Dream Teams

Paul Lavy reminded me of the great softball excursion from many years ago. Someone in Indiana, don't even remember who or what city it was, challenged some of the Lavys to a softball game. I believe they assured someone that they would handle the Lavy team rather easily. That was all it took for the team to jump in their vehicles and head for Indiana on a Saturday.

I don't recall all of the members, but it was mostly Lavys and one Chester Beatty. All of them were a rather competitive group as you might imagine if you know any Lavys. There was one major obstacle to the day, as we soon found out on I-70 somewhere west of Richmond. It was the worst traffic jam in history. At a dead stop, many of the team members got out and warmed up for the game in the median. Finally, they routed traffic on to Rt. 40 and hours later we arrived at the game site.

I think we had two games scheduled, but due to the fact we were hours late, we only got one game in. If I remember correctly, the score was something like 19-1. Indiana did not win.

That got me to thinking about the athletic ability of the Lavy/Welbaum tribes. Of course, it doesn't work this way, but what if you could put everyone on a team in their prime! Here is a possible starting lineup for a softball game. Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third...never mind, that's Abbott and Costello. You probably knew that from their famous radio dialogue.

Start with Don Lavy at catcher. I'll tell you why at the end. Let's put Harold Fourman at shortstop. Merrill Lavy in center. Dean Welbaum in left. Paul Lavy in right. Wayne Lavy in short field. Deon Welbaum at second. Duane Lavy at first. Lowell Lavy at third. Tom Welbaum pitching. There could be a lot of variations there, I realize. However, that team with reserves like Kevin Lavy, Dave Welbaum, Steve Lavy and Dan Welbaum would be formidable. I have probably forgotten somebody, also.

Why Don at catcher? One last quick story. We were in a close softball game at old Laura Stadium. In Laura, on 571, there once was a field by the water tower. We were playing the Old Order German Baptists. Someone from their team drilled one over Merrill Lavy in center field. An easy homer, right? Not so much. After retrieving the ball from near the water tower, he fired to Harold Fourman standing somewhere behind short. Harold relayed a perfect strike to Don at home plate. The batter had circled the bases with an apparent homer. The ball arrived at nearly the same time as the runner. Don was blocking the plate. The runner ran into Big Don, bounced backwards a few feet, and Don walked over to him and tagged him out! One of those instances you never forget.

Well, there you have it. Oh, by the way, I also remember years ago, when someone Don worked with at Hobart Brothers wanted to bet his paycheck that his basketball team could beat Don, Merrill, Harold, Deon and Dean. I think I was a sub then. Too bad Don wasn't a betting man or we could have all gone out to eat at Frisch's!