"Boys of Summer" and Senior Summer Games

It's been said that if you want the facts, you read a newspaper; If you want the truth, you read a novel. Local author Marty Dobrow writes in both formats, so it's refreshing to read both the facts and the truth in his Boston Globe articles and in his latest book, "Knocking on Heaven's Door: Six Minor Leaguers in Search of the Baseball Dream." You can read all about his new book starting on page 5 of this month's PRIME. Dobrow has also written about many subjects beyond the baseball diamond. Some of his more noteworthy topics have included stories about a Muslim women's basketball star at New Leadership School in Springfield, and a softball catcher from Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham who was born without legs. "She grew up in a family of brothers, and did not feel sorry for herself," Dobrow said of the softball catcher, Gina Gilday, who would later attend Elms College. "She was a very good athlete. She said that, if she had the choice now, she would not even want legs. This gave her the opportunity to normalize disability." Dobrow's articles have included a piece about the Amherst College football team enduring a hard-luck season. Another featured an eccentric Little League coach in Northampton named Jim Mias who, as Dobrow put it, "Goes everywhere on a one-speed bike with action figures on the back of it. The kids love him. He's a completely original human being." I guess you could say that, as a writer, Dobrow hits to all fields. Baseball fanatics have another phrase for versatility: a five-tool player. It's used to describe someone who excels at hitting for average, hitting for power, base running, throwing ability, and fielding. There's probably no direct translation for evaluating writers. However, I'd suggest the following: good grammar, storytelling ability, a strong lexicon, accuracy, and choice of subjects. If the title existed for writers, Dobrow would certainly be one of those five-tool guys. Also this month, PRIME Magazine helps to mark the return of the Massachusetts Senior Summer Games, starting May 20-22. The event organizers have moved up most of the dates this year because of a potential scheduling conflict with the National Senior Games in Houston. Organizers apologized for the timing of this year's games, which also will coincide with the Connecticut Senior Games events. Although the Massachusetts events will be spread through the summer some extending to Sept. 10 the lion's share of events will take place the third weekend in May. For more information, see our full schedule of Senior Summer Games events on page 8. And here's another "friendly" reminder about the Feline Friends Golf Tournament taking place May 30 at the Ranch Golf Club in Southwick. It's a very nice event for a group whose goal is to rescue, rehabilitate and adopt cats needing new homes. I do hope that everyone reading PRIME this month can attend. This month's charitable mention is offered in honor of my sister-in-law, who is herself a great friend to felines. The cost for the event is $150 per person, or $35 for dinner only. The full ticket includes 18 holes of golf, use of a cart with GPS, lunch and dinner. A raffle and silent auction will also be held. Until next month, we sincerely hope that you continue to enjoy PRIME Magazine in print, and also visit us on the Web at www.primeontheweb.com. Mike Briotta, PRIME Editor mikeb@thereminder.com