The O-town Scene

ON THE ROAD WITH THE OUTLAWS By Karen Miritello I once played high-school softball, and last followed profes- sional baseball the year the Mets won it all in 1986. But being on the road with the Outlaws has provided me the perfect excuse to rediscover the game. Brian Horey Utica or Bust An Outlaw slides into home plate in this undated photo. It is 3:45 in the afternoon, and an Oneonta Bus Lines coach is preparing to depart from Dam- aschke Field. Tonight, in the New York Collegiate Baseball League Eastern division, the third-place Oneonta Outlaws are taking on the first-place Utica Brewers. In a season so far characterized by rain delays and washouts, the guys are itching to play and hoping to find their rhythm. Tonight could be their night. The first surprise of the evening is actually the ride itself. Plush seats and air conditioning, there is a movie already in progress by the time the team climbs aboard. The Outlaws prefer com- edies, and as the bus winds its way to Utica, “For- getting Sarah Marshall” garners a regular chuckle from the audience. Players that are not tuned in to the movie are listening to music. 16 O-Town Scene June 30, 2011 Outlaws Style Watch No. 1: bulky headphones by the brand “beats” with a lowercase b reign supreme. The ride to Utica is smooth and comfortable. While the players relax, the coaches use the time to think. Assistant Coach Joe Hughes is reading a base- ball book on improving in 2 percent increments. Head Coach Greg Zackrison is writing down his lineup of players and the night’s batting order. Along the way, Coach Zack tells me something that is surprising about his approach. It turns out that the single biggest influence on Zackrison’s coaching career has come from a man confined to a wheel chair. Zackrison is the assistant coach for Tom Frizzell, who lost the use of his legs in a freak accident when he was 28. In spite of this seemingly tough limitation, Frizzell has led his team to multiple junior college world series. “I played for him for two years and have coached for him for nine,” Zackrison said. Most impor- tantly, Frizzell has taught him the value of devel- oping a player’s human potential first. By develop- ing character, the players also improve their game. Zackrison seems to have taken this lesson to heart and uses his Outlaws’ experience as his own op- portunity to grow. “We’re all here to improve,” he says. Game On The bus arrives at Donovan Stadium, home of the Utica Brewers, and we disembark to the sounds of electronica music blaring from the stadium sound system. The location has been described as the second best venue in the division, after Oneonta. Outlaws fans can rest assured that if this is second, than it is a distant second. Continued on Page 17

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