august 16, 200?
W orld
2002
Portland promises
to take the biggest
queer sporting event
in the nation
“to the top”
by
M elissa S ayler
P hotos by M arty D avis
ou know it’s a big deal when the winning team
members get rings— not cherry sucker rings or hot
pink plastic ones from the novelty store but real
live engraved, 100 percent silver, bejeweled rings.
And there’s trophies, too.-
Such will be the material rewards for the six champion soft-
ball teams coming to Portland to play in the North American
Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance’s 26th annual Softball World
Series (presented by Miller Light!).
O f course, those rewards might not match up to the worth of
the great stories and sense of pride any team earns for making it
all the way to the top softball tournament.
Jake Packer of Portland’s Gay Yellow Pages team says: “For
us, it’s not about holding up a trophy, it’s about helping our
selves be better players and better people. 1 learn something
every time I step on the field with these guys. They are my idols,
my teachers, but most of all, they are my friends. Holding up the
World Series trophy would just be icing on the big ol’ cake!”
The cake being a season that begins in April and runs
through the end of July. Portland’s league is divided into an
Open division— teams with both men and women playing on
them— and a Women’s division. The Open division has teams
categorized as A, B, C or D level (A being the most competi
tive), and the Women’s division teams are categorized as either
Competitive or Alternative.
This year no local teams were signed up as A level in the
Open division. Only two teams played in the B level, both of
which are headed to the World Series (Boxxes Storm and Port
land’s Gay Yellow Pages). Also headed to the tournament are
two C level teams (JO Q ’s and Scandals), one D level team (Sil
verado Titans), one Womens Competitive team (Mixed Fruit)
and three Womens Alternative teams (Egyptian Club’s Mad
Dogs, Unleash Yourself and Just Out/Sensory Perception’s Team
Betty).
The C and D Open divisions had the fiercest competition
for winning one of Portland’s nine berths in the World Series.
Six teams competed to represent Portland in the D division, and
four teams competed for one of two spots on the C division.
Portland is bringing the second-largest contingent of teams to
this year’s event, with San Francisco bringing the most at 10.
Although a schedule of games will not be available for the
women’s division until Aug. 18 and for the open division until
Aug. 19, you can check www.portlandgaysoftball.com through
out the week to check the status as teams head toward those
ultimate championship games.
Confused yet.7 If you’re a fan rather than a player, don’t worry
about the logistics. Just make your way to a field and watch hot-
ties play ball. There’s no charge for any of the games, and you
won’t be alone; word has it ESPN and Sports Illustrated will be in
the crowd, too.
Continued on Page S9
ple who don’t will be impressed.”
When not tripping around a softball field,
Aaron Homstein has been playing
Homstein hikes, climbs mountains, plays the
softball with the Embers Redwings
piano
and hangs exit at home in Southeast
for four years now, but you can bet
the talented little gay boy defected mighty Portland. He’s also training to be a group thera
pist, which he says would help players during
quick when the Silverado Titans asked him to
softball matches except “they’re all really, really
play on their team for the World Series.
fucked up. They’re beyond group therapy.”
“I am a softballaholic,” Homstein admits.
Although Homstein doesn’t have a cool
He’s also the sponsorship and fund-raising
softball nickname like “Lefty" or “Bulldog,” he
chairman for the World Series.
is relatively well known for his oft-used phrase
Homstein’s guess, though, is that the Titans
“More of everything!” mostly employed while
just wanted more pretty boys on their team
jumping up and down and clapping his hands.
rather than talent and connections.
In any case, the second baseman and some
But that doesn’t meanjie can’t bat. When
times shortstop is looking forward to the series,
asked his stats, he hedges, “1 would put 700.”
as evidenced by punctuating any and all con
Does that mean it's really 700? “I talked
versations about it with “Yaaaaay!”
to my coach, and he said.. .put 700 because
| people who know you will laugh and peo
— Lisa Bradshaw
J