“Who’s the coach?” the man on the third baseline shouted. It was a strange thing to ask. He and his counterpart on the other side of the field left the dugout together. They were both wearing Washingtonville caps. They must have known one another. But the man kept repeating the question until people realized it wasn’t a question but an instruction. He was telling the player coming to bat to “Lose the coat!”
It was cold on March 18. The car thermometer said “50,” but the car wasn’t parked at the Cornwall baseball diamond, where it felt much colder. The Dragons were scrimmaging the Wizards.
It was a novelty made possible by a warm and almost snowless winter. Normally, in mid-March, the teams are still practicing indoors.
The game was informal. There were no umpires. The catchers called balls and strikes; the coaches decided if a runner was out or safe. No one disputed the calls.
In the Dragon dugout, Coach Tom Fanning had posted an elaborate lineup that showed the pitching and fielding assignments for each inning. Players shuttled in and out of the game. Pitchers worked one frame, and then moved to a different position or came off the field.
There was a lot of activity. The Cornwall dugout was usually empty. If someone was out of the game for an inning, he jogged behind the outfielders, or took swings at a batting tee, or warmed up a pitcher.
The atmosphere was relaxed. In between innings, the Cornwall and Washingtonville coaches chatted with one another. At one point, a plane glided above the field at a low altitude. “My daughter’s on that plane,” Coach Guy Maisonet shouted as he saw “Jet Blue” written across the body. His daughter was flying home from Florida for the weekend for her bridal shower.
But that didn’t interfere with the action on the field. The game moved quickly. Each team turned a double play in the first inning. There were few walks, as batters were anxious to put the ball in play.
The ground was still soft. Balls landing in the outfield rolled slowly. On one play, Matt Krafft knocked down a line drive at first base, and then took a moment to decide whether he should run to the bag or toss the ball to his brother Nick, who had come over from the pitcher’s mound.
They made the out, and then got some playful criticism from their coach. “Don’t you guys communicate?” Coach Maisonet asked rhetorically. “Should I introduce you?”
In deep left centerfield, seven fans stood or sat on lawn chairs. They were warmly dressed, and at least one had a blanket. “We’re the real Cornwall Crazies,” they admitted.
It was cold. And the Dragons were behind by a pair of runs. But it didn’t matter. It was good to see people playing baseball.
