By JEFF LIPTON
Friedman is more concerned that every player in his league has fun and doesn¹t get hurt. That¹s life in a league where the youngest player is 68.
For almost a year, Friedman has been Division 5 commissioner of the Long Island Senior Softball Association (LISSA), having taken the reins last September from Ray Harasek of Franklin Square.
At 71, Friedman is one of the younger players in Division 5. One competitor, Mickey Werner of Baldwin, is 93.
The LISSA season begins the last week of May and runs through the end of September, with doubleheaders played every Monday and Wednesday, weather permitting, at Baldwin Park, so old-timers have to be in pretty good shape.
³Being commissioner is a lot of fun,² said Friedman. ³It¹s enjoyable. At the age we¹re at, this has got to be fun. And it¹s always fun to win, but winning¹s not everything. It¹s the comradeship, everyone getting together, playing ball and having fun.²
Friedman is a slick-fielding second baseman for the Cardinals in the LISSA, sponsored by The Bristal, a chain of assisted living centers. A speedy leadoff hitter only a few years ago, he has been dropped down in the batting order to sixth or seventh because he has been slowed by an arthritic hip.
³I¹m doing everything to avoid a hip replacement. Those days are gone for me,² Friedman said of his speed on the base paths. ³I used to be really good. I¹m still good.²
Friedman has played the game most of his life, and his love for it has not dwindled. He grew up in Brooklyn and played varsity baseball for Erasmus High School.
He said that he played softball his whole life, but when he turned 45, he grew tired of getting up early on Sundays to go to the field. ³It stopped being fun,² he said.
He had balanced playing softball with his busy schedule as vice president and director of sales for a major publishing house, ending his career as vice president for the American Booksellers Association. Through his work he met such notables as Yankees pitching great Whitey Ford and Red Sox fan favorite Tony Canigliaro, whose career was cut short in the 1960s when he was beaned by a pitch.
When Friedman retired at 68, his wife, Arlene, suggested that he return to softball, and after doing some research he found the LISSA practically in his own backyard. ³Now I¹m having a ball, absolutely having a ball,² Friedman said.
And when Harasek decided that he had had enough of being LISSA commissioner, Friedman was a natural to replace him. ³[At the end] when I would go down to the park every week, I didn¹t enjoy doing it, it was just like a job,² said Harasek, who was commissioner off and on for the better part of a decade. ³With Joe, I¹m leaving things in good hands. Joe is a very intelligent person and loves to play ball himself. He¹s doing a great job and he loves the game.²
Friedman loves it so much that he plays it year-round, and signed up for winter league play in addition to his LISSA activities. He is still recovering from a broken wrist he suffered while playing in an indoor senior league game in Babylon last February. ³I was playing a fly ball in leftfield when I tripped over my own feet and broke my wrist,² he said, adding that the injury has since healed.
To illustrate that age doesn¹t really matter among LISSA players, Friedman related a story of an incident that occurred last year when the then 92-year-old Werner was pitching with a two-run lead in the last inning of a game. A ground ball came to Friedman at second base, and he quickly touched second and threw to first to complete a double-play to end the game and secure the victory.
³Mickey then turns to me, punches his fist in the air and told me, ŒAttaway to go, kid,¹² said Friedman. ³Here¹s a 92-year-old and I¹m a kid to him. Sure, I¹m 22 years younger than he is, so to him I¹m a baby.²
When Friedman became commissioner, one of the first things he did was to increase the number of days on which teams play from one to two a week. He also expanded the number of teams from four to five. Every third week, one team gets the day off.
There are about 20 players on each team, and LISSA has a waiting list of about a dozen players. Friedman said he hopes to have enough players to field six teams next year.
Of course, some modifications in the rules have been made to accommodate competitors of advanced age. Pinch-running is allowed, even for batters at home plate. ³We have some 75-year-old guys who could run like the wind,² Friedman said.
Teams also use five infielders and five outfielders. Sliding is not allowed, and there are two bases at first base, one for the fielder and the other for the runner, so they don¹t get their feet entangled.
The teams play seven-inning games, unless one team is winning by more than 12 runs at the end of five innings, at which point a ³mercy rule² is invoked and the game is called. If the game is tied after seven innings, teams play one extra inning, in which each starts with a runner on second base. If neither team scores or they score an equal number of runs in that extra inning, the game ends in a tie.
One more important rule, which Friedman implemented when he took over as commissioner, is that if the temperature is expected to reach 90 or above on game day, the game is canceled. ³The players¹ health and welfare is the most important thing,² Friedman said.
For some, however, the schedule can still be grueling, with double-headers two days a week and some players competing in both games, with a 10-minute break in between. ³If a player doesn¹t look too well, he can¹t play,² Friedman said. ³He has to get medical clearance.²
Friedman believes he has made a smooth transition as commissioner, with few disputes to arbitrate in this league. ³As the Division 5 commissioner, I deal with many personalities,² he said. ³Everyone sees things with a different eye. I try to mediate things and arbitrate problems.
³I just want to make sure to keep the league running smoothly, and that everyone plays. As a rule, we don¹t have major disputes.²
Mostly, Friedman said, the guys in the LISSA want to have fun, bring their families ‹ including their grandchildren ‹ to the games, and afterward enjoy food and soda and just chat about the game. He said his friends and family think what he is doing at his age is wonderful.
If you are 68 or older and would like to join LISSA, arrive at Baldwin Park at 9:45 a.m. on game day to sign up. The registration fee is $20, plus $15 for a team shirt and hat.
³We have a saying in our softball league: ŒYou don¹t stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing,¹² said the commissioner.
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
Photos by Tim Baker/Herald
