Memories of Capahas baseball

I was born in 1985 and spent my summers watching the Capahas play baseball at Capaha Field. You didn’t pay to get into the games. You just drove up to the field, parked and hoped your car windshield didn’t get busted from a foul ball.

I saw many good friends at Capahas’ games. We spent our time playing hotbox on the side of the field, which is getting into run-downs just to try and get out of them. We chased down fly balls hit out of the ballpark and returned them for 25 cents.

I saw the most amazing throw of my life by a Capahas outfielder. A fly ball was hit all the way to the warning track. A runner was tagging at third. Capahas’ Right-Fielder Brian Shaeffer threw a big looping strike to the catcher (no hop) to get him out at the plate.

I saw Capahas’ third baseman Tom Bolen stop a ball in the dirt from the catcher by dropping to his knees and take it off his chest. What a stud.

I saw Capahas’ second baseman Derek Smith take a bad hop from a ground ball that hit him in his eye. He lost the eye as a result of the bad hop. Coach Smith was my JV baseball coach at Cape Central and he never complained about losing his eye.

So even if the Capahas are gone, I hope memories like these can help keep them alive in our hearts.

AARON DOHOGNE, St. Louis