Around the Horn: Jim

This is Jim's last season in the Buttermilk Softball league. We'll all miss him quite a lot.

What position do you like to play?

Shortstop is definitely the most fun, but given that I'm 35, six foot four, and unable to bend down and touch my toes with any grace, I am generally not allowed to play shortstop. But, due to a strange "1-2" no one wanted to play shortstop for the Jeans this past week and I put on the glove and made a play or two. In fact, I think I got through without an error -- which is definitely not true for the other spots I played -- centerfield, first, third -- positions more logically associated to players with the aforementioned shortcomings. I was especially good versus 10 year olds.

And, really, if pressed, I would have to say that my favorite player of all time is Robin Yount, Hall of Fame shortstop from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Your softball role model:

Robin Yount, Hall of Fame shortstop from the Milwaukee Brewers. My gateway to a life in radio was listening to the Brewers' staticky night games on a transistor radio 700 miles west on a hill in Rapid City, South Dakota. They went to the world series when I was 12.

Thing you like most about Buttermilk Softball:

I've always liked how Brent looks kind of like Robin Yount.

Thing you like least about Buttermilk Softball:

Interference from other sports.

What do you do in the off-season?

Sadly, it's all off-season from here on out as Heather, Jasper, Millie and I are all moving out of New York and heading back to Minnesota. There may be other softball games and other softball leagues, but there's only one Buttermilk Softball.

Complete this sentence: The highlight of my Buttermilk Softball career was when ...

... everything was as perfect as perfect could be. There was a Sunday earlier in the summer when it was sunny but not hot, my new young family was cheering me on from their shady spot under a tree, my friends were all there and happy -- it was a beatiful moment and I could have played inning after inning.