This is a question I have been asked numerous times in the past several weeks.
Background
The Players:
Chico’s Bail Bonds is the world’s most beloved softball team from Morgantown, West Virginia. Started over twenty-five years ago, they are a raggedy collection of middle-aged men from all walks of life whose love for softball is only eclipsed by their thirst for cheap beer, shots of Irish whiskey, and jukebox music.
Olivia Newton-John was an Australian singer who had numerous number one hit songs, including “Let’s Get Physical” and “You’re the One That I Want”. She skyrocketed to fame after playing opposite to Joh Travolta in the movie adaption of the musical, Grease. Sadly, she passed in 2022 after a long battle with breast cancer.
Elton John is a British, singer, pianist, and composer. The flamboyant performer and glam rock legend has sold over 300 million records worldwide. His hit songs have included “Rocket Man”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Daniel”, and “Candle in the Wind”.
Tommy John was a Major League baseball pitcher for 26 seasons for several teams, including the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a four-time All-Star and won an incredible 288 games which ranks 7th all-time among left-handed pitchers. He was often referred to as “The Bionic Man”. He is most known for a surgery that was performed on his arm to prolong his career, now called Tommy John Surgery. He won 164 games after the surgery was performed.
Tommy John Surgery is a surgical graft procedure where a damaged ligament in the elbow of a pitcher’s arm is replaced with either a lightly used tendon from elsewhere in the body or from a deceased organ donor. It was first performed by Los Angeles surgeon, Frank Jobe. Onne in seven pitchers in the Major Leagues have received the surgery since 2012.
The Game:
The following is the recap write-up of the infamous Chico doubleheader during a 15-game losing streak that the terms “Elton John surgery” and “Olivia Newton-John surgery” were born.
July 20, 2015. The misery continues, Chico’s Bail Bonds softball club on life support.
Chico’s Bail Bonds (0-15) drop both ends of a doubleheader in late night softball action- the first a lackluster snoozer, the second an epic BOPARC classic that both thrilled and exhausted the boisterous Chico team members as well as the standing-room only Liberatore Field crowd.
In the opener, the Bonders delivered a listless performance, squandering several run-scoring opportunities early in the game. Jeff ‘Nolan’ Ryan pitched effectively in his 2nd career outing on the mound, but it was not enough as Chico’s got walloped 13-3.
With their season on the brink, the Bondsmen responded in game two with their best performance in years. Playing against the younger and more athletic Colasante’s Pizza team (11-4), Chico’s battled like they were playing in the last game of their lives.
For two hours, Chico’s bashed out hit after hit and ran the bases like a team possessed. The Bonders banged out a season high 28 hits, highlighted by C. Neal’s bases-clearing triple, Meatball’s line drive shots down the third base line, A. Bonner’s well-placed singles to right and left fields, E. Wells’ beautiful deep drives to center, B. Porterfield’s slices to right, and T. Batchelor’s line drives over short. L. Guiliani anchored a busy outfield. Meatball played third base like a hockey goalie continually taking line shots off his chest, arms, and face, not letting anything get by him. Shortstop J. Antonini found some new hops, contorting his body and going high in the air to stab liners over his head all game. But all that STILL was not enough to stop Chico’s 15-game slide.
As the clock struck midnight and down 19-18 in the last inning with two outs and two Bonders on, hot-hitting Wells hit a deep, majestic drive to center field, bringing the roaring Chico followers to their feet. To the Bonders’ dismay, the Colasante left centerfielder dashed out the darkness and fog of the thick, hazy summer night and made a diving, stabbing, tumbling catch, ripping the hearts out of the chests of the Chico followers and team members.
In disbelief, 1B Leatherman retreated to his car and weeped, not about the loss, but about the pride he felt for his fellow Bondsmen. For tonight, Chico’s were everything they had not been this forgettable season- daring, hustling, bold, youthful… Not wanting to go home, six or seven Chico’s milled aimlessly around the closing 123 bar at 3:00 AM. An exhausted and worn down, Vehse stood over the darkened jukebox, the power long shut off after last call, still trying to make selections, just wanting to hear Peggy Lee sing ‘Is That All There Is’ one more In disbelief, 1B Leatherman retreated to his car and weeped, not about the loss, but about the pride he felt for his fellow Bondsmen. For tonight, Chico’s were everything they had not been this forgettable season- daring, hustling, bold, youthful… Not wanting to go home, six or seven Chico’s milled aimlessly around the closing 123 bar at 3:00 AM. An exhausted and worn down, Vehse stood over the darkened jukebox, the power long shut off after last call, still trying to make selections, just wanting to hear Peggy Lee sing ‘Is That All There Is’ one more In disbelief after the soul-crushing defeat, 1B G. Leatherman retreated to his car and wept, not about the loss, but about the pride he felt for his fellow Bondsmen. For on this night, Chico’s were everything they had not been this forgettable season- daring, hustling, bold, youthful…
Not wanting to go home, six or seven Chico’s milled aimlessly around the closing 123 Pleasant Street bar at 3:00 AM. An exhausted and worn down, Vehse stood over the darkened jukebox, the power long shut off after last call, still trying to make selections, just wanting to hear Peggy Lee sing “Is That All There Is” one more time.
Game Notes: The results of an MRI on back-up 1B Porterfield’s throwing arm after the game revealed significant ligament damage. Unable to foot the bill for Tommy John surgery, Chico team management has offered to pay for Elton John surgery or Olivia Newton-John surgery. Porterfield opted for Olivia Newton-John surgery which amounted to the purchase of an old trunk of aerobics VCR tapes, several soiled unitards, headbands, and wool leggings for $199.
Conclusion: The Bondsmen failed to win a softball game that season in 2015, losing all 23 games. To commemorate the winless season, Chico outfielder Dave Becker constructed a trophy after the last game that he dubbed the “Oliva Newton-John Trophy”. For over seven years, the trophy has been showcased on a shelf behind the bar at 123 Pleasant Street in Morgantown, WV as a constant reminder of that forgettable season.
A painting by Malissa Baker that hangs on the wall in the lower bar at 123 Pleasant Street.
