2008 PHILLIES BALLGIRLS RETURN
LOOKING FOR MEN – OLDER MEN
The Phillies Ballgirls came back to Pates Park on Saturday, August 2, 2008 and they were looking for men – older men.
The Ballgirls returned to Pates Park to renew their softball rivalry with the Patriots
Old-Timers in an ALS charity softball game. “Striking Out ALS One Pitch at a Time” The proceeds benefited Donna’s Dugout Walk team in the Lehigh Valley Walk to Defeat ALS on October 11. $3,027 was raised for the fight against ALS.
The following article was written by Keith Groller of the Morning Call.
Phillies Ballgirls, Pates’ Old-Timers team up to take a swing at ALS
Lindsay Brown will never forget her first visit to Patriots Park last August. That’s because she gets constant reminders of it. Brown is a member of the Phillies Ballgirls, a group of athletic, young – and, OK PC police be damned - attractive ladies who play benefit softball games in addition to corralling foul balls at Citizens Bank Park.
As a member of the Phillies Ballgirls team last summer, Brown came to Allentown to play against the Patriots” Old-timers Red squad. “I see one of the old-timers, a guy named Hal (Harold Serfass) at Citizens Bank Park all of the time,” Brown said. “He always has a gift for me. He brought me pictures of our game last year with some funny captions written at the bottom, just kidding around, and we talk about it all the time. We had a wonderful time. Those guys are cute”
Clearly, a relationship was formed last year, and it will be renewed Saturday at 6 p.m. when the Ballgirls and Old-Timers play again at Pates Park.
It’s a night to unite and fight ALS.
The event was put together by Donna Katcher, the former Parkland High star softball catcher who is battling ALS.
Katcher and her family and friends have formed a group called “Donna’s Dugout,” which has raised thousands of dollars for the fight against ALS.
In addition to the game, there will be a silent auction and other goodies, all to raise money.
But the highlight is the Ballgirls vs. the Old-Timers.
“We can’t wait,” said Eugene “Moon” Trexler, the still-scrappy 77 year-old Old-Timers player-coach.
“They’re such nice girls and pretty good softball players, too. They beat us last year, but we had a lot of fun. It’s what all our guys have been talking about.”
The feelings are mutual.
“We had no idea what to expect, but once we pulled up and saw the excitement in that place, we got excited,” said Brown, a native of Scranton who attended West Chester University and teaches in the School District of Philadelphia.
“I’ve played softball for years but had never been to Pates Park before. It’s a nice place. We had about 400 people there last year. It was our biggest crowd of the year. It was also nice because my parents also got to see me play.”
Brown was impressed with the Old-Timers, who have an average age of 75, and have a least eight guys still swinging away in their 80s
“They can still play, but the big thing is that they’re such good sports,” she said. “We do a bunch of these charity games each summer, between eight and 15 this year. But this is one of most popular dates because of Pates Park, the guys and because it’s for ALS, which has always been a big priority for our organization.”
As a kickoff to Saturday, Katcher was a special guest at Monday night’s Phillies Phestival for the fight against ALS. She met Harry Kalas and many of the players. She secured many autographs.
A die-hard Phillies fan, Katcher said she will keep a few of the things she received on Monday, but many others will be part of the auctions on Saturday.
“Since receiving my diagnosis of ALS I have received opportunities of a lifetime and every one of them reminds me that I have much more to fight for,” she said. “After a successful successful event last year, I am excited to have the Ballgirls and the Old-Timers back to support my mission of ‘Striking out ALS one pitch at a time.’ It’s going to be a fun-filled game.
“But, for me, it’s another opportunity and another page in my memory book.”
There will be no admission charge, but donations, obviously, would be greatly appreciated.
It was a come from behind victory for the Ballgirls, 11-10 in the ninth inning. It was another great, well played game on both sides. Both teams and their families joined Donna’s Dugout family and friends after the ballgame for a picnic at the pavilion.
