Member Log InA beautiful summer evening provided the backdrop for fun and games for two competitive priestly softball teams and an estimated 4800 fans at the 9th Annual Summer Classic, Pitching for Priests.
The Serra Club of Johnson County kicked off the event with a first-ever, late afternoon parking lot Tailgate Event, organized by your Board of Fearless Leaders: Dale Romme (President); Rich and Carolyn Cofer (Co-Presidents-Elect); John Weber (Immediate Past President); Judy Rielley (Secretary); Chuck Lillis (Treasurer); Joane Wilkerson (VP Membership); Larry and Kathy Ryan (Co-VPs Programs); Tom and Nicole Skoch (Co-VPs Vocations); Mike Skoch (VP Communications); George Lents (Trustee); Doug Leibbrandt (Trustee); and Ray Zielinski
(Trustee). A rousing success, it was! An estimated 75 people -members and guests - attended the parking lot event, enjoying the pleasant evening, the good food, and the great fellowship, including veteran Serrans, Len Chmelka and Wally Foote, pictured above left. It's a safe bet this will become an annual event, with leaders already fostering a plan to achieve premium parking lot real estate for next year (not that this year's spot was anything but good!)
An unexpected guest traveling the furthest distance for the event was Very Rev. Msgr. Johann "Janko" Kristof (pictured left, visiting with Fr. Gerard Alba, and Tom Skoch) who arrived Saturday, July 1,from Klagenfurt, Austria, and joined the tailgate in the company of Fr. Timothy Skoch, Parochial Vicar at St. Patrick's Parish in Kansas City, KS. Msgr. Janko is on a two-month sabbatical in the U.S., with a twofold goal of improving his English skills and learning about life in the Church in America. Msgr. Janko shepherds two parishes in southern Austria (about 50 miles from the Slovenian border), with a total Catholic population in both parishes approximating 2500. He described himself as a member of a significant Slovenian minority population in both parishes and is at least trilingual (German, Slovenian, and English). He got a first taste of Boulevard Wheat beer and enthusiastically approved!
The Master Grillers for the tailgate event were Larry Ryan, Rich Cofer (pictured below right, at work), and Tom Skoch.
The softb
all game was entertaining at best (for ArchKCK fans, at least . . .) for 4-1/2 innings, when the thrills began in the bottom of the 5th with a game-changing infield double play by the ArchKCK priests, that set up more fireworks in the 6th. The ArchKCK defense held KCMO/SJ to 2 runs in the top of the 6th. The ArchKCK priests scored four runs in the bottom of the 6th, a come-from-behind victory, with the winning run scored on a hit by Fr. Joel Haug (his at-bat photo at left.) ArchKCK had trailed their KCMO/SJ counterparts from the outset when, in the first inning, ArchKCK was outscored 6-4. It didn't get much better through the first 4 innings.
While a number of great defensive plays were turned in by members of both teams, including a few rather spectacular outfield fly ball snags and a share of big hits displayed by priests of both teams, this novice sportswriter will give the player-of-the-game nod to ArchKCK's Deacon Aaron Waldeck in his rookie appearance in the game. Looking like a softball natural, Deacon Waldeck contributed solidly with both his defense glove and offense bat. His infield glove triggered the sprarkling bottom-of-the-5th double play that changed the game completely. The KCK crowd enjoys a bright future in more ways than one with Deacon Waldeck in the ranks.
New in this year's event was a Home Run Derby, in which Fr. Paul Sappington of the KCMO/SJ Diocese hit 11 home
runs, looking like a big-leaguer with his picture-perfect swing of the bat. KCMO/SJ priests won the Home Run Derby on his performance at the plate.
After trophy presentations, both teams gathered for a post-game photo (right), and Fr. Richard Rocha of the KCMO/SJ team led the crowd in the Salve Regina.
The ArchKCK team is pictured left, with Archbishop Naumann holding the trophy, back row left center. In an event like "Pitching for Priests," the words "take me out to the old ballgame" take on a new meaning, don't they?
See you next year for the 10th Annual Pitching for Priests event!
