Morgana Park

THERE IS A TREASURE AT THE CORNER OF 65TH AND BROADWAY. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK SOMEONE WHO HAD THE PLEASURE OF PLAYING THERE. THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT MORGANA PARK IS TO CLEVELAND SOFTBALL WHAT THE POLO GROUNDS, EBBETS FIELD,  OR THE FAMED FENWAY PARK IN BOSTON ARE TO BASEBALL. A THROWBACK TO BY GONE ERA. MORGANA WAS NOT A RUN OF THE MILL DIAMOND. WITH ITS ASYMMETRICAL DIMENSIONS, SHORT IN LEFT AND RIGHT, DEEP IN CENTER AND VIRTUALLY NO FOUL LINES, IT BROUGHT THE MANY LOUD AND BOISTEROUS FANS CLOSE TO THE ACTION.

THESE FANS WERE EXTREMELY LOYAL TO THE MORGANA TEAMS AND THE pD MAJOR  LEAGUE THAT PLAYED THERE, ESPECIALLY  WHEN THEY PLAYED AGAINST RIVAL LEAGUES. WITH THEIR ENCOURAGEMENT OR VENOM THEY COULD STIR THEIR TEAMS TO A VICTORY.

MORGANA PARK HAS SEEN MANY A GREAT HARDBALL PLAYER AND TOP SUBURBAN SOFTBALL PLAYERS COME AND GO. SEEING THE PARK FOR THE FIRST TIME, THEY WERE SURE THE COULD CONQUER IT.  tHIS PARK SENT MORE THEN A FEW PLAYERS TRUCKING BACK TO LOWER LEAGUES OR FORCED THEM INTO EARLY RETIREMENT.

BUT LIKE ALL GREAT THINGS, THE MORGANA ERA IS GONE AND WITH IT WENT GREAT TEAMS SUCH AS SHEFFIELD BRONZE, SWING INN, HELF BUILDERS, STAR MOTEL, PYRAMID CAFE, ERIE SHEET STEEL, TEAMSTERS AND NON-FERROUS. MORGANA FANS  nO LONGER WILL THE  BE ABLE TO CHEER OR BOO ITS PLAYERS, MANAGERS, BACKERS OR UMPIRES.

NO, tUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AROUND 65TH AND BROADWAY, BUT TO THOSE WHO SURVIVED, IT WAS AN HONOR AND A LIFETIME THRILL TO PLAY THERE.