Lucy Softball Diamond (aka Lucy Fields, named after my Granny, and the obvious...)
Last year at BM, all I kept thinking about was how badly I wished I could play a ball game. Such perfect weather for a game, so many good people to play with, and so much open space to build a field. With that said, I want to build a Softball field on the playa this year. If you want to help out, or have some cool ideas, please comment below. I also need some gear donations, so if you have a dusty glove you never use, or an old bat that you only use to chase away the racoons in your yard, please feel free to send em my way. If you are good at building some sturdy bleachers, I can supply the wood and I would love to have you on board (no pun intended). I have not submitted this idea to the Burning Man cats yet, so if you also have suggestions on how to do so effectively, please lay some knowledge on a brotha.
Gear:
*10-14 gloves (4 for lefties)
*2 softball bats
*3 bases, 1 home plate and one pitchers mound that will be screwed into the playa with very tiny bolts to not damage the land.
*Baselines will NOT be made with chalk, instead there will be a blue rope screwed into the earth to make the dimensions of the field and the posts will be heavily padded.
*Bucket of neon painted Softballs. Not hard softballs, but soft softballs.
*Sturdy Bleachers will be built by a professional contractor, and placed along the 1st baseline. They will not exceed 6 feet high for safety, and will be braced for the proper weight and tipping hazards. This structure will NOT be burned.
*Homerun fence will be a roped line, not an actual structure, to ensure safety.
*A mini scoreboard will be erected as well as a bulletin board with the week's schedule.
*A first aid kit and a walkie talkie to the safety center will be needed just in case an injury occurs.
*Spare sunglasses and bandanas in case a dust storm hits.
*Lots of spare sunscreen so people don't get roasted.
*Clipboard for sign ups
*Bull horns for people/spectators to borrow, which will be sanitized after every game.
*Big Trash can that will be brought back to camp and emptied each day.
*Beach umbrellas or shade structures so spectators are not burned by the sun, or hit by foul balls, if they chose.
*A tiny bar with a bartender so spectators can drink while watching a ballgame
*A tiny bar with a bartender so players can drink while they are on offense and waiting to bat or field.
*Proper lighting for the unused structures at night time.
*Battery operated drills for the bleacher construction/de-construction.
*A vehicle to haul the wood/gear to the field.
*Blue prints of the field dimensions etc.
Dimensions:
90 feet between each base (this can be shorter if need be)
60 feet from plate to pitchers mound (not required to stand that far)
250-300 feet from plate to homerun fence
Field must be angled with the sun rising/setting over the 1st and 3rd baseline, to not blind players.
Themes:
Naked games
Keg games
Hot dog giveaways
Ice cream giveaways
Nacho giveaways
Cotton Candy giveaways
Popcorn giveaways (unless it's too messy for "leave no trace")
Baseball Hat giveaways
All girl games
All male games
LGBT games
Strip games (Each time you get out, you remove an article of clothing)
Heckling games, where you can trash talk jokingly
Animal games (dress up as animals)
Backwards games (gives lefties an advantage), where you run clockwise. Basehits run to 3rd instead of 1st.
Couples games.
Kids games (probably ages 10-14)
Grown folks games (Over 40)
Gameplay:
This will be underhand, slow pitch
Games are Co-ed, unless a special game is noted
Games will be between 6-9 innings depending on team energy and time.
No helmets or catchers gear needed.
Notes:
I will have back up gear at camp in case things go missing.
I will buy all the gear with my own money and contributions from the community.
There will always be a sober leader/umpire on hand to make sure games are safe and fair.
If someone is obviously too intoxicated, they will need to sober up to ensure their own safety and the safety of others.
As this is a leave no trace event, we will discourage the use of chewing tobacco and sunflower seeds.
There will be 2 games daily at 2pm and 5pm
Signups will take place 30 minutes before each official game and the first 20 players will be chosen, with fill-ins standing by.
This field will probably need to be in deep playa so foul balls don't hit people, but fairly close to Port-O-Potties.
There will be plenty of free/pickup use of the field in the morning before 2pm, and in the evening after 7pm if some camps wanted to challenge each other, or if some burners wanted to start a kickball game. These games will not have a moderator present.
There will be between 6-12 individuals involved in the creation of this art/sporting installation.
This should be published in the community events section of the 2012 guide, so people know the location of the field, as well as the daily themes.
Names of all who play, as well as their team name and final scores will be posted to the web when we return, in case people want to look each other up. (If you do not want your name to be published, we will not publish it.)
Note to myself-Registration for installation is Feb 15th, 2012.
My Grandmother Lucille Harlan passed away in Feb 2011 and her favorite sport was baseball. She and I shared the same love for the sport and it created our greatest bond. Even in her last days, it was one of the topics and passions that she and I held onto in our conversations. I dearly wish to bring people together the way my Grandmother and I were brought together. There is such a wonderful feeling when you combine exercise, sunshine, community, free snacks, and nostalgia, and I know it would be a beautiful addition to the Playa in 2012.
I can be reached at kingnebakaneza@yahoo.com
Thank you.
