BEACHWOOD – Dearest Abigail,
I regret to inform you that the Battle of the Zones has reached yet another year. My fellow soldiers of Zone B met the other three zones on the battlefield at the corner of Birch and Surf. The crack of the bat cried out across this great land, signaling that the fight had just begun.
Our supplies are running out, my dear. Verily, my cooler is almost empty and I spilled my Doritos.
Though our supplies are low, our morale is high. We will vanquish the foe and proclaim Zone B as the rightful winner of this campaign. But I fear we may be challenged again next year.
Yours,
Capt. Mertram Bayo
For the second year in a row, the Battle of the Zones was held at Birch & Surf Park. It was a softball tournament between the four zones that are delineated based on trash and recycling schedules.
This started last year when someone made some smack talk about zones on a Beachwood Facebook page and others talked back. The good natured jibes spilled into real life and this competition came to fruition.
Last year, Zone C won and took home bragging rights. This year, Zone B won. They played Zone A in the finals which was followed by a home run derby, organizer Mike Mandica said.
About 100 people signed up but only about half of them showed up, organizers said. There had been threats of bad weather, so that likely kept people away. There were gray skies but everyone wore brightly colored shirts. Each zone had a different color. It was humid, but there was a great breeze.
There’s no prize, and there’s also no cost. It was just a way to have some cheap, local fun.
“One of the best parts is that not everyone knew each other,” Mandica said. People were meeting and hanging out for the first time. “Everyone’s just coming for a common interest.”
That was obvious if you listened to the chatter between teams. Players busted each others’ chops. One player joked: “I’m going to the Commission.”
But there was also plenty of times that people gave players on the other teams tips on how to play better. They were helping each other, which is what neighbors are supposed to do.
