The (senior) boys of summer hit the field

With the sun burning down at midday, it was a hot one on June 24, well past the 90-degree mark. The parched infield at Merrick Road Park in Merrick turned into a mini-dust bowl whenever a play was made in the double-header between the Floral Park Knights and the Glen Cove Cobras.

But these guys didn't care about a little heat and dust. Many have played summer softball for four, five, even six decades. They are, you might say, softball fanatics, playing 68 games this summer -- a double-header every Tuesday and Thursday.

They are all participants in the Long Island Senior Softball Association, an over-60 league with a number of members who are well into their 70s. There are 20 teams from Nassau, divided into four divisions based on ability. Teams play at sites across the county, including Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, Newbridge Road Park in Bellmore, Greis Park in Lynbrook and Firemen's Field in Valley Stream. Scores are kept, and teams' records are posted on the Internet.

Players are an eclectic bunch from across the South Shore. In addition to Floral Park, teams have formed in Valley Stream, Lynbrook and Rockville Centre. And it matters not what your hometown is; if you're over 60, you can play.

Take Fred Piscop, 60, of Bellmore. He's a Cornell graduate, one-time computer specialist, and current freelance crossword puzzle creator and editor who has done work for The Washington Post and The New York Times. Piscop, a thin man with a head of long, thick, salt-and-pepper hair who plays keyboard in a band, was riding his bike through Newbridge Road Park recently when he chanced upon a LISSA game, and he thought it would be fun to take a swing at a game he hadn't played in years. He joined the Knights, and so it was that he came to Merrick Road Park on June 24 to guzzle Gatorade, chat about life with a group of newfound friends and play -- simply play.

"I just enjoy playing" softball, Piscop said, sitting in the dugout, which offered the only shade on the field. "I'm trying to stay in shape as best I can. It's getting harder all the time."

The double-header began promptly at 10 a.m., with players arriving at 9 a.m. to warm up. Play continued past 1 p.m.