After two false starts, courtesy of Mother Nature, the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association ( CMSA ) kicked off its 47-team open division softball season at six North Side fields May 9 under sunny, yet cool, skies.
More players wore sweatpants than shorts for the season-opening games, but that's better than the rainy conditions that forced a two-week delay to the start of the season.
"I just think it's the camaraderie, being with friends, hanging out, having a good time. That's what 99 percent of our league is. Yes, most of us want to be competitive, but the friendships and the bonds that are built through softball are indescribable," said CMSA softball commissioner Jack Neilsen. "The friends who I've met, the people who I've encountered over the last eight years [ playing in the league ] have been amazing, absolutely amazing."
CMSA's open division features about 715 players, including one player who commutes every Sunday from Toledo, and is the largest gay softball league in the United States. It increased by one team this season, to its largest ever, and it is now at capacity due to field space.
There is one top-tiered A-Division team, the Spin Menace, and six in B. The Menace are Chicago's first A-Division team in about five years. The league also features 21 C-Division teams, split evenly ( C1, C2 and C3 ) , based on talent level. There also are 11 teams in the D1 Division and eight in D2.
The open division is predominantly male, though there are about 10 women in the league, Neilson said.
CMSA also offers a separate all-women's league that features 45 teams.
"From the looks of it, the A-Division team will be competitive on the national level," Neilsen said. "They also play in a [ straight ] Tuesday night league in [ suburban ] Elmhurst and have been very successful out there."
The Menace, run by Cameron Turner, and other Chicago teams will be in Minneapolis in late May for the North Star Classic tournament.
So, will the Menace win every game in Chicago when they play against the B-Division teams?
"I cannot say that," Neilsen said. "Every team can have an off game, and no doubt those B teams all will be gunning for the Menace. And we really have some great B-Division teams."
The open division features multiple players who, well, certainly have experience on their side. Players such as David Bartnick, Doug Malm and Joe Camper, for instance, have been taking their swings in the league for 20-plus years.
"One of the really nice things about [ the ] Chicago [ softball league ] as opposed to other cities is, we have so many divisions. So we have a level of play for literally everyone who wants to play," Neilsen said. "And the drive to win is the same, whether it's the A-Division or D2.
"Ultimately, though, I think everyone just wants to have fun, make new friends or extend [ existing ] friendships."
The 2011 Gay Softball World Series will be hosted in Chicago by CMSA. The 2010 Series will be in Columbus, Ohio.
CMSA also will play host to the two-day ChiTown Classic over the July 4th weekend and 40 teams from across the United States are expected, including a 10-team women's division.
