome player. Not only did he play softball but he also played on the Georgia Classics baseball team in the Roy Hobbs World Series each year. And it looks like his grandson, Reece, will follow in his footsteps!!!

The weather was great this year for a tournament. We had 4 players spouses and 12 players whose spouses had passed away in attendance for the Memorial Ceremony and tournament play (60 Division and 65 Division). We had 8 teams participate in the tournament, and every team got to play their 3 games in even though we had a little rain around 4:00 p.m. Plus we got some awesome pictures this year.

Thanks to the following individuals who helped make the tournament a success this year. You just can't beat this for teamwork!!

Tena Stanfield bought the coffee and donated her time throughout the day keeping score and taking pictures.
Kathy Walker bought the donuts and donated her time throughout the day keeping score for us.
Tom Pressley donated his time throughout the day keeping score and helping out with trash detail and getting water to the dugouts.
Emmett Vollenweider donated his time in the morning keeping score for us.
Bill Hamilton donated his time all day to umpire the 65 division games.
Buster Harris donated his time to say the opening prayer and read Les Boswell's Prayer in honor of Ray.
Larry Milleville donated his time to set up the scoreboards and keep them working all day and he stayed to the very end to help lock up.
Ed Davis recruited the teams that participated this year.
Norm Lebedin also recruited the teams that participated this year and did Team Registration.
Norcross Masonic Lodge for running the concession stand for us.

The proceeds from the 2008 Memorial Tournament was donated to the Bethesda Senior Center.

Les Boswell's Prayer

Dear God:

Help me be a good sport in this game of Life. I don't ask for an easy place in the line up. Put me anywhere you need me. I only ask that I can give you 100% of everything I have. If all the hard drives seem to come my way, I thank you for the compliment.

Help me remember that you never send a player more trouble than he can handle. And help me, Lord to accept the bad breaks as part of the game. May I always play on the square, no matter what the others do. Help me to study the book so I'll know the rules.

Finally, God, if the natural turn of events goes against me and I am benched for sickness or old age, help me to accept that is part of the game too. Keep me from whimpering that I was framed or that I got a raw deal.

And when I finish the final inning, I ask for no laurels. All I want is to believe in my heart that I player as well as I could and that I didn't let you down. Amen

Ceremony