The 60th Annual Artists-Writers Softball Game is Saturday

By Dan Rattiner

The 60th Annual Artist-Writers Softball game will be held in East Hampton this Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. This is the longest continuously running sports event in the Hamptons, and if you'd like to come watch it, you'll find it at the appointed hour on the sandlot baseball diamond behind the Waldbaum's Market on Newtown Lane in East Hampton. There is a small admission charge, with the funds going to charity, and with it, you can be part of history.

The game was first held in Wilfred Zogbaum's backyard in Springs in 1948 with Willem de Kooning, Barney Rosset and other artists and writers in attendance. A picnic accompanied it. It was decided that it would become an annual affair after that.

Sometime later, after the Spanish American War and some other conflicts, the site of the game was moved to the ball field in the center of town in East Hampton, and it has been played there ever since. It has been accompanied over the years by rhubarbs, arguments, giant homeruns, professional female basketball players, actresses and actors, dogs wandering out on the field, presidents and presidential candidates, former mayors of New York, boxing contender Gerry Cooney, billionaires, movie stars, other nefarious sorts and even, for several years, the soccer legend, Pele.

Playing in it last year were Christie Brinkley, Laurie Singer, Mort Zuckerman, Alec Baldwin, Donny Deutsch, Mike Lupica, Richard Weise, Tom Clohessy, Bill Collage, B. Smith and hosts of others. Sports commentator Burt Sugar provided the commentary over a loudspeaker system. The final score was Writers 13, Artists 8.

The late Roy Scheider, who for many years was the pitcher for the Artists, will be remembered prior to the game.

Also to be honored will be the memories of the 11 soldiers from this community who have given their lives in the recent wars in the Middle East. Their families, at the invitation of Congressman Tim Bishop, will be in attendance.

This writer, along with a mystery guest, will again umpire the game, and prior to that, at 11 a.m. at the Lodge Restaurant on Race Lane, will read a chapter about the game from his recently published Random House memoir, In the Hamptons: My Fifty Years With Farmers, Fishermen, Artists, Billionaires and Celebrities. All are welcome to that, free of charge.

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