Capahas hold old-timers game

Some were still slim and trim, while others sported expanded waistlines.

Some still flashed impressive skills, while others were not quite as smooth.

But there was one constant about the Plaza Tire Capahas old-timers game.

Fun.

"It was a lot of fun. That's the reason you come," said David Gross, who played for the Capahas from 1976 to 1983. "To see the guys you played with, or the ones you heard about or watched.

"We had them from many decades. And I thought the baseball was pretty good."

Several hundred fans gathered at Capaha Park on Saturday night to watch about 25 former Capahas standouts play a five-inning game.

AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com Second baseman Jeff Bohnert made a diving toss to shortstop Cory Crosnoe as they turned a double play during the Capahas' oldtimers game Saturday at Capaha Field.

For the record, a team managed by Rick Wieser (1976-84) beat a squad managed by Darrick Smith (1984-99) 8-2.

But the event was as much about swapping stories and catching up on old times as the actual game.

"You don't get to see hardly any of these guys," Mark Simmons (1982-94) said. "It's great to be together. It was fun."

Most of Saturday's participants had a hand in some of the 1,300-plus wins compiled by Jess Bolen, in his 42nd season as the Capahas' manager.

AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com The first baseman pulls in a high pop fly during the Capahas Old Timers game on Saturday, June 14, 2008.

There were two exceptions as Weldon Hager and Junior Greaser -- both 82 years young -- played before Bolen took over the Capahas, although Greaser said he and Bolen were teammates on the squad for a while.

Neither Hager or Greaser played Saturday, instead staying in the dugout lending moral support and soaking up the good times.

"It's fun to be around the guys," Hager said. "I enjoyed it."

The players mostly ranged in age from the 30s to the 60s, spanning the decades of the 1960s to the 1990s as far as their participation with the Capahas.

"Wasn't that a lot of fun, seeing all these guys," Bolen said. "I thought it went real well."

A highlight was Wieser playing all nine positions. Since the contest was only five innings, he had to play more than one position per inning several times.

Wieser finished up on the mound by facing Bolen, who did not play save for a plate appearance with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Bolen, 66, managed to get a piece of two pitches before striking out swinging to end the game.

"I knew Jess was a pull hitter so I kept it on the outside part of the plate," said Wieser, tongue planted firmly in cheek.

Added a laughing Bolen: "The ball looked like a basketball till it got about five feet from me. Then I lost it."

As for the game itself, there actually was some fairly solid play as the teams combined to commit just one error, although the official scorers were fairly liberal.

"Considering most of these guys haven't picked up a glove in I don't know how long, I thought it was pretty good," Bolen said.

The victorious side had 11 hits, including two hits and three RBIs by Kevin Ford (1980-85).

Rick Chastain (1976-83) had two hits and two RBIs, while Scott Wachter (1978-87) added two hits.

Jeff Bohnert (1983-88) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

Rex Crosnoe (1992-95) had two of the six hits for the losing side.

"Nobody got hurt tonight, but tomorrow there will be some sore bodies," Wieser said, smiling.

Saturday's event marked only the Capahas' fourth-ever old-timers game, according to Bolen, and the first since 2000.

The goal is to make sure there is not that long a gap between the next one.

"We'd like to do this at least every other year, and maybe even next year," said Wieser, who helped organize Saturday's event.