In celebration of the start of the 28th Chico softball season, we will be posting daily recaps of the greatest games in the Bonders’ long and illustrious history.
Twenty-seven seasons of Chico game recaps, stories, and player profiles are included in a recently published award-winning book entitled SOMETIMES ORANGE IS ALMOST GOLD.
The book won a silver medal in the Non-Fiction Humor category of 2025 Reader Views Literary Awards.
Literary Awards Winners – Reader Views
Book Short Summary: This book captures the colorful and hilarious exploits of a group of orange-clad outcasts on their futile two-decade quest for softball glory. Part softball team. Part social club. Part mythology. But mostly failure. Nobody loses better than the Chico’s Bail Bonds softball team–the forever doormats of adult softball in a college town in the hills of West Virginia.
The book is available at: Shop – Jim Antonini or at most online book stores.
Greatest Moments in Chico’s History – August 7, 2002
[Author’s note: Names have been changed to protect team members.] Chico’s is flawless on both sides of the ball. The Bonders (3-14) take their second game in a row against Pickle Barrel Bar and Grill, and the Bonders-shocked by their sudden success-wonder aloud about why they are blessed with excellence after so many weeks of futility. What superstitions prop up this team? What magic animates the boys so late in this dismal season?
Conversation turns to patterns in the last two performances. As Franklin leaves early to tend to a perturbed girlfriend, Johnson realizes the common thread that runs through the lives of every Bail Bonder: girls. It turns out that Jones is having trouble with his second wife, and he is 7 for 10 in the last three games. Jackson just broke up with his live-in girlfriend, and he has not made an error in five games. Hamilton and his pregnant girlfriend are experiencing some rocky territory-he hit two home runs in today’s game. On the bench, the boys relax between innings, but there is a severe tension as they sit among their significant others. It turns out that nearly every player on the team is having some sort of difficulty with his mate, and everyone decides that this is what has provided the spark in their playing. They all agree under blood oath to burn a few bridges and stoke the flames of discontent for the sake of their team, but only until Saturday. “Women,” scoffs Smith, “bah!” He is greeted by the steely gazes of girlfriends, mothers, mistresses, and wives as they look at their watches, waiting for this whole damn softball thing to come to a swift and quiet end. – By D. Foreman
Greatest Moments in Chico’s History – July 21, 2011
Derailed by the summer heat, friendly women, and a photo shoot, Chico’s Bail Bonds (2-15) falls. Morgantown Surgical sweats out a 11-5 victory over the Bondsmen in BOPARC softball tussle before their many adoring and beautiful female fans. With a heat index hovering around 105 degrees, a resilient Chico’s team battled back to close an early deficit. Down by five runs, Chico’s tied game in the third inning with a vintage two-out lightning rally. Chico’s youngest team members jumpstarted the offense. DH Chad Koury slashed a line drive single over the third baseman’s head and Ethan Wells kept the inning alive with a hot shot hit to right field. With the bases loaded, team captain Krovich delivered the big blow, a bases-clearing double to deep right center field that scored the speedy Bonner from the first base to tie the game. The delirious, partisan Chico crowd roared their approval. Appreciative of their fans’ support, Chico’s team members mingled between innings with their sultry Chica supporters, wanting to steal them away to a cool bar with cold adult drinks, far away from the dust, sweat, and sun of Liberatore Stadium. A fashion photographer snapped pictures of the sweaty and brawny team members as they milled about the dugout during the game. A strong pitching performance by Ryan and a beautiful, running acrobatic catch by McGinley in deep right centerfield kept the Bonders close. But like most nights, their hearts and desires were elsewhere. Playing to the vanity of the Chico’s players, the photographer suggested a photo shoot, a calendar pictorial, after the game at 123. Upon hearing the suggestion, Chico’s failed to score another run. Later in the evening, several shirtless Bondsmen were seen prancing about the 123 bar, primping and preening for the camera and fighting each other for the attention of their lady fans. The photo shoot came to an abrupt halt when back-up catcher Nelms, who was to be Mr. Chico September, proudly appeared for his shoot completely bottomless – no shorts, no underwear, no shame, full frontal male nudity. The photographer quickly put his camera away. “I said topless only!” he shouted at Nelms. “I wanted to keep this classy!” As the photographer stormed out of the bar, Nelms, who is hitting a devilish .666 for the season, remarked, “He doesn’t know what class is.” Still without pants, Nelms hopped on a barstool and joined his tipsy teammates as sweat poured from places below his waist rarely seen in public. – By J. Antonini
Chico’s Bail Bonds Softball – The World’s Best Softball Team