The O-town Scene

Karen Miritello Fans Monica and daughter Megan Niles attend many games. The Niles family hosts players Carlos Asuaje and Casey Greene. Continued from Page 16 Surrounded by some sad chain-link fence, there is no clubhouse to change in, and there are stainless steel toi- lets in the bathroom. Players begin stretching, and practice batting. The mu- sic pipes in some AC/DC, and the sun cracks through. Honestly, Utica looks pretty good, yet the college play- ers, coaches, umpires and announcers definitely out- number the about 50 people in the stands. Outlaws bus driver, Dean Veenhof, takes a seat in the dugout wearing his Outlaws shirt. He is not only the driver, but also a fan. Outlaws Style Watch No. 2: Baggy ankle-length athletic pants are preferable to snug socks and knee-length baseball pants. The game begins and sunflower seed shells begin flying. This being a college league, there are no wads of chew _ sunflower seeds are the socially acceptable alterna- tive. The action starts up, and though the Outlaws have a few wobbles in their play, they hold the confident Brew- ers scoreless through the first three innings. During the bottom of the fourth, things get a little hairy as a chain reaction leads to the Brewers scoring three runs. I sort of blame myself for having gone to get a pretzel just as things take this turn. The guys have their confidence rattled and frustrations play out. But in a way, it helps. From where I watch in the dugout, their game improves from here on out. As the innings continue to tick by with no further score, player characters emerge and I develop some favorites. Greg Baggett is the designated hitter with the Boston accent. He does his job and is super polite. Carlos Asuaje looks a bit like Dave Navarro and voices his Miami chatter from the dugout. He gets on base and threatens to steal. David Roney has the red-headed good looks of Prince Harry. His catching is solid, and he wins points for heaving the Gatorade cooler into the air for a Karen Miritello The line-up is posted next to a sign in the dugout encour- aging players. teammate to get a drink after the cups run out. The seventh inning brings Baggett across home plate, and we are finally on the board. The cocky Brewers don’t seem worried, but they should be. Oneonta has got nothing to lose by trying, and by the ninth, it is their last chance. Energy is building, and bases begin to stack. The players are all standing as three runs come home. The Outlaws are ahead by one, as Utica comes up bat. What happens next doesn’t really matter. Those Brew- ers came back and took the victory. Final score was 5-4. Sufficed to say, calls always go against the visiting team, our closer was away that game, and sometimes things just don’t go your way. But the Outlaws gave them a run for it. Home Sweet Home The bus ride home is tougher on the coaches than the players. The boys devour mixed-meat subs and sodas for their late-night dinner while coaches second-guess all their choices. “These are the toughest ones to lose,” Coach Hughes says, “when you get ahead and it slips away.” There is no movie, and Dean has changed back into his driver’s uniform. Portable electronic devices seem to take everyone’s attention, and the ride is mostly quiet except for some banter from the back of the bus. The players will eventually go home to their various host families and get ready for tomorrow’s game. I ask each player what they like best about being an One- onta Outlaw, and the answers give me my final surprise of the evening. Not only do they love their beautiful field and amazing fan support, but they really like each other and getting to play so much. They have 50 games in 60 days. The season is about halfway through, and these Outlaws are just beginning to hit their stride. I, for one, will be excited to watch how the games play out. Karen Miritello Bus driver Dean Veenhof takes the Outlaws to away games. He is also an avid fan. ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAM The Outlaws play home games at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 30, through July 9 at Damaschke Field in Oneonta, except for Sunday, July 3, when they have an away game against the Sherrill Silversmiths. For more info visit www.oneontaoutlaws.com. June 30, 2011 O-Town Scene 17

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