Report by Kristy "Horseshoe" Watson

The Boerne White Sox vintage base ball team recently played three games at The Farmers Branch Historical Park. It was a hold-your-breath situation as the Boerne team headed to the Dallas area for the vintage base ball tournament. The scuttle-buck on the Boerne team was that they had the grandpas, the babies, and the injured fielding the White Sox team. Many of the 20 plus member Boerne players were unavailable to travel, and one of the really good players, "Lemonade", slept in late and didn't make the games in time. With hope dwindling, and a feeling of healthy guilt tossed to him by his friend "Fireball", "Stormin" Norman Hurt (who was really hurtin') popped an extra pain pill and made a last minute decision to mount up for the cavalry.

The Boerne White Sox proved to be the little engine-that-could. In the first game, The Sox took victory over the Rawhide Creek Tanners with 8 runs, shutting out the Tanners to 0 aces. The second game against the Farmers Branch Mustangs didn't fair so well for the White Sox with 6 to 8 tallies in favor of the Mustangs. The third game of the day was successful again for the Boerne vintage team with 9 to 4 aces, and a win over the Irving Estelles.

The eldest player on the team and original Boerne White Sox player, Elmer Bergmann, age 86, hurled the "apple" (ball) in all three games and swung the "willow" (bat) hunky dorey, showing that he still has a few championships left in his blood.  Elmer was the star of the show as several players from the other teams came up to talk to him and to congratulate him on his fine play.

On the shallow end of the pool, 9 year old "Cocklebur" Haas looked like a cutting horse in center field as she boldly slid to make many crucial catches on the second bounce. Yes, that is still an out in vintage base ball. "Cocklebur's" younger brother "Spitball" Haas, age 8, managed well in the behind position, catching many fowl tipped balls for well needed outs. Both youngins' showed a tremendous amount of "ginger" and sportsmanship which helped take the Boerne team to two victories.   

Hunter "Target" Hurt also proved to be invaluable as the second base tender with several artful catches.  Target's father, "Storman Norman" played through the pain of lame knees, hobbling to first base -  getting there just in time to catch "Sparty" Watson's racehorse style throws to prevent many runners from making their first. Up at bat, "Sparty"  also hit many sky balls into the far outfield, had a triple, and rang the tally bell several times during the day. 

The captain of the team, "Beans" Avers skillfully planned the line-up and covered short stop position with quick action. He even played a little snake oil as he begged for a really fast pinch runner from the Buffalo Gap chips team after reaching second base and out of breath.

"Fireball" Haas not only had the most tallies of the day, but he also covered the most mileage by running to first base several times for nuthin'. There were so many sky balls hit into fowl territory that he could have started a chicken farm. In left field, "Fireball" received numerous catches and engineered many leaps over railroad ties next to the museum's train car. 

Kristy "Horseshoe" Watson covered right field and luckily hit the "onion" with the "willow" each time at bat, although most of the muffin-like hits did not bring her to her first. "Horseshoe" did however manage to score one ace for the team.

By the end of the day, all of the players were delighted with the courtious play by the ladies and gentlemen and as no players or cranks were required to pay the 25 cent fine for spitting, swearing, and unsportsmanship behavior. They were however all a little muscle sore and in need of lineament after the games as they enjoyed an outdoor picnic provided by the Farmers Branch Mustangs.

Left to right: Todd "Sparty" Watson, Mike "Fireball" Haas, "Stormin'" Norman Hurt, Kata "Cocklebur" Haas, Hunter "Target" Hurt, Clancy "Spitball" Haas, Kristy "Horseshoe" Watson, Jay "Beans" Avers, and Elmer "Flyboy" Bergmann.