A ball is hit sharply into shallow right field. The right fielder charges, picks it up on one hop, and fires a perfect strike to first base. The umpire yells, "Out!" The runner protests, "No way! I'm 62 years old. The fielder is 35!" The umpire is reminded about the 15-year differential rule. An outfielder may not throw out a batter at first base if the batter is more than 15 years older than the fielder. The umpire reverses his call. The players grin. The rule was instituted to offset the wide age gaps among the players. Quirky rules like this have been part of the 17-year evolution of the Great Neck Weekend Choose-up League and have made it truly a unique "League of Their Own." The players view it as their own personal Major Leagues.

Another rule is the "Rocco" rule. (Rules are often named for players.) This limits a player to two over-the-fence home runs per game. Any ball hit over the fence by the player afterward, counts as a double. It prevents any single player from becoming too dominant in a game.

An oft-heard phrase made by GN Softball players is, "You see things here that you just don't see in the Majors." For example, a second baseman answered his cell phone as a ball was being pitched. Sure enough, a split second later a ground ball was hit directly at him. He caught it but mistakenly flipped the cell phone, instead of the ball, to the shortstop, to get a force out at second base. The shortstop missed the phone. The official scorer charged him with a "dropped call." In another cell phone incident, a pitcher got a call while on the mound in the middle of a 3-2 count. It was from another player who happened to be vacationing in Florida at the time. When the pitcher answered, the caller uttered, "I thought I told you never to bring your phone onto the field. See you next week." He then hung up.

In one game, the field and dugout banter among players got to be so boisterous that the commissioner cited the players for "public loudness" He threatened to ban the drinking of all caffeinated beverages before a game. In another game, the score became so lopsided that the players on the losing team began singing show tunes. When the score reached 23 to 5, the infield began singing You've Gotta Have Heart. When it got to 28 to 5 they switched over to The Impossible Dream. The commissioner ruled that there was, "nothing wrong with that."

The league has also developed its own vocabulary. Umpires are often referred to as "ump-liars" or "dumb-pires." A great clutch catch, it's called a 'clatch." A strike down the middle of the plate is an "extreme strike."

However, the league's uniqueness really stems from the extraordinary array of diverse player personalities. Many have been given colorful and descriptive nicknames. Dave Seidman is called the "Driller" because of how hard he hits the ball and because he's a dentist. Jeff Baskin is called "Pele" because he plays soccer right after softball. Rich Cupelli is "Richiro" because of his Itchiro Suzuki-esque playing skills. John Hunt is "His Honor" because he's a judge. Pitcher Steve Zuckerman is El Zuque, named after NY Met star pitcher El Duque. Stephan Schwartz is called "The Schwartzstop" because of his fine defensive play. Pitcher Jerry Katz is "Jeriano" which combines his name with Mariano Rivera's. Eric Tosky is "Eric the Uniform" because he dresses in a different MLB uniform to every game. Stu Miller is the "Stuie-ville Slugger" for obvious reasons. Marty Kohn is the "Consultant of Swat." He's a medical consultant. Bob Widawsky is "Bobbby," with three b's. There's an extra B in his name because he is so beloved. Ron Bernstein is "Burnie Bernstein," because his bat consistently scorches the ball. Mark Goldman has been renamed Marky Gold-glove-man because of his sensational fielding talents.

In addition many players inspire colorful home run calls from teammates when they get big hits in a game. When Doug Koch gets a hit they say, "We always see dugouts on softball diamonds but rarely a Doug out." For Jon Silver it's, "High ho silver, away!" For Bart Simon it's, "That ball was simonized." For Ziggy Zborowsky, it's, "And this little Ziggy went all the way home."

Baseball cards are made up for all players. Opera singer Sandia Ang does an awesome job singing the national anthem at special games. Weekly highlights are e-mailed. There is an annual dinner and a slide show CD of the year's events is distributed to all players. Rookies are always welcomed. If you'd like to be part of the fun, e-mail Gary at GLLWSL@aol.com. All games take place from 8 to 10 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.