You were probably working at 9 a.m. on Monday.
At that hour, over 100 men were playing softball at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex.
Every one of them was over 55 years old and some were in their 70s — it explains the free time on a weekday morning.
Monday was opening day for the Osceola Senior Softball League, going strong every winter since 1995.
But the eight-team winter season opened Monday with heavy hearts. During the “offseason,” three esteemed members of the league passed away — Jim Parker, Frank Woodsby and Leo Viti, the league’s founder.
The moral of Monday’s story: the league is less about softball and more about people.
Woodsby and Viti were represented Monday by Frank’s widow, Donna Woodsby, and Viti’s son Steve, in throwing out the ceremonial first pitches, to open what will be called this winter the Frank Woodsby Memorial Tournament.
“Jimmy’s dedication and commitment to this league was second to none,” said league chaplain Arturo Rodriguez.
Woodsby was the patriarch of The Kup Diner in St. Cloud, a longtime team sponsor. He passed away on March 28 at the age of 66, and was remembered Monday as, “A cornerstone of this league, always willing to help.”
Some called him “The Banana Man,” as he was fond of bringing that fruit for his teammates and, well, anybody else who wanted a banana.
“He’d been playing with them for, as long as I can remember,” Donna Woodsby said. “This league was really a part of our family.”
Viti, who was 89 when he passed on March 31, was called “The Chairman of the Board,” Monday, among other wonderful accolades.
“Our founder and solid foundation of this league. Without him, none of this would be possible,” Rodriguez said. “Looking around today, this was his vision.”
Steve Viti said he remembered going to the fields with his father around 1990, when there’d barely be enough players to have two teams for a game.
“Guys would have to change teams. Then a couple years later there’d be two solid teams,” he said Monday, wearing a jersey of Leo’s Legacy, a team honoring Viti’s vision this season. “I watched it grow to six, and now there’s eight here. I congratulate everybody for carrying this on. He be happy to see so many people.”
This year’s league squads are Allstate (manager Johnny Ojeda), the Kissimmee Indios (Sal Gonzalez), Kissimmee Hurricanes (Victor Martinez), Leo’s Legacy (Randy Parnell), Marrero’s Jewelers (Rick Arleo), The Cup (Nelson Dilone), Twin Lakes (Mike Rodriguez) and V.F.W. Post 3227 (Jose Vallecillo). Last year, Indios defeated Marrero’s in the best-of-3 championship.
Teams were created by a selection process with the goal of creating evenly divided teams, and on Monday, it showed. The eight teams played doubleheaders, and the most lopsided game was a 12-6 tilt. There were three one-run games. Games will be played Mondays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. through the first week of February. Playoffs begin Feb. 6.
Starting in March, for the rest of the spring and into the fall, league players play pickup games at 9 a.m. Mondays and Fridays at the Denn John softball fields behind Valencia College and the Makinson Aquatic Center.
For information on the league, or how to sign up for the 2022-23 season, contact Mike Rodriguez (772-359-8415, mrod156@hotmail.com) or Rick Arleo (321-443-1409, Gman527 @aol.com)
