As Coach has written such a marvelous introduction to the beginnings
of the game including interesting write up of players past, Rickey and I have taken upon ourselves to update the list of players who have graced the NUS fields every Saturday. We'll
try to write the players as they have shown up through the years, but otherwise, there is no method to the madness, and no particular order
to the list. Others will be added soon, as well as lists of top five
homers and classic games. We understand that they've been players who've made an occasional appearance who are not mentioned here or new regulars, like Gunz Horfu, Jason/Diana, Joanna, Teck Piaw, Aaron...etc, and we'll be working on a third chapter to this series to try to accomodate all those who are missing from the rosters so far. We're also working on a SaturdaySoftball who's where now, where we'll take the players listed in Coach's writeup and give them a "where are they now" update.
Tim (Rickey) Barnard
A southerner (from Kentucky via Alabama) who doesn't seem to work
much, on the field or off. Tim, or Rickey as he's fondly known, moved
to Indonesia to teach English and has rarely left SEAsia since. He is
nicknamed after the great Rickey Henderson, one of the fastest base
runners of all time. Our Rickey, however, is so slow his run to first
could be construed as "delay of game". He can turn a homerun into a
double. If his feet moved as fast as his mouth, perhaps he would have
more base hits. Rickey is a member of the semi-legendary "Sonic Boom
Brothers", along with Guppy.
Karl (The Rube) Krummel
From the backwater of Illinois comes this hillbilly scholar. The Old
Rube was famous for coming to ball still drunk from the previous
night's reveille, Rube has always been known to have one of the
biggest bats on the team, cranking opposite field liners deep into the
outfield. Hustling for every ball, running to cover bases and throws,
he's the hardest worker on the field since DY. We thought we saw the
last of him when his exchange program ended, little did we know we
couldn't get rid of him that easily. Currently a PhD student the "NEW"
Rube is much the same, with a bigger bat and a (slightly) cleaner
constitution. He will be around for some time.
Alirio (The Generalissimo) Melendez
A former starting shortstop for the under-18 Venezuelan National Team,
Al has used his golden glove and HR bat to bring Saturday Softball to
a whole new level of play. He is our MBP. Our resident doctor, Al got
his MD from a university in the former Soviet Union while on a
communist scholarship after his baseball career was cut short by a
freak throw that nearly blinded him. Many on the team want to meet his
cousins, and drink the $12 rum.
Dan (the Man) Collison
An ex-Navy Aviator, Dan was one of the biggest bats to grace the
field. He smacked 4 outstanding home runs when SaturdaySoftball joined
the Singapore Baseball League as the Tigers. A good guy to have behind
you in a fight, Dan's the best person to deal with the cricketers when
they intrude on our field.
Adam (Mr Furious) Delisse
Adam is remembered for many things. 1. Eka, 2. His temper, 3. Eka's
Chilli, 4. Being the ONLY guy on the field Coach has ever said "sorry"
to, 5. Yelling at Paul.
(Princess) Linda (The Law-RBI Machine) Low
Her arrival brought our softball team a touch of class. She's been
known to burn outfielders if they pull in too shallow by smacking the
ball over their heads. The best arm we have at second base, she only
throws at one speed. The RBI Machine is our resident lawyer for when
the Rube gets into trouble. Recently she's been getting undivided, and
personal, boyguard (not typo) services from the Ipoh Assassin
(formerly known as the Agent of Satan).
Toh (Tan brother no. 2) Sen
A very recent addition to our numbers, he's improved tremendously from
an unknown who's never played before, to one of the stalwarts in the
outfield. Constantly giving his elder brother a good run for his money
not only on the field, but also at bat, he's recently taken to the LF
position becoming the next Agent of Satan.
Toh (Tan brother no. 3) Ken
The third and youngest Tan brother, he came with a softball background
from having represented his college. He's become quite a regular over
the months, and he has a silent, unassuming assassin. He makes the
plays without being too flashy.
Paul (Fubar/Nomar/Money) Peters
His first nickname came during the tournament he managed; the second
because he would like to play short for the Sox, and the third
because...well, he's money. A good middle infielder, he dreams of
making double plays at second, but rarely seems to pull it off. He has
a terrific arm when he doesn't think about throwing; otherwise the
ball hits a magical spot 20 meters beyond first. Much like his dating
game.
Thaddeus (The Monk) Hoo
Appearances can be deceiving. Looking like a bald muscle-head, and
often acting like one, The Monk is one of the most brilliant minds
ever to pick up the bat. A pretty good right-fielder, he has found
his niche playing catcher. Making great tags at home and protecting
the plate - if the ball comes in The Monk is like a brick wall
stopping the runner dead. With the bat he is the "junk man", somehow
he gets on base no matter how lame the hit.
Dom (Scooterboy/Seven)Thangaperakasa
What time is it? What time is it? Dom rides a scooter. Dom pitches.
Dom's a previous all-star cricket player who finally saw the light.
Dom's always home by seven. A pleasant guy who brightens the day with
his choice of shorts, "Seven" has developed into a fine fielder as
long as Tan Brother #2 is not there to bump into him.
Li (Beyonce) Hongyan
Joining us from more organized teams, Hongyan is the ultimate team
player. An excellent firstbase man (woman), her glove and arm in the
outfield are legendary, particularly when the lights are dimming. She
may scowl at you, but deep down she's nice. Just whisper to her in
German to calm her down. According to scooterboy she can dance with
the best.
David (Cool Papa) Teague
Dave's past is perhaps best left for discussion over drinks at Joe's
(followed by gasps of amazement). Coming from the frozen tundra of
Minnesota, Dave can take control of a game with his speed or glove. He
is among the fastest to every play Saturday Softball, but suddenly
becomes deaf when base coaches yell at him to hold at second or third.
Cool Papa is known for his arm, easy laugh, and smokin' bass lines.
Lin Yu (Pian Zhe)
Originally coming along with the Kent Ridge crew of the late 1990s,
the Pian Zhe is the quickest to ever hold a bat in Saturday Softball.
This diminutive Mathematics teacher is our "trickiest" player. She can
reach first faster than Ichiro, making every defense nervous,
resulting in hurried throws and blown plays.
Roeland (the Windmill) Stuelmeijer
Not much of a fielder, except in his own mind, this Dutchman can crank
homers to any corner of the field. Not one to back down, he is also
known for picking a fight with the Coach early in his career. To this
day he and the Coach will argue about anything, even when they are in
agreement.
Joyce (Irish/Aussie Magnet) Bohnke
Coming to us from the US Air Force, this Chicago Irish woman never met
an Aussie she didn't like until she bumped into Saigon Misty. Known
for her Monk-influenced homer, Joyce could drink with the best, get
into an argument with the Rube, and still meet up with English postman
for a wedding. Last seen with Elvis at a chapel in Vegas, Joyce is now
terrorizing Air Force generals in Hawaii.
Matt (Spam/Saigon Misty) Underwood
The one that got away. Misty spends his days mass-mailing the team or simply clicking "reply-all". A terrific batsman, he once hit 3 back-to-back-to-back opposite field homeruns against the bishan crew in a friendly. He's never been known to catch the ball at first base, but it's never been his fault. The Misty moniker was bestowed on him when he bailed tears when Mr Furious departed. Misty has since left us for the communist shores of Vietnam, though he does occasionally pop round for a chicken burger or 2.
Nigel (Nigeypooh)Cheah
A great batter, and a fine glove, all handphones should be kept away
from this guy. The villain (or hero) behind the famous handphone mercy
game (one of the top five all time classics), he disappeared on us for
a few years but is now back with a vengeance.
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