
1998: I Sing The Body Bibliotech!
At the beginning of the 1998 softball season, the Library Staff
Association-sponsored Bibliotechs, having won the division championship
the previous year for their 20th anniversary and been moved up by the
League administration to the dire Barrell Division, expected little
more from SoftQuest '98 than to achieve the modest goals of
1. No broken bones
2. No broken windshields
3. Clumpability
Well, 2 out of 3 isn't bad, especially when you repeat as Division
Champs! The amazing Bibliotechs overcame not only their
formidable division opponents, but also early-season ante-millenial
deluges, ACX robo-bats, and the incursion of beer police on
motorcycles, to see once again their team banner,
with the heraldic device of the Little Man Rampant and the legend
"To protect and shave," raised above Briggs Field as the band played
the Bibliotech Anthem, and the awards, to Ronnie "Lonestar" Broadfoot
as the year's Most Valuable Bibliotech and to Jeb
"Jebzilla" Ensslen
for Rookie Of The Year, bestowed in an emotional ceremony at my
cubicle.
We wish to applaud and thank all the Library Staff Association
members and relatives and friends who came to practices and games, and
who made the Bibliotechs' 21st a memorable year: Dan Belich, Nora
Blake, Ronnie Broadfoot, Matt Burke, Eric, Mary, Alex and Nathaniel
Celeste, Paul Collins, Al, Kathy and Erin Davies, John De Lancey
and Helena Chang, Jeb Ensslen, Jon Eichman, Charlene Follett, Bruce
Hamilton, Kathy, Ken, Rachel, and Isaac Hamilton, Nancy Heywood,
Brenda Hill, Emily
Jackson and Bill Keaveny, Debbie, Ed, and Niki Kruzel, Luc Lucas, Jane
Marcus, Joe Martinez, Christine and Tony Moulen, Karen
Mueller-Harder, Ann Powers, Capt. Walter Powers, Rick, Mary, John and
Anna Smokovich, and Caleb Tucker-Raymond, and also departing
Bibliotech-For-Life M.P. "The Best and the Brightest (and Curliest)"
Bogan. We'll miss you, M.P.
1998: You were there! Ad majorem
gloriam Bibliotechi!
1998 Bibliotechs Schedule
Kentucky Fry League, Barrell Division
Bibliotechs Win Barrell Division Championship!
(All games on Monday at 5:30)
- June 1 Bibliotechs at Hydros (W, 18-4)
- June 22 Shadowmasks at Bibliotechs (W, 13-7)
- June 29 Bibliotechs at Quickbats
(make-up for June 8 rainout) (W, 26-18)
- June 29 Disgruntled Former Postal Workers
at Bibliotechs
(make-up for June 15 rainout) (W, 15-8)
- July 6 Bibliotechs at Mudville (W, 12-11)
- July 13 Hydros at Bibliotechs (W, 9-8)
- July 20 Quickbats at Bibliotechs (W, 9-8)
- July 27 Bibliotechs at Disgruntled
Former Postal Workers (W, 17-12)
- August 3 Bibliotechs at Shadowmasks (W, 12-8)
- August 10 Mudville at Bibliotechs (L, 14-16)
Here is the field map.
The "Talk To A Naked Bibliotech" chat line has been discontinued,
but other softball-related matters can be addressed to Captain
Walter Powers (wpowers@mit.edu,
3-0600).
- June 1 - 20 Bibliotechs show up for Opening
Day! vs. Civil and Environmental Engineering Hydros.
Bibs score 10 in top of 1st and
cruise, in an exceedingly civil game.
- June 22 - After 2
rainouts,
finally a clearing
Monday. Bibs are short-handed, must start with catcher
graciously provided by Media Lab's Shadowmasks. which generosity is
repaid with hitting of Biblical proportions by the home
team.
- June 29 - Make-up double-header. Game vs. ACX-affiliated Quickbats
is so high-scoring and taking so long that captains agree to end after
5 innings. The 2 teams score a combined 18 runs in 5th, but Bibs hold
on for win. Bibs proceed to game with Disgruntled Former Postal
Workers from SIPB and grind out a 2nd victory, with DFPW's coming on
in encroaching darkness.
- July 6 - Powerful Mudville (Ocean Eng./ROTC) takes Bibs
to limit; sparkling play by Bibs' Hall-of-Fame infielders Smokovich
and Eichman and hitting tour-de-force by Golden Haddock recipient
Broadfoot (2 HR's) keep Bibs in front.
- July 13 - Bulked-up Hydros very strong in rematch; Bibs (19
players in line-up) come from
behind in final inning on walk-off HR by W.Powers.
- July 20 - Bibs go with small line-up and must again borrow catcher
from opponent, Quickbats in 2nd place behind Bibs. Ensslen provides
power (HR, triple) and Heywood and Lucas excel on right side as Bibs
hang on for 3rd successive 1-run win.
- July 27 - Bibliotechs trail SIPB Board Postal Workers 10-8 as late
as 5th inning, but strength up and down Library line-up prevails and Bibs win
going away. Losers cheer, "Rah, BOOKS!" Winners cheer, "GO
POSTAL!"
- August 3 - Bibliotechs shake up line-up versus mellow Shadowmasks;
resulting disorientation, and presence of motorcycle cop on field, has
Bibs down 8-5 in 5th. With C. Moulen inspiring (2 for 2, 2 R) Bibs'
big guns crank it up late in game and rumble to title-clinching victory.
- August 10 - In seesaw battle, high-and-tight Mudville ROTC'ers
gain ascendancy in final frame. League "no beer" edict is seen as
contributory to Bibs' defeat.
(Quiz answer: Steve Gass was thrown out of a game for arguing
a call vehemently with an umpire, although all he said was, "WHAAAT?!"
He said it again after he was run. Walter Powers was ejected from a
game for fighting - rolling in the dirt at 2nd base, really - with an
opponent, who was also thrown out.)
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Updated on 981112

Rick's Dad "Smokey" Smokovich