Check back next year to see if the Ballgirls return to hold on to their winning streak or the Old-Timers show their stuff and send the Ballgirls to their first defeat.
The Ballgirls returned to Pates Park to renew their softball rivalry with the Patriots
Old-Timers in an ALS charity softball game. “Striking Out ALS One Pitch at a Time” The proceeds benefited Donna’s Dugout Walk team in the Lehigh Valley Walk to Defeat ALS on October 11. $3,027 was raised for the fight against ALS.
The following article was written by Keith Groller of the Morning Call.
Phillies Ballgirls, Pates’ Old-Timers team up to take a swing at ALS
Lindsay Brown will never forget her first visit to Patriots Park last August. That’s because she gets constant reminders of it. Brown is a member of the Phillies Ballgirls, a group of athletic, young – and, OK PC police be damned - attractive ladies who play benefit softball games in addition to corralling foul balls at Citizens Bank Park.
As a member of the Phillies Ballgirls team last summer, Brown came to Allentown to play against the Patriots” Old-timers Red squad. “I see one of the old-timers, a guy named Hal (Harold Serfass) at Citizens Bank Park all of the time,” Brown said. “He always has a gift for me. He brought me pictures of our game last year with some funny captions written at the bottom, just kidding around, and we talk about it all the time. We had a wonderful time. Those guys are cute”
Clearly, a relationship was formed last year, and it will be renewed Saturday at 6 p.m. when the Ballgirls and Old-Timers play again at Pates Park.
It’s a night to unite and fight ALS.
The event was put together by Donna Katcher, the former Parkland High star softball catcher who is battling ALS.
Katcher and her family and friends have formed a group called “Donna’s Dugout,” which has raised thousands of dollars for the fight against ALS.
In addition to the game, there will be a silent auction and other goodies, all to raise money.
But the highlight is the Ballgirls vs. the Old-Timers.
“We can’t wait,” said Eugene “Moon” Trexler, the still-scrappy 77 year-old Old-Timers player-coach.
“They’re such nice girls and pretty good softball players, too. They beat us last year, but we had a lot of fun. It’s what all our guys have been talking about.”
The feelings are mutual.
“We had no idea what to expect, but once we pulled up and saw the excitement in that place, we got excited,” said Brown, a native of Scranton who attended West Chester University and teaches in the School District of Philadelphia.
“I’ve played softball for years but had never been to Pates Park before. It’s a nice place. We had about 400 people there last year. It was our biggest crowd of the year. It was also nice because my parents also got to see me play.”
Brown was impressed with the Old-Timers, who have an average age of 75, and have a least eight guys still swinging away in their 80s
“They can still play, but the big thing is that they’re such good sports,” she said. “We do a bunch of these charity games each summer, between eight and 15 this year. But this is one of most popular dates because of Pates Park, the guys and because it’s for ALS, which has always been a big priority for our organization.”
As a kickoff to Saturday, Katcher was a special guest at Monday night’s Phillies Phestival for the fight against ALS. She met Harry Kalas and many of the players. She secured many autographs.
A die-hard Phillies fan, Katcher said she will keep a few of the things she received on Monday, but many others will be part of the auctions on Saturday.
“Since receiving my diagnosis of ALS I have received opportunities of a lifetime and every one of them reminds me that I have much more to fight for,” she said. “After a successful successful event last year, I am excited to have the Ballgirls and the Old-Timers back to support my mission of ‘Striking out ALS one pitch at a time.’ It’s going to be a fun-filled game.
“But, for me, it’s another opportunity and another page in my memory book.”
There will be no admission charge, but donations, obviously, would be greatly appreciated.
It was a come from behind victory for the Ballgirls, 11-10 in the ninth inning. It was another great, well played game on both sides. Both teams and their families joined Donna’s Dugout family and friends after the ballgame for a picnic at the pavilion.
Check back next year to see if the Ballgirls return to hold on to their winning streak or the Old-Timers show their stuff and send the Ballgirls to their first defeat.
