Report on AAJA Annual Softball Game in Central Park

Date	:	Saturday, July 16
Time	:	12:30 p.m.-5 p.m.
Location	:	Central Park, Great Lawn -- ballfield #4

Here's a very unscientific report from this weekend's annual softball game!

Broadcast wins 12-6 after game sent into an extra inning; Print wins re-match later that afternoon with a score of 9-5

Broadcast journalists proved the power of belief and perseverance this Saturday as they beat the print team12-6 at the annual Print vs. Broadcast Softball Game and Picnic in Central Park.

It was the first time at least three or four years that broadcast beat print, said AAJA-NY president Pradnya Joshi, who was the game's unskilled scorekeeper.

"If the Boston Red Sox can reverse the curse, why canÕt the Ôbeautiful facesÕ of broadcast do the same?" said Joshi in an interview with herself.

Despite the seemingly lopsided final score, early innings did not bode well for the broadcast team -- which included online journalists and a few guests from VNU Media (who played on both the print and broadcast side). David Oyama of the Wall Street Journal pitched for broadcast (despite his print allegiances) and Henry Moritsugu of Newsday pitched for print.

It was a dark and cloudy day but except for about 5 minutes of sprinkles right at 1 p.m., the rain held off and the sun even popped out later that afternoon. More than 45 people including spectators attended the annual gathering, sponsored by the Asian American Journalists Association-NY chapter and the New York Association of Black Journalists.

Print, led by team captain NYABJ President Matthew Scott, easily took a 2-0 lead at the end of the first inning. Broadcast, led by team captain Roger Chang of NY1 News, did not score until the third inning and did not take the lead until the top of the fifth after a run by Daniel Kim, a recent graduate of the Institute for Media Education. That brought broadcast in the lead with a score of 5-4 at the bottom or the fifth.

The game was sent into extra innings after broadcast scored another run and print answered thanks to scores by Mike Hale of the New York Times and Paul Paone of VNU Media during the sixth inning.

With the game tied 6-6, broadcast routed their opponents in the extra, seventh inning after several errors in the outfield led to the team scoring six runs. Michael Mas of VNU hit a home run in the middle of the seventh inning to help seal the game.

After a brief break, print challenged broadcast to a re-match Saturday afternoon. Print won that round 9-5 thanks to early runs by Alan Wong of VNU, Damaso and Aaron of NYABJ. Chang and Van Dora Williams of NYABJ scored two runs for broadcast in the third inning and broadcast also racked up three runs in the sixth inning thanks to runs by Williams, CeFaan Kim of NY1 and James Kwasnik of Asbury Park Press, where he works as an online editor. But the momentum of the print side could not be stopped in the re-match with print consistently scoring one or two runs in every inning.

NYABJÕs Scott said the game truly showed the competitive spirit of our two organizations and said he looked forward to future events.

Business writer Pradnya Joshi knows she doesn't have a bright future as a sportswriter and certainly took some liberties in standard journalistic style in writing this report -- but says she congratulates b'cast team members for their hard-fought victory.