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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 17, 1998)
1 0 J u s t (H it aprii 17. 1998 rTTîTÎTInetus W ea r a W ork P itching the S eries The Rose G tv Softball Association w ants to line up Portland as a national playing field by wai O’Bryan nowballs and softballs have two things in common: They’re both white and round. Bring the Rose City Softball Association into the equation and snowballs and softballs develop another similar ity: They’re both metaphors for unstoppable momentum. R C SA , the Portland and Southwest Washington chapter of the National American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance, played its first games in 1995 with five teams. They now boast two divisions— a mixed-sex open division and a women’s division— with eight teams a piece. That’s roughly 250 softball players. With this growth comes an ambition. R C SA wants to bring the N A G A A A World Series to Portland in 2002. “It would be a big coup for us,” says open division commissioner Roy Melani, adding that duration of the tournament. Another consider ation is money. “We’ll need to raise about $100,000 to pull it off,” Melani estimates. The funds are needed for everything from hotel deposits to field fees. If the N A G A A A gives Portland the nod, most money will be secured in the form of cor porate sponsors. Budweiser and Miller Brewing both have track records as tournament sponsors, says Melani. But enthusiasm will also need to be generat ed within the Portland community for the games to be a success. That success will be a two- way street in that any proceeds from the event would be pumped back into local charities. Traditionally, three charities are chosen, repre senting A ID S relief, a lesbian organization and a gay men’s organization. One event that may whet local appetites— and provide a measure of Portland’s viability as Portland will likely compete with Norfolk, Va., Toronto and Washington, D.C., for the distinc tion. The idea of Portland as a World Series site is a new one where the N A G A A A is concerned, but Melani thinks the city has a fair chance of securing the tournament. “Portland is a fun place to be and players like to go to new cities,” Melani reasons. Melani’s counterpart, women’s division com missioner Toni Carr, agrees that Portland has a reasonable chance of playing host to the tourna ment. Carr also cites how grabbing the games could help the city economically, bringing in at least 2,000 people, including players, managers and supporters. Carr acknowledges that such a large nation al sexual minority event would benefit Portland’s queer community too. “I think it would open it up more,” says Carr. “People would feel more comfortable.” While 2002 may seem far away, planning for the potential event is already underway. Melani is among those putting together the Portland proposal to present at the August 1999 N A G A A A World Series in Kansas City, Mo. A decision will be made within two days of placing the bid. “ I know it’s 2002, but— whew— it’ll come fast," warns Carr, adding that the game “would show that Portland is serious” as a national gay and lesbian venue. A decision will need to be made in the not so far off future in order for the R C SA to secure all seven Delta Park softball diamonds for the a series site— is the Cascade Cup. A regional softball tournament that’s called Seattle home since its inception in 1983, the Cup will remain in Seattle this year, but the ‘99 Cup is destined for Portland. Melani guesses the tournament will bring about 800 players and managers to Portland, with teams coming from as far away as Denver and Houston. In the meantime, Melani and Carr promise that the R C SA ’s ‘98 season offers its own share of improvements. For instance, the players will be using dia monds in Montavilla Park at Northeast 82nd Avenue and Glisan Street. The new site offers one marked improvement over the association’s old Alberta Field venue: lighting. With lights, the R C SA is gearing up for evening games. Any given summertime Sunday should find R C SA softball players working up a sweat well into the evening on two fields simultaneously. And, Carr adds, they look forward to more growth. “[The R C SA ] can always fit more peo ple.... We don’t turn anyone down to play.” For those interested in joining the boys and girls of summer, it’s important to know how the teams are divided. The open division is open to men and women. Currently, most open division teams are composed of men, but some are large ly mixed. Both the open division and the women’s division offer groupings to accommo date any skill level. anges D E S I G N S T C ) U w FAR 927 SW Yamhill 503.22 3.3737 W ENTW ORTH SUBARU c m Subaru Dealer. 107 S. Grand • East End of the Burnside Bridge • 232-2000 V ■ For more information about the ROSE CITY S oftball A ssociation , call the open division at 246-7678 or the womens division at 254-4150.