J. EDMUND BARNES

PAULINA – The clouds had been gathering since before noon, and by 4 p.m. it was raining everywhere except at the Paulina softball fields. There, it was merely threatening to rain. The players began gathering there around 6 p.m., to talk and watch the sky, and hope maybe the heavens would cooperate and allow the St. James Parish Recreational Department’s Adult League Softball Championships to get underway. The winner of the game between Sternfel’s and the Wallbangers would play Louques in the final. Before the games could begin, the weather would have to improve. In the meantime, the players had time to crow about their teams and talk about how they got into the adult softball leagues. Greg Joseph has been playing for the Wallbangers for seven years. Joseph said the Wallbangers were formed about 13 years ago. This year the Wallbangers have had a good season, going 8-3 into the league championships. Joseph calls himself, “The best pitcher in the game,” quite a boast considering his next words described softball as a hitting game. During the day Joseph is a supervisor for Bayou Steel, but at night he plays softball because he, “likes the atmosphere. It’s good competition.” The atmosphere continued to worsen. To the north and west the clouds built and the lightning flickered almost constantly. The clouds were slowly lowering. But in spite of this, Darryl “Slim” Nicholas boasted, “The only thing that’s going to stop us is Jesus Christ tonight.” The lightning flashed and the thunder rolled ominously as his words breached the air. Nicholas has been playing with the Wallbangers since the team began. He did not play baseball in high school. Instead, he lettered in football and basketball. Nicholas played shooting guard for Southeastern Louisiana University from 1976-78, but only got into softball after he went to work for the Dupont plant. “Some of the guys asked me to play,” said Nicholas. Nicholas said he feels really good about the season, even though the Wallbangers lost Wednesday night. “We want to win the championship. (Louques, Sternfels, and the Wall-bangers) are the best three team in the region. They’re all good hitters,” he said. “(Softball) is about coming out, having fun, and being with the guys. Softball is a sport that you can play and still be effective in old age.” There were a few other teams present in addition to the Wallbangers, Louques and Sternfels. Joseph Gross III plays shortstop and infield for Baytree. A former West St. John athlete, Gross played catcher throughout high school, but did not like the position. “I didn’t like stooping down. Your knees get all cramped up,” said Gross. Gross said the Baytree team was having a bad year, but they were still having fun. “It’s the love of the game; you’ve been doing it your whole life,” said Gross. Baytree had no shortage of fans. Brenda Bazile Raiford and Sandra Keller were there to cheer on their team. “I am a fan,” said Keller. “I love the sport.” “I’m here for Baytree,” said Raiford. “I’m here to see Godfrey Moody and my son-in-law Joseph Gross.” Keller said she was also there to see Baytree play, but came specifically to “see my old man Wilfred Dennis,” Baytree’s pitcher. “He’s a great pitcher,” said Keller. The thunder moved off into the distance, but now the lightning was high overhead. The sky would light up in electric blue as each bolt divided and forked and raced around the clouds. Nearly everyone under the shelter by this time, and the atmosphere was closer to a tailgating party rather than any sort of athletic competition. Competing against the Wallbangers for the right to play in the finals was Sternfels Insurance Agency from Ascension Parish. The team was formed in 1980. Tommy Landry and Sid Acosta playing for them almost that long. “This year our record is 12-4,” said Landry. “The best part is giving our experience to the younger guys. People like Sid and I are playing with the sons of the fathers we started out with in the early 1980s.” Defending champions Louque’s Automotive watch-ed the sky and cracked jokes while waiting for the umpires to decide whether or not to play. Team Captain and Coach Chad Ryan said the majority of Louque’s hailed from St. John Parish. “The majority of the team played ball for St. Charles Catholic,” said Ryan. Ryan and his team were quick to point out some idiosyncratic behavior in their fellow teammates. Billy Roussel, also known as “the Mad Moccasin,” leads the league in double plays, having turned an even dozen over the course of the season, while Norris “Morris” Millet wears a different pair of toe socks to each game. These toe socks are usually brightly colored, and are rumored to have been pilfered from his daughter. Last week’s socks, a Mickey Mouse design, were pointed to as the source of Millet’s rally-inducing late game grand slam. “The best part is that we’re all grade school friends who are playing together and winning together. We all grew up together,” said Ryan. The rain that had been threatening so long finally began, just as the umpires decide to start the first game. Two strokes of lightning later the game had been postponed. The St. James Recreation Department’s Adult League Softball Championships will be held on Monday, with the first game beginning at 7 p.m. and the championship game being held at 8 p.m.