Well, I threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Fountain Hills Men’s Softball League Reunion Game on Saturday, Oct. 19.

It has become part of the tradition of this game that was played for the first time last November. It was organized by Jim Elco.

Dave Petrick was there. He didn’t play on Saturday, although he wanted to. You may recall the story in The Times in early October that told about a surgical procedure he was going to have on Oct. 1 in which he donated a kidney to a female cousin. Saturday morning, he looked great and he was playing catch with one of the guys on his team.

When asked how the surgery went, he answered, “Everything went great, and I feel great, too. It was a complete success.”

The reunion softball games (they played two) are held once a year for guys who were in the original Fountain Hills Men’s Softball League in the 1980s and 1990s.

Saturday’s games were played at Golden Eagle Park, which has won several awards over the years for its ball fields.

The condition of the infield was much better than what many of the players had remembered from the field at Four Peaks School where the games were played then.

“Yeah, I remember how we had to pick up rocks from the infield before each game and between innings,” said Spence Fairbanks.

I played first base in those days, and I too would smooth out the area around first base with the toe of my shoe. I would constantly be turning up rocks that could make a hit ball take a funny bounce if it happened to hit it.

But that was part of the experience. Oh, the memories!

I had to leave the game shortly after it started on Saturday, since I had to get home in time to change clothes for a memorial service in downtown Phoenix that began at 1 p.m.

I did stay long enough to see Times Editor Mike Scharnow get a double in the first inning. That was the first of four hits he had on the day.

There were probably quite of bit of stiff muscles the next day, but there were no injuries reported.

That’s always been my fear about this event. Many of these guys haven’t put on a glove or swung a bat since those days. And now they are in their 50s and 60s.

Incidentally the Scharnow/Petrick team defeated the Elco team in both games Saturday.

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On the top of Page 2A of this week’s edition, there is a story about an upcoming concert that I strongly urge you to attend. The performer is Jeff Dayton, who spent many years entertaining in Fountain Hills playing at the Village Pub and Silver Stein.

His concert is set for Tuesday, Nov. 5, at the Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church. The concert begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $12 each.

Jeff’s band won every major award in the state when he lived here. He toured with Glenn Campbell for 15 years as his band manager and lead guitarist. He has also performed with Lee Greenwood and Kenny Chesney.

He lives in Nashville where he is a songwriter and performer.

I was interested to learn that he is trying his hand at acting and recently appeared in the TV series “Nashville” and will be in an upcoming episode of “Hawaii Five-O.”

See you at the concert